Monthly Archives: February 2011

Group Vid: I am ___________.

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13

Hola!

I recently had one of those late-night blog ideas that don’t show up in my brain nearly as often as I’d like ‘em to–match this thought with a very pivotal moment for me at Recreate last week, and we get this neat way to celebrate who we really are.

Remember the dance video from a while back? yeah. This isn’t going to be a dance video, but we will be making a group video filling in the blank about YOU, so you finish this sentence about yourself:

I am  _________.

Your answer can be anything. A picture. A video snippet. A word on a piece of paper. It can be sincere, sad, serious, smart, or some other s-word for funny. (I’m a songwriter. My mind sometimes jumps to alliteration. Sorry.) But it’s GOTTA be less than 5 seconds. mkay?

Aaaanyway, if you don’t have a video-camera, don’t get all “mandy won’t let everyone participate uggghhhhhhhh” on me. Just take a picture with you and your answer. It can be as simple as writing your phrase on a piece of paper (well-readable) and holding it up in the shot. Or you can sign the whole thing in a series of photos and I’ll take it from there.

All files (vids, images, what-have-yous) should be sent by Friday, Feb 18th to “groupvid[at]mandythompson.com” through yousendit.com. Very user-friendly site. Go ahead, check it out now.

By Friday night Feb 18th, you send me a pic, vid clip, or something completing this about YOU:  I am ________. And we’ll celebrate!

So, ok kids, that’s the plan. Go.

It’s going to take me a few weeks to work all this out in my brain…

Posted on
27

You know those obnoxious people who go to a retreat or conference and then they come back and tell you all about it wide-eyed and red-eyed and hyped-up on caffeine overload? Well. I’m not going to be that person today.

Because the conference isn’t over until 11pm tonight.

Thankfully, I listened to those people who kept telling me: “Oh Mandy. You need to come to Recreate. You’ll love it.”

And dang it… they were right.

But, aside from the conference, I’ve also got some extra days in the Nashville area to do some other very important things: like hang out with my BFF who lives here. :) And yes, some fun songwriting things. But nothing major so don’t get too excited.

I’m rambling. I’m tired, and I’m only half-way through this trip. And I’m rambling. What was I writing about?

Oh yeah. I won’t be that person who tells everyone they should go to Recreate, because–it’s not for everyone. And that’s ok.

Just wanted y’all to know that I’m here.

And there’s a LOT happening between my ears right now.

What’s going on between your ears? (I can’t wait to read your comments… as soon as I can focus my eyes again.)

Maybe it’s all the emptiness that’s driving me…

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It’s 10:35pm. The house is silent. All I can hear is the whir of the fan and the whistle of the 10:30 train in the distance and the click click click of fingers on keys…

This is the kind of quiet that really makes space for me to think and reflect. To create melodies and lyrics. To emote words like what your reading now. And, lately, I’ve wondered if it’s all this quiet is demanding to be filled by this voracious songwriting.

Drew recently used the phrase: “your songwriting career.” He actually said that to me. I was so stunned by the words that I have no idea what came out after that–except that it sounded a lot like questions of hows and whens and whats.

He said I could even do this when I’m a mom. But, here’s the thing. I don’t know if I’ll be so voracious (what a weird word) then. I wonder if this drive in me is there because I’ve gotta give all that life-giving-ness to something. Maybe the maternal is masking itself in the lyrical right now.

I guess the question is: Is this “songwriter” a forever-part of who I am, or am I just trying to fill the emptiness?

Help bring out the rockstar in me…

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Disclaimer: I use the term “rockstar” very loosely. In my case, it implies the nervous jitters before practice. A long battle with my inner-critic about every song I decide to present to the guys. And butterflies over ANY imaginary future show that hasn’t-even-been-booked-yet. See? My heart is pounding just typing out that last sentence.

__________________

This is a purely selfish post on my part, but a lot of you are keenly more fashionable than I am–and I’ve just stuck my toe in the unfamiliar worlds of “entertainment” and “performance” and y’all know there’s a visual element to all this…..  And I intend to use your knowledge to my fullest advantage. :mrgreen: At least I’m honest about this, right?

So, how should I dress for this lead-singer-in-a-rockband scenario? If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a t-shirt/jeans kind of girl. I LOVE denim. And boots. slouchy cowboy boots. slick black knee-length boots. *not* army boots. ew.

I like accessories, but earrings make my lobes itch (Don’t ask me why the nose ring doesn’t make my nostril itch)…. Big rings, bracelets, scarves, hats (yum!), etc.

And I like layers.

And dark colors: blacks & grays.

But I have no money. (Typical for a “rockstar,” I’m learning)

I’m not too crazy about getting dolled up, either. The musician-in-me loses her edge when she’s in a dress. And, with our style of music, we can’t have that. Soooooooo…..

Help? Images? DIY rockstar-look videos? Articles? Fashion blogs? Magazine clippings? Links to Target’s jewelry/accessories? Anything you got?

My heart’s still pounding. Maybe it’s the coffee.

Are you a wanna-be, or a becomer?

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“Someone told me you have to write about 200 songs before you start getting it.”

I read this line in a fantastic article on AmericanSongwriter.com this weekend. If I wasn’t married, or detached by technology, I could’ve kissed the man that wrote it.

I’m flirting with the 200 count right now, and–trust me–I don’t share this number to brag. I share it in context: I’m still on the blind side of “getting it.” I’ve made no money and have little idea what I’m doing, but I learn more with every song I write.

As honest as I am about my amateur status, people still want to interact with me as a songwriter. I don’t know when it happened, but somewhere along this journey people began emailing me for info/feedback on their own songwriting ventures. I get mp3s. I get lyrics. I get questions.

And, here’s what I would tell them if they really wanted to know:

  1. Read “Songwriting for Dummies” AND “The War of Art.” Don’t even take yourself seriously until you do.
  2. Read everything you can that comes from garyewer.wordpress.com. If his words light a fire in you, then press on. If his advice seems tiresome, don’t even bother trying to write.
  3. Learn everything about keys and chord progressions and the circle of fifths–oh, and play an instrument.
  4. Study songs. Don’t just casually listen to them on the radio. Spend at least an hour digging through the structure, lyric, plot development, melody patterns, harmonies, motifs, cadences, chord progressions, and production.
  5. THEN write a song. Re-write it. And re-write it again. Then set it down for a few weeks, until you’ve forgotten how it even goes, then pick it back up and look/listen with freshness. Then re-write it again.

But, like I said, I’d only offer that advice if they really wanted to know. Truth is, a lot of us don’t want to do the hard work… But we don’t even realize it.

There are a lot of us in this online community who are chasing dreams right now: writing books, recording demos, training for marathons, starting ministries, etc etc etc. Some of us say “I wanna be a ______.” Others say “I am becoming a ________.”

The “becomers” are the ones who have the greater shot at being.  The “wanna-be’s” are just that.

Which are you? What steps are you taking in “becoming?” Or are you still “wanna-be-ing?” Find out what the difference is between these two types, then start “becoming.”