write a song, and perform it

I AM MUSIC!!! :))) 15 months ago

When I was in my first year of secondary or ‘high’ school, I was sitting in a lab doing an experiment with acids and metals and stuff and I was working in a group of three. Our form class had to do an assembly about a month later so one of the people in my group went’Callum, you play guitar don’t you?’. I replied that I did and he explained that he thought we could form a band to play in the assembly. I thought it was a good idea so we arranged to meet at one of their houses and so we had a guitarist, a pianist and a drummer. Not perfect but we were eleven years old so it wasn’t so pathetic. I had come up with an idea and I showed the pianist the chords and our drummer improvised until he found a good rhythm. A month later, we were playing in front of 180 of the other members of our year group and a handful of teachers. It was so scary but we made it through and it was all ok. 2 years ago

... my focus at the moment. It’ll come back. 2 years ago

It was more of an admin evening for an upcoming series of concerts, but in the second half members played songs they were working on and everyone was very supportive.

If I’m going to do this thing, this is the environment to do it in. Do I really want to put in the time and do this right now? Why wouldn’t I? What’s holding me back? 2 years ago

On Sunday 3rd May. 2 years ago

Wrote another disney parody for my school’s spring show and I performed it, but I still don’t think I can count this because the music and some lyrics were not original, but I’m getting there… 2 years ago

... on this. 3 years ago

The song I like are not the best ones to start with! I took in a couple of songbooks by Randy Newman and Ben Folds (two heroes of mine) and melodies I thought I knew were lost in the complexity of the notation. Unfortunately the role models I aspire to being like are talented composers who have distinctive styles. Also my teacher didn’t know them.

So we started with Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is a total cheese-fest, but brilliant to learn technique with. I am going to look at the RN/BF songs in piano on Wed though, to work out the chord structures so I can sing along at home and familiarise them.

I’m finding it hard not following a course book. I’m taking more responsibility for my musical development, but I feel a bit lost too. 3 years ago

To myself – I haven’t forgotten this. I am getting better at reading music, which means I will soon be able to write music. I’ve bought the leads to link the piano to my Mac, so soon I’ll be able to compose…

Actually I could compose now. I’m not because I have enough on my plate with writing a goddamn play by Dec 19th for my writing course :-) patience young Jedi… 3 years ago

I’ve been performing for years, but never with a song of my own. It’s always a friend’s or a cover.

Here are mys steps:

1) write something I’d like to perform
2) record it
3) make a youtube video of it
4) find somewhere I’d like to perform
5) perform 3 years ago

Instead of an open mic (as well as?) I could write a song for the concert we give for family and friends at the end of the singing course. That solves a lot of logistical issues – including the band. I’ll have a band to perform my song! I feel sick just thinking about it. I guess it’s a challenge. 3 years ago

I’ve broken this down into segments (thanks weallareone!):

• Piano lessons to learn music and accompaniment
• Singing lessons to improve my main instrument
• A363 to hone my language and creative process
• Guitar – I’m going to dip into it as I fancy through the year

It would be just amazing to do this by the end of the summer term 2009 at an open mic. I’m really excited about this coming year! 3 years ago

Hmmmm… I’m still planning on signing up for guitar and singing lessons at the Leeds College of Music in a couple of weeks, but I’m not sure how to frame it all so I keep motivated and seeing progress. I could just relax and enjoy it ;-) but I don’t know… 3 years ago

Such a wistful, beautiful song, and not too difficult. Another great one to practice my guitar chord changes and warbling. If I can get three or four of these songs that I love under my belt and practice them so I can perform them to a reasonable standard, I’ll be another third of the way to this goal.

• 1/3 – writing a song
• 1/3 – singing and playing the song on guitar
• 1/3 – performing at an open mic 3 years ago

I can’t sing a song to an audience (even just my wife!) unless I can memorise all the words. I don’t think I’ve done that before – isn’t that weird?

I know Nick Cave isn’t a great example, he’s a wordsmith so there’s lots to remember, but it’s such a beautiful song and I’m drawn to it today, so that’s the one I’m practicing. Guitar and voice. He was on BBC4 tonight and he’s a fantastic showman, but his voice is… natural! I could do that! 3 years ago

I can see this happening this year – I’m enjoying playing guitar again, my voice is good enough for a small venue with some more practice, and I’ve proved to myself I can write poems and stories.

