I am in a hotel room in London, near King’s Cross (the Harry Potter train station!!!). I have just returned from the cinema where I saw a film called “Wild Target.” Find the trailer online. The reviews said it was terrible but I honestly enjoyed the heck out of it. The theatre I was in was laughing the whole time. It was a blast.
Tomorrow I am heading to Edinburgh. I have spent the past three days in London. I love it. I love the pace, I love the tube, I love the tube, and I have enjoyed walking around and seeing what I can.
What does this all have to do with music? I have specifically chosen music to match wherever I am. For example, in the airport as I was leaving, I listened to “So here we are” by Bloc Party. When I first took the tube into the city, I listened to “Station Approach” by Elbow. When I first stepped out of the Underground by myself in London, I listened to “Don’t Panic” by Coldplay. When I first saw St. Paul’s Cathedral, I put on “Hoppipolla” by Sigur-ros, then followed it up with “Ara Batur.” As I walked through the cathedral, I listened to “To Build a Home” by Cinematic Orchestra. I could go on, but I’ll stop for now.
I feel like I understand this music I love a little better. With the exception of Sigur-ros, the only music I brought with me is from the United Kingdom. Today I put on “Firesuite” by Doves as I was just walking through the financial district along the Thames. As I was listening to this music, I looked at the people, I looked at the buildings and I all of the sudden just “got it”. That probably doesn’t make any sense, but I was suddenly face-to-face with this music that had always seemed so distant. It was exhilarating. It made me glad to have my guitar with me in my hotel room.
This is a long post, so I am going to wrap it up. Needless to say, I love being here. I am going to be sad to go in a week and a half.
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So a friend of mine got sick. and he got his roommate sick, and then his roommate got his wife sick, and then i started hanging out with them, and i think she got me sick, (and now i have gotten my roommate and his wife sick). All that is to say: I have been really sick this past week.
I hate being sick. I mean, no one likes being sick, but i get really bad. I get whiny and miserable and just downright lame. I can't sing, i can't taste food... being sick is my own personal hell.
What was funny was that for the first time in about 3 months, i went a whole week without making music. It was an uncomfortable feeling, to say the least. The first day i started feeling better, i started recording again. I know i am doing the right thing with my life when even being sick doesn't slow me down.
In other news, my singing voice sounded awesome when i was sick. Kinda like when Phoebe got sick on Friends and she sounded "sexy" when she sang. It was just like that.
Reply
I bought my ticket this week. It is official. A dream I had on the 25th of March finally came true. I needed to get a passport, which i did, i needed to get verified on Couchsurfing, which i did, and finally i needed to actually buy the ticket. There is nothing in my way now.
I am going. And it's because i decided to go. I told everyone i knew that i was going. I told strangers, people i had just met that i was going. I literally spoke this trip into existence. I knew the details would fall into place as long as i stayed true to the course, and when i said "i'm going", i meant it.
I plan on doing the same thing with music. I am going to record albums. I am going to play shows. I am going to be a working musician. The details will fall into place as long as i stay true to that course.
Reply
I remembered today that I was, at one time, a Commercial Music Major at Belmont University. There were many reasons why i switched after a year and half to be an English Major, but one thing that i remember is that i wanted to retain my "Sound". At the time, all i knew of my Sound was that it didn't sound like the other musicians around me. I'm not being arrogant by saying this. In fact, many of the other Sounds around me were better than my own. I just felt... different. And I quit.
Shortly after that, my relationship with my girlfriend at the time became pretty serious and that search for my Sound started playing second fiddle to making her happy. In fact, it went so far as to leading me to believe that it was OK to abandon my Sound altogether.
So why now? What about this moment in my life makes me serious about my music? What makes this different? Because I have begun to find that Sound. I have begun to feel confident that the music i make sounds good and sounds like me. And because of that, i'm serious about my music. I have no relationship to distract me, no class to tell me how i'm supposed to do music; it's just me and my guitar. I hope you're excited as i am.
Reply
My friend tells me i should only write a song if i HAVE to write it. He sees music as an extension of his soul--a piece of his spirit that is escaping through melody and lyrics. I have been wondering why i write music. Rarely does a song come out because of a deep spiritual need. I mean, a song like "How the Story Ends" would come close, but even then, the song was much more about me working through some thoughts than it was anything else.
i like the idea of muses. In Greek mythology, the muses were an external spiritual force, a source of inspiration for the poets, singers, etc. They would invoke a particular muse at the beginning of their art and that muse would "inspire" their work.
I think i relate to that feeling. Inspiration for me often comes from the outside and works its way in. My muse might be a place i am, something that happened, or just a cute girl. Later on, after the art is made, i look back and it usually means something to me. And when it doesn't, i move on. I don't argue with my muse.
Reply
I've been struggling with something.
When I make music, i never think about what other people are going to think about it. I write words that mean something to me at the time. I try to capture a moment, a feeling, or a thought. And this is great for me. I rarely have "writer's block", simply because there is always something new that can be seen or felt. Even if a song is just atonal screaming, if the screaming is honest, it's music. whoa, tangent.
i write music that i like to listen to. I wrote a song this past week that i have literally listened to like 30 or 40 times since i've written it. Although this sounds narcissistic, it doesn't feel that way. I don't enjoy it because i wrote it, i enjoy it because i completely relate to it. It's like when you hear a song on the radio and think, "this song is about ME." It's like that, except the song really is about me. I am moved by my own music.
So here's what i've been struggling with: i don't know why other people like my music. I know what i hear. i know why i put that note there, or made those words say that. But someone else just hears the finished product. I have no idea how that product sounds. And so i don't get it.
