I came across this website a few days ago.
It’s a collective art community, with a number of projects people can participate in. One is called “Album-A-Day” – where musicians have 24 hours to write and record an entire album worth of songs. 388 albums contributed so far.
The inspiration can be found at the bottom of the page: “A Bad Song is Better Than No Song.”
Their rules: The songs have to be written and recorded (start to finish) in 24 hours. Minimum of 20 minutes of music or 30 songs. Entire album free for download on the net.
I’m changing things a bit. This is what it’ll look like for me:
- 24 hours, start to finish (5 pm Friday to 5 pm Saturday)
- At least 7 songs.
- Aiming for 25 – 35 minutes of quality material for your sonic enjoyment.
Between now and 5 pm, I’m looking for ALL the suggestions you can give me – ideas, themes, phrases, concepts, images, whatever… I wanna pack ideas into the comments of this blog that I’ll pull out just before I lock myself in my apartment at 5pm tonight.
If you’ve ever had the thought: “Someone should write a song about that” – this is YOUR chance!
I’ll see you back here on Monday, hopefully with a half-decent Album to offer you for free!
(Dear goodness, panic starts NOW.)
Love the cover art – I wondered where my old school bus had ended up…
I’ve already given my suggestions for thin walls and Japanese art rock (ok, ok…I’ll let them die now)
But I do want a song about Jerry freaky computer phone answering guy, and maybe something about being buried under snow. I’ve always been fascinated with that, maybe since it’s a bit of a novelty in 90% of Australia
How about a song about writing songs.
I think that’s what I’m gonna do this week.
the pain and beauty of exposure in a committed friendship/relationship …..oh and since I’m here…what about next Sunday vespers? Sound good?
i think you’re a song writing addict…just sayin…
Hi I’m elij , anyways
I’m a teenager cuz me.
try this:
If you look into your past
toss away your hurt
Gape in the prospect..
search endlessly,
hopeful
strong
Love will then find you
embrace you,
search you
know you.
complete you
Wrote this after my friend died
…the moment of wonder in New England when it begins to snow….being outside at night (like last night!) watching the snowflakes pour down and swirl around you…like you are inside a globe and for a moment…you would not wish to be anywhere else….not even Georgia…as the beauty is breathtaking! (did I convince you?) I’ll keep trying…in this snowglobe…you can write the script/rules…who gets inside the snowglobe with you…the setting…the action…but you can’t change the snow…that is the creators prerogative…each flake different, each angle of the wind unpredictable…swirl…. I had fun out by myself last night! hee hee!
WeeMac: Next Sunday = yes. And you might be my new songwriting partner!
Elij: Thank you – those are deep words, sir…
Russ: Just wrote one like that yesterday! Can’t wait to hear yours.
jumpin in puddles
disconnecting
looking at photographs
memories
waking up after a really good sleep in the sun
deep breaths
metamorphosis
butterflies
and um.. did i mention jumpin in puddles?
walking down main street
ok, got to go back to work! There are some random thoughts for ya
i’ll let you know if I find other random things..
Looking at waves right now
crashing waves
sandy seashore
the lone seashell
flock of seagulls (oh that’s a band huh?)
glimmer
radiant warmth
ebb
granule of sand
daydream
okay I owe so off to work I go.
I’ve had this phrase rolling around in my head all week but haven’t done anything with it so maybe you can……no pressure of course……just kidding
I’m just standing here with my heart hanging out
trying to figure what life’s all about.
or maybe it’s just a bad case of gout…..ha ha
that is like the best idea ever!!!! Gonna have to try that sometime! *(but when? hmmmm but when)
Song Topics or Titles:
1. Winter’s defeat of Fall
2. Nostalgia
3. Never be afraid to see what you see
4. Henry’s first steps!
5. What is the moon made out of?
6. How to die well
7. Welcome to Savannah (or any city of your choice)
8. Front Porches, Juniper, Cobbler, Watermelon, Whittling Wood, Bare Feet, Tall Grass, Creek Beds, Trout Lines, Chewing Tobacco, Banjos, Fried Chicken, and Grits.
Justin: I’m a big fan of #4, but I think YOU should write that one!
MisterZig: Thanks for stopping by!
There’s so much good stuff here, I think I’ll have to schedule another 24 hour writing session just to get it all in!
I think a fun theme for a song would be to sort of “make fun” of all of the cliche lines in most worship songs these days. Use plenty of examples:
“fill this place”
“seek your face”
etc…
I don’t have any ideas, but just wanted to wish you good luck!
