1. Am I really going this direction? If so where do I find this band? I'm thinking about auditioning musicians. Scary.
2. Do I take a thematic approach with this new material or allow for thematic variety?
3. How much do I think about audience as I develop the new material? I wrestle with three values: a. being honest and vulnerable, b. being willing to say things that people don't want to hear and c. writing music that connects to people in their real lives (as opposed to being esoteric and narcissistic).
4. How big a part of my life is this going to be? I think it will start small, but I dream of slow, sustainable growth into something great.
5. When does it start?
Jonathan Reuel's Earthquake Trees: Things I Make
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
New Direction
1. I started talking to a few musician friends about my ideas for the new musical direction and sent around some of the new songs. I got pretty good responses to the songs, and although it's not my best work yet, it could become that.
2. I've been slowly moving towards this idea of starting a three piece band that plays simple, loud music that I write the bones of but that the band brings alive. A three piece band means no hiding that core with interesting guitar, oboe or harmonica leads. I haven't made any of these new need-a-band songs available publicly and don't plan to until there is a band.
3. I continue to experiment as a songwriter outside of this new direction. The songs that I'm posting on my CSM are flavored by this new direction, but they go other directions too. I work at different styles, themes, and song writing methods and revisit old areas. If you want to know more check out my CSM, it's designed for people who are interested in my journey and explorations, not just my best work.
2. I've been slowly moving towards this idea of starting a three piece band that plays simple, loud music that I write the bones of but that the band brings alive. A three piece band means no hiding that core with interesting guitar, oboe or harmonica leads. I haven't made any of these new need-a-band songs available publicly and don't plan to until there is a band.
3. I continue to experiment as a songwriter outside of this new direction. The songs that I'm posting on my CSM are flavored by this new direction, but they go other directions too. I work at different styles, themes, and song writing methods and revisit old areas. If you want to know more check out my CSM, it's designed for people who are interested in my journey and explorations, not just my best work.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Drew this inspired by two songs: "House of Broken Dreams" by Mark Heard (whose lyrics nail me) and "Times Squared" from the Farewell Concert.
A Mark Heard lyric sample:
"I'm old enough to know
That dreams are quickly spent
Like a pouring rain on warm cement
Or fingerprints in dust
Nectar on the wind
Save them for tomorrow and tomorrow lets you down again. . .
I'll sleep in peace
In a house of broken dreams"
A Mark Heard lyric sample:
"I'm old enough to know
That dreams are quickly spent
Like a pouring rain on warm cement
Or fingerprints in dust
Nectar on the wind
Save them for tomorrow and tomorrow lets you down again. . .
I'll sleep in peace
In a house of broken dreams"
Monday, April 26, 2010
My Music Sabbatical
I'm no longer of musical sabbatical. I'm back. Not as JRL, but back. Writing, dreaming, hoping, being asked to do gigs and thinking about saying yes again at some point here.
So what happened, now that it's more than a year since the Farewell Concert, the death of JRL and my musical sabbatical?
1. I didn't tour, play concerts, think about music or even write much for months and months. It was a relief. Rest!
2. After a while I began to listen to music again. In ways I hadn't for years. I caught up on new bands and ideas and began to realize that I still really loved music, even if I didn't know what role it would have in my life in the future. Helpful to not have music connected with my identity or making a living. Freedom!
3. Then I started to write again. It was exhilarating to be able to experiment -- to write about anything and explore whatever genre or form I felt like. I had been working at JRL for about seven years and it had a definite sound and thematic direction. Not having that freed me up to just write -- no preset rules, goals, or destination. Exploration!
4. Within the last couple months my writing began to go in a direction. It wasn't one I was expecting. I started writing simple, loud songs that needed a band. I used to be able to do acoustic, solo versions of most of my songs. Hope!
So what happened, now that it's more than a year since the Farewell Concert, the death of JRL and my musical sabbatical?
1. I didn't tour, play concerts, think about music or even write much for months and months. It was a relief. Rest!
2. After a while I began to listen to music again. In ways I hadn't for years. I caught up on new bands and ideas and began to realize that I still really loved music, even if I didn't know what role it would have in my life in the future. Helpful to not have music connected with my identity or making a living. Freedom!
3. Then I started to write again. It was exhilarating to be able to experiment -- to write about anything and explore whatever genre or form I felt like. I had been working at JRL for about seven years and it had a definite sound and thematic direction. Not having that freed me up to just write -- no preset rules, goals, or destination. Exploration!
4. Within the last couple months my writing began to go in a direction. It wasn't one I was expecting. I started writing simple, loud songs that needed a band. I used to be able to do acoustic, solo versions of most of my songs. Hope!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Mountains
I promised you Thailand. I gave you the brief version, which you took well considering.
Imagine:
Thai mountains climbing above a flat plain marked by houses, temples, road. I'm on a moped, my helmeted head laid against the handlebars, my body hugging the seat, throttle open, little wheels spinning. Monkeys staring. Monks in orange robes. Piles of coconuts bigger than a house blurring by.
How fast can you go on a moped? Not that fast but fast enough.
Picture:
We're looking for a cave: climbing steep steps up the side of a mountain, passing German septagenarian tourists who should not be out in the heat, talking about developing awareness of your inner life with a young man, recently married, zealous to follow God and make a difference, living in the middle of culture shock.
How deep into the earth do you have to climb to find yourself?
Can you see:
We're throwing people -- all kinds of people, young and old, men and women, children, well-dressed or properly-attired -- into the pool. I haven't done this since I was a kid. For some reason it's what expatriates do when they're on retreat. We always threw the general director in back then. The same thing happens now, about 30 years later. I join in. A young child singlehandedly throws adult after adult into the overchlorinated, blue liquid. Even a grandpa gets tossed in -- I asked his permission, which he solemnly gave me first.
What kind of baptism welcomes all ages and requires no solemn vows?
Imagine:
Thai mountains climbing above a flat plain marked by houses, temples, road. I'm on a moped, my helmeted head laid against the handlebars, my body hugging the seat, throttle open, little wheels spinning. Monkeys staring. Monks in orange robes. Piles of coconuts bigger than a house blurring by.
How fast can you go on a moped? Not that fast but fast enough.
Picture:
We're looking for a cave: climbing steep steps up the side of a mountain, passing German septagenarian tourists who should not be out in the heat, talking about developing awareness of your inner life with a young man, recently married, zealous to follow God and make a difference, living in the middle of culture shock.
How deep into the earth do you have to climb to find yourself?
Can you see:
We're throwing people -- all kinds of people, young and old, men and women, children, well-dressed or properly-attired -- into the pool. I haven't done this since I was a kid. For some reason it's what expatriates do when they're on retreat. We always threw the general director in back then. The same thing happens now, about 30 years later. I join in. A young child singlehandedly throws adult after adult into the overchlorinated, blue liquid. Even a grandpa gets tossed in -- I asked his permission, which he solemnly gave me first.
What kind of baptism welcomes all ages and requires no solemn vows?
Friday, April 9, 2010
Habits and Habitat
I'm drawing hats while talking,
Over undefined faces.
Whoever wears the feathers leads,
But who are they underneath?
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