Let The Vocalist Own the Song

In my view, a song writer has to let the singer own the song.   I don't mean that the singer literally owns the song and gets all the royalties.  What I mean is that as a song writer you have to let the singer take your song and sing it like they own it.  Everyone that does a song will put their own personality into the song and will put in their own feelings to the song.  It may or may not reflect how you initially intended the song to sound, but as far as I'm concerned, doing it differently doesn't mean its not right.  Who says you were right anyway.  Let the singer be right.   If the singer does it how you intended it to be, then you were probably right - at least that's how I satisfy my ego. 

This video is from a performance by Irene Kirk at the Magpies Extravaganza on May 24th at the Expressionz Cafe.   The song is called Two Roses.  Its a song I wrote in my car on the way home from a song writing workshop about 3 months ago.  I've been after Irene to do the song for about 2 months.  We got together at Wayne and Irene's house the night before the extravaganza and worked it out that evening.  She ask me 'how do you want it to be sung".   I told her I wanted her to take the song and make it her own.  We had to work on emphasis to fit with the music and in the end Irene actually does the song the way I intended it to be sung.   I've never really be comfortable singing it myself and to get someone else to sing it, it is a great feeling.    

The performance in the video is the first time the song has been played in public.   It is the first time that Irene sang it in public.   We did it again a the Java Express Open Mike a night later.  I think Irene was a bit nervous about doing the song, but each time she does it, it becomes more and more "her" song. 

Anyway, watch the video.  Hope you like the song.   Thanks to Larysa for taking the video and sharing it with us.  In a few months I'll try to get another video of Irene doing the song, and we'll how it sounds then.  

Singing Voice

Hey, I know I don't have a great singing voice, but I have to try to get my songs heard.  When one of my songs is done by someone else that can sing, it makes me feel good. There's a few folks out there that have done my songs and who have made them their own.   That should always be the goal of the singer - take ownership of the song.  To me, it is the greatest tribute to the writer. 

Now, as for my feeble attempts at singing, I've got over the fear (sort of) of performing in front of an audience knowing that they won't be getting a vocal genius. I've learned to accept that.  Even so, I keep learning things about my voice - what my range range is (limited) - what key works best for me.   Since my vocal range is pretty limited, I have to stay within the range that I got.   The key for a song seems to depend on the song. 

In my last post, I included a song called "Barely Hangin' On" which I did in Key of G.  Trouble is, or me G is an unfriendly key and I had to go higher that where my natural voice is.   I didn't like it, but I liked playing the song in G.   

Well, today I decided I'd find a key that is better for my voice. I tried C, because sometimes that works for me.   Then I tried A, because there a few songs I do in key of A.   Neither worked for me - at least I didn't feel comfortable with either key.   So I tried the Key of D.    you can listen to the results in the video clip. 

Still not a great rendition, but I think a better place for my voice than what I was trying before.  

So what lesson did I learn?   Don't be stubborn and stay in a key that doesn't work and probably never will work for you.  Try different keys - even ones you don't think work for you - in my case, even D.  

 I don't see myself as a vocalist, nor do I have any desires to become one.    I do have to try to sing my songs to the best of my abilities so that others can hear them and maybe some day a talented singer will take the song and make it their own.  That's the real goal.  

Barely Hangin' On

No one was home tonight so I decided to try recording this song on a Zoom H2 Handy Recorder.   If you don't have one of these, they are quite handy, as they claim.  The H2 is bigger than a cell phone and looks like a little microphone.  In fact you can mount it on a mike stand with the attachment it comes with.  I use it quite often when I'm playing around with a new piece of music and want to record it so I don't forget what I had going.  

Oh, the song.  It's called 'Barely Hangin' On'.  This is the song I mentioned in the previous post.  My big challenge is that I need to find someone to do the vocals on it.  For me, the song is in the wrong key and I really have to tighten my shorts to get my voice to go that high.  I should transpose to another key - maybe D, but I like the feel of the music in G.   I just need a singer.  Here's the clip with my lame vocals.   Hope you like it

Finally - Another Song Finished

I've got a whole number of song that I've been fooling around with that I wasn't getting anywhere with any of them.   Decided today that I'd focus on one and get it done.  The song about the noon train - see entry "songs from dreams" got partly done and I'm stuck on where to take it to make it interesting.  I've save that one for a rainy day. 

