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How I “Songwrite”

I thought it would be “fun” to talk about how I write songs. It might be of some interest if you either write songs yourself, or like my songs. Then again, it might not, in which case I apologise. It’s not always exactly the same, but the variations are as predictable as the basic method (typically amounting to swapping the order of any two given steps, or simply writing all the lyrics first), so I feel pretty comfortable calling it… my Process. Inspiration 90% of… Read More »How I “Songwrite”

Getting in Trouble

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. I have a longstanding fear of Getting in Trouble. Those words come up a lot in discussion with Adam. As in… Adam: [parks car]Me: Are we allowed to park here?Adam: Yes, it’s a parking lot.Me: But the store doesn’t open for another fifteen minutes.Adam: I think it’s okay.Me: …but what if we get in trouble? That kind of conversation is extremely… Read More »Getting in Trouble

A-DAW-rable: Baby Steps in Logic

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. I’m in a place right now where I’m wanting to pour a whole lot of information into my head at once. I want to be able to create beautifully finished home recordings, and I’m just not sure if that’s a thing that’s in my future. I’ve written before about The Buzz. Basically, it’s what I call the combination of anxiety and… Read More »A-DAW-rable: Baby Steps in Logic

Stage Fright

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. Lots of people experience stage fright. Not just beginners but also highly skilled performers. It’s no reflection on how good you are, or even how good you think you are, just a reaction to the idea of performing in front of whatever group of people you’re supposed to be performing in front of. Lots of people experience stage fright. I never experienced stage… Read More »Stage Fright

The Buzz

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. If I’m not really relaxed, and I do feel relaxed occasionally, there’s probably a buzzing in my head. The volume runs from wasp through circular saw right up to whatever horrible thing the workers are using outside to re-something the thingy. It depends on how many things are creating the buzz and how serious my brain thinks they are. The Buzz,… Read More »The Buzz

Learning with an Audience

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. I don’t know how many people actually enjoy doing things wrong, but I have to imagine there are plenty who don’t hate it as much as I do. I can just about do it when I’m on my own, but the problem with learning by making mistakes on your own is that you probably don’t know you’re making mistakes or, more… Read More »Learning with an Audience

The EP: Demo Day

This is less edited than usual, since I’ve written it mostly yesterday (in relation to the day I post it). Please enjoy the haphazard nature of today’s musings. There’s a project that’s been on my mind for several years now: going into a studio and recording my/our own songs. We’ve been saving up, birthdays and Christmases and what we could spare from bonuses and tax refunds. The process so far has been very slow. But now, we’re finally moving. We’re working on demos of the… Read More »The EP: Demo Day

Can You “Just Do”… Anything?

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. I planned this for very many months, this blog. I (eventually) wrote nine posts as a buffer, but (also eventually) there came a time when I had to start posting. Which meant writing new things every week. Needless to say, I am not completing new posts at quite the rate I post old ones. Why not? It’s not for lack of… Read More »Can You “Just Do”… Anything?

Back From the Silence

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. For a balanced perspective, or at least one that could conceivably be called delicately off-, I should also touch on the other main topic of this blog: so here is my history with music, its place in my life then and now, and (an overview of) the way my mental illness and my musical life wind around each other. As you… Read More »Back From the Silence

Anxiety, etc.

2026 NOTE: My diagnostic situation has changed since I wrote this. See this post and the series of posts starting here for more information. The first topics I want to address very deliberately are mental health topics: bipolar, last week, and today anxiety. Across these posts I’ll also be sharing some examples of how my mental illness has influenced my songwriting. Why write this here? (you may be wondering.) This seems to be a blog situation, not a journal. Well, (I answer,) I have multiple… Read More »Anxiety, etc.