"Muse" - ings on Rock & Life

It was a pretty busy night after I got done with work tonight. We helped some new people move into the village, and got home from helping them out a bit on the late side. It didn't leave as much time for the studio as I was hoping it would, but I still managed to get a couple of things done. I got in a little bit of listening tonight, and also did some reading in the Elliot Smith bio that I have been slowly working my way through. As for my hopes for the weekend, they are this: 1) I very much need to spend a lot of time with "Red House." It feels like forever since I've gotten in a good bit of work on that goal. 2) I'm also hoping to finally get around to updating iTunes. The sooner I can get that done, the sooner I can sync my iPod, and then get around to burning the couple of CD's I need to get to people. 3) I just want to get some good practice time in.

Today was another day somewhat like yesterday, a strange hodgepodge of things that added up to a decent day in the end. I worked my way through the Isbell again tonight, making sure that I had that progression solidly underneath my fingers. I've been listening to his new album in the car on the way to and from work the last few days, and his ability to create an interesting melodic pattern from a seemingly standard chord progression is amazing. I kept going through the new guitar magazines as well tonight. It seems like today was a day of continuing, as opposed to turning over a new leaf. The other thing I got done tonight wasn'ta whole lot of fun, but it was necessary. I sorted through all of the music that has ended up in the car of late, made sure that all of the discs were in the right cases, and figured out how many of the albums are part of the list that is needing to be imported into iTunes in order to get me back up to date. All told, not as big of a night as la

Today was a hodgepodge sort of day, but it was a positive hodgepodge, in that it was the first day of the new blogging year that  felt anything like I hope the year is going to.  I: 1) Finally got the song list finished.  After the left turn of the iTunes issues, I was starting to wonder if I would ever see that project get to an "end point" (because there are always going to be more songs to learn).  It wound up being 674 songs, which seems completely crazy to me. 2) I sat down tonight and worked on learning something off of said list, Jason Isbell's "Different Days."  The guitar part for that song has fascinated me ever since the first time I heard it, and in playing around with it for half an hour, I started to get a decent handle on it. 3) Another finally.  I finally had time to at least set up my step-dad's old iMac that he sent down for me to use... GarageBand, anyone?  I didn't exactly start monkeying around with it yet, but it felt good to

Today was a whole lot like yesterday. I was, again, pretty well wiped out at the end of the day, so I kept working on my list of songs.  I'm about a quarter of the way into "T," and I sit there knowing full-well that a good push on this will let me finish off the list tomorrow during my day off. With that said, I'll definitely work on the list tomorrow, but what I'm really looking forward to is spending some quality time in the studio, working on songs, and doing some serious practicing. Tomorrow's going to be a great day.

Meeting after work tonight, made for a rather long day. That said, I was fairly drained when I finally got home, so I decided to get back to a little bit of work that might not take a whole lot of energy this evening: I spent some time getting back to (and working on) my giant list of songs to learn.  I'm up into "S," and somehow that feels a whole lot farther than I was when I left off working on that particular project, even though it's not really all that much farther.  Having Wednesday off, I'm cautiously optimistic that I might be able to get that project finished as well. I know I've still got tomorrow to go, but I'm really, really looking forward to Wednesday.

Today was another day spent mostly on the road. We stopped off at Barnes & Noble in Sioux City before we headed home, and I picked up the live Ryan Adams on vinyl. I had hoped to find the new issue of Acoustic Guitar while we were there, but it must be a bit too early for that. I know I didn't get to a lot this weekend, but I'm feeling really good heading into the week. I have a full day off this week for the first time in a few weeks, and while the extra money has been nice, I am really looking forward to Wednesday, and a chance to get into the studio and get some good work in. That's really all that I've got for today. It was a long weekend, but a great time with family.

