DAY NINETEEN

This is me. Right now. At one in the ante meridiem.

I just wondered why I always type “DAY [WHATEVER]” at the top.  I know it’s day nineteen.  You must know it’s day nineteen, because I’m on song nineteen.  Dumb.  I think I like how announcipitory it is…announcipitory?  That is NOT a word, but I’m going to leave it because it is a word right now.

It is 10 am on the 21st of January.  I have been working on the song for tomorrow since 9:30 am.  I got sleepy because I’ve been up since 3:30 am.  (True.  I have no idea what I’ve been doing all this time.)  Staring at this blasted computer screen and listing, listening, listening to samples is making me so fatigued that I just got up and renewed the red in my hair with bright red hair dye.  (Why nap?  What a waste!)  Whenever I do this I always think of Clementine in Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.  I really like her.

So, now I am sitting here with red dye all over the place, and all over me, I thought I might start this writing part early.  Jonathan actually suggested a few days ago that I do a reverse posting: one where I write here first, then create the song.  It seemed a bit blechk to me, but since I’m getting a bit stuck on today’s song I thought I’d try it.  Why not?

Right now I am using samples and midi from garageband.  I’m using a start of a project I did few days ago but gave up on (the “manageable” day).  After some space away (Guy Capecelatro totally does this.  Stepping away from a song I think has “failed” is a great window into possible opportunity.), I have gone back to a few of those ideas thinking I might be able to work something out.  When I start playing around with samples and such, it usually means that the song will take an extra long time.  It’s okay, but not preferred.  It’s also a bit annoying that my car is parked on the “wrong” side of the street for NYC Alternate Side Parking Thursday.  This means I have to move it soon.  (True confessions: I have spoiled myself and kept the car with which I moved to New York.  I’m telling you when you have a car, a cello, an accordion, metallophone, violin and band practice in Brooklyn: it makes so much sense.)

At the moment I’m playing with the idea of using my cassette player.  I have much better equipment for stuff like this, and more tape players, but they are all in a storage unit across the country.  Given that, I’m working from the one tape I brought with me purchased at a thrift store (why I chose this out of all the others is a curiosity to me).  It’s a 1996 recording of an executive luncheon.

Right now, the theme of this song is stress.  It will evolve, I’m sure, or I might change it altogether.  Who knows but the Fates.  And now, I must wash out this red before it starts that tingling thing.  Tingling is never good sign of anything… (okay, that is so not true.  I digress…)

~ TIME WARP ~

DONE.  It is 12:30 am.  I am a bit late, but I’m done.

Here’s what you’re hearing:

9 tracks of midi with 2 sounds cut up from the library (the rest were played by hand)

6 vocal tracks

1 violin track (this was a last minute choice that I’m regretting a little, but I’m going to leave it in and chalk it up to a risk-taker.)

4 tracks of cassette tape samples

Had some bad news this morning that turned okay by the end of the day.  Jon’s dad was admitted for surgery to clear out his lungs today to a successful conclusion with hopes he will now heal quickly and easily from pneumonia.  He’s one of the smartest and coolest guys I’ve met ever.  Sending thoughts to you of healing and happy days…

These songs are being created so weirdly… (Art totally imitates life, and I didn’t see it coming until about a half hour ago.)  I started this at 9:30 am and had no clue about what was going on with Jon’s dad until later, and it just so happens I came about that little blip about an 80 year old guy late tonight.  I’m not really familiar with working in this genre (Whatever genre it is, and I think doing this kind of music could be easier with a much different program), so it caused some frustration, but it was fun to consume myself in it for a day.  (Time-wise? 9:30 am with random huge breaks in between.  I kind of avoided this one until the last minute.)

Really frustrating problems: my head phones kept clipping so I wasn’t sure if it was the track and garageband was being stupid or the levels or what.  Volumes took forever.  Also, my stupid mic broke tonight! LAME!

Good omens: I started out procrastinating this one, and even while creating it, it changed meaning in my mind over and over.  It turned out less of a disaster than I was anticipating, and I’m trying to not send lethal judgment arrows at its heart too soon.  Not as clean as I’d like, but, I’ve got the next few months to improve on it, right?

Thank you.  Thank you for being here and helping me through these past few days.  I’ve gotten a lot of very supportive and kind messages from people saying how much they like what I’m doing.  It’s so great, and it helps me keep on keepin’ on.  You know?

Learn Something

instrumentation: vocal sounds, tape player, cassette tape, violin, other stuff from the computer that is on my desk

P.S. I have gotten a few questions about when downloads will be available.  An answer to your question is currently in the works, so hold on a bit longer.  We’re figuring something cool out… sorry it’s taking so long, but I’m super glad you want to have them in your tunes!