That is heck of an update Phil, congrats on your live OM, you made a huge progress since you started your journey with JG!
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A small update here, really happy with my progress. The open Mic I play at, has a singer/songwriter showcase this month. The idea was like a Nashville Writers Circle, where several people would take it in turns to play songs. Keith the organizer (who also leads the songwriting group) was hoping for 12 people and encouraged me to participate at the last open Mic.
At that point I only had one song, and I have been told it isn’t very uplifting. I really wanted to play. I set about writing a new song and came up with Crazy Lady with the Electric Bat.
Keith had said he wanted to do a Wild Card Round at the end where people could do 1 song each.
On the day there were 15 people signed up. Each of them did 3 songs except a few of us in the last round who only did one each. The audience was packed and the event was a real success. The event ran long it started at 3 and I didn’t play until about 6.30 pm.
I wasn’t particularly nervous, although the quality of songwriting was really good. Even Keith said he was intimidated by the quality of some of them. Anyway I played my song, enjoyed it, got some good comments, although the audience was a lot thinner by the time I got on to play, probably a good thing.
It was great listening to over 40 original songs in an afternoon. Listening to the seasoned guys, it feels like they do more than put lyrics and simple chords together. Rather than being sad about that it gives me something to aspire to and the drive to keep doing more.
Overall now I can say on stage, I had to think which of my originals to play. It is great thinking that I can say I’m a singer/songwriter. As I said in the Crazy Lady song thread, I have achieved way more than I ever thought. It is fairly addictive though I want more. Playing in a band would be a great experience.
The next singer showcase is the end of January. I need to write at least one more song to participate fully.
Being exposed to local musicians has been a great experience, like all the helpful people in this community. Guitar has benefitted me in ways I could never imagine. Onward
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My wife didn’t join me at the singer/songwriter showcase as she was looking after our new addition to the family Fern, a 3 year old cockapoo who was rescued from a puppy mill where she has been producing puppy’s all her life. She was kept in a crate/barn. Has clearly been treated badly and is very scared. Doesn’t know what treats/toys/walks or people being nice to her are. It will likely be a long road, but she is walking with us and sitting with us, when we place her there. She won’t come to us yet, but it’s only been 2 days. Looking forward to bringing out the fun in her.
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There are truly some sh**ty people in this world. Hats off to you and your wife for deciding to make a difference, well done sir!
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Well, it’s been a while since I posted here. A little update.
First, Fern the dog, is still really scared, won’t take treats or play. She is very scared of noises and fast movements. She was obviously treated really badly. She will emerge from her corner when I am out of the room, or when we are “asleep” in the dark. Slow Progress (kind of like my guitar playing). She loves going for walks, particularly, in parks, so a good thing.
Onto guitar, started individual lessons with @Richard_close2u once a month, which I really enjoy and I think they help me decide what to focus on. Having someone give pointers about what I am doing helps a lot, those things can go unnoticed when you are learning online.
Last month, I played at a local open mic again, felt much more comfortable and enjoyed the 4 songs I played. I need to expand my repertoire.
House of the Rising Sun
Something in the Orange
Crazy Lady with the Electric Bat (Original)
Good Riddance
Also trying to pick up on my Chris Liepe My musical voice lessons.
Lots to do, but although there are ups and downs I feel like I am making progress.
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I figured it was about time to update my learning log, hard to believe it is close to a year since I last posted. I need to do better…
Fern update, she is continuing to get more confident. We put her on prozac, and the improvement was immediate but slow. She now sits in the room with us. Allows us to stroke her, loves going for walks. Last week we took her to the beach and felt confident enough to let her off the leash. She walked as close to us as if she had the leash on, but another step. She is still scared of noises, cracks and creaks in the house, car doors etc. but much happier, her little stubby tail now sticks out flat, and even wags when we are going for a walk.
Onto guitar,I am still loving playing, my practice is still a favorite part of my day. Continuing my lessons with Richard. I am still bouncing around in the topics that I am trying to learn. I have started the solo blues course with matchmysound. With my new Mac setup match my sound works for me, which wasn’t true of my aging laptop. Time just seems to disappear while I am trying “just one more try”. I am up to perfecting Hooker Vibe Blues, trying to figure out the improvising part.
I also have played at a few open mics, feeling much less nervous each time. I still want to get more songs in my repertoire
Songwriting, this is something I am trying to do more of. I just completed my third original. The reason that prompted me to update my LL, is that I performed this song, at a poetry and performance arts night last week. I wasn’t feeling nervous, until, I got rushed onto performing and every little error seemed to be magnified. Lyrics not advancing on tablet etc. Also not used to playing standing up, so need to do more of that.
I have been recording my practice sessions, but not in performance mode. Plan to record more for posting AVOYP here, and sign up for OM performing.
Here is my song Every Silver Lining Has a Cloud
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A little update on my song Every Silver lining has a Cloud. It is still pretty much a work in progress.
It started with a zoom called “How to write a song in 90 minutes”. With Keppie and Benny. They led us through a few prompts and gave a few minutes to work on each activity. At the end of the session. I had 4 verses and a chord progression. After the session I continued to work on it.
Prompts
The prompts were something like
Choose some idioms or sayings
Twist them in some way
come up with rhymes for each of the words in the new twisted idiom
Write a verse with the rhymes of each word and use the twisted saying as the last line.
Repeat for other verses.
Choose 4 chords in the key of D
I read the lyrics at a poetry & Performance night. A few weeks later I give it a first public outing.
I was talking to a friend about AI and he mentioned some discussions he had with a producer he was working with about Suno. It wasn’t something I had really considered, but I decided to give it a try. I copied in the lyrics and an early recording I had done of the song in practice. I can’t remember any prompts I gave it, acoustic I think, I hadn’t learned about choosing cover version.
The first version that came out was
I have continued to work on the song, including discussions in my lessons with Richard, coming up with a strumming pattern I was working on and the test thought of a chord change before the last verse. I am struggling with singing that as yet.
Here was my most recent recording
Overall my thoughts on the AI piece, at first I was quite frustrated that something that had taken me weeks to do, the AI produced something more polished in a second. However on reflection as a tool, it is good for creating ideas, and other ways the song could be done. In the hands of someone who knows what they are doing, I can see you could craft a song exactly how you want it.
For people who aren’t interested in wanting to sing their owns songs, it can allow them to hear what their song might sound like. It did allow me to hear some places where the lyrics needed changing to fit the chords and song structure.
Lyrics
I wish we were still together
I’m sure that we would both feel better
You even took my favorite sweater
The one you borrowed the night you met me.
Every silver lining has a cloud
Even though I felt that I was smiling
You questioned why I was always frowning
don’t even know why we were fighting
I know was wrong to keep denying
Every silver lining has a cloud
remember we danced in that big crowd
and you held on so tightly to my hand
The music was pushing us around,
We talked but we never made a sound
Every silver lining has a cloud
thoughts drifting like snow in winter
I’m a boat without a rudder
A log floating down the river
Looking for a shelter from the storm
Every silver lining has a cloud.
Warm memories yet I shiver
it’s a sickness, and you’re the elixir
I ordered door dash and your the driver
You’re the only one that can deliver
Every silver lining has a cloud
I’m glad we’re getting back together
I know we’ll both feel much better
You can even keep my favorite sweater
As long as you wear it next to me me.
NOT Every silver lining has a cloud
NOT Every silver lining has a cloud
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Thanks for the call out in the other topic! Yeah, very nice song and AI really makes it pop. As I have said before, it is akin to taking your music/song to a producer with studio musicians, for orchestration, EQ, mixing, etc.