THE YEAR OF 35: STILL GOING

I haven't done a strict "Year of 35" update in a while but I think I've mentioned the couple new songs I wrote since the last "official" entry. We may be in a new year but "The Year of 35" still has about 2 months to go.

I had a couple new songs in November - "Tuesday" and "Holding Pattern." Since then I've just been playing with chord changes and partial melodies and random lyrics but nothing was really coming together. The one thing about playing the same open mic every week with the same general crowd is that you really want to bring something new after you've been playing the same couple songs over and over again. So I decided I would just push forward and try to write some new stuff in the early part of January.

Last week I finally had a breakthrough and was able to finish I song that I'd had the beginning of for quite a while. It's my quietest song and it's a love song in the "you drive me crazy but I love you anyway" mode. It's called "23 Across."

I've also been playing a four chord driving strum pattern with changes for the last couple weeks without being able to come up with lyrics. I was sure it would be my next song written. But in the middle of playing it over and over again, I came up with a slower, poppier variation with most of the same chords. I wrote part of a first verse and the rest of it came out over a few days. I debuted "Dear Prospective Employer" this past Thursday night. I like it a lot.

So, that gives me 9 songs written so far (though one I won't play solo - it needs the bass and drums to be effective). I still have that driving one to put words to. I also have another song started; I borrowed Graham's capo the other day (I'd never tried one before) and came up with a chord pattern I liked and quickly wrote a first verse (and then went out and bought my own capo). I'm hoping to get into double digits soon. And I'm really enjoying the creative energy I have going.

A week from tonight I am playing a show with Graham; we are opening for another band that we are friends with. It will be my first real show since September and I'm looking forward to it. G and I started practicing the other night - we're going to do some of the old stuff (I sat down and played my keyboard part to his "Give Yourself" without any problems and I hadn't played it since September!) and well as the new (he's adding guitar to "Holding Pattern" and piano to "23 Across"; meanwhile, I'm adding piano to his "The Sigh Begins"). More practice tonight.

I've also decided to keep a performance log, which will continue throughout 2007. So, you can look for the January edition soon...