Great read Jenn, you and your bends achieved so much in a year! You found your passion and motiviation is clearly there. I look forward to listening your songs next year. 
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What a wonderful year, Jenn. Great update. Can’t wait for more exploits in 2025!
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Thank you all so much! I am looking forward to documenting my 2025 exploits 
Happy new year to all of you!
Thank you so much Toby! I agree. I think all my practice time really started to pay off this year. It really is crazy how the music just really starts to seep in and start becoming part of you the more time you spend with it 
Thanks Jason! Yeah, it was definitely an “aha” moment for me when I realized this. Music has been transformational for me in this regard for sure!
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Well 2024 was definitely a fun packed and fruitful year for you, Jenn. All the best for 2025, let the good times roll.
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Didn’t we agree in this community, that it’s a marathon, not a race 
???
Great outcome this last year for you and all of those people you are working with!
I hope they can keep up with your tempo in the long run !
I wish you a great new year with many hours of happy songwriting, bandwork, practicing, filming, performing,… 
!
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Thanks James, it definitely was! Reading it back, I’m kind of wondering how I managed to do anything else 
When I put my mind on something, I tend to get it done
They keep up pretty well I think they are used to my speed now. I work fast
Thank you so much Andrea and happy new year to you as well! I’m looking forward to what 2025 has in store
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Why would we want to do anything else when we enjoy it so much
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April 2025: Escape Route, AKA my trip down the Phrygian rabbit hole
So I have been hard at work over the past year-ish developing my songwriting skills. The biggest hurdle for me when I started was my lack of music theory knowledge. To me, theory felt a bit like I was back in school, about to take an important math test that I hadn’t studied for. When I would listen to some of my favorite professional musicians/songwriters, I’d start to feel a little envious of their abilities. There were limitations in my lack of theory knowledge. I knew I needed to change that to further my craft, so I started to get a lot more serious about it late last year.
I slowly started making my way through two different theory courses trying to apply what I was learning to really cement it in my brain. Around this time, one of our close friends ended up traveling to Portland and stayed with us for a few days. While he was here, he told us a story about a crazy night out he had several years ago. The story stuck with me and I ended up filing it away somewhere in the creative recesses of my brain.
Shortly after, I had something of a breakthrough in my learning. One area that has always confused me was modes. I knew I wanted to learn about them, but every time I tried, I would just get confused, frustrated or both. Then finally, something clicked for me. I felt like I started to get a grasp on the concept. It didn’t feel like a fuzzy blur anymore! I decided to focus on a single mode and see If I could write something using it.
One mode in particular piqued my interest: Phrygian. I started doing a deep dive into what I call the Phrygian rabbit hole 
I watched endless YouTube videos on it. I listened for what made it unique. Then I found @Richard_close2u ‘s guide to modes (highly recommend BTW) and stuck myself into it. I was determined to write a song using this mode.
I think Phrygian appealed to me for many reasons. it is a minor mode and I tend to prefer minor keys. (Everyone knows I like dark stuff 
) Phrygian is also used in a lot of metal music, which, since this song was written for CounterPlot, made sense it also gave me the opportunity to add a bit of a different sound/flavor that I hadn’t played around with before.
I ended up taking all my newfound knowledge and running with it. My friend’s story inspired the concept and all that time I spent down the rabbit hole got me over the finish line. The result is something I am exceedingly proud of, so I wanted to share it with you all. I thought about where to post this as it would likely get more ears on it as an AVOYP, but this was really more about my personal learning journey, so I’m letting it live here.
This is a demo version, so It is not complete as far as instrumentation. I think it needs a bass line and I would like to re-record the main vocal. We will also need to fine tune the mix once it is complete. It’s not perfect, but it makes me happy incredibly happy whenever I listen to it. I wrote both guitar parts, the lyrics and the vocal melody including the background vocals. Dan did all the percussion including the tambourine. I told him that I wanted the drums to have a middle eastern flair, gave him the tempo and he ran with it. I wrote the lead guitar part for Jeff to play, but when we listened to the demo version, we all liked it as is so we decided not to mess with it for now. All the guitar work in there currently is mine.
I hope you enjoy this little peak behind the curtain. Full lyrics below for those interested. Advanced warning that there is some mild foul language in there in case that bothers anyone.
Escape Route Lyrics
(Verse 1)
This place
Smells like an ash tray
And bad decisions
Said we’ll
Stay for an hour
Then we’ll split
Don’t care
if the pool Is free
Your friend is acting like an asshole
(Pre-chorus)
Numbers on the wall are offering a good time
(Chorus)
I’m looking for a way out
Looking for a way out
An endless funhouse mirror night
You see me, but I’m crossing
To the other side
(Verse 2)
They say
The fizz is atomic
Give it a try
Your friend
Had all four and
So we wait
Now I’m
All done up and
Trying to hold back their hair
(Pre-chorus)
Numbers on the wall are offering a good time
(Chorus)
I’m looking for a way out
Looking for a way out
An endless funhouse mirror night
You see me but I’m crossing
To the other
I’m looking for a way out
Looking for a way out
An endless funhouse mirror night
You see me but I’m crossing
To the other side
(Bridge)
Feeling for
False boards
Or a rescue plane
Deciphering messages
In bloodied knuckles
And stolen keys
Maybe I’ll crack it
I’ll make my grand
Escape
(Verse 3)
This place
Is like an ash tray
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It is great Jenn, I enjoyed it. 
Your voice is really distinctive and I love the guitar parts. It is interesting to read the story behind the song.
If I may, I think more variations of the main rhythm theme might improve it - maybe some tempo changes or similar.
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Nothing like sneaking down stairs and opening the Phryg in dead of night ! Liked the demo, a good foundation for sure. Is this a solo projection Jenn ? Seems outside of both the Counter Point and DyeV vibes and I guess genres ? Looking forward to where you take this. 
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Sometimes long posts suit a short response.
Blooming marvelous Jennifer.
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Jenn, that is very interesting to listen to and well played. Perhaps it comes from growing up in the 60s and your reference to the rabbit hole, but this makes me think of the beginning to White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane. A search online confirmed that this song was using Phrygian mode.
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Jennifer
A striking and engaging piece: your vocal snarl works well with some quite aggressive and dynamic guitar. The energy and anger reminded me of Siouxsie Sioux. I look forward to hearing the finished version.
Brian
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Thank you Boris! And thank you for the feedback! Will definitely take it into consideration. For this one I really tried to keep the underlying chords simple to really emphasize the sound I was going for. Modal music tends to utilize the chords that give it its distinctive sound, which was what I was going for here 
Thank you Toby! This is actually a CounterPlot song I should just sneak you a copy of the whole album so you can hear where this one sits in the flow of it 
One of the things that’s really cool about the completed tracks for the album is that everything really works together as a whole. 
That said, I do have some material that doesn’t really fit either band that I may share with the community as a bit of a solo project at some point.
Thank you Richard! And you can kind of take a little credit with your fantastic guide!
Thank you and that’s really cool! I had no idea!
Thank you so much and that’s an amazing compliment! I look forward to sharing the completed version.
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Aha ! Some stylistic nuances on the horizon. Cool !
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Sounding great Jenn,
This is a terrific number
Smokin’ 
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Thank you so much! 
Glad you enjoyed it 