Last night I started playing around on my banjo with a little thing.  that sounded OK, but it didn't lead to anything - yet.   I then started fooling around with a jazzy bluesy thing on guitar that I really like,  and I may come back to that when something inspires me that fits the music. 

So, this morning I was still going nowhere and I picked up my guitar and started noodling around.  This little piece of music started to evolve that finally got me going.  I had fooled around yesterday with some lyrics in an email to Don and Brian and without any thought about where it might go.  Well guess what - those few lyrics and the noodling on the guitar this morning led to a song that I've called "Barely Hangin On" 

1st verse

When I woke up today, in this little dirty town
I looked outside, the sun was going down
As darkness settled down, in this quiet town
And silence, and the street light just came on
and I feel like I'm barely hangin' on. 

Well, the song is now complete.   So for the record, that's number 5 for the year.  15 more to go to reach my goal.

Open Mike at Java Express

Last night Don and I went to Stony Plain to an open mike at Java Express.  1'st night of their open mike, so it wasn't overfilled with musicians.  Ernie was playing when we got their and only other guitar player was Wayne.  Irene and Deb did some vocals.   Because there wasn't many players their, we got to do a lot of our own songs.  We did some that I haven't played for a long time, like "Something in the Wind", which is the first song I wrote (1987).  Other songs we did:  Old Grey Stone, Road to Nowhere, Sittin' Here, Where Randy Rolled a Tractor, Johnson Brown, Two Feet in the Water, My Dream Automobile, and Lonely Train (Haven't done that one in a while). 

Don did his songs and, as usual, found a female (Deb) to help him out on his song "Slippin' away", a great song and one that needs a female voice to make it complete.  Its always entertaining watching Don do this song.  

The sound in the Java Express was superb.  It's a small place but has a really high roof with a hidden ceiling, so the sound wasn't bouncing around the room.   I think the best sound anywhere I've played.  Made you feel like playing all night.  

Playing the Java Express



 Me doing backing vocals with Ernie

on "People are Crazy"

 Playing "Old Grey Stone" with Don

on Mandolin. 

Me with Don and Ernie playing

"Lonely Train"

Magpies Extravaganza

Playing a Jimmy Rogers tune

with Louanne, Tom, Don, & Brian

Performing "Road to Nowhere"

We had been thinking of doing something where we could invite a few people we sometimes play music with, so they could all showcase what they do.   So, we rented Expressionz Cafe for the evening.  Expressionz is this great place in Edmonton where musicians and artist can showcase their talents.  We've been going there since last year, so it seemed to be the perfect place.  

I can't begin to tell you how much fun I had.  I think everyone there who came to play got the opportunity.   We ran it much like an open stage, but we encouraged everyone to ask others to come up and play.  It made for a very interesting evening that included standard country tunes with great guitar & fiddle playing, some folk and country folk tunes with everything from bouzouki, mandolin, fiddle, keyboard, bass, and accordion, and sometimes all at the same time.  It was great to hear some of our standard songs played with a whole new sound.   

We had some blues tunes played and a few more rockin' tunes too.  

I figured that I would only get up and play on a few songs, but ended up playing most of the night.   I invited a lot of good friends, some who I haven't seen for a while, and my biggest disappointment is that I didn't get to visit with them much.  

My biggest thrills for the evening is getting to play 3 new song for the first time in public.  Our friend Irene did a great job on vocals for "Two Roses". (we are going to do it again tonight in Stoney Plain).  We also played "Valley Green Monsters" for the first time.  This is a song that Brian, Don and I wrote.    We also did "Road To Nowhere" but differently that the version in my video (see a past post).  With Brian on Bouzouki and Don on Keyboard, this song has taken on a whole new and much more interesting life. 

We asked everyone to take lots of photos and videos.  We had a couple of family members take photos and videos of the entire evening, and we recorded it off the soundboard.  Once we gather up all the photos, videos, and 'soundtrack' we'll try to put it all together into a kind of documentary on the evening.  

In the end, we had to put out a bit of our own $ to cover the expenses, but it was a really cheap way to have fun with Friends and family.   Now, to plan the next Extravaganza

Songs From Dreams

I haven't said much lately about my progress to write 20 songs by the end of the year.  I'm still on target.   I do have a couple of tunes in the works.   If I can get focussed, I'll be ahead of schedule

One has started to take shape.  I woke up in wee hours of the morning with this idea and the first verse.  Weird!  Song about a guy waiting at the train station for the 'noon train'.  but its 12:35.   Still trying to decide if I should make it a happy ending or a sad ending.  Maybe I'll write two endings - could give me some options.  That would be interesting! 