So, we spent a good portion of today on the road to Northwest Iowa. That may not have left a lot of time for the playing side of things as I start year six of blogging, but it definitely let me do some listening. I finally got a chance to check out the new Nate Ruess record, and it's as full of Queen references and big production values as I was expecting it to be. He has said that the writing process started with the intent to make the third fun. album, and so I had a good time trying to guess which songs were initially slated for the band. I can tell that Jack Antonoff helps to smooth out some of Nate's rough edges, but while I didn't hear a ton of singles, I heard what can only be described as an album.  I think that tomorrow will be a better day for playing, but I was still grateful to be able to spend at least a few minutes in the studio before we left this morning. Something tells me that the next year is going to be a great one.

I only had a few hard and fast goals I wanted to accomplish tonight, and I'm contented by the fact that I got to everything I felt I needed to get to.  Tonight, I: 1) Sat down and made some decent progress on the music for the EP.  I've felt the need to block things out in a more official manner for the last couple of weeks, and there was definite progress on that front tonight.  I got one of the songs completely blocked out, and have a couple of fresh ideas for another one that has given me trouble over the years, so I'm excited about the direction that is heading in right now.  In a perfect world, I'd get up early enough to work on it a bit more before we head out for Sioux City in the morning, but we shall see. 2) With everything old now imported onto the new computer, I sat down tonight to start figuring out exactly how much of the newer stuff I've picked up needs to be brought into iTunes.  Right now there are about a half a dozen albums on that list, and I

Tonight was a quiet night for me, but it managed to work in some of the things that happened yesterday that I somehow managed to leave out of yesterday's post. I picked up the new Jason Isbell record yesterday (finally!).  I'm not all the way through it yet, but Something More Than Free picks up, at least somewhat, where Southeastern , his last record, left off.  His voice is one of those that I'm glad I get to hear new music from every now and again. The rest of tonight was spent starting to go through new issues of Guitar World and Guitar Techniques that I picked up yesterday at the bookstore. Not a whole lot of playing today, but I am very much hoping to make up for that tomorrow night.

As it turned out, I didn't need the big run-up from last night in order to make today a productive one. I got most of the way done with the iTunes project before I had to go into work at 11, which left me about 40 or so songs to finish off when I got done.  I polished the rest of those off after the Mrs. and I got back from an early dinner and a walk around the bookstore. Here's where things sit with two days remaining before year six of the blog: 1) I can finally resume work on my giant list of songs to learn, which I had made really good progress on before I noticed that things were missing. 2) I feel like I'm in better shape than I have been in a while when it comes to the EP/Album.  I'm at a point where a hard charge and a bit of luck with lyrics could put me in a place to have that done this fall sometime. 3) I need to get back to "Red House."  I still really want to have that finished by the end of August, but I'm going to have to pick up t

I had really high hopes heading into tonight.  I knew that tomorrow was my short day (11-4), and that I would have time on either side to make some good progress, and I was really hoping to have a strong lead in to that time by crossing off a few things tonight... As it turned out, I made some progress tonight, but most all of it was in the ending stages of the iTunes project.  And as it stands right now, I only pushed that forward some, I didn't quite finish it off. I'm sitting here, trying to tell myself that any progress is good progress, but it's getting to me that I didn't at least finish the iTunes thing completely.  Mind you, I'm dropping a few more songs into place in between sentences here, so that's making me fee lat least a little bit better, but still. About the only other thing that I got to cross off today was stumbling across a title, either for my EP, or for a later full length.  Sometimes all you catch of a passing conversation is a single

Not a whole lot to report tonight.  Today was one of those days that was so busy I just couldn't find a ton of time to get much done. That said, I got everything that was missing transferred over to the new computer, or at least to my external hard drive.  I didn't get it all loaded into iTunes quite yet, but I've started doing that.  I'm hoping that I can finish importing everything tomorrow night after work, but we shall see. So yeah, in spite of not feeling like I had a ton of time tonight, I'm all right with what I got done.

