Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Alive Inside



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Monday, April 23, 2012

Constructing Songs, by Neal Carpenter

Here is a guest post written by my friend and co-writer, Neal Carpenter:

Untitled Lately, I've thought a lot about the idea of a songwriter essentially being a construction worker or architect. While not an exhaustive metaphor and not an ultimate answer, I still think it's helpful. Obviously, this is not a new idea. We call songwriting a "craft," and we refer to our "tools," etc., but lately I've thought about it in more physical, tangible terms.

I've imagined the song as a structure I'm building right in front of me, piece by piece. I see the phrasing of a verse like the perfectly spaced beams in a wall. I see the emotional momentum of the chorus and the placement of a hook (if we use that design) as a roof structure. I think maybe I'll add a back porch with this bridge I'm working on. Some songs are revolutionary in their design with many intricate parts and would look very fascinating if we could see them as buildings. Other songs are very simple using large beams and timbers, yet solid and inspiring all the same. So everyday we are showing up, handling the materials, shaping, cutting, fitting them into place. We use our mouths to try out the words, feel their shape. We see it all happening on the page (one reason I like to write on real paper, but that's another discussion.)

Some days we realize we spent all day building a flimsy structure with poor materials all thrown together. Some days something very solid and fresh happens with little effort and we feel as though the only labor needed is a little sanding and slight re-shaping. Some of us may be lucky enough to find an idea, a design, that we know will change the landscape if we do the work to build it. We are, in a sense, building cities and towns with our work each day.

Is the structure sound inside and out? Are you wasting all your time watching your neighbors build and simply copying them? Are you taking any risks or trying out new designs? Are throwing things together for some quick recognition or are you trying to build something that will stand the test of time?

Friday, April 20, 2012

Goodbye, Levon

The drummer from The Band has sadly passed away. Here is one of many moments worth remembering from The Last Waltz:

Thursday, April 19, 2012

The Reward of Overcoming Fear



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Monday, April 16, 2012

Wonder Bubbles



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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Annie Dillard on the Daily Schedule



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Lately I've been enjoying the music of Penguin Cafe Orchestra. Very cool classical melodies and perfect background music. Here's an interesting quote on Wikipedia from Simon Jeffes about the forming of the group:
"In 1972 I was in the south of France. I had eaten some bad fish and was in consequence rather ill. As I lay in bed I had a strange recurring vision, there, before me, was a concrete building like a hotel or council block. I could see into the rooms, each of which was continually scanned by an electronic eye. In the rooms were people, everyone of them preoccupied. In one room a person was looking into a mirror and in another a couple were making love but love-lessly, in a third a composer was listening to music through earphones. Around him there were banks of electronic equipment. But all was silence. Like everyone in his place he had been neutralized, made grey and anonymous. The scene was for me one of ordered desolation. It was as if I were looking into a place which had no heart. Next day when I felt better, I was on the beach sunbathing and suddenly a poem popped into my head. It started out 'I am the proprietor of the Penguin Cafe, I will tell you things at random' and it went on about how the quality of randomness, spontaneity, surprise, unexpectedness and irrationality in our lives is a very precious thing. And if you suppress that to have a nice orderly life, you kill off what's most important. Whereas in the Penguin Cafe your unconscious can just be. It's acceptable there, and that's how everybody is. There is an acceptance there that has to do with living the present with no fear in ourselves."


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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Quote of the Day - Disney

"Don't insult a kid--don't write down to the kid; and don't write just for the adult." 

- Walt Disney to the Sherman brothers, a songwriting duo who penned some of the best children's music of all time


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Monday, April 9, 2012

"Happy Working Song" from Enchanted



Lyrics | Amy Adams - Happy Working Song lyrics

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Friday, April 6, 2012

The Rest

The best jazz soloists know how to utilize the power of space. The notes they play are enhanced by the space that surrounds them.

In the same way, I believe it's important to take time to rest in the rhythm of work. Here are some ways I try to incorporate rest into a busy work schedule:

Daily - take time to read or take a walk outside
Weekly - set aside one day to
Monthly - take one weekend to get out of town
Yearly - step away from creating for at least two consecutive weeks twice a year

With consistent rest comes a renewed enjoyment of creating.

Keep writing (and resting),
Ben

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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Take a Bow!



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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Hard Drive "What is Love?"



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Would you or someone you know like to go on a songwriting retreat with industry professionals? Visit SongbirdCamp.com for more details!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Productivity Problems

Productivity is often a false currency. It makes us feel better off than we actually are. Productivity sees the present moment as an opportunity to maximize future potential.

"I can really get ahead if I get ______ done today." 

Expectations are often the enemy of joy. What I mean is, expectations are often built on the idea that I will only be happy if a certain outcome is accomplished.

But in reality, how often does life actually go according to plan? Cars break down, people disappoint, rains fall. Only by a willingness to allow for unexpected day-to-day change can we enjoy the moment we are currently in.

Keep writing (and keep open hands),
Ben

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