Monthly Archives: April 2010

Circles and sessions and studios and … you

Posted on
24

The past two weeks have been packed with songwriting…

Packed with shiny new goals for my dream-chasing, inspired by a local songwriting circle:

  • spend 10 hours a week working on songwriting
  • read 2 songwriting books
  • write 25 new songs
  • re-write 25 old songs
  • send 6 songs to at least one publisher

Packed with co-writing alongside a friend and mentor who I highly respect… a man who has a voice in today’s worship music.

Packed with transforming a small utility closet into a place where I can create and record music.

I’ve never felt more like a “songwriter” than I do right now. Not even when I tipped those 102 last year. Not even then. And I know I’m not close. I know I’m just beginning to learn the craft, the discipline, the method of songwriting… and the songwriter in me.

But I’m setting a pace, and I’m moving forward. To what? I don’t know. I just know I need to move in this direction. I feel compelled. Pulled.

I have to. It’s like my soul is made of metal and music is the magnet.

So here I am. Here we are. Once again this blog will be wrapped in lyrics and half-songs and crappy demos.

And what I want to know is… Are you up for more requests to critique lyrics? To give feedback on demos? And to encourage me when I’m not feeling it?

Are you with me?

You know you’re getting old when…

Posted on
32

Spent a nice chunk of my afternoon talking to a dear friend who I miss so much. (oh the magic of skype!) We somehow got on the topic of my age. That, well, er, um… That I’ll be turning 32 in a few months. Granted, she will be turning 32 a few weeks after that, but she didn’t wanna hear it.

After much cajoling (isn’t that an old man word? oops) she gave in, and admitted to a few factors that support my already obvious theory that we’re getting old.

Here’s what she said, in her own confessional words, “I know I’m getting old when:”

“…I don’t know who Justin Bieber is.”

“…My college graduation photos show clothing and hair that is painfully out of style.”

Ok Ok. Now I’m going to add my own:

I know I’m getting old when my husband reads this blog post over my shoulder and asks, “Who is Justin Beiber?” and I don’t really know the answer to that question. And if Holly is old because she doesn’t know the answer, and I’m two weeks older than Holly and I don’t know the answer to that question, and if I’m 4 months older than Drew and he’s asking that question, then the only logical conclusion is that I’m old.

[inhale]

Ok. Your turn!

What do you do when you can’t sleep?!

Posted on
18

I’ve had this string of nights where I know I’ve averaged somewhere between four and seven hours of sleep. Most nights closer to the four-range. This is not normal. And I don’t really like it.

Yes, I’ve always admired those don’t-need-much-sleep people. But, now that I’m one of them, I don’t like it.

Sure, I have all this energy that’s keeping me awake, but I don’t want to do stuff. I don’t want to work on my songs. I don’t want to read a book. I don’t want to watch anything. I don’t even want to catch up on long-neglected emails(!).

I want to be asleep, like everyone else in the world.

This is not the time for activity or amusement. This is the time for rest.

But I can’t sleep. And I’ve gotta do something, so I type this out – in the still and silence of night – with the whir of the fan in our bedroom and the click click of my keyboard. And my breathing. And the refrigerator that cuts on and off every so often. And later, once my eyelids grow heavy and I turn out the light, I hope that sleep wins instead of this nagging nothing that wakes me again and again until all I can do is watch the window for day to stream in.

Even as I type, I don’t feel like I’m more productive. Instead, I feel like I’m trying to kill time.

I’m envious of those of us who are already asleep.

But what about those of us who can’t sleep, either? What do you do while the world around you rests?