Have had a few jams with my friends Ben and Ivan who have recorded and worked together a lot before, so they have a real organic, natural easiness to jams that results in instantly good stuff. They asked me along to see what I could add to the mix, and we found my singing worked reaally well. I'm worried we are going to turn into Porcupine Tree Cocteau Twins, but it'll remain to be seen I suppose.
Really enjoying writing my own music too. I'm still an amateur, no doubt ,but I seem to have a bit of a knack for knocking out melodies and stuff fairly quickly. I'm enjoying it!
― It is like ganging up on Enya (Trayce), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 00:55 (eleven years ago) link
nowadays my songwriting process is i record myself humming or singing melodies on my phone that i come up with while walking around or doing whatever, then listen to them later when i'm at home & try to flesh it out. i usually think they're totally genius at first, but by the time & listen to them they're just ok. still beats writing on the spot though, i always get tripped up with dumb shit like "eh, that melody's alright but it doesn't have enough notes in it" when i'm in direct contact with a guitar
― flopson, Tuesday, 4 June 2013 05:20 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah my current bugbear is endless verses and no choruses/bridges/breaks.
― It is like ganging up on Enya (Trayce), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 05:49 (eleven years ago) link
I put our first single up on soundcloud (link on the what do you sound like thread). It's the first two songs we wrote together. Nobody was 100% satisfied with the results but, hey, they work for now and they're fun.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 21:12 (eleven years ago) link
I haven't been able to find anyone to play music with yet.
― Evan, Wednesday, 5 June 2013 04:00 (eleven years ago) link
after nine years of not playing music at all, i've been playing in a band for the past three months or so, and it's been SO GREAT. i forgot how much i love it.
― eh mec, elle est ou ma caisse? (ytth), Friday, 7 June 2013 05:46 (eleven years ago) link
TWO WEEKS OF BEING TOO BUSY TO DICK AROUND WITH ABLETON ARGHHH
― Sir Francis Drake burned the Spanish Armada because YOLO (King Boy Pato), Sunday, 9 June 2013 03:05 (eleven years ago) link
Had a mostly successful concert yesterday with the New England Spiritual Ensemble and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra; the big takeaway was that mfers need to learn how to count (myself included) but 98% of the concert was awesome.
NESE did arrangements of three spirituals (Nobody's Fault But Mine, In Bright Mansions, My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord), then performed excerpts from Weill's "Lost in the Stars" with the Landmarks Orchestra, then were joined by additional singers and soloists for The Witness Cantata by Swanee Hunt: http://www.swaneehunt.com/art/listen.htm (not our performance)
It was a lot of fun!
― they are either militarists (ugh) or kangaroos (?) (DJP), Monday, 10 June 2013 19:39 (eleven years ago) link
craigslist!
― Poliopolice, Tuesday, 11 June 2013 20:10 (eleven years ago) link
i love "lost in the stars"
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 12 June 2013 06:59 (eleven years ago) link
We're doing all of the music on Aug 28, as well as some arrangements of spirituals by Tippet
(btw congrats!)
― they are either militarists (ugh) or kangaroos (?) (DJP), Wednesday, 12 June 2013 14:24 (eleven years ago) link
(thank you!!)
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Wednesday, 12 June 2013 14:46 (eleven years ago) link
?
― precious bonsai children of new york (Jordan), Wednesday, 12 June 2013 14:55 (eleven years ago) link
Not my musical life, but the lives of several of my friends (most prominently bald dude on end of the group in the first choir shot and the pregnant blonde woman in the second choir shot)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKu-qRYeWrQ
― they are either militarists (ugh) or kangaroos (?) (DJP), Thursday, 13 June 2013 14:28 (eleven years ago) link
― Poliopolice, Tuesday, June 11, 2013 4:10 PM (3 days ago)
True! Just would feel better knowing the people a little beforehand, but yeah why not.
― Evan, Friday, 14 June 2013 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
I sent around an email to the other members of my spiritual ensemble to nail down the date for a concert this fall at King's Chapel; everyone responded and, based on the conversation, we picked one of three dates offered to us.
After the conversation ended, one member who had not been involved announced that he was available for all three potential dates. I responded that we were down on the schedule for a specific date already; he responded saying that that date would be best for him but he could still make any of the three candidates.
I guess my question is "How do you summon the patience to deal with senile people who aren't related to you?", if I have one.
― DJP, Monday, 24 June 2013 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
playing double drums for a friend's project -- the other drummer is one of the founding members of Digit@l Underground.
