FAWM - Day 28. The Last Day.

I tend to speak too soon.

I did in this yesterday's case.

I was frustrated with part one of the sound art (I'm not completely happy calling them "songs") that is going to be the first of my last three FAWM songs. I took a break, went into the chat, listened to cool Ben Nolan's podcast. Even called in and chatted with amazing FAWM champion Nancy Rost. That set me right. I went back to the track, added a few blips and bleeps, and suddenly there's a complete composition there.

And, Phil Norman did some great audio as my Dr. Shock Therapy in part two. I'm listening through to a preliminary versions now. The sample was *way* too overdriven and loud, I was troubleshooting with The Cow Exchange. He tried to explain a few things about mixing and mastering, almost none of which I have the knowledge to use well.

Hm. It makes me really want to learn to use my equipment.

So. Last night/this morning, I started assembling the third part of the trilogy. It's mostly one funky bass line, continuous all the way through the song. I lucked out with Drums on Demand, and found the *perfect* drummerly bits. It's probably the funkiest music I've ever made. I need a keyboard horn line, and perhaps some electric guitar strumming during the choruses.

After getting home from work at 9pm tonight, I'll finish assembling, throw down some vocals over it, and that will be FAWM 2009. Yay.

(I contemplated doing a track that was all three songs with transitions in between, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself. Especially with all the writing I have to do for class.)

For some reason, Charlie Cheney's show didn't happen today. It made me sad; it's the last day of summer camp anyway. I don't know what I'm going to do without all those folks as a part of my daily world. That community is so full of love.

j.

FAWM - Day 27. 3pm.

*sigh*

You know how when stuff isn't working out like you wanted it to?

I've started song #1 of my "play," and it's sounding nowhere near as cool as I wanted it to. There's the bassline loop, the main vocal....I don't know. It needs a lot of programming, a lot of...something. I don't know what. This is not cool or interesting.

*sigh* I want to go bury my head in some pillows for a week.

It's 3pm and I barely know what to do with myself. I am utterly uninspired to finish this.

j.

FAWM - Day 26.

Quickly:

Last few minutes of Day 26.
Recorded two songs.
Nancy Rost did THE BUSINESS with my jazz track. It's beautiful.
Burt Meyers is creating an almost folky version of the same song.
Rock opera next.
Why does everyone want to collab NOW?!
(as opposed to, say, earlier in the month?!)
I'm going to see if I can get Phil Norman to be the doctor who gives me electro shock therapy.
TONS AND TONS of work due next week for writing class.
When am I going to do it all?
Dunno.
First - Finish Fawm.

j.

FAWM - Day 25.

Ack.

As I seem to recall, I got a little sloppy toward the end of last year's FAWM too, regarding checking in. How is it that I've missed *TWO* days of check ins?

Well, I spent Monday night pretending to be an R&B pop star based on a challenge from Scott McBride. I made up a ridiculously funny bio to go with it. That was fun, but exhausting. I was up till 4 in the morning, and hit the bed immediately on Tuesday after working all day. Yeesh.

I'm behind. I'm so, so, very behind.

But, this is the weekend, and I'm keen to catch up.

As of now (6:30am), I am nothing like ready for class today. I have a mess of reading to do, and I'm going to ask teacher if I can submit the writing assignment to her via email this Saturday (Sunday might be a better bet).

And! Gasp! I have a booth due next week! Okay, that's crazy. Where is the time going?

Must finish FAWM first. Six songs to go.

I can do it!

j.

FAWM - Day 22.

Today. Was interesting.

Music made me very happy today.

I started off with Siouxsie; I've been listening, gearing up to add Siouxsie-like vocals to a track from Dan Wallbank. I haven't heard Kiss Them For Me, Peekaboo, Shadowtime and Killing Jar for *ages*; those songs make me happier than I realized. Listening to Shadowtime, my heart starts to ache and yearn, my skin started to tingle at the joy of a pop song, well sung.

I got to work and wanted more; thank god A. had his ipod with all my requireds: Kate Bush, Linda Lewis, Tori. I've resisted and resisted, but I need to get one of those things, post haste. I'm having musical whims again, and it would be nice to have my whole CD collection in one place, so that I may indulge them.

Finished the song with Errol, he posted it. Six more to go.

I did less work today than I probably should have. A. also had my albums on his ipod, and god, my second record sounds *good* on that thing. Better than I ever heard it.

It's nearly midnight. I'm feeling like there's something musical I can do before bed.

Hm,
j.

FAWM - Day 21.

Oops. Got sucked into a vortex there and missed a day. *Hate* it when that happens.

I posted two new songs a day ago. Which brings my total up to seven.

That means there's seven more songs to finish. In a week.

I had a mini panic attack in the chatroom yesterday when I realized this, and got some MusicEnergy from some considerate FAWMers.

Had a lovely lunch with Charlie Cheney at Penn Station a couple of days ago, as well. He's a terrific fellow. I'm not sure what I'm going to do without his radio show to tune in to every night.

Okay, so, I'm developing a plan for finishing.

