Heather Miller Music

Folk Music - Jonathan Byrd, Whitney Houston and Serving Steak

I’ve mentioned Jonathan Byrd on my blog before.  He’s one of those folk artists of today that I really think is doing things right.  He’s a damn good storyteller both in song and in prose.  Right now he’s touring through Europe and chronicling his adventures over on his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/jonathanbyrdmusic 

You’ll have to scroll down a bit and work your way up if you want to read the story in order, but it’s worth it, I promise. 

What brought me to posting today though, was what he wrote about Whitney Houston, folk music, serving songs, and the importance of having life anchors in an artistic career.  I’ll just pull out the parts he wrote to that through-line. 

I checked in online before I went to sleep. The last thing I knew before I went to sleep was that Whitney Houston had died. 

So here I was at the breakfast table, feeling like I’d just pushed away from it. What was I doing back here? I had coffee and contemplated some fish and a roll. Out of the Danish pop music and talking on the morning radio, the words “Whitney Houston” jumped out and they played Dolly Parton’s recording of “I Will Always Love You.” I don’t know why they didn’t play Whitney’s recording, but it perfectly illustrated why Whitney was so amazing, how short Dolly’s version fell this morning, how the songwriter herself could not take the song as far. I wept into my coffee. I had no idea that I cared. Annette came in and I had to explain myself. She knew. She’s a mother, too. She can handle tears. She agreed it was terrible. 

Later that day:

In Vig, we played at the Rhythmic Boarding School. First, we had a workshop with about 60 young songwriters and musicians. I was asked to talk about my songwriting. What it was like to be a musician in the US. What role folk music plays in American life. Hoo boy. Not much, really.

But I redefine folk music here. I always have. What do the words really mean?

Folk music is the music that’s shared in a community, the soundtrack of our lives, the songs at weddings and funerals, the love song at the high school prom. Whitney Houston was American folk music. Is there an American over 20 who can’t sing a line from a song she brought to the world? That’s what she did, she held the melody aloft, a waitress bringing the best steak you ever had. Do you remember the parsley? The potato? Probably not. Do you remember the waitress? Maybe. Do you remember that steak? Damn right you do. Now: if the waitress performed a strip tease for you, would you remember the steak? So many pop singers do the strip tease. Whitney just brought you the steak.

At the workshop, I invited the students to share their songs. After a few, I said, “I’m the only one who doesn’t understand Danish here. Please, is there anyone who wants to sing in Danish?”

A young man stepped up and rapped. He wore a hoodie and a ballcap. They must come on the same truck as Chinese restaurants. MC asked if he had music to go with his rap. He broke out his laptop and played us the track. There was some discussion. There was a question about the meaning; was this a choice between having family and friends or focusing on the art? MC thought that the lyric was asking the listener to make a choice, 100%. You can’t have both.

I said, “America lost one of its greatest singers last night. We don’t know how she died, but we know her life was falling apart. That she had abused herself and was losing her great gift.” I almost cried again. With four different currencies in my pockets, I thought this: Had she been born and died in another country, I’d be spending money with Whitney Houston’s face on it. “She lost her ground. Her anchor. We are all artists. We spend our lives in outer space, playing with mysteries and abstractions. We need our families and friends. We need a home. We need someone who is unimpressed with us. Someone who tells us to take out the garbage. I don’t think Whitney Houston held on to that. I don’t think Jimi Hendrix held on to that. Amy Winehouse. They paid with their lives. This is the most important thing I have to say to you today. Art is important, but hold on to your life. Your family. Your home. Take out the garbage. You are the only one who can never entirely enjoy your art. You have to enjoy your life.”

The young man, who had very little English, said, “Yes. This is what I mean.” And we all agreed that this should be clear from the lyric.

