Just curious if anybody's got any stuff they are creating that they are neglecting to share... These times are an excellent opportunity to re-visit one's musical habits and start doing some audio 'sketching" - Just have fun and see what comes out! So I'm just throwing it out there to encourage anyone and everyone to play, create, record and share it. I personally watch and listen to it all and find it to be a real opportunity to have a look at someone else's perspective. Makes the world just a bit smaller.

For instance, my kids are really into Taylor Swift so for some fun I thought I'd make up this ummm "modified" version. hehehe The original is still a lot better, but mine has Railboard, raging guitars and drums, and shredding on it so meh...



There's also the possibility of collaborations - I tried to get a bunch of folks in on these, and I thought they turned out great. We had a tempo and a key.... everyone just submitted their parts and one would think that it would be chaos but they really worked out. Both times we ended up with a really cool and coherent piece of music. Not sure if this many Stickists have EVER collaborated on a piece of music, and I for one was pretty proud to be part of it. The people who played on it, each of their personalities really shine I think...





And here was one of the first things I ever created with the Chapman Stick - it's at the end, and the playing is that of an obvious beginner - but all I had to do was to find a way to make what I was able to play "fit" and work within the context of the tune.



I've always liked the prospect of taking a cover and "making it mine". It's fun. Anyways, enough about my crap - let's hear some stories about what you've been up to musically, what changes you've had to make in these times and all that good stuff. Stay safe and healthy guys.

Much better than the original, except for the vocals. Could you get yr kids to re-record them? Anyway, I'm revisiting ideas/snippets that I have recorded on my ZOOM H2 "notebook". Found one that guitarist friend said, "Oh, that's gonna stick in my head!" (no Stick pun intended). It sounds like something I could shop to Katy Perry. But Katy T. (my girlfriend) will have to sing it. (she has a better range and voice anyway) BUT. I'm still struggling with technology and when I try to figure things out, my stress level skyrockets which leads to back pain, so I wind up just playing alot. (hence no music postings on any format) But definitely the digging up old ideas and learning the parts and developing into song structure is my routine. I'm paraphrasing Kevin Keith here, but he made my feel better when he revealed that that brilliant playing of his and technique came about by playing ideas that he couldn't technically play when he came up with them initially. Practice makes practice easier. I perspire 99% to get that 1%. The creativity/inspiration paradox. (sounds like a Big Bang Theory episode)

hahaha It's funny as hell to have Taylor on the vocals.It just makes it that much more of a "garage demo" to be entertained by... I mean, it's just so "ghetto" right?

As far as practice goes, I have deviated radically from what I used to do in regards to the Stick. I mean, what I did, and what I achieved and gained by doing it was/is highly practical. But, times and interests change so thank heaven for those little demos, silly videos and the documentation of the whole process. It makes it easier to look back and say "Hmmm, that seems like the hard way... How can we fix that?" etc etc.

Any way we can hear/see some of those ideas of yours? They sound cool!

I enjoyed your take on the covers! Do the kids find it entertaining?

I generally divide up my music time into four activities: playing with no goal, practicing with a goal, improvisation, and recording.

1. Playing with no goal involves picking one of several instruments and seeing what happens. If something interesting happens with a melody, chord progression or rhythm, I will record it on my phone. I tend to be focused on a particular instrument for a few days. The last few days, I have been playing mostly NS Stick.

2. Practicing with a goal these days involves working on a specific part I am having trouble with - for example, playing the bass line and melody for Billy Cobham’s Stratus or working out a part on an original piece. I also have been using Wayne Krantz’s book on improvisation - An Improviser’s OS version 2 which is a very deliberate and interested method book. Highly recommended.

3. Improvisation involves playing through my Helix/pedal board/mixer rig which includes a freeze pedal, infinity looper and Korg Wavedrum. The mixer has a built in recorder. I do not have all the kinks worked out yet, but the goal is to be able to record and eventually videotape improvisations that include loops, drumming, etc.

4. Recording - I have various solo pieces and collaborations in process at any given time. I need to be a bit better planned about it but most things end up finished at some point. Most recordings center around a melody, chord progression, rhythm, or sound and I have a variety of instruments within easy grabbing distance. Lately, I have been spending some time working with orchestral sample libraries to create a sonic bed or atmosphere to build on.

Just listened to "Let It Go". One of my g.f.'s favorite songs to sing (and she made me watch the movie) I'm hesitant to let her hear your version...because she might make me learn it...

Lol my kids think that I am a sort of musical mad scientist. Almost always my covers end up being complete re-arrangements done to suit my own sense of humour and coolness. Lol kind of a musical “what if”...

Let it Go was a lot of fun. My youngest daughter was completely obsessed with Frozen (still is) so that tune was in constant rotation at my house - I had to do something to add a different slant to it. It’s a great tune, well written so no wonder it was so big...

Oh yeah. My g.f.'s into show toons & soundtracks. "The Greatest Showman" has some incredible writing & playing & Hugh Jackman is pretty f*cking good. When he was hired for "The Boy From Oz" on Bway he didn't even know how to sing properly. Amazing where "influences" come from in H.S. I was always in the pit band. Now my girl comes over & sings show tunes & these are my earworms...

Oh yeah. My g.f.'s into show toons & soundtracks. "The Greatest Showman" has some incredible writing & playing & Hugh Jackman is pretty f*cking good. When he was hired for "The Boy From Oz" on Bway he didn't even know how to sing properly. Amazing where "influences" come from in H.S. I was always in the pit band. Now my girl comes over & sings show tunes & these are my earworms...

Funny thing about soundtrack and showtunes - they have a visual element to them that lets the listener "further" latch on to them. I mean, if it's a story that you love to watch, and it's played by a favourite actor, well that just makes the song even more likely to be a "hit" whereas the instrumental masterpiece that only gets heard on soundcloud or whatever, well it's probably doomed to not be as appealing to the masses...

And influences, yes they are so important...

As for Hugh Jackman, pretty amazing how a guy can go from nothing to something, eh? I bet he had some really excellent support, though... I bet he also likes music and probably sings a lot for fun too.

Earworms...

I agree with your soundtrack theory. But in the end , they are also great compositions or they wouldn’t really make that connection you describe. GoldFinger , When you wish upon a Star, and Our Town (from cars) are all ones I’m having fun with lately.


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