Category: Creative Writing

Build, build, build…

But why? Why do we build? We create things for a purpose to get us along in life. Some things are easy and other things cause you strife. When you have a little playbook to guide you around, your friendship is in labor for those who call you clown. But when you have a flavor to offer those who pay. You may have a true labor you build from day-to-day.

What the hell am I talking about? Work, blah, eat, blah, survival, bro. Do you even survive, bro? I am thinking of a number between 1 and survival. No one cares if you guess the number. Just fucking survive.

Is that not the fundamental basis for human life… survive, survive, survive. Build, build, build. Is this the way of the Universe as defined by entropy? Things emanate? Not quite. We engineer. One word: Lemmings.

Speaking of engineering, the last 2 months have taken me to the moon and back. I’ve seen that dusty shell with a rocky somewhat molten core. It does not complete me. Next stop, Mars.

My upcoming album, Life On Mars, is a metaphor for this journey we experience every day. What will we bring with us?

Although we experience life differently, we are the same. Build, build, build. Survive, survive, survive. And something that unites us universally, cosmically, theoretically with strings: sound and song and musical dances along the plains and across the axis through the years of light traveling past us at speeds so fast melting minds like molasses and with limited views at smaller levels where things get weirder and weirder. Bring your glasses.

So this post is about everything and nothing in a way. I want to jot down more experiences and stories to tell. I want to share funny viewpoints and make fun of stupid people. But not today. Today is simply to celebrate greatness in all forms. I shall quote myself, “To lead in life is crucial, but aspirations for greatness are essential.”

I also want to share lessons learned, perhaps a song-by-song favor profile kinda thing and next goals for music release. Hmm. Building…

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A lotta lotta

A whole lotta lotta has happened lately that all my happenings are filled to the brim of a cup with luck and whiskey to share. I’m not sure where to start… probably where I’m least likely to care… like, for instance, people are stupid. What is happening currently with that I’m sure you can easily find out. Look around! I also happen to have news to share. Feel me out.

I’m recording 6 additional songs! And I think they’re coming out better than the first bunch of songs from October and November. Maybe? Truly.

Street Walker

Here We Are

C’est La Vie

Maybelline

Forget Her

A Live One

Your Love

Can You Feel It Softly Go

Picture

High Low

Shoot The Root

Coming Home

 

*Above pic from October 2017 with Tim Bullock on bass at The Compound Studio in Long Beach, CA.

 

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FU 2017, hello 2018

Blame it all on my roots. I showed up in boots. Hands touching hands. Reaching out. I’ve got news for you. You’re the best man and I’d withstand a boulder for you. Maybe not. Cuz that’s a lot. But Your Song is what I’d like you to share. I’m off to San Francisco for a charity event. I wonder if I’ll find a woman again. But of course, I know there’s an awful lot out there. That’s awful like a waffle with your choice of toppings. I hope the fruit and syrup is popping. Everyone’s drunk, and may your holiday stay crunk. I just hope you can keep me alive. To sum it up, I’ve got music in my cup and my horizon is filled with blue sky.

If it sounds like I’m super confused, that’s because I am. Well, I actually don’t know. I might be. The thing is I have a lot going on. So that makes sense. What else makes sense? Hmm. Music.

What is written at the introduction to this entry is the jumbled summation of my month of December up until the week before Christmas. I was so fucking tired and hungover from several events that I couldn’t finish this entry. Then I got sick, which was exacerbated by the fact that I was beaten down like a dog in heat. I’m not sure I know what that expression means other than referring to canine birthing. See why I’m confused?

We had our company holiday party at our venue, At The Top on Monday, December 18th. Hence, the opening lines of lyrics for 2 of the many songs I sang that night. Yes, we had karaoke. Yes, we had a tattoo artist. Yes, I got a tattoo. Yes, we had tarot, vintage video games, beer pong, etc. Yes, it was fun!

I have not been posting regularly on this blog. In my last post I talked about plans I had for meeting with my cousin. We have not met yet. FUCK. But I have been working on vocals for Coming Home and Maybelline. I have worked out the former, whereas the latter tune I need to revisit. What’s left to consider is a duet with a female vocalist.

The reference to Your Song and Best Man in the introduction is because I have been asked to be the Best Man and sing Your Song at my best friend’s wedding. I have spent a lot of time and basically have the song figured out on guitar and piano. My approach was to research tabs, which none of them are really that accurate. So then I started playing the song on piano because, well, it’s Elton John. I found a lot of great YouTube videos and lessons that gave me the essentials along with varying options for how I can play this song. After a few days, and as I’ve been reorganizing my house with new furniture, I cleaned my piano and then remembered I had songbooks in my piano bench. Sure enough I have a book of sheet music for Elton John. Your Song is last, and it includes guitar chords. It’s been really fun to learn this song!