And he finally ends with:

I went to bed with my computer, so I could Skype with home. The irony of my speech today was that Valentine’s Day was in two days and I would not be home for it. But home was there. Home IS there, and it keeps me from flying off the handle. It reminds me why I can’t drink. Why I eat well. Why I’m out here making money, why my art is important, and who inherits whatever legacy I leave. 

The last thing I did was watch Whitney Houston singing the Star-Spangled Banner. There was an entire orchestra behind her and they didn’t stand a chance. She was the ocean and they drowned in her. She wore a white sweatsuit and her was hair pulled up with an elastic band. There’s not a pop diva in the world who would have appeared in a public performance that way. She left the stage quickly and unceremoniously, simply raising her fists in the air and walking off the field, having completely destroyed what we thought was possible with the human voice. She brought us the steak.

Amazing.  

I have to admit, I didn’t really have much of a reaction at first to finding out Whitney died.  I didn’t have a story about how she changed my life or inspired me to start singing, or a favorite video that cemented a memory of my childhood.  I didn’t even watch any of the videos that flooded Facebook in the hours and days after.  

I was somehow shocked to hear that she was not yet 50,  I guess in my mind she seemed like even more of a staple, like she’d been around forever?  I was sad that someone lost a mother, that people lost a friend, that fans lost an inspiration, that someone died too soon, and troubled, but I didn’t feel these things much more for Whitney in particular than any other person I’ve read about in the news.  

It’s unsettling, the number of artists who look like they’ve got it all, or at least had it all, maybe went through some troubled times, maybe even seem to be on the mend and yet are still found in a hotel room amidst bottles of prescription pills.  It’s happened often enough it’s almost a cliche, just change the names and places, but the story is the same.  

It makes for a dramatic story.  There’s something terrible and maybe even a little romantic or at least sensational - they died for/because/due to complications with their art!  I mean, I’m sure they exist, but right now I can’t pull up any examples off the top of my head of artists who “died peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and family, after a long and happy life.”  That’s the line you read about the “normal” people in the back of your local newspaper.

I’d much rather have the local newspaper version ending to my story.  I don’t need to “destroy what we thought was possible with the human voice.”  I don’t need to have people think my face deserves to be on currency.  But I wouldn’t mind delivering some memorable “steaks” to folks in the form of songs in my lifetime.

I certainly don’t have anything against Whitney.  I know she was amazing.  I bet if I had ever seen her perform live I would have been moved to tears and/or goosebumps, because that’s how I measure the greatness of a performer - how much do they move me?  I’ve been brought to tears in a coffee shop, gotten goosebumps around a campfire, had my heart swell in a rehearsal.  I’ve felt like the performer on stage was singing only to me in the middle of a festival with hundreds of other people.

More and more these days, and the past few years, I’m learning how important the delivery of the song is in how it affects people, and that more often than not, it actually has a lot to do with the performer getting out of the way.  Or maybe more accurately, the performer’s ego getting out of the way, allowing them to just show up fully as a vehicle to deliver the song.  

Which brings us back around to the steak analogy.  As a lifelong vegetarian, I’ve never actually had steak, but I think I understand the concept of a high-quality, substantial, centerpiece portion of a meal - something so delicious and fulfilling that you remember it for years, you physically recall the sensations of eating it simply by thinking about it and you get that happy sensation all over again.  And sure, if any part of the dining experience was particularly amazing, weird or terrible, you’d probably remember that too.  But as the restaurant owner, you’d probably most want your customers to remember and talk about the food.  You don’t usually say, “oh, let’s go to that one restaurant, the food sucks but the waiters are really nice.”  You’re more likely to hear, “Well, the waiters are a little cranky and the service can be slow, but omg, the food is worth it!”

There’s an amazing vocal coach named Ron Browning who has been to the Rocky Mountain Song School the past few years and he uses a similar steak analogy too - he says to serve it up nice on a pretty plate, but don’t chew it for him!  I think as writers of songs we can trick or mislead ourselves into thinking we need to be feeling the emotion we felt while writing the song, while we are performing the song.  But audiences are smart, they don’t need or want us to feel their feelings for them!  Do you really want someone telling you, “OK, now I’m going to sing a sad song, it’s going to be kind of slow and use some minor chords, and it’s about the time my dog died so I’m sorry if I depress you with it.”?