The other song came about in the middle of the night.  So far it is only an idea with a few guitar bits and even fewer lyrics.  Idea is about turning on the TV at 3 am and what I see as I flip thru the channels.  

I get lots of song ideas that come to me in middle of the night - probably out of some dream sequence.  Usually, by morning I don't remember much about these ideas.  I did have one song that came out of a surreal dream about floating around on some object.  I woke up with the music and some lyrics that really didn't make any sense.  By morning, those irrational thoughts evolved into a song called "My Dream Automobile".  One of those songs that I didn't think much of at first, but my friends like enough that it is one of the songs we play often.

How A Song Can Change For the Better

Today we were working on plans and a few songs for an upcoming evening we call "Magpies Extravaganza", which is really an excuse to play music with all of our player friends. 

I was in a bit of a quiet mood and started fooling around with the song "Road to Nowhere" (see previous post).   Don started playing along on the keyboard and Brian picked up the bouzouki.   The song took on a whole new sound.   Instead of a 'rock' sound, it was more melodic and soulful.    As Don said, it better suits the song.  Same music, but a totally different feel.    

I've had a few experiences where a song has taken on a new life.   1st one was a song called 'Long Way Home" which I wrote a few years back.   When my music pals started playing it, they filled in with sounds I didn't expect and they made it sound great.   2nd time was on a song called "Green Valley Monsters" which I co-wrote with Brian and Don.   They took a simple lick and helped turn it into a great collaborative effort.   We'll debut both at the 'extravaganza".  

Twelve Song Writing Tips

Some things I have learned, mostly from friends and colleagues, but from my own experience of writing stuff. 

1.  write about what you know.  write about how you feel, about your life's experience, about a place, a thing, or an event
2.  Try to avoid dating your song.  for example, if you write something about the earthquake in Haiti, when the world forgets about Haiti (as it seems to have now that Japan is on the front pages), your song becomes irrelevant. you can still write about Haiti, but write so that it can fit every other disaster that comes our way.  then it will always be relevant.
3.   Many song writers write songs with a standard verse, chorus, verse, chorus.  If you only follow this format, all your songs will sound the same and you're not interesting. Try mixing up your styles and format.  Try writing a song with no chorus - like a ballad.   Try including a bridge - can be a bridge with lyrics where you change the chord progression, or you can include a bridge as an instrumental interlude.  I've been playing around with this in my recent songs and I'm finding that it is a way more fun and interesting. 
4.   build emotion into your songs.  Songs that have emotion draw in the listener, particularly when it seems to be about them, not about you.   Sometimes you can use that bridge (see point 3) to build emotion in your song. 
5.   Not every song you write is going to be a great song.  Not everyone is going to like your song.  Just because you like it, doesn't mean that everybody else will like it.   GET OVER IT. 
6.  Sometimes I know right away that the song I'm working on sucks, but I'll finish it anyway.  I've got a couple that I wrote that I knew were crappy tunes (well more that a couple actually), but later on I've played around with them with a different piece of music and a new perspective, and used them to create a better song.  Good example of that is a song I wrote called "sittin' here", which was quite uninteresting on the first version.  But, I got inspired by Don to work on a ragtime piece, and I took the lyrics, reworked them, and came up with a song that I do like, and seems to go over well.   I have another song called "Wasp Nest Song" that I wrote in about 5 minutes on a hot Saturday afternoon after I drank a few beers, hit a wasp nest with a hockey stick, and licked my wounds.  I just thought is was a stupid little tune and had no intention of sharing it with anybody.  played it one day for my friends, and it is now one of our staples. Sometimes you may not think much of a song, but you never know what the audience will think till they here it.  So:  "Don't Throw Anything Out"
7.    I have come up with numerous tunes over past 3 or 4 years that start with great enthusiasm, but never seem to go anywhere.  Sometimes I have a line or two, and maybe even one verse, but I can't find anything that works past that.   As Skip Ewing said, "if you don't have a second verse, maybe the song wasn't meant to be".  Now remember point 6, maybe keep it for another time and another place (that line is from a Jimmy Buffet song by the way), but move on.
8.   Motivation:  I still haven't figured this out. I don't know what motivates me.  It always seems to be something different.   I tend to write in spurts.  I've sat down and ripped off 3 song in a day, then come up with nothing for 2 or 3 months.   I know that when I feel pressured (usually pressured by me), I'm not very productive.  For me, song writing is very spontaneous. 
9.    Find your own niche.  I believe everyone has a different built in way of doing things.  Just because something works for me, doesn't mean it will work for you.   Find what works for you.   Find your own style. 
10.  The more you write, the better you will become.   I look back at my earliest songs and compare to those I write now.  I definitely see a growth in my own style.  I still write stinkers, but I'm finding more interesting ways to present a song. 
11.   Listen to others song and read poetry.   Look at others put words together.   Don't be afraid to be influenced by others, but don't plagiarize.  
12.   play your songs with your musical friends.  they can help form a song, add to the song, and make it better.  Be open to advice.   And give them credit when credit is due.

