music

It is amazing how reliant one can become on a normal working environment, certain tools, and software setup. I’m on a quick trip to attend a wedding this weekend, and brought a mini-rig with me to attempt road composition. My workstation consists of my normal DAW, Digital Performer, running on a MacBook pro and using a Novation LaunchKey Mini controller for input. I’ve tried two other rigs in the past. The first was similar to what I’m using on this trip, but using Propellerheads Reason software, and a larger Novation X25 controller. This was a great setup once in the … Continue reading

Another night of intense procrastination and finding other things to do. Watched some TV. Looked for a snack. Made a drink. Made another drink. Went into the studio. Left the studio. Went back into the studio. One thing that differed this time is that I didn’t start off listening to sounds for inspiration. I just sat and thought a bit. We’re in the final week of Song-A-Day. Normally it’s week three when the tank is starting to run dry and things start getting weird, so I suppose I’m a little behind schedule. I’m also way behind schedule on listening to … Continue reading

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 Ok, that’s an overdramatic and exaggerated account of yesterday, but it makes for a good opening, doesn’t it? While writing my entry for I Am Not Here, I realized that it was already the 19th! I’ve had a few days this month where I struggled a little to find an idea, but on the whole, I haven’t experienced the same creative pressure that was present in other years. If I had to make a comparison, it’s been like what marathon runners describe when they’re in that middle … Continue reading

I started yesterday’s entry discussing how the song I had been working on felt rushed and would benefit from some finesse instead of being the blunt instrument it was becoming. That turned out to be correct, though it happened in a way that I didn’t really expect. Going into the studio, I had intended to open the previous project, rework the lyrics a bit, and try again, but with much more time to shape and polish. Instead, I opened a new, blank project and brought in a bank of tracks routed to some of my hardware synths. It wasn’t a … Continue reading

For the last few years, I’ve tried to employ a “no negative posts” rule for my conduct on social media. For the most part, I’ve been successful, though the snark does slip through from time to time. It’s often a knee-jerk response to something, or I thought of something funny that lets my inner cynic grab the mic for a second. As time has gone on, I’ve realized that very few people actually care about anything I have to say, which was simultaneously demoralizing and liberating. It hasn’t stopped me from writing responses and comments when I see logical fallacies, … Continue reading