Not that I have anything against telling stories before songs!  I love them!  But saying, “You know, last year my dog died and it was hard for me losing such a good friend.  Maybe some of you can relate,” feels a lot different to me than the version just above.  I’ve heard both versions while out and about.  It may be a difficult distinction for some people as the presenter, but as the audience, they sure can tell how they feel about it, even if they can’t articulate why exactly.

The really great news is, presenting your songs can be learned, refined and practiced!  Most, if not all, of the folks who seem to have their stories and banter all casual and breezy actually rehearse it in one way or another to get it that smooth!  It’s all part of the show.  

Tagged: folk musicWhitney HoustonJonathan Byrdsteaksongwritingperformance

More Open Mics in June than all of 2010 (and maybe 2009 and 2008 combined!)

I’ve been fairly quiet on the blogging front lately.  I mean, posting poems and quotes and such is good and all, I do want to remember those things, but I also need to write stuff out, to document, if only for myself.  A lot has been going on.  In a few days it will be 2 months that I’ve been in Austin.  I know a lot more things.  I’ve gotten more clear in new but important ways.  There are still lots of questions I don’t know the answers to.  There are new questions I don’t know the answers to either.

Photo by Amy Z.

I’ve done 15 open mics or mini-sets in 25 days.  If I went to one open mic a month back home, that’s more than I would do in a year, in less than a month!  I know I’ve gotten better just from that, if only on a confidence level, even if nothing else about my performing has improved, though I’m sure it has at least a little.  I think my voice is a little stronger just because I’ve been using it more often.  My finger calluses are building up again.

Photo by Amy Z.

I still fumble.  I still get my foot tangled up in the cables or knock the mic with my guitar or my face.  I still get frustrated when I don’t think I’m playing or singing loud enough.  It’s hard to play in a room when people aren’t listening and are talking so loud I can’t really hear myself and I get distracted by that and lose my place in the song.  I still get shy and keep my eyes on my hands while I play, and zip back to my guitar case as soon as possible after I play to put away my instrument.  

Photo by Emily S.

And even though the shyness is still there, some days more than others, the butterflies are pretty much gone.  I think after the second day really.  Progress. Progress.

When it’s not my turn to play I listen.  I clap and hoot and laugh at the appropriate times because I hear what the artists are saying. I pay attention.  I’m not perfect at that either but I’m working at connection.  I tell people they did a good job when I think they did, which is always, just for getting up there alone.  And then people are amazing.  ”No big deal, I’m just amazing and I’m quietly playing in a coffee shop” amazing. 

I’ve written some new songs.  New ones are brewing.  I’m excited to hear what comes next.  I think they are going to be important songs.  For me anyway.

Been better at going to the gym and going to bed.  Not perfect there either but better.  And my attitude about both is better too. Coming more from a place of wanting to take care of myself, of feeling and remembering that it feels good to take care of myself than from a guilty place of feeling like I should.

Working on discipline and boundaries and asking for what I want and need.  Trying to figure out what I actually need and what is just a shiny distraction.  Balancing between treating myself kindly and just getting sh*% done.  Allowing myself to do things badly rather than not get them done at all.  

Photo by Amy Z.

Noticing the hibiscus and the hummingbirds and painting my nails pink and wearing lots of skirts and really big earrings.  Being fed, literally, all the time - people taking me out for coffee or soup, cafe servers giving me the extra tea sandwiches and cupcakes at close, singing for my supper without even knowing that was part of the deal.  Friends loaning me their cars, giving me rides.  Floating in the pool at night and seeing the Big Dipper.  Doing great for a few days and then falling down and doing my best to get up as quick as I can and get back on the horse.

