song4gabriel

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]In the spirit of the recent song contest around here (thanks again BigTree), I decided that I am going to begin a blog of the songwriting process here on RO. I think it would interesting (and encouraging) for budding (or already sprouted) songwriters to see how the process works for some of us. I'm not entirely sure how I eventually will set it up or run it but I figured I'd give it a little whirl this evening. I plan on ultimately posting [FONT=Tahoma]as I go[/FONT] blog entries that document in words and audio the life of a song - from humblest beginning of a sketch or idea to a completetly recorded, mixed and mastered piece of work. I am thinking a weekly blog, maybe every Sunday that will show the progress of the last 7 days. [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]I have decided on a title (a working title anyway) called [FONT=Tahoma]Unpromising Beginnings-How Songs Find There Way to the World. [/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]I got this title from thinking about something Brian Eno said recently that really struck me and stayed with me, and encouraged me as a songwriter. It's from the the Daniel Lanois film of 2009 called [FONT=Tahoma]Here is What Is.[/FONT] Lanois asked him if he had any words of wisdom for aspiring music artists. This is what Eno said:[/FONT][/FONT]



[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Tahoma]“What would be really interesting for people to see is how beautiful things grow out of shit… Nobody ever believes [that it happens that way]. Everybody thinks that Beethoven had his string quartets completely in his head, that it somehow appeared there and formed in his head, and all he had to do was write them down… What would really be a lesson that everybody should learn is that… things come out of nothing. Things evolve out of nothing. The tiniest seed in the right situation turns into the most beautiful forest, and then, the most promising seed in the wrong situation turns into nothing…[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma]I think this would be important for people to understand because it gives people confidence in their own lives to know that that’s how things work. If you walk around with the idea that there are some people who are gifted, that they have these wonderful things in their head, but you’re not one of them, you’re just sort of… a “normal” person. [But with this insight], you could have another kind of life. You could say, “Well, I know that things come from nothing very much and start from unpromising beginnings, and I’m an unpromising beginning — I could start something.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma]— Brian Eno[/FONT]
[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]I'm love it if anyone has an suggestions, and of course we can and should include all of the RO community to partake in it. Maybe we could have different songs in different statges of development by diferent members of the forum.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]Anyway I'd like to kick things off with somethig fun and funny that I already have some audio of:[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]As some of you know I am a songwriter who is planning on making the move to Nashville in a few months. I had been working on a demo cd (recording myself by myself)from late 2008 to end of 2010 and 5 of the songs are actually finished and mastered. One of those songs is called "Tinderbox" Tinderbox is an upbeat pop country tune and was a labour of love (sort of) and it wound up being the song that took me more than any of the others to finish.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]The songwriting process between myself and my (then) songwriting partner Larry was usually comprised of one of us getting an idea and then sharing it with the other and working on it. The ony problem with that arrangement was that Larry didnt play any instruments other than basic acoustic guitar. So for Larry songs, he'd come over with some chords and lyrics and once we had the song idea started it would be up to me to go finish writing it, lyrically and musically, bang it out in the studio, perform all the instruments, record it and mix it. I usually didn't mind doing this, but for this particular song is was extrememly grueling. By the time I was done I was ready to give up on music and kill Larry and myself. [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]My studio notes for this song have detailed some ridiculous statistics (this is one guy- me, in a home project studio): [/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]Song Name: Tinderbox[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]Total hours worked: 342[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]Total different key signatures: 7[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]Total different arrangements: Over 20 (including a fiddle arrangement, a lounge number and techno version!)[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]Total tracks recorded: 411[/FONT][/FONT]


[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]To hear for yourself this madness I have condensed an audio timeline to about 2 minutes. Have a listen here below. It's a mostly a collage of mixes and audio memos (to myself), pretty much anything that made its way to tape along the creative process. Some warnings- the guy singing when it starts is not me, (it's Larry my aforementioned partner singing me his sketch for the very first time), be on the look out for some profanity and some real bad sounding sketches along the way. If you listen all the way through you will here the song in its mastered version. Trust me- it goes from very bad to pretty darn good. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial][/FONT]
[FONT=Arial](listen with headphones for maximum effect)[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma][FONT=Arial]lange-quinn.com - Growin Up Tinderbox[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial]If you want to hear the complete song first, click here: [/FONT][FONT=Arial]http://lange-quinn.com/tinberbox.cfm[/FONT]




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