How To Make Money From Your Songs

Ernie left a comment earlier today.  It said "pay your dues".   That's true, but his comment reminded me about a workshop I attended last week with Rick Garvin.   The workshop was about licensing your songs.   After the workshop was over, people were asking me what I learned.  This is the second workshop I attended about song writing, and more specifically selling your songs.  First one was with Skip Ewing.  

The answer I've been giving people is "give workshops on selling your songs and charge $10".  What I learned from both of these fellows is that don't expect to make your fortune, although the two ladies who wrote Happy Birthday made a fortune.  The lady who wrote Hockey Night in Canada (the one that CBC was too cheap to keep using) did pretty well too.  So there is hope!!!  But I'm not counting on it. 

Few things I did learn though:

• you are one of probably billions of songwriters in the world.  Not everyone is trying to sell their songs, but the competition is huge.  I'm starting to think luck is how you might first 'sell' a song, and then if you are fortunate enough to sell a few songs, your reputation might carry you forward.   Like Bobby Braddock who has been writing country songs for 30 years and is in the Country Music Hall of Fame.  Oh, and Skip Ewing - but then he's still doing workshops for $10 a head.
• If you try to sell your songs to some recording company, two things are likely to happen.  Well one actually - they just say goodbye.  apparently they don't buy songs because of fears of copyright theft.  and if you are able to crack that door open, you have something like five seconds to get their attention to your song.  Apparently, and I believe this to be true, the record companies really aren't interested in selling music, their business is selling little plastic discs, and the only way they can do that is put something on them. 
• copyright in Canada is quite simple - write your song down on paper, put your name on it, and include a date (mostly so you remember when you wrote it), file it (I keep hard copies and electronic files).  I also share it with my playing friends, so they have copies.  that way I have witnesses. 
• you can register your songs on SOCAN.  If your song is registered, every time someone plays it (for money), and IF they log it in that they played the song, you get paid a royalty.  Sounds simple enough.  I guessing that it could be hard to chase after everyone who might play your song, unless they record it or something.   Not something I'm going to count on, but I'm going to register my songs anyway - Just in case!
• If your fortunate enough to sell your song to some corporation like CBC, or a movie studio to use your song, you can license your song to them.
  From what I gather there's different ways to do that. outright sell, or make some agreement that you get paid every time it plays.  So if you write a theme song for a TV show, or even a bit of music that is used in a TV show. you could get paid each time that episode plays.  Cool!   Not something I'm going to count on.  
• When you perform a song and every time it you play it live and get paid for it, you are supposed to log it into SOCAN that you played it.  Supposedly the venue pays the royalty fee, or I supposed whoever made the money from the fact that you played the song.  The song writer then gets paid a royalty (a few cents for each time its played).  If the song is recorded and get airplay on the radio, the song writer gets a royalty each time the song is played.  The performer gets nothing.  So that's probably why you see a lot of performers doing their own songs.  Taylor Swift must be making a fortune.  I'm not a fan, but she's a smart girl. 
• So the other thing I learned is that if you perform your own song, and lets say you get paid by a venue like a nightclub to play.   When your done, you go to SOCAN with your log that you played the song, and you'll get the royalty for playing the song, and the venue pays the royalty.  Of course if you play someone else's song, you need to record that too, so the writer gets his dues. 

Remember, all of this is my own interpretation of this stuff.  Seeing that I haven't collected a penny for anything I've written, obviously I'm no expert.  So if you really want to find out how this works, attend some of those $10 dollar workshops from a songwriter that needs to supplement his income, or hire a music industry lawyer at $600/hr who doesn't need to supplement his income.

As for me, next time my niece is in town I'll have a chat with her.  She worked at SOCAN.  I'll ask her.  Maybe pay her $10 for the conversation.