― precious bonsai children of new york (Jordan), Monday, 24 June 2013 17:46 (eleven years ago) link
Jordan wins
I'll trade you my dude for your drummer
― DJP, Monday, 24 June 2013 17:47 (eleven years ago) link
I'll trade the singer and the drummer for the radiator that decided to spontaneously drain itself through a ceiling the very next day after I thought all this plumbing work was complete and I'd be able to get all my gear out of the storage boxes they've been in for the past four months.
― Wide Area Network King (snoball), Monday, 24 June 2013 17:51 (eleven years ago) link
(I mean, at least the singer and the drummer can help me move boxes and furniture around the place)
― Wide Area Network King (snoball), Monday, 24 June 2013 17:52 (eleven years ago) link
my dude is a retiree with a dubious back, dunno how helpful he'll be moving stuff
― DJP, Monday, 24 June 2013 17:55 (eleven years ago) link
i keep wanting to buy a cassette four-track, convincing myself that's all i need to do to motivate myself to make music more often. but that's the same argument i made to myself for buying new music software a few months ago.
― congratulations (n/a), Monday, 24 June 2013 18:07 (eleven years ago) link
sorry i always complain about wanting to make music but never actually making music. i just realized it's kind of like when people retire but then they get antsy and crazy because they're used to working all day and don't know what to do now that they're not working. just a constant feeling like i should be writing songs but no real energy/motivation/time to do so, and then guilt for not doing anything creative anymore.
― congratulations (n/a), Monday, 24 June 2013 18:12 (eleven years ago) link
that's a good way of putting it, don't know what to tell you. :/
sometimes i sort of fantasize about a creative retirement when i will stop pushing myself to write or produce stuff, stop dealing with booking shows and bullshit, and just play drums in someone else's band or something. maybe hold down a bi-weekly jazz gig where we only play slow and medium tempos.
― precious bonsai children of new york (Jordan), Monday, 24 June 2013 18:48 (eleven years ago) link
trying to get into a habit of doing one small thing on recordings every night, hoping to get to a point where it feels odd not to have done something musical of an evening. finished off two projects over the weekend already so feeling good about this
― #NOBS (electricsound), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 00:02 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah I need to get back on that wagon. I've been sick on and off a couple weeks running and have NOT been in the mood to sing or write a damn thing and it has killed all my foward momentum. I'm hoping this NIN track will at least be a kick up the arse. Also listening to recordings of the last 2 band jams I did, and for someone who cant play bass to save her life, I'm at least passable sounding when I do, haha.
― It is like ganging up on Enya (Trayce), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 01:33 (eleven years ago) link
I dunno if I'm getting anywhere with my "musical project" but I think I've made a couple of breakthroughs. In that I'm finding that what I'm doing doesn't always sound horribly awful.
― Yeezus Built My Hot Rod (King Boy Pato), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 12:26 (eleven years ago) link
Tried singing with a cold tonight, thought red wine would "help".
Ow my fucking throat, ow.
― It is like ganging up on Enya (Trayce), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 12:28 (eleven years ago) link
fwiw, n/a, I don't know any active musicians over the age of 25 who don't have to mentally force themselves into a state of production.
― VIP treatment and a chance to hang with Franco (flamboyant goon tie included), Tuesday, 25 June 2013 12:43 (eleven years ago) link
Started playing in a kinda lame band again to get my chops back, now have my chops back but am playing in a kinda lame band. Hey, it's better than not playing.
― Three Word Username, Wednesday, 26 June 2013 12:14 (eleven years ago) link
1. Recorded a backing track around the singers vocal and managed to do the whole thing in the wrong key.2. Played a show:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DTjX23NWNA
― 29 facepalms, Friday, 28 June 2013 12:33 (eleven years ago) link
finally mixed the hateful black metal project that i recorded. let the dudes hear it tonight and they were psyched. gonna release that v soon.
tonight i must make 200 tapes that are way overdue for a surf/metal band that i recorded like 100 years ago (feb 2012!!!).
bought a tape duplicator and 500 tapes for chump change and i'm very stoked for what this is going to bring to my life.
practiced for the first time in a long time with the band that i'm a hired gun bassist for. it was nice. being out of town for so long made me really miss practicing and such.
also renting out practice space in our show space. duh. why did this never occur to us
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Sunday, 30 June 2013 01:17 (eleven years ago) link
oh yeah and my main band's record is being mastered and im excited about that.
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Sunday, 30 June 2013 01:18 (eleven years ago) link
more excited about it finally coming out but this is obv a positive step
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Sunday, 30 June 2013 01:19 (eleven years ago) link
Just had my first solo with the spiritual ensemble. It went really, really well; the only bad thing is that a dude who's been in the group longer normally sings it so I likely won't get to do it again unless he can't make a concert.