After the rush of yesterday, I knew that today would seem like some sort of a letdown, and I was at least somewhat right.  I didn't make the studio until late tonight, and when I finally did make it in there, my head was buzzing with so many different ideas that I wound up not being able to focus on anything enough to get much accomplished.  I paged through the song notebook for a few minutes though, and it seems like things will set up well with some of what I worked on yesterday.  What I really need right now is a bit of extra time to devote to the songs when my concentration is good and my focus is high.  I've got an 11-4 this week that might just offer the kind of time I'm looking for on either end of it. Also, I'm pretty sure I've got the transferring of files figured out, too, I just need to sit down and do it.  Perhaps that will be a project for tomorrow after work (and a subsequent meeting). At some point, too, I need to carve out a space to set up the

So, in the way that I was wanting yesterday to be full of action and productivity and steps forward, I went into today fully expecting it to be a low key sort of day where I got a few things done this morning (hopefully), and maybe found a bit of time at the end of the day to sneak into the studio. In short, I knew I had family coming in, so I wasn't expecting a whole lot.  I was wrong.  So, so wrong. 1) My Mom and my Aunt got here later than anticipated, which gave me a bit of extra time to putter around this morning.  I put that time to use by finishing off the end of the alphabet on my iTunes project.  I've now got a complete playlist set up of songs to transfer over to the new computer.  Once I get that done, I can finally get back to working on my list of songs to learn, which was what kickstarted this whole iTunes business in the first place. 2) When my Mom & Aunt did arrive, they had with them my step-dad's old iMac.  He upgraded recently, and basically fla

Today was supposed to be a big day for me, music-wise.  It was supposed to be the day that I made some headway on at least three different things, which were: 1) "Red House" 2) The EP 3) The iTunes project It didn't quite work out that way.  Things were put into limbo tonight due to a family matter that was out of our control.  Consequently, much of the night was spent waiting for word and trying to figure out if a weekend full of travel was in order.  Needless to say, I didn't get much done. I got into the studio rather late, but struggled to find focus after a long and emotional day.  Giving that up for tonight, I instead worked my way through a few letters of the iTunes library.  I'm up to the start of "T," and I'm still thinking I can get this thing finished off by the end of the weekend. Tomorrow morning and Sunday afternoon are looking like the times I'll have a good opportunity for some studio work this weekend, but we shall see.

So, today started out with grandiose plans to work on Hendrix, the EP, and (perhaps) the iTunes project.  It's funny how a single thing can completely derail those plans, while still providing me with a whole lot of musical enjoyment.  And who knew that finding out about it could come from a simple post on social media. Wilco released a new album today.  11 previously unheard songs, available as a free download on their website.  Star Wars , it's called, and I'm working my way through the second listen of the night. So, yes, all of the things I was supposed to get done got pushed back for an evening.  Guess that means tomorrow night will need to be epic.  

Tonight was another good night.  I got into the studio on the earlier side of things this evening, and that afforded me the chance to get at least a bit of work done on a few different fronts. I spent a few minutes playing around with the Hendrix tonight, but not enough time to justifiably say that I worked on anything new with it.  On some level, that was frustrating, but it seemed better to at least keep a toe in the water where "Red House" was concerned than to ignore it completely.  I really need to dive back in a bit deeper tomorrow if at all possible. Most of what I focused on tonight was the EP project.  I'm making a bit of headway in terms of blocking out the songs that I'm hoping to include.  Tonight's work outlined the chords needed for both guitar parts on one of the songs (one part capoed, the other not).  I felt good about the progress on the EP for the first time in what felt like a long time, and that I will take tonight.  More work ahead on it

Tonight was a good night. Instead of focusing on last week's work, I decided to take a page from yesterday's book and keep looking at "Stairway." I had some fun with the ideas that my brother and I had gone over yesterday. I was able to pick them up quickly, and with a bit of dedicated practice, they are sounding good. After that, I checked out a lesson online that keyed in on the solo, and worked on that for a bit. I haven't looked at the "Stairway" solo in a while, but it was good to get back to it, and I feel like it would be a quick pick up and finish off. Today was a good day.