This is just two months. What’ll happen in the next two?

Tagged: open micreflectionsAustinRubicon Yearpracticesongwritingfriendsquestions

Engines for Understanding Life

When I was pre-recording my interview with Sarah Sample for this week’s Lyrical Venus, she turned me on to Josh Ritter’s amazing blog series about life as a musician.  It’s all fantastic stuff and the writing is superb, but this little bit in particular jumped out at me just now:

That’s what you’re doing when you write a song, when you sing a song, when you listen obsessively to a song over and over again. You’re solving problems. Don’t get me wrong here, though. I’m not suggesting that any of us are on Missions from God every time we sit down at a piano or pick up a pen. It doesn’t have to feel heavy. After all, songs are entertainment. Still, they are engines for understanding life, and that’s something we can always use a little more of, right?

And also this:

…at the outset, I think it is extremely important to have a view of what you do that is foundational. After all, the music business is not one known for its solid ground. Hell, Life is not known for being all that good at solid ground. As you begin to try to make a living in music, you need to fix your eyes on what is beyond all the little stuff you’re going to have to go through. In choosing to make a life in music, you are choosing to be a part of something grand. You are making, helping to make, or presenting engines of human understanding for yourself and others that attempt to make sense of the big questions. Whether the song is serious or not, an hour long or a few seconds, it may one day help you or someone else to understand a tiny piece of the enigma around us. Most of the real truths in life I’ve gotten from other people’s songs. I carry them around in my head. They make me happy because they give me a way to understand my own experiences.

Josh Ritter’s Blog Series “Making a Life in Music”

Tagged: songwriting

New haircut! I remind me of someone, but I can’t figure out who…

Around this time for the past 3 years now, I have been going to Rocky Mountain Song School in Lyons Colorado.  This year, my childhood best friend is getting married in Boulder the Saturday before camp starts.  So I get to be all dolled up before going camping, which is kind of fun and novel.  But I also have to lug around some of my nicer clothes.  Which makes it hard to pack light.  I’ll definitely leave some stuff in the car after the wedding.

We’re leaving tomorrow.  I hope it’s not raining.  We’ve been getting night storms lately, but the days are sunny.  We’re planning to camp along the way, since we’ll have tents already.

I was talking with a friend today about how much I wanted to get all the little busy work done before leaving town, so that I could really focus and be present when I’m at camp.  It’s one time all year that I really allow for ME, I don’t go to it as a wedding or reunion (though 3 years into it I am sure to start getting to be a bit better friends with some of the people who come regularly) or visiting relatives, where a lot of the focus comes to working around the people and their schedules.  When I’m there,  I get to purely follow my dreams and immerse in creativity.  I rarely use my computer, or phone, and I find myself really paying attention to what my body wants and needs - rest, food, water, shower, music, warmth. 

I love it SO much.  I’m SOOOOOO looking forward to going.  I just glanced over the schedule and started getting really excited about the classes and teachers.

My ego is happy I’m looking better for this year.  It’s also nervous that I haven’t improved my skills all that much in the year’s time, that I’ll embarrass myself.  I’m pretty sure I might be ready to take one of those extended writing classes where you have to commit to taking the full track for the week.

I hope I get a good spot for my tent.  The “Land Rush” thing is kind of intense, and I lucked out last year to be going with people who managed to snag the first spot in line.

Anyway, these are just little superficial worries.  I know it’s all going to work out.  I still want to really be aware to stay in the moment as much as I possibly can, so I can milk every moment for what it’s worth.