― big black nemesis, Puya chilensis (DJP), Sunday, 30 June 2013 21:47 (eleven years ago) link
thought of a song while out and had to call myself to record it on my voicemail
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Sunday, 30 June 2013 21:55 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_h7Lm7C9Nk
― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Sunday, 30 June 2013 21:56 (eleven years ago) link
I've been asked to do vocals for a doom metal band based on a rather shitty one take freestyle I recorded over a track I was sent. Trying to weigh up whether I ought to do it or if I've already got enough on.
― Pingu Unchained (dog latin), Monday, 8 July 2013 07:32 (eleven years ago) link
I bought a new guitar! An Ibanez Artcore AS73. It's nice. Though I don't have an amp yet and oddly going direct input into my laptop doesn't work particularly well.
― Fanois och Alexander (Merdeyeux), Sunday, 28 July 2013 20:49 (eleven years ago) link
I'm working on completely re-wiring my home studio and getting ready to do some recording to put out. I got a new rack and a couple of patch bays to make it easier to track through my stuff. In addtion, I have also worked on the recording setup in my bands practice studio getting ready to setup to record. I'm going to set it up for much "lower volume" basic tracks and with some things. We record new stuff in the works at practice, but we also play about 1/2 stage volume, so it's pretty loud.
― earlnash, Sunday, 28 July 2013 22:13 (eleven years ago) link
My ex is offering to do a swap with me, he wants my shitty shit, beaten up old japanese Westone bass and he's offering me a telecaster copy in exchange. I hope the Westone isnt worth money or anything nuts (its certainly not in good nick - goes out of tune a lot). I dont even play much guitar. Itd be nice to own one.
― It is like ganging up on Enya (Trayce), Monday, 29 July 2013 00:16 (eleven years ago) link
Finishing up the new pedal board(s) (going with two small ones rather than one giant one). Still need to order new cables...
Any shoegaze/drone bands out there need a guitarist for a tour? REALLY want to get in the van and hit the road for several weeks.
― Elvis Telecom, Monday, 29 July 2013 08:10 (eleven years ago) link
Me and my buddy did one of those live film soundtracks at Latitude Festival on the Saturday Night just gone, it was very strange, in the middle of the woods facing a big screen showing Metropolis.
There was no room to set up anywhere so we played in the tiny sound booth which was a big set of illuminated comedy chattering teeth. It was super dusty and 2/3rds of the way through Kraftwerk came on stage, luckily they were miles away but every so often we could hear little me-lo-dees wafting over.
― MaresNest, Monday, 29 July 2013 08:45 (eleven years ago) link
I bought a stupid douchey guitar made out of an oil can that looks super cool and sounds great except that it's the most out of tune piece of shit ever. I tried adjusting the bridge and ended up just breaking a string. now I have to replace a string which I hate doing because I can never do it right. :(
― staind in the place where you live (crüt), Saturday, 3 August 2013 00:19 (eleven years ago) link
ive been making beats. they are p stupid. also kind of half-assedly working on a solo drone/doom project thing.
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Monday, 5 August 2013 01:17 (eleven years ago) link
I just finished work on a film score, now I'm woodshedding a ballet that is a month late. I tried to sleep just now but I dreamt about e-mails from the choreographer "I am very disappointed in myself for ever having faith in you" :( back to work.
― a blessing and an inspiration (flamboyant goon tie included), Monday, 5 August 2013 01:32 (eleven years ago) link
Either of those in 24tet?
Just received and was pleased with a recording of a piano piece I wrote in the fall. Still plugging away at the recording of the loop-based processed guitar thing I've been working on all year (which might mean that it fails by your "economy" criteria, fgti:P). I hope to have it done by tomorrow though. Preparing for a voice exam (!): thought I should make myself do this in case I ever need to teach solfège.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 5 August 2013 04:43 (eleven years ago) link
what does the exam require? just curious
― 1 P.3. Eternal (roxymuzak), Monday, 5 August 2013 04:44 (eleven years ago) link
It's Royal Conservatory Gr 5, i.e. not terribly advanced by the standards of anyone who can sing at all but enough that I won't feel completely ridiculous if I have to get up and demonstrate things with my voice in front of a room of people. Requirements are: singing four songs (marked on vocal production, diction, and presentation), a vocalise, technical exercises that should be sung on each of six vowels (melodic minor scale ascending and descending in a particular rhythm, ascending major triad arpeggio + descending scale starting on re, minor triad arpeggio + descending harmonic minor scale starting on re, major triad arpeggio in 6/8 legato and staccato, ascending and descending chromatic scale from do to le), ear tests (melody singback, singing intervals above or below a given note, identifying chords by ear), sight singing.
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 5 August 2013 04:54 (eleven years ago) link
(Some of those things are much easier than others obv.)
― EveningStar (Sund4r), Monday, 5 August 2013 05:10 (eleven years ago) link