The latest is that I've conceived of a three-song-three-act "play" of sorts. I was calling it a rock opera before, but that's not exactly accurate. It's just a continuous story, over three songs. I was messing around on the Acid Loop site after Burr posted the link for the 8 pack, and I found quite a few things that inspired me on this idea. The main loop for each of the "acts" is chosen already, the lyrics are about 90% finished for each of the song. The idea (Julia, listen hard) is to keep the music tracks simple, and to go heavy on the vocals and sonic atmosphere. Or maybe, not even, depending upon how much time I have left.

I have a collab with Errol and with Dan Wallbank on the horizon as well. And then, there are a couple of songs in my back pocket, pieces from the archive that are waiting to be fleshed out. There's a piano song, that would really love a jazz player, but there are none living in my apartment, currently. I will have to play my simple chords all on my lonesome. Hm.

So. What else?

Dunno. I spent all yesterday in the same position, almost, bent over in song. My ideas overwhelm me sometimes; it's hard to know how to get them all achieved.

I'm giving up on the monster song. By the way, I was totally being a drama queen - there are only about thirty tracks. But, when I opened the file again to open it, about 8 vocal tracks were missing! And what I heard wasn't sounding as good as I remembered.

I'm happy to shelve it. There are other ideas waiting.

j.

FAWM - Day 19. Sigh.

*sigh*

I was up until 4am. The song that I wanted to start and finish never got off the ground. And to be honest, I can't tell you why. Nothing I was doing was working. It was supposed to be a simple little electronic tune that I would bolster with some electric guitars. But, no part I put down worked, Nothing. Nada.

At 4:30 in the morning I turned it all off and went to sleep. I don't think I've ever had a song fail so spectacularly.

And here we are.

I rush out to meet Charlie at noon or thereabouts. I have a couple of songs I'd like to finish today. But my little music heart is so beat up from last night. Let's see what happens.

j.

FAWM - Day 18.

Wow. It's 11:30 at the end of a pretty good day.

Read my 500 word assignment out today in class. Teacher laughed out loud in some parts. She said it was good, but warned me about making a character in a story all repulsive, with no redeeming features whatsoever.

I'm afraid that I ramble when giving critiques. I will try to make next week's critique a little more concise.

All that's left to make the day PERFECT is for me to do up these two new songs I'm conceiving, and to mix the 50 track monster. I spent many potentially productive hours in the chatroom. I love FAWMers, I love chatting with them. I'm not spilling any beans now, but I will say there are some very interesting collaborations in the works.

I always feel like such an adult when I buy things at the store BEFORE I've officially run out of them. It makes me feel like I'm taking care of my own needs in a sharp and timely fashion. Today I bought mushrooms, two packs, while I still had the remainder of a pack of mushrooms still in the fridge. So when I had mushrooms with my turkey burger and used up the pack, I didn't sweat it.

I did forget to buy hummus, though. Which means I will have to go to the store tomorrow. Else, what am I going to do with all this raw cauliflower?

I am having lunch with Charlie Cheney tomorrow, who is slumming it in New York after spending a few days with Bryan Thomas in Albany. Whee!

j.

FAWM - Day 17.

Oh my god.

I am drained at the end of another workweek. My co-workers were FLIPPING OUT today over missed deadlines, botched instructions, etc., and I was right as rain when I walked in, but absorbed all their poisonous energy to the point where I sat in my chair clicking a mouse for four hours straight and now am a slave to run on sentences...

Work *sucked* today.

But, now I'm free. I spent a few hours hanging out in the FAWM chatroom, listening to Charlie's show. Is it sad that I feel good doing all that virtual hanging?

Class tomorrow. I haven't done the 500 word writing yet, but I've done all the reading. I need to make some music. Three songs tomorrow? I can try for that. There are a couple of potential collabs on the horizon, I'm sure I can do them up quickly, if I put my mind to it.

I'm just always feeling like I'm needing sleep.

I'm going to mix my 50-track-neil-gaiman inspired song tomorrow. And do two more. Which ones?

Please, julia, make them simple. Don't get all crazy with the trackage, just do the do. You still have nine songs to do....

(that was me talking to myself. Imploring, begging myself.)

What else?

Nothing?

Okay. G'night.

j.

FAWM - Day 16.

It's 1:30pm.

I'm at work, working, feeling like I want to rip something up.

Another low-key evening last night, not working on music.

I feel the pressure building up again for Wednesday, two stories from classmembers to critique, a reading, and a 500 word writing. Plus, I feel the need to start my Booth story for the second week of March, already. I want it to be FRIGGIN' FABULOUS. That's what I want. Which means at least a week of constant edits. And probably a lifetime of constant edits after that.

I will not let myself get away from music tonight. I need to post songs, SONGS, and so the neil gaiman inspired one will have to be mixed and posted tonight. I probably need to do something simple and acoustic right away, just to right my brain again after all that electronic stuff. I'd also like to revise that other song, maybe re-sing the vocal. I didn't really do it justice.

And then, there's EIGHT more.

So...much...to....do....

I'm bringing my expectations WAY down at this point. I just have to shut the murky feeling monster up and produce, produce, produce.

If you have any ideas for a brilliant piece of fiction I can write, please let me know.

j.