Tagged: songwritingsong schoolcampColorado

My SpinTunes Round 3 Song (shadow)

Tagged: spintunesround 3sadsongwriting

SpinTunes Round 3 Shadow Song Bio

So when I was eliminated from round 2, I fully wanted to continue participating in SpinTunes as a shadower, especially because the challenge this time was theme driven rather than technical, but I just wasn’t sure if I would have time because I have so much going on right now.  (The actual bio starts after this list of stuff, if that’s what you are most interested in.  :-))

1. My best friend from childhood is getting married the first weekend in August, and directly on the heels of that is my 3rd annual trip to the Rocky Mountain Song School.  Both events are in Colorado within about 20 miles of each other, so I totally lucked out with the “one road trip, two vacations” thing, but I also have to pack for two totally different events (fancy bridesmaid stuff, camping gear & musical instruments), and prepare to be gone for nearly two weeks.

2. One of my part time jobs is being a caretaker for a very high-functioning woman in recovery from a brain injury.  So I need to help get HER life in order and line up the ducks to make sure she is taken care of for the time I am gone.  That means taking into account quite a few different factors!

3. I also work at a cafe, so I had to find someone to fill in for me, and I’m still going to need to follow up there to make sure no balls get dropped.  I should make them a new batch of caramel so they don’t run out while I’m gone.

4. In theory I would only miss one of my radio shows, but I want to have two all ready to go so I don’t have to stress about getting home by a certain time and be recovered enough to do a proper interview.  That means pre-recording and editing and pre-blogging, etc.

5. I’m taking an online songwriting class that involves daily homework assignments, which don’t take too long really, but if I fall behind it’s tricky to catch back up, and I know I’ll miss a bunch while I’m gone, so I want to be fully up to speed before leaving.

6. Being a bridesmaid means I need to find a dress (done!  thank goodness), shoes (now that I have the dress I can start looking!) and get my hairs did (my hairdresser hasn’t gotten back to me, wah!)

7. I’m trying to start fitting in regular exercise to my routine again, and I want to start getting to bed earlier this week so I’m rested for these big events.

8. My mom recommended me to several of her friends for help with their computers, so I’ve been scheduling and spending time helping them.  More $ FTW!  Less time for other stuffs, eek…

9. Sometimes a road trip seems easier because I don’t have to be as careful about packing, no airplane size restrictions on my bags, etc.  But we’re taking the Prius so the gas cost will be lower, but there’s also less space and we’re taking a fellow Song Schooler out with us.  So trying to strategize packing all the gear, instruments, nice clothes, & 3 grown people in a tiny car, etc.  I also need to test out a few of the camping things to make sure they still work and I don’t end up SOL when I get dropped off and no longer have quick access to getting replacements.

10. Plus all the normal day-to-day stuff like laundry, dishes, my ongoing decluttering project, etc.

I’m sure I’m forgetting things. Ugh.

In any case, I kept telling myself I should just focus on getting stuff done and not work on a song.  But the ideas kept tickling at my brain, distracting me. 

The challenge this round: Happy To Sad In 4 Seconds - Write a sad song about birth, a moment that is normally a happy moment, and make it a real tear jerker. You can’t use the words “Happy” or “Birthday”. (2 minute minimum) (They had 9 days)

I really wanted to try for an angle that didn’t involve the mother or baby dying.

One night I was in a chat at Artifiction where people were guessing what Edric’s theme was for this round.  @amazzzink said she thought it might be the Luke & Leia story, how they were separated at birth.  That really got me thinking, and yet I still kept pushing the song away, trying to focus on all the stuff I had to do, but procrastinating in other ways.

I was of course following the tweets of the other contestants, and occasionally scribbling down a few lyrics.  Finally the night everyone was supposed to submit their songs, amid the frenetic last minute excitement and nerves, I couldn’t take it anymore.  I opened up my page of notes and started shaping the lyric in earnest.

While I could have easily looked for a story already in existence to rework, I decided to go with more of the archetype or myth that has been used over and over - an insecure and probably cruel or unfair king hears a prophesy of how he will be overthrown by a younger person at a certain time in his near future, and he orders the death of all newborn sons who could grow up to usurp him.