Reply
Sparrowghost / Blog
Life's Soundtrack
I am in a hotel room in London, near King’s Cross (the Harry Potter train station!!!). I have just returned from the cinema where I saw a film called “Wild Target.” Find the trailer online. The reviews said it was terrible but I honestly enjoyed the heck out of it. The theatre I was in was laughing the whole time. It was a blast.
Tomorrow I am heading to Edinburgh. I have spent the past three days in London. I love it. I love the pace, I love the tube, I love the tube, and I have enjoyed walking around and seeing what I can.
What does this all have to do with music? I have specifically chosen music to match wherever I am. For example, in the airport as I was leaving, I listened to “So here we are” by Bloc Party. When I first took the tube into the city, I listened to “Station Approach” by Elbow. When I first stepped out of the Underground by myself in London, I listened to “Don’t Panic” by Coldplay. When I first saw St. Paul’s Cathedral, I put on “Hoppipolla” by Sigur-ros, then followed it up with “Ara Batur.” As I walked through the cathedral, I listened to “To Build a Home” by Cinematic Orchestra. I could go on, but I’ll stop for now.
I feel like I understand this music I love a little better. With the exception of Sigur-ros, the only music I brought with me is from the United Kingdom. Today I put on “Firesuite” by Doves as I was just walking through the financial district along the Thames. As I was listening to this music, I looked at the people, I looked at the buildings and I all of the sudden just “got it”. That probably doesn’t make any sense, but I was suddenly face-to-face with this music that had always seemed so distant. It was exhilarating. It made me glad to have my guitar with me in my hotel room.
This is a long post, so I am going to wrap it up. Needless to say, I love being here. I am going to be sad to go in a week and a half.
Reply
On Being Sick
So a friend of mine got sick. and he got his roommate sick, and then his roommate got his wife sick, and then i started hanging out with them, and i think she got me sick, (and now i have gotten my roommate and his wife sick). All that is to say: I have been really sick this past week.
I hate being sick. I mean, no one likes being sick, but i get really bad. I get whiny and miserable and just downright lame. I can't sing, i can't taste food... being sick is my own personal hell.
What was funny was that for the first time in about 3 months, i went a whole week without making music. It was an uncomfortable feeling, to say the least. The first day i started feeling better, i started recording again. I know i am doing the right thing with my life when even being sick doesn't slow me down.
In other news, my singing voice sounded awesome when i was sick. Kinda like when Phoebe got sick on Friends and she sounded "sexy" when she sang. It was just like that.
Reply
A trip to the UK
I bought my ticket this week. It is official. A dream I had on the 25th of March finally came true. I needed to get a passport, which i did, i needed to get verified on Couchsurfing, which i did, and finally i needed to actually buy the ticket. There is nothing in my way now.
I am going. And it's because i decided to go. I told everyone i knew that i was going. I told strangers, people i had just met that i was going. I literally spoke this trip into existence. I knew the details would fall into place as long as i stayed true to the course, and when i said "i'm going", i meant it.
I plan on doing the same thing with music. I am going to record albums. I am going to play shows. I am going to be a working musician. The details will fall into place as long as i stay true to that course.
Reply
Why I'm Serious Now
I remembered today that I was, at one time, a Commercial Music Major at Belmont University. There were many reasons why i switched after a year and half to be an English Major, but one thing that i remember is that i wanted to retain my "Sound". At the time, all i knew of my Sound was that it didn't sound like the other musicians around me. I'm not being arrogant by saying this. In fact, many of the other Sounds around me were better than my own. I just felt... different. And I quit.
Shortly after that, my relationship with my girlfriend at the time became pretty serious and that search for my Sound started playing second fiddle to making her happy. In fact, it went so far as to leading me to believe that it was OK to abandon my Sound altogether.
So why now? What about this moment in my life makes me serious about my music? What makes this different? Because I have begun to find that Sound. I have begun to feel confident that the music i make sounds good and sounds like me. And because of that, i'm serious about my music. I have no relationship to distract me, no class to tell me how i'm supposed to do music; it's just me and my guitar. I hope you're excited as i am.
Reply
On Muses
My friend tells me i should only write a song if i HAVE to write it. He sees music as an extension of his soul--a piece of his spirit that is escaping through melody and lyrics. I have been wondering why i write music. Rarely does a song come out because of a deep spiritual need. I mean, a song like "How the Story Ends" would come close, but even then, the song was much more about me working through some thoughts than it was anything else.
i like the idea of muses. In Greek mythology, the muses were an external spiritual force, a source of inspiration for the poets, singers, etc. They would invoke a particular muse at the beginning of their art and that muse would "inspire" their work.
I think i relate to that feeling. Inspiration for me often comes from the outside and works its way in. My muse might be a place i am, something that happened, or just a cute girl. Later on, after the art is made, i look back and it usually means something to me. And when it doesn't, i move on. I don't argue with my muse.
Reply
What do you hear?
I've been struggling with something.
When I make music, i never think about what other people are going to think about it. I write words that mean something to me at the time. I try to capture a moment, a feeling, or a thought. And this is great for me. I rarely have "writer's block", simply because there is always something new that can be seen or felt. Even if a song is just atonal screaming, if the screaming is honest, it's music. whoa, tangent.
i write music that i like to listen to. I wrote a song this past week that i have literally listened to like 30 or 40 times since i've written it. Although this sounds narcissistic, it doesn't feel that way. I don't enjoy it because i wrote it, i enjoy it because i completely relate to it. It's like when you hear a song on the radio and think, "this song is about ME." It's like that, except the song really is about me. I am moved by my own music.
So here's what i've been struggling with: i don't know why other people like my music. I know what i hear. i know why i put that note there, or made those words say that. But someone else just hears the finished product. I have no idea how that product sounds. And so i don't get it.
Reply