Today was a mostly quiet day, music-wise. That being said, my brother and I still found a bit of time to get into the studio and talk theory.  We did so under the guise of "Stairway To Heaven," and my brother (who has done more studying of the live versions than I have), showed me some of the licks that Page uses. I also picked up Skeleton Crew by Madisen & Mama Bear.  It was an impulse purchase that had been mentioned on NPR, so hopefully the album turns out to be good. After the conversation with my brother, I can't tell you how pumped I am to get back into the studio and keep working.  I'm really hoping that the rest of the week shakes out well for me music-wise.

Another day that didn't exactly take the shape I had been expecting, but one that still ended up getting me closer to at least one of my goals. I spent a little bit of time in the studio both this morning, and again tonight.  While that time helped me to get at least a little bit closer to where I'd like to be with my playing, the biggest place I made progress today was in dealing with the iTunes project.  I made it from "K" all the way into "R" this afternoon, which only leaves me eight letters before I finish that off.  And, while I know I've said this each of the last few weeks, I really ought to be able to get that finished off this coming week. Also cool, I've got my brother here for the day tomorrow, so I'm sure there will be something musical done at some point tomorrow.

Today was a lot more low key than I was hoping for when I went to bed last night. I had gone into the day with high hopes for getting a lot of work done in the studio, and didn't quite get around to everything that I wanted to when the day began. That being said, I did manage to at least get a small start on blocking out songs for the EP project. Somehow, even with the Hendrix being a priority, the EP feels more crucial right now. Consequently, "Red House" didn't get the attention it deserved today. That just means that I will have to get up on the early side tomorrow, and be productive right off the bat in order to get to enough tomorrow.

Considering the way that my Fridays usually go, tonight in the studio wasn't all that bad. I got in there at what was, for me, a somewhat decent hour, and got a bit of work done on a few things before running out of steam. I got back to the Hendrix tonight in a way that has me really looking forward to seeing what the weekend will bring. Tomorrow very much needs to be about cranking up the amp and playing along, even if it is using the gt-1 that slows down recordings. I also spent a bit of time with the songwriting side of things tonight. I'm starting to get far enough into this book I've been reading that the tips and suggestions it's making can be applied. Tomorrow needs to be all about spending serious time blocking out song ideas. If I can get those things worked on tomorrow, I will feel pretty good about my accomplishments heading into Sunday.

Tonight in the studio continued to be about reading and studying on songwriting. I am making slow and steady progress in this book I've been going through for the last few days. I had great intentions of blocking out more completely all of the songs in my notebook tonight, but the time got away from me a bit.  With my brother swinging through at the end of the weekend, I'd really like to finish up at least that part of the project, just to have something to show off. If I can get that part done between tomorrow night and Saturday morning, then maybe I can start filling in the empty spaces on Saturday night and Sunday morning before my brother rolls in. Wish me luck.

I got out early today and picked up the latest issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine. Made it into the studio twice today, and both times I was more focused on the songwriting side of things than I was anything else.  I did a bit of reading, and then a bit of work on the ideas that have been accumulating.  In the end, I didn't get to as much as I would have hoped to, if only because I never really got the long, uninterrupted stretch of time I had been hoping for.  Having to patch my time together didn't ever let me hit a true rhythm, but I was still able to make some progress today. I did some thinking and planning outside of the studio, as well, plotting out next steps in order to feel like I'm heading in the right direction. Unfortunately, no real work on the Hendrix today.  That's the one area where I really feel like I let myself down today.  More tomorrow, and better.

Having not really sat down to write in quite some time, I spent a little bit of time tonight paging through a few of my books on songwriting in search of inspiration. Considering what I am working with in terms of the EP, I focused mainly on a book that pays attention to the idea of song structure, and connecting smaller chord progressions in order to create larger ones. I want to do some more reading tomorrow, but getting started on that book was a reassuring experience. I spent a few minutes with the Hendrix tonight as well, although not as many as I probably should have. That needs to be a primary goal for tomorrow as well. It wasn't a bad night, all things considered, but I still feel like both last night and tonight were opportunities for me to get more done than I did. Tomorrow needs to make up for lost time.