The next step is to bring these things together somehow. As ever, I’m waiting for the intuitive nudge as I plug away at the details. 3 years ago

I bought this great DVD, really cheap on Amazon, and I’m starting guitar all over again. It’s only taken a few hours, but just by concentrating on the basics of making a clean sound, proper finger positioning, strumming with intent, the sounds I’m making have improved hugely. Why didn’t the guitar teacher I experimented with a year or two ago tell me this stuff?!

I know the chords, I can change them in a half-arsed way, and now I’m singing over the top. I feel like I’m chipping away at this goal from several different angles, all relevant. I’m not going to think too much about it though – why spoil a good thing? :-) 3 years ago

My dorm-mate and I wrote a parody to “Part of your world” from the little mermaid and we were lucky enough to perform it in our university’s spring show.

I’m not counting this as achieving my goal because it is not technically an original song. I want to do it where I write words and music, but this was a good start. 3 years ago

I have written so many songs but have never performed them myself or had them performed. 3 years ago

... called “Composing Music”, and it’s a series of exercises you work through, composing simple melodies and learning about the technical stuff as you go. I spent a couple of hours on it this evening and it’s great! I have two new melodies unheard before in the world :-) whether they are any good is another matter.

Music is becoming a focus now that the writing course is winding down. It’ll be nice to have a rest from deadlines and do something purely for fun.

So I’m singing, I’m composing melodies, I know I can write a lyric – I just need an accompanying instrument… the guitar just doesn’t do it for me the way a piano does, but then you can’t lug a piano to a venue. An electronic keyboard? Guitars are cheap! And I only need to he able to play well enough to support my voice. Hmmmmmmm. 3 years ago

I read a great book by Tori Amos on her musical creative process recently. Last night I listened to Randy Newman, “I Miss You”, and I realised – I would love to be able to do that. 3 years ago

So I’d been in a funk all day, lots going on in my life at the moment, and I got home and didn’t know what to do with myself.

I picked up the guitar, put it down again, then sat with it on my lap. I absentmindedly strummed some chords and I remembered reading in “Guitar Man”, that one of the easiest songs to start with is “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”, C F and Dminor (?) so I play it. Then I sing it, without planning to, but without stopping myself either. I recalled another book I’m reading, “Zen Guitar” and how you should always approach a guitar (anything?!) with beginner’s mind, pick it up, tune it, then play with full mindfulness. So I go to a website to tune it and I also google strumming patterns. A chap in Guernsey shows me some strumming and talks about “I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane”, John Denver. I play it from his instructions, then I go to iTunes and buy the song so I can hear the melody of the verses (which I don’t know). I practice it a few times and I’m really enjoying myself.

I look at the clock – an hour and a half has gone by. I think that was one of the most enjoyable 90 minutes I’ve had in a long long time. 4 years ago

But I wonder if I’m building up to it again? Perhaps I needed to leave it for a while and develop my general confidence. Anyway, it’s back, straight in at number 9 4 years ago

People have told me I have a good voice (when my boyfriend lets them listen to songs we’ve done at home)... but perform in front of people? AHH! I would be so nervous! I want to get over this fear I’ve had since I was in the middle school choir. I never did a solo – too shy. I want to be up on stage with my guitar and just enjoy it. Who would really care if it were horrible? I hate getting nervous, I will practice one song until I feel I could do it in my sleep…. but it won’t be for a while. 4 years ago

I want to do this, I don’t want to do this.

I sometimes wonder if this is a by-product of my desire to write. Something about finding my voice. The music notation seems to be a barrier to my enthusiasm… how do I record my ideas in a meaningful way?

Actually, I know that’s a solvable problem. This goal is really a question of motivation and prose-writing is it right now. 4 years ago

I feel more open to all sorts of creative stuff at the moment. I’m trying to take the pressure off myself to “create something great” and just “create something”. I’m loving my guitar and learning to writ music at the moment, so this thing has resurfaced. Glad I didn’t knock it off. Isn’t it funny how the mind works, chipping away at stuff in the background. 4 years ago

All wrapped up in my other goals, but I’m still putting in the odd practice and I am getting better. No idea if this is going to go anywhere yet. 4 years ago

A girl at school asked me to write a song with her, and we’ve been scribbling away for a while…

It’s going well and she seems to have high hopes for it :D 4 years ago

What a beautiful song. Today I learnt the chords and sang it as I played… only strumming, nothing complicated, but the vocal exercises I’ve started doing are really having an effect on my range. Don’t know much about Leonard Cohen, apart from Suzanne, oh and that song from Natural Born Killers. I’m really enjoying myself. 4 years ago