I chose to tell the story from the angle of the mother, trying to process what is really happening to her.  Something that should have been such a celebration and now she has to make some tough choices.  What will be best for the baby?  What will be best for her?  She decides to trust the midwife to try and save the baby, but what sort of life will he have, growing up abandoned?  How can she let him know that he was so wanted and loved?  She’s telling him the story the best she can, while in labor (or almost), because she knows as soon as he is born he will be whisked away and she won’t have the chance then.

As far as the music, I busted out my partial capo for this one.  I can’t remember if it creates a DADGAD or drop-D tuning or what at the moment, but I know it makes some neato sounding chords without having to do much work.  :-)  I told myself I could record just a guitar and vocal track to submit, because I knew that once I started trying to mess with other instruments my time would immediately get eaten up.

I sketched out the melody and chords on the night everyone turned in their entries, and did a quick webcam grab of myself playing it so I wouldn’t forget, especially since I didn’t know what the heck chords I was playing for the most part.   I didn’t have time to record till a few days later though.  Unfortunately, when I plugged in my guitar, the battery in my pickup went dead in just a couple of minutes!  I decided to record it through the vocal mic and just be ok with the string squeaks and the creaking of my guitar strap, etc.  After all, a woman going into labor doesn’t really have time to hook up Garage Band properly either! haha.

So, that’s the hurried bio of the hurried song I did for round 3.  Once again, I’m grateful to have found such a talented and supportive group of people that encourage such creativity. Even though I don’t really think any of my songs are “finished” for one reason or another, I think I have some pretty good source material and I’ve learned a lot each round!

You really ought to check out all the songs in the round, but grab a box of tissues first!  And have some happy songs or a silly TV show or YouTube clip lined up for whenever you need a break, because it’s definitely a concentrated dose of sadness:

http://spintown.bandcamp.com/album/spintunes-1-round-3

Tagged: spintunesround 3shadowhappy to sadbirthsadmythlegendlovesonsongwriting

My Trials & Tribulations of SpinTunes Round 2 (Part3)

I woke up on Monday wondering what would happen if I tried switching to 6/8 for the verses and 4/4 for the choruses, and thinking it might be nice prosody even to have the solid, dependable, always on the mark, 4/4 in the chorus part about the bullseye.

I tried it, and it was sooooooooo much better fitting to the lyrics, but I had to leave for work.  While out and about, my dad called to say that he had not left town as he thought he was going to, and he would be happy to pick up my brother from the airport.  I hadn’t even asked if that was possible and here he was offering it!

So with 4 more hours than I thought I would have suddenly free that night, I was pretty sure I would get somewhere with the recording.  My voice was approaching more of the husky, smoky stage so I was pretty sure I’d be able to sing the basic concept of the melody without having to drag my friend into it.

I found a twangy electric country guitar effect that I liked but after several takes, I thought it sounded weird to have the acoustic guitar pushing through the effect, so lugged out my dad’s electric (that I seem to have borrowed fairly long term but haven’t played in years) and laid down the guitar part yet again.  I plunked out the simplest of simple bass lines and finally got everything done except for the vocals.  At that point I asked my husband to come listen because I wanted to know if I should leave the two contrasting drum tracks, use the (badly done, but at least the same sounding) shaker track I’d made, or just take out the drums altogether.  His vote was to keep the drums and then I kicked him out so I could work on the vocals.

I made it through with some cough drops, and a lot of water and the throat potion.  I kept an eye on the submission time clock and prioritized what was most important to focus on and stopped in decent time to convert and email my files. There were also some parts that I was hearing better/differently/wished I had hit better but at that point I knew I had to just let go and get it in.

So, it’s in!  I’m so proud of myself for sticking through it and turning something in.  There were several moments in the past week and a half where I considered not turning something in, or where I was worried I’d run out of time before I got it to a place where I wasn’t completely mortified of sharing it.  