I have also spent time learning some Jazz essentials, like classical chord triplets versus the concept of Jazz 7, 9, 11, and 13 chords, which basically means if you’re looking at white keys starting with C being, you will skip a white key then arrive at E being the 3rd, then skip to G the 5th, which player together is your standard C chord. For 7, 9, 11, 13, you would continue by skipping a white key to arrive at B, D, F, A. This is as far as you can take it with stacking a chord since a 15 would bring you back to the root of C. Also, another useful lesson is that common Jazz progressions are played as 2-5-1. So for the key of C, talking about chords, the Root 1 is C major, the 2 is D minor, and the 5 is G major. I also spent time going through different rhythms and scales with common ways to solo using your right hand.

My goal this week is to spend time developing a plan for releasing my new music. That includes a release date, associated media content and marketing, short term goals and strategies. I think this, maybe oddly, will help me determine what I’m going to do to wrap up recording! I want to be done with this project so I can get it out into the world.

More on all this later… If you’ve read this far, thank you. I hope I did not waste your time.

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The Christening

I awoke in a daze as usually is the case to the sound of a whine from my little feline today. He would not relent as I hopped out of bed in a fury as I hurried to say no to his request. You cannot go outside because I’m taking a stand for waking me so early and I will not give in. What was I thinking as I surely am mad, but why not let him out so he could squat I should have said. I had it in mind that I would control his mind too, like a clockwork cat that follows my command. Boy, was I wrong, as I went back to sleep for just an hour more and I awoke to Jeep’s pee. Jeep is his name, the name of my cat, what the fuck did he do? He pissed on my brand new expensive leather couch! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Fucking shit! What the fuck happened to my plan that’s gone shit! I rushed to the store to find a proper stain-cleaner, and just as I finished my efforts I noticed more shit! This time, not just pee that I cleaned, but actual shit wrapped in a godforsaken lil blanket for me. Thank god it was all wrapped up, but I wish it were reversed. I’d rather clean bits of shit off this couch than puddles of kitty juice. Fuckkkkkkkkk.

Seriously, this all happened today. It threw off my day, kinda. I was pissed (pun intended). I canceled an appointment I had at 9AM. But it actually propelled me to get some work done earlier than I probably would have today. I spent a few hours preparing for a series of phone interviews I was conducting for hiring a Restaurant Manager for the opening of our new business, The Carvery.

I will be visiting my cousin tomorrow to go over my recently recorded music. I need to make some final decisions on the song mixes. This includes most likely wanting to record new vox for 1 or 2 tracks. My cousin is a full time musician and also has a business that he can help me with releasing my songs. In fact, he suggested I do this alongside the release of his new album. How cool!

Tomorrow night is Friday and I have tentative plans to rehearse with friends. Just like last weekend. If you haven’t read my previous post about this, the last rehearsal went okay. I will be looking to go into this next one with a few adjustments. Namely, I will bring my own amp, microphone, and cables. I will also recommend starting with a couple of cover songs.

The location of the rehearsal is at my friend John’s studio on 2nd Street. It’s not a recording studio, but a music school for teaching lessons. Although, I think John has always wanted to do recordings there, particularly for students, as part of a business plan. In fact, last weekend he had an engineer and new equipment for recording our rehearsal. But it was not ready in time. Maybe tomorrow he’ll have that ready to go.

I spoke to Antoine at The Compound regarding some final adjustments on the tracks I recorded with him. As mentioned above, I most likely will record some new vocals. But I want to make sure I have the vocal parts down and ready to go. This means I need to be in my right frame of mind as I prepare for this. I think the best thing I can do is just play every day. Unfortunately, because of how this day started, I did not make time to do that.

I am also in the process of reorganizing my house with new furniture so I spent most of the day on my newly christened couch that I would have otherwise avoided if it weren’t brand new and awesome for the comfort of my piano bench. Also, my guitars have been moved around and are either packed in cases or are in the next room.

In other news, I thought of a new harmony idea for the song Coming Home. The idea is a background choral harmony. Kinda psychedelic pseudo-gospel paving the way for some soulful vocal runs during the chorus and outdo. Did I mention this in a previous entry? I don’t think so. Anyway, Antoine recommended I test it out with a strings patch on keys, meaning I should play the notes as on a keyboard so it sounds like a orchestral strings, assuming like a cello. So yeah, I will do that. That sounds fun.

Also, I read an article on best times to release an album. I saved it for when I have time to read it thoroughly. Hm. Basically it said not in March (because SXSW) and not in October (because CMA). But this brings me to my next thought, which is that I have been considering recording more songs. I would love to do 10 or 12 songs so that I can release a full length album. But at the moment it’s not looking like that’s the best thing to do. The additional songs will take some time to develop, and I will want to nail them the next time I do a vocal session. I also don’t have a budget for more song material at the moment. So my release at this point is looking like it’s going to be an E.p. Although, as the article suggested, it is best to start promoting 3 months in advance of a release. So it’s possible I could add material during that time. I would like to set a release date in the next couple of weeks. It also said the best day to do release, somewhat officially, is on a Friday!

I could aim for February release, with the consideration that I’ve been promoting for the past month, or in May as that seems like a good time of year just before summertime. It’s also the month of my birthday! Happy birthday to me.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for reading. I’m glad we have survived the inferno that is wrecking Southern California these past few days. Wildfires have made our beautiful region look like hell on earth. I am thankful for what I have. But part of me is like, damn I kinda wanna go make some art. Maybe film the blaze. Another part of me is like, yeah, the world is suffering all the time. We should pay attention more.

