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Showing posts from January, 2009

More co-writing experiences

Songwriting with others: During this past week I have not let any opportunity to co-write slip by. After work a colleague saw me tuning up my guitar and said to me "I have an idea for a song for you." I started to jot notes down as he talked to me about his life in NYC right now. I tried to get him to speak at least a full page of ideas straight out of his mouth without any editing as raw materiel to start with and to try to find a focus on a main theme, idea or starting point. I usually get some sort of lyrical hook and a melodic framework in and around the same time when I'm writing. This particular questionnaire method is a good way for me to write with others so far - I like to spill the guts and pick through the entrails for the pearls, gems and like the Roman priests get a sense of the future - beware the ideas of March! He described his life as a Pendulum swinging back and forth as he tries to hold on to his life and also his frustration in general. After I lande

Work, work, busy, busy

- I'm still writing: songs that is! Well since I last wrote I have continued to work on co-writing which showed me a good side to my work method - speed. AC is more measured and structured - that's not me but I do note it as I pass by - "oh I need a bit here, that can be the Chorus and other self-talk as the process unfolds revealing another creative dawn. I have the ability to persevere at a single song writing co-write session and develop a fully fleshed song. Yesterday we wrote a song called The Unemployment Blue's with an accidental co-writer CL and last week with my usual co-writer AC I sat down with her guitar came up with a riff and encouraged her AC to pitch in so she did and came up with a gem - 'Get the hell out of here' ... so we proceeded to work through the verses, after we exhausted that I continued onto a more MAJOR pre chorus and chorus. It felt good if a little short so I later added some extra lines to extend the impact of the chorus repetitio

I am writing a musical

I never really thought about it but I realized I really like (some) Musicals such as "O Brother where art thou', Wiz of Oz, My Fair Lady, Willy Wonka and other fun and zany musicals like that and I love writing songs so I have put them together thanks to the idea of my co-writer Miss A.C. We are writing and developing ideas one or more musicals using our already fab songs and some more that we are working on right now. 'Work: the musical' and 'Love Sucks: the musical' are the working titles. I am really excited right now and am really psyched about the project. We are meeting regularly and we aim to have one finished by Mid March. There are 3 co-writes in process. 'Murphy's law' - when things always seem to go wrong (at work) , 'Don't give up the day job' - that hopefully will be about the discouraging friend damning our songwriting dreams with faint praise and finally 'That's business' which is the most brutally funny one -

Goals Aims for 2009

Write Musical about Work and/or Love using Songs I have already and some more co-written ones. Record piano tunes professionally with rhythm section backing band. Record more home demo's and more pro demos with a variety of people and places Do 1/2 gigs of any sort per month Put out 1/2 CD's - mastered professionally with graphics for cover-art, merch and web Set up alternate business to do e-commerce setups for 3rd parties to support musical output - Linked-in Co-write with AC. Promote Laughjohnlaugh online in all channel's - use adverts on my blogs and other sites Go on Tour of New York City, State, Tri-State, College and Ireland to promote my CD - Radio/TV/Papers Design Merchandise for sale at gigs Work harder at marketing Be more confident in every aspect Do more music related courses like the Berklee Online Courses Start a small TV show on BCAT - with humor and other practical spots - cookery technology etc for example Interview 1 musician /songwriter per week like the

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