I’m grateful I got to push myself way out of my comfort zone and write something I never would have on my own.  I’m thankful to all the friends and family, online and offline, who believed in me even when I didn’t.  I’m curious to hear the feedback from the judges.  I’d love to make it to the next round so I have one more chance to enter a song. I know I could shadow all the way, but I’m worried with everything on my plate, I’d drop the ball if I didn’t have that added pressure of competition to do it.

I want to write more about what a cool community this is that is hosting and participating in this songwriting contest but this beyond too long already!  I’ll say for now in short that I’ve been so overwhelmed and impressed with how generous, kind, honest and fair everyone is and I’m so grateful that it exists!  I’m sure I’ll get into more details sometime soon, because there is so much good stuff to say. :-)

Tagged: songwritingcompetitionchallengetime signaturesSpinTunesround 2

My Trials & Tribulations of SpinTunes Round 2 (Part2)

My original idea for approaching the challenge was to create a music track and write lyrics to fit it.   I tried to put pieces together in a million different ways, making two different files in GarageBand and thinking to paste them together but it wasn’t happening.  I started to get a little panicky then.  

After a couple days of not getting anywhere I realized I needed to take a new tactic.  I decided to try out fitting music to lyrics, so I started looking through a few lyrics I had been working on that week for a class.  I chose the one called Bullseye partially because one of the things I heard in my head while writing it was a big drum crash right before the chorus as if something was BAM!, hitting a target.  I was hoping that would serve for a believable reason to stop playing one time signature and move to a new one, since I had no idea how to smoothly move between them.

With one piece feeling more created, I thought I might have more luck figuring stuff out with my brother’s keyboard, but he was at VidCon and I couldn’t find the power cord.  A few frantic tweets and emails later, he finally got back to me saying where it was and I got started listening to rhythms.

I switched back and forth between trying to get the rhythm parts down, figuring out the chord progressions and adding to the lyrics, at one point ending up on the wikipedia page for Billiards scouring it for possible terms to work into the song.

It was also at about this point that I started losing my voice.  Which was weird, because I HADN’T been singing or doing anything to wear it out.  It just kind of disappeared.  Which sucked because I couldn’t vocally try out the melodies in my head.  As it got worse, l started to worry I might not be able to sing for my entry at all!  I have a good friend who I thought would probably be willing to step in for me if that happened but realized that I also would not be able to explain to her how the melody went without a voice!  So I spend a good deal of time picking out note for note the melody in my head “hunt & peck” style and trying to notate it in Finale, which meant a lot of trial & error & re-adjusting of rests and such to get it to sound as close as possible to what was in my head.

The amazing Jules sent me a recipe for a throat potion, which luckily the cafe where I work had all the ingredients, so I made myself several big cups of it on Saturday during my shift, and my voice slooooowly started to come back a tiny bit.  I brought some home with me and kept drinking it the next couple days.

Sunday night I started REALLY panicking.  Nothing was working.  Nothing sounded right.  At least I had more puzzle pieces than I’d had a few days ago, but I felt like they were all from different puzzles! 

I had a radio show interview to blog about and otherwise prepare for, homework to catch up on and a house concert to prepare for (which entailed COMPLETELY rearranging the furniture in my house and getting the guest room ready for the artists, and preparing food & drinks for the party).  I also had to put in a couple hours at another job the next day and was supposed to pick up my brother from the airport which is 2 hrs away on Monday night during the time the song submission was due.

After watching a bunch of YouTube video lessons about time signatures, stress snacks, some supportive talk from my husband complete with listening to some of his dance tunes collection for examples of how he mixed songs of different time signatures together, several encouraging tweets from the #spintunes folks and a tearful chat with my mom (who was out on the West Coast and therefore still up) in the wee hours of the morning, in desperation I finally decided to go to bed and ask the Higher Powers to give me some guidance while I slept.

Tagged: songwritingcompetitionchallengeSpinTunesround 2time signatures