Adam: There’s no way I could do that… That’s got “Conflict of interest” written all over it!
Samantha Choate! THANK YOU!!! I’m gonna need it!
a leaving church and going to lunch song!
A song about endless endlessness (mission field).
i just need to say that i applaud your bravery, your sense of extreme self-challenge. you teach me a lot, friend. you can SO do this!
Colors:
Are we bright vibrant colors – drawing people in.
Are we dull and drab colors – pushing others away.
I actually blogged about this today so you could wander over and see what I mean if you like.
Oh colors! Did you know I hear music in colors? I’ll take a look at what you wrote!
hope that runs through my fingers like sand…
Poems are songs in spoken word so I’ll cheat a bit and just copy the last poem I enjoyed on the Poetry Foundation dot org site. You can find many ideas for songs in the poems there.
Maybe a song about a night in Boston, or Georgia
February Evening in New York
by Denise Levertov
As the stores close, a winter light
opens air to iris blue,
glint of frost through the smoke
grains of mica, salt of the sidewalk.
As the buildings close, released autonomous
feet pattern the streets
in hurry and stroll; balloon heads
drift and dive above them; the bodies
aren’t really there.
As the lights brighten, as the sky darkens,
a woman with crooked heels says to another woman
while they step along at a fair pace,
“You know, I’m telling you, what I love best
is life. I love life! Even if I ever get
to be old and wheezy—or limp! You know?
Limping along?—I’d still … ” Out of hearing.
To the multiple disordered tones
of gears changing, a dance
to the compass points, out, four-way river.
Prospect of sky
wedged into avenues, left at the ends of streets,
west sky, east sky: more life tonight! A range
of open time at winter’s outskirts.
A simple poem about winter posted in the Christian Science Monitor
Winter Dawn
Black
pines in
snow, stark as
licorice on
lace.
Marilyn Dorf
There’s always plenty of material when you consider the state of Major League Baseball.
Um. No…
Gitz said: beauty in the raindrops that fall in the storm
Something I have been playing with lately…
I am chasing my dream by living a mission trip daily in my own home for my wife and kids – and as a result for me.
I am chasing a dream by praying in unison with my brothers and sisters, in church, or by myself.
I am chasing a dream by choosing to make a difference in the life of someone, somewhere, at some point.
I am chasing a dream with God’s help – for I am not strong enough otherwise.
dang, im too late.
oooo…
“running late, just your luck!”
Why doesn’t your husband blog more? Me thinks my brand of sarcasm might fit better on his blog…
Hope the recording is going well.
Hutch: I COMPLETELY agree!
And, yes, I’m having a blast this weekend. So far so good!
Tam: A song about you? Hmmm… Are you sure you want to invite such abuse?
Michael: Chasing dreams – yeah. That’s totally my life right now!
girl I feel so bad because I have not gotten back with you. My life has been crazy. Anyway, I know there is a share option on youtube that will let you post to a blog. You enter the email and password.
Once you’re done with this challenge, Mandy, check this out…
http://www.myspace.com/inkbrethren
Of course, they’re from Oregon. That probably says it all
mandy, my friends and I have done this sort of thing for many years. the way we do it is more of a improv recording project where we record the moment and a “song” is more loosely defined. Here’s and here’s what we’ve done.
Here’ s a few titles:
“Picky Choosy”
“Fold Your Hands into Origami Birds”
“Deco-Dance”
“I Didn’t Make Up the Rules”
“Put It Where You Can Find It”
“Ascent”
“At The Expense of Sounding Forward”
“No Dice”
“Just Shy of a Week”
“Emblematic”
Love it. Go girl.
Hi Mandy! Wow! When you take on a project, you do it up right! How about a song with this phrase: “. . . the last place I want to be.. .”
Good luck-can’t wait to hear it!
yeah, have you written about food yet? thats always a good topic.
What about all the things you will “miss” when you leave Mass. Like “I’m really sad that I won’t see the 10 feet of snow next Christmas…”
a little ironic, but maybe sarcastic.
Well? How’d it go?
My song ended up being another love tune for my wife! yay!
I Love You
Kind of a BeeGee-esque country beach tune.
Can’t wait to hear your stuff!
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dang! that’s exciting!
i can’t wait to hear how it comes out. : )
oh my gosh this is going to be AWESOME!
write a song about dirty diapers. Just for me.
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