Songwriting challenge - how many songs, how many instruments, and how many styles?

So, it's July the 30th and the summer hasn't been too un-sunny here in the UK has it?  Of course we've seen rain, which according to the song is never seen in Southern California. Well, all I can say is that it must be blinking dry out there! Either that or they are getting from somewhere, perhaps nefariously. Someone should look into that?

My bid to continue the 50/90 songwriting challenge continues, albeit in a more relaxed mode than I was during FAWM. It wasn't popular when I went as crazy as I did for that month, but to do it for three months would not be the smartest option available to me. 

As it is though I have 42 song titles up on my 50/90 page, and that's not bad for 25 or 26 days.

That is the tip of the iceberg though, as I have also put some more music ideas down, and gave the wonderful Taylor a melody idea for a progressive piece he's working on. There were words with the melody, but I'm guessing that he won't want to have a song about a mole.

I'd put links up, but I haven't quite worked out how to do that with Blogger on the phone.

There are all sorts that are in this head of mine. Some should probably stay there though!

I'm very happy about some of the songs I've been writing, but obviously I will dislike some of the material because that is just the way things are. Lennon is well known for disliking a fair bit of his Beatles writings, which is maybe more of a revisionist view after he became Mr Human Rights and backed up his wife Yoko's pro-feminist stance. We all do that, and in fact if we allow the muse to take us wherever, then we may not actually LIKE what we write, but may still think it is a good song. I know that sounds weird, but "that's art" as they say.

Out of the songs that I have written so far during 50/90, I am particularly happy with New York State, which my ex-band mate Paul was happy to tell me he liked (I liked that, and the fact that we are still great mates. If we weren't so far away from each other distance wise, we'd be gigging for sure again!

I'm looking forward to putting the song JJ down, which is a tribute to the singer/songwriter JJ Cale, who died over the weekend. The 12 track is coming out for that I think, and I am sorry that I no longer own my own drum kit, because that would have been fun.

Don't Hang Up On My Love is a great song. I'd put a musical piece I came up with on the acoustic guitar, and Pete Murphy wrote a song around that music. A lovely ballad it is too.  Hearing my music being used by someone to create something so beautiful is just amazing.

I'm trying to write a few instrumental ideas as well, which is a lot of fun. I've started work on a piece I'm calling "fortyodd", as a nod to the series thirtysomething, a programme that Louise watched in the eighties and is again watching now thanks to our Lovefilm membership. Everything seems to be on DVD nowadays doesn't it...

I wrote a short "orchestral" piece for a new King (Arrival Of The King),  and obviously a fair bit of other material.

I think the music I have written for Arthur Rossi's song Corporal Thomas "Cotton" Jones is really good, because I looked at the emotion in the lyrics and used key changes to deliberately enhance the emotion within those lyrics.

I like the lyrics for In Rides Evil On Horseback, which needs music. I think that Virginia State Route 251 is a grooving blues tune. The song Promises & Cliches written with Liz's lyrics was great fun, and cheeky as well. I can see the songs Blur Blur Blur Blur (again written with Arthur Rossi), Signs (Give You Away), and That Old River really working well in a full rock band setting, much as I'm Dying (another co-write with Liz's) will be based on the music I've written but not recorded for it.

Wither, a song using lyrics provided by Pete, is looking to become a slow rocking number (I'm looking at a grungy style, but usually fail when I've done that before) if I can get the recording together.

Left Right, Right Left (another co-write with Arthur) has an almost late-seventies Prince sound to it in the backing track that I have created but not finished. The big problem there for me is the same problem I have a lot of the time - my voice.  Yes I am incredibly lacking in confidence at my vocal abilities, an trying to reach the heady heights of Prince's incredible falsetto is very daunting.  Anyone out there who fancies it, please let me know!

There are more songs, but in this epistle I have just given you a morsel for your delectation. Enjoy; http://www.fiftyninety.fawmers.org/user/marvsmooth

Anyway, I'll sign out now and let you all get back to normality. Take care and thank you for reading.

July 30th 2013 (42 years, 8 months, and 4 days old).

Quick catch up

Hey, it's been a long LONG LONG time hasn't it!  Crikey!

How are you doing? What's happening with you?

Well, here is a quick heads up to let you know what's going on with me, and I will most likely go into more detail very soon.

A song writing challenge called 50/90 started on July 4th, and carries on until October 1st - ninety days in which to write...  Yes, you've guessed it - fifty songs. Today is the 28th and my page has 41 songs up apparently. Like I said, moe detail on that and more in a later epistle.  I will most definitely talk about a fantastic song I've written with Pete Murphy entitled Don't Hang Up On My Love - my music originally that Pete reorganised and put some lovely lyrics and melody to.

I've also gotten hold of an iPhone at last after umming and aahhing (have I spelled that correctly?).  I'm so glad that I did, because there is so much available to me now, including the chance to blog like this with the Blogger app.  Oh yeah!

Finances are getting sorted better, but I'm still not or of the woods there. It's good to know that things are getting better that way though.  I can't flaming wait until I'm driving again, because the only driving for me lately, other than the occasional work vehicle, is being driven crazy.

I've also got Instagram, which is good in a way, albeit a little tricky to navigate unless you link it to your Facebook account I guess, which I haven't as yet.

I have a wealth of things to play with on the iPhone, and I am enjoying them.  The app called GarageBand is fantastic. The actual mic recording is better than using the mic on my laptop with Audacity. In fact, I'd say that GarageBand is better in a lot of ways, although I'd like timings other than 3/4, 4/4, and 6/4 to be available. Also, unless I'm playing the real instrument, I can't work out how to use the "in the cloud" simulated instruments and have key changes. Weird. Perhaps I just need to experiment more.

Oh well, this is supposed to be just a short "what's happening" type of thing.

Take care, and thanks for reading.

July 28 2013 (42 years, 8 months, and 2 days old).