occasionally creative
March 8, 2015 4 Comments
At the end of January I joined the RPM Challenge, sort of a NaNoWriMo for music. The idea is to get your creative juices flowing by just creating, not really worrying about quality. The goal: 10 songs or 35 minutes of music, comprising a complete album, all written and recording in the 28 days of February.
I failed.
February 9, 2015 Leave a Comment
If you’re like most Americans, you did more holiday shopping online than ever before last month. There’s no denying that it’s more convenient than schlepping to multiple stores to compare prices and find the perfect gift. You don’t have to deal with crowded malls. And it’s even, on the whole, better for the environment.
The retailers benefitting sure don’t make it easy, though.
December 22, 2014 Leave a Comment
Part 12 of 12 Albums That Stuck With Me
Association with strong memories gets a lot of music stuck in people’s heads. “Favorite song” is not a meritocratic competition, even one judged solely on personal preference. That’s why I was so pleased with the phrasing of this meme a year ago – albums that “stuck with me” rather than “are objectively the best” or “I like the most”.
Take Hotel Paper. Part of its resonance for me is the timing of my discovery of it. “Tuesday Morning” played on my car stereo when I’d just had a very similar experience – shall we say, a significant milestone early in a relationship – on the same day of the week. Thus the stage was set for “Find Your Way Back” to be my personal soundtrack when that same relationship got temporarily rocky and estranged for a few weeks.
November 24, 2014 Leave a Comment
Part 11 of 12 Albums That Stuck With Me
It’s tough to review someone you know – even if only peripherally.
I’ve exchanged a few words with Gideon Freudmann, both in person and via email, but it’s always been as a fan. Victoria Arico and I met as fellow performers, ran into each other frequently at open mics, and exchanged CDs. At the time, she was part of a duo called Tell Your Daughters, but the disc she gave me was an earlier solo album.
November 5, 2014 Leave a Comment
In 2012, my state passed a voter ID law. As you know, these laws are super effective.
Here in New Hampshire, see, we’re very concerned about people committing voter fraud. That’s when some dastardly individual goes out of his or her way to cast a vote in an election despite being ineligible to do so. Said criminal might be completely ineligible, so that even one vote is illegal, or just completing more than one ballot – say, by sneaking around and impersonating actual registered voters.