Lead Guitar - Yeah Right.

I've been playing with two different groups of friends.  I hate to say "bands".  I think of them more as an assembly of people who play.  The term "band" implies something rigid and formal.  Rigidity and fformality has never been one of my strong points.   I digress. 

So anyway.  I've been playing with my friend Ernie, who has been getting together with a couple of buddies in the Fort,  Claude and Gary.   These two guys are quite skilled players and Claude has a couple of songs that get radio play in the mealtimes - so I'm told.   Gary plays bass, very well I might say, and I've heard him play a mean country electric guitar.   He says he used to play professionally, and I have no doubts about that.   Ernie asked me to come play with them, basically help with rhythm guitar.   These guys play country music, and my style helps folk it up a bit.   So we've been 'practicing' for a country jam on Sunday.  Today is Saturday.   Last night we practised the planned set and it was sounding pretty good.   I was just happy they figured I was good enough to let me play with them.

Well, this morning I got an email from Ernie.  Claude has bailed.  He wasn't sounding too good when we played on Thursday - he's been suffering from flu bug or something.   That wasn't the surprise in the email.   The surprise was that Ernie asked me to play lead guitar, which I don't do, and what I do do, I call it "Jimmy's Fake Lead Guitar".   I don't have a lot of tricks in my bag.     Read my profile.  I don't consider myself to be an accomplished musician.    

The other note in the email "we are jammin' at 1 today if you can make it".  Well, I'm already scheduled to jam with Don and Brian today at 1, and I don't have to play lead.

The Sunday song set.   Big City Turn Me Loose (A Merle Haggard Song).  Long Black Veil (written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin in 1959), and  Billy Currington's last big hit - People are Crazy.   First two songs are fairly easy to play - 3 chords in Key of E.   People are crazy is a bit more challenging, but only with the middle bridge and hitting the pauses and such correctly.   I've been playing all three at home, so I'm not too worried, but without practicing with Ernie today, Sunday could be interesting. 

As any good guitar player would say "Stay tuned".

Tsunami in Japan

Last night I was at Ernies working on some tunes to get ready for a Sunday afternoon country jam, so I was out for the second time in two nights.  I got home quite late and like usual, I always need to wind down before being able to sleep.  So I do what I usually do, I turned on the TV.   What I saw was an absolute horrifying scene.  I was watching the tsunami in Japan happening live.   The scene was being filmed from a helicopter and a wall of water was rolling across the land and washing away buildings, homes, farms, vehicles, and who knows what.   You could see cars, trucks, and buses racing down highway, some actually driving into where the tsunami was headed, only to be washed away by this wall of water.  

Of course, instantly, I had that flashback to the tsunami that raced across the Indian ocean a few years back, but the images that came out then were mostly videos taken by tourists.  Chances are there were far more deaths in that tsunami than this one, but the experience of watching a tsunami live on TV is an incredible sight.   You can really see and appreciate the power of nature.  

We should all take time out of our day and give our thoughts to all those in Japan who have lost their lives and to those who are affected by this unbelievable disaster.  

Now, I just want to say this.   I came home from work this afternoon, and I wanted to get the latest news on the disaster.  So I turned on the TV and tuned to CNN.  Typical of CNN, all they talked about was Americans caught in the disaster.  Nothing about the Japanese.   The more I watch CNN, I just think "what a crappy news channel".  So I switched to BBC, which is the station on which I watched this amazing spectacle happen.

Lets give the Japanese our thoughts and our prayers.

Playing our Songs

A while back, Don and I had this idea.  Don't know if it is a good one or not, but we finally decided to go for it.  We rented the Expressionz Cafe for a Thursday evening at the end of this month.   We figured we'd use it as an opportunity to showcase some of our songs, but we'd also open it up so our musical friends could get up and play a few songs. Kind of like an open stage but more like an 'invited' stage.  

So tonight, we get this other bright idea.  I hope it wasn't because of the wine.  We are going to record the evening - not a professional recording, but we'll take it of the PA system so we get a decent sound.   Then we going to ask everyone that comes to bring cameras, video cameras, cell phone cameras and get them to take as many pictures and videos as possible from all kinds of angles.   We'll collect those and put together a video of the evening.   OK, so maybe it was the wine talking.  But it would make a great documentary of a great time in our lives.  

We then thought it would be a good idea to practice some of our tunes so we don't look like complete fools.  So, tonight we gathered at Brian's place to work through some stuff.   When we look over all the stuff that we've written (Don and myself) over the past two years or so, it is amazing how much we have done.  Aside from the songs we play, we both have a lot more that we haven't brought out of the vault.  