Okay, so I didn't get to spend as much time in the studio tonight as I was hoping to, but I accomplished perhaps the best first step I could have: I got myself reacquainted with exactly what I have for this EP project. I'm happy with where I sit in terms of musical ideas, whether they come in the form of complete songs, or simply three to four chord progressions that are, at the moment, flashes of the full version. I have a lot of work ahead of me in that regard, and that isn't even taking lyrics into consideration. I need to stay on top of this in order to see consistent progress, and what I really need the most right now is to be able to spend a lot of time on Wednesday holed up in the studio working on things. I'll get something done on it tomorrow night as well, and hopefully get back to the Hendrix also.

Today was a quieter day than I had been hoping for, but a day with progress in it nonetheless. I'm up into "K" on the iTunes project, getting closer every day to being done with that, even though it has taken a whole lot longer than I expected it would.  Then again, those things usually tend to. I spent more time with the acoustic in the studio tonight than I did the electric, and yet I didn't get around to one of the big things I had hoped to get to today: there was no work done on the EP.  Tomorrow night, however, may be a good night for that, as the Mrs. is going to be at a meeting, freeing me up to spend the bulk of the night in the studio without feeling too guilty about it. I did a small bit of listening tonight, and very little on  the Hendrix, but heading into the week I find myself feeling pretty optimistic about what I want to get done in the coming week.  We shall see how all of that turns out.

It wasn't as musically productive of a day as I had hoped it might be last night, but I still feel like I made a bit of progress, so I'll take it. I got into the studio on the later side tonight, and getting in there and taking a look at all of the things I had at least glanced at in the past week that had gotten spread out all over the floor made things seem cluttered.  It brought me back around to only focusing on a few things, but doing so intently.  With that in mind, I took a quick look at the Hendrix before doing a bit of listening. After that, with my energy waning a bit, I decided to wrap up my night in the studio by watching the DVD that came along with the new James Taylor record (I picked that up today, along with the new Stones re-issue and the new Walk The Moon album).  It goes through the making of the record, and I'm always a sucker for those sorts of things.  They always get me thinking (again) about my own half-finished projects. I need tomorrow to be

Another long and exhausting day of work, plus fireworks tonight in DBQ conspired to limit my time to focus on musical things, which led me to thinking that tonight might be a good night to get back to attempting to finish sorting out the iTunes (or at least getting closer).  Well, closer it was, because I now find myself at the start of "G," which gets me through three more letters tonight.  I'm still optimistic that I might get this whole project finished this weekend.  I'm not sure what's more daunting at this point, trying to do that, or realizing that I've already totaled up nine (9!) hours of music that will need to be transferred over. And to think that I've still got 20 letters of the alphabet to go. In a perfect world, I'll also get to the Hendrix, some listening, some reading, and some other practicing this weekend.  We shall see how that goes.

Today was an insanely stressful day.  Having a chance to get into the studio tonight and work on the Hendrix for even fifteen minutes really, really helped my state of mind.  I'm starting to realize that, even though I've looked at it consistently, I haven't exactly spent a ton of time with it yet.  Understanding that makes me feel good about where I am, but also has me feeling that I haven't spent enough time with it.  If everything goes the way I hope it will, that will start to change this weekend. Somewhere between tomorrow night and Sunday night, I really need to spend enough time in the studio that I get a chance to slow some of these passages down, just to make sure that everything is coming out perfectly.  That's most definitely the next step in the process for me.  I'm seeing (and hearing) things clearer, and slowing things down a bit can only help push me forward. Bring on the weekend!

Got back to the Hendrix tonight, for a few minutes anyway. I'm still seeing progress, even with the relative lack of focus the last few days.  Considering where things sit right now, I'm fully confident that I'll meet my goal of learning it by the end of the summer. Got out for a bit this morning to look at new releases (didn't see anything I couldn't live without) and to try and find the latest issue of Acoustic Guitar (I struck out on that front as well). Never did get around to the iTunes project today, but I fit in some listening while I was in the studio, so that's good.  More tomorrow.