I never know how to end these things… Goodbye is probably the best way.

Goodbye.

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Sleeping On Sidewalks

I was walking down the street tonight to grab a bite to eat. I noticed a man in a sleeping bag just as he noticed me. I wondered if he chose that site among the passersby because it brought him comfort in sleep. Why not find a quiet place away from all the sounds we make along this busy street? Perhaps this was the choice he made for lonely days have set himself too deep. We may be different in this homelessness yet all the same in life. For when we have a home to keep we vacation in countryside. But when we turn ourselves astray a man will sleep on lively streets that fill his heart with sound. He does this so – I think I know – his soul can find a home.

What is becoming more and more apparent is that I am motivated by these tiny tales of inspiration – using my Echo while others fight for life or a homeless man in sleeping bag on a cold night. I use them to get started writing. I will say, too, that my thoughts are genuine. I actually did wonder these things as I walked along the streets tonight.

What’s funny is about 10 seconds later, after passing the man in the sleeping bag, a voice called out faintly, “Riley… Riley… Riley.” Yes, three times. I scanned to my left and to my right, and left again as I centered on a figure directly across the street. I was standing in front of my favorite sandwich shop, moments away from entering! I was so hungry. As the dark figure approached I recognized that it was a friend from high school. A friend I actually was not friends with in high school. We aren’t really friends now either, except that we are friendly when we see each other. You know the kind. So we talked for a short while. He asked about my music. I thought that was cool. I should have said, yes! But have you read my blog?”

Okay, enough of that for now. Let’s talk about my weekend of music. I rehearsed on Friday night with friends. It was fine. I think that coming from recording sessions, where my sound has been dialed in, it felt difficult to coordinate a first rehearsal like this. I also have not been playing with a full band very much lately so that added to what I felt were challenges. But all in all, it was fun to hang with friends and play music. We did some covers too. Playing songs you already know is a good way to get started. I realize now we should have done that so we could get our dynamics going. Like I said, it was fine. I am just happy that people are interested to play these songs!

On Saturday I walked from my house to meet Tim and John for a late lunch at Nick’s on 2nd. We walked from there to John’s studio and played music for a lil while. Same place as the night before. It was fun! We just fiddled around a bit, and I shared a couple of new song ideas. We regrouped later that night during the 2nd Street Christmas Parade to play some more.

I got to play on Sunday too! My cousin had a surprise party for his wife at our venue, At The Top. I only played at the end of the party. My uncle let me use his black and white telecaster. It was nice to mess around and play my tunes in front of family. My cousin is a full time musician and my uncle has been playing in the same band since high school. Him and I played a few covers and originals and it was cool to have him take interest and give me positive feedback. I want to keep this rhythm going. Maybe I should play a local gig? Hmmm. Yes, I should. But right now all I can think about is how thirsty and tired I am.

I have a lot of work to do this week (non-music). Also, my cat keeps waking me up super early so I need to get to bed at a reasonable hour. I want to take advantage of my very real and relentlessly loud pussycat alarm clock. It’s a burden and a blessing.

P.s. How do I keep this blog from sounding like a journal? Does that matter? How much entertaining shit do I need to throw into this so that people want to read? Do people want to read my trials, tribulations, and triumphs? Who fucking cares? Someone must…

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Thinking Deeply

I woke up today thinking deeply. Sucking in air as if I was coming back from the dead, I stumbled out of bed thinking, “Oh my… I am still sleepy.” My feet touched the ground with a soft thud on my old tongue-and-groove flooring, and all that I could muster was a hobble as I made my way to the kitchen.

Coffee. As I primed my reusable K-cup with 2 spoonful’s of Peet’s Major Dickson’s Deep Roast, I thought, “Why would anyone want to destroy their Keurig?” The simple answer is that they’re fucking stupid. The less than simple answer is they’re fucking stupid. Also, what is less than simple? If something is more than simple, I assume that is probably really fucking easy to figure out.

Back it up for a moment because I forgot to mention The Jeep. My cat, Jeep, likes to wake me up between 5AM and 7AM so he can go outside. He is very vocal and has a way with words in the early morning. When we talk it’s as if I’m talking to myself if I were totally drunk and standoffish, like how you might act if you wanted to order food at the nearest Jack in the Box. It’s the only place open late at night that will accept you in this drunken state of mind with your words crisscrossing into phrases that only a fast food clerk can understand. If this were Blackjack, you’d have equal buying power and assured losses. However, this being Jack in the Black, gimme a Jack’s Spicy Chicken with Curly Fries and Chocolate Shake please, you’re in for assured palatial serenity. This is what dreams are made of.

By now you may have discovered that this blog has lots of direction. The question is where shall we go? I have a path in mind.

I have recently been writing and recording music… There are 5 new songs and 1 previously recorded song that has been remixed. This blog, at least for a while, will be about my experiences during this process. My goal is to release this new music so that it has a positive impact on listeners.

So as I write, and learn, and search for discovery within myself, I hope to share with you the interesting parts of my experience in making music.

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