So our challenge is to narrow down our song selection to  what we do well and what we like the best.    So tonight we picked the songs for the Thursday night 'extravaganza', and we decided to play them through.    We still left a whole lot of stuff un-played.  Amazing. 

The best thing about working on our own songs is that we get to play them any way we want to.  They are our songs.   Trouble with playing covers is that you have to play them the way they were recorded or the audience can get nasty.  And for the record, we ain't good enough to copy.    What I find fascinating is that our songs keep evolving and usually for the better.   Sometimes we try something different and it doesn't work, but sometimes it can make an old song take on a new life.   As Brian says, if it sounds right, then it must be right.  

I'll keep you posted on the Extravaganza. 

How I Write Songs

I think it would be interesting to share what has helped me write songs.  Now I won't even begin to try and tell you I've become an expert in this subject.  My knowledge of music theory is pretty well next to "0" and my life's record of understanding poetry is quite dismal.   So why then would I have anything useful to say about how to write song?  Good question.  Maybe by sharing how I look at song writing, it might help you, but more importantly, it might help me get a better understanding myself.   

To start, here's a couple of things that have helped me.  In future entries, I'll add a few more thoughts on song writing.

My first few efforts at song writing started with a piece of music and eventually some lyrics mysteriously came to mind.   For songs that I've written this way, I don't always understand where the lyrics come from, but sometimes later on, I look at what's on paper and realize there is some deeper subconscious thing is happening.  I used to say that my songs are just an assembly of words intended to fit a piece of music, but I think I'm starting to see that there really it is much more about the music being a venue for bearing one's soul in lyrics. 

As time passes,  I find I am now writing lyrics and coming up with some music to fit the feeling of the words.   These ideas come from something someone might say or do, or might be about a place or a time.   I've got in a habit of writing these simple little thoughts on paper.  Sometimes, just by putting a few thoughts down, a whole song evolves in no time. 

A good example is a song I wrote called "Two Feet In the Water".   The idea came from a fellow employee who was heading out the door to go to a Caribbean Island vacation.  She said she 'already had two feet in the water.    I sat at my computer and within 15 minutes had the whole lyrics for a song written out.   I knew the music had to have the feel of the sun and the beach, and when I got home, I picked up my guitar, and the music came as quickly as the lyrics.  If you listen to the song, you'll hear a Jimmy Buffet influence, much like Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney have been influenced in a few of their songs.

Old Grey Stone

This is a song I wrote about 3 years ago and performed at the Heart of the City Festival with the Magpies.  This version was recorded in a hotel room in Calgary last June with our good friend Izzy.   The version played at the Heart of the City Festival was played with an Irish Bouzouki that gives it an Irish ballad feel.   On this version, you'll only hear a guitar played in a finger picking style.  I wanted to share this version so you can hear the emotion and feeling that Izzy gives the song as it is intended to have.

Road to Nowhere

Since my previous post, I've managed to pen another song called "Road to Nowhere". This was inspired from a recent trip to Iqaluit, which is on Baffin Island. Other than a few roads around the towns, there are no roads on Baffin Island. The only road that goes out of Iqaluit ends after 5 km. It is called the Road to Nowhere, and is probably the most famous road in Nunavut.

The writing of this song was also a bit of a social experiment. I posted the tag line 'traveling on the lonely road to nowhere' on facebook and asked my friends to come up with lines, ideas, thoughts that I could incorporate into the song. And they did. after I gathered all those ideas, it only took about 15 minutes to flesh out the song, although I'm still tweaking it. Not only have a successful social experiment, I also learned there must be a lot of lost a lonely people out there. The song took on a whole new direction that I was thinking. It became more about the individual being lost in life and going on a road to nowhere. The actual road didn't even come into play.

I figured I needed to give tribute to the place of inspiration, so I did include a line about the 'northern tundra town'.

Now onto the next song. I've got one tune in progress. Music is worked out (mostly) and ideas for the lyrics are there, but I really haven't put them on paper yet. I find that once I write them out, the song starts to fall together more quickly. But, I need to get in the right frame of mind to make it work. While, that song is coming, I got another idea today in the car, so two things going on.

To achieve my goal of 20 songs by Dec. 31, I need to write (almost) 2 songs a month. so this is 1st week of march and four tunes are under wraps, so I'm still on track.