Hello, and welcome to my 50th blog!
Every 25 blogs I have a quick recap on what’s gone before, but before I do, a big thanks to everyone who’s taken a moment to subscribe for free updates via email, or who’s commented or contributed via the site, by social media, or even just by mentioning it at the pub in passing. It all counts and it’s all appreciated. If you don’t subscribe yet, but you think you’d like to, (after all there is occasionally extra stuff for subscribers), you can do so on the blog home page.
Thank you also to my most recent contributors, Tess Henley (Blog #44 : The Ukulele Crosses Over), Richard Setford (Blog #37 : One Man & His Prog Blog), and Keith Toop, for part 2 of his look at George Harrison’s songwriting contribution to The Beatles (Blog #30). All are great, interesting reads with some interesting stuff to listen to, so if you missed either of them, please go back and check them out!
Last time I did one of these recaps, I had a look at the read numbers for each blog, I honestly haven’t this time, it’s not that important. What I’m interested in is whether either of us has learnt anything, and whether I’m actually achieving the goals I set myself as the reasons for starting this blog in the first place.
Back in November in my first blog, I wrote…
‘This blog is not about conquering the Spotify playlists, mastering studio compression techniques or driving your Rolls Royce into a swimming pool for kicks.....I mean it might ultimately be, because I’m on a journey like everybody else. Our journeys are probably different, but we might share a parallel course for a bit, and that’s the bit I’m counting on.
This blog is about what I’ve found out whilst trying to play, and what I find useful. How I got to where I am, and what I’d like to do next. I am fortunate to know some friends further down the musical road than me, I hope to enlist their help. They don’t know it yet. It’ll be fine.
And I’m going to try and share good stuff I’ve seen, read or listened to. I encourage you to do the same, with me, or your friends….and we’ll see how it goes.’
In my third blog I wrote…
‘Blog writing for me has a few purposes. Some parts, some people might find useful (great), some parts people might find interesting (also great), and some parts people might find pointless (I’ll refund your subscription fee)....but I’d also like to use it to try and record my progress with songwriting.’
So, is any of that proving to be true?
Well, taking some of these points literally, I haven’t conquered Spotify yet, but I am now working with someone (Kate Harding) who has just released her first single to Spotify (see blog #47, April 7th ‘Wallflower, Kate’s Single Launch’), so it occurs to me that it would probably be quite interesting to find out about the process from somebody who’s literally just gone through it.
I haven’t conquered studio compression yet, but I have just bought my first compressor as part of my ongoing series of pedalboard upgrades (see blog #35 ‘New Pedalboard FAIL) and I’ve enlisted a friend to help me with some home recording, so that one might prove to be a work in progress..
Things haven’t developed far enough to drive a Rolls Royce into a swimming pool yet, but given the size of most of the potholes round our way, I might be 50% of the way there pretty soon.
I think I’ve learnt more (or possibly confused myself more) on the subject of songwriting, but particularly I think I’ve learnt quite a bit about different tunings and how to harness them for new ideas. It might be the case that those new playing ideas get harnessed to resurrect older songs and ideas, and take them in new directions, but that’s all part of it.
I’m better off musically than I was back in February, both in terms of general music knowledge, and playing knowledge, so those are both big ticks. Hopefully I’ve succeeded in passing some of that knowledge on, particularly through the latest tuition blogs. I don’t think it matters if you really adopt any of the ideas or sounds in those blogs, like open tunings for example, but I do think it’s important to at least try them out. Imagine if there was something in there you really connected with, but didn’t bother to try?
Speaking of trying new things, I attended an online songwriting group last week, which was a bit of a new experience. It was organised by someone I met at the songwriting group in Chichester last month, and it regularly connects his friends and family for an hour or so in discussions over musical styles and writing. It’s always a bit awkward being the new kid in class, but the songwriting exercises we did on the topic of “the sea” were quite illuminating. Even within a group of eight or so people, the range of interpretation of the topic was quite wide, literally everything from buckets and spades to sea monsters. It’ll be interesting to find out how and whether all those ideas have become actual songs by the next time we meet.
I did promise to tell you more about REMbrandt’s 10th anniversary show with BEMIS and Sophie Hodgson at The Hanger Farm Arts Centre near Southampton, Sunday June 23rd - which I haven’t done yet…. At least I can console myself in the fact that I’ve reminded you about it and that you should buy some tickets and come if you can. It’s in aid of the Minstead Trust, who work to support people with learning disabilities. I’ll post the link for tickets below, if anybody wants to come along earlier for a backstage tour or the like, I’m sure that can be arranged.
Hanger Farm details here:
Anyway, that’s probably it for now. Hope you’re enjoying the new Wix platform the blog is on. If you’re at all interested in all the projects I do there’s a tab at the top of the home page called ‘Current Projects’ Keep letting me know what you’re interested in me covering, and any blogs that you particularly enjoy - I try to keep it balanced, but you can help me steer the ship.
Cheers
Jon.
Comments