After completing a songwriting bootcamp with a #1 songwriter and coach it was like, ...drop everything and start writing more new songs! [What? Me focus?!] lol

Here's one with a simple demo I put together to see how I like it later - maybe get some feedback on it.

How it came about:

1. During our group songwriting coaching call, a now-award-winning artist named Chris Stapleton was mentioned. So I went and listened to his latest album.
2. One day, I took his song "Whiskey And You", set the lyrics in front of me, and decided to use it as template for a new song. At this point, it was just about "practice" songwriting.
3. I look through my list of title ideas and simply matched syllables with Chris' song title. I decided on "My Happy Place". (Counted on my fingers 1-2-3-4 - THAT I can do!)
4. Lo and behold, because I "showed up" for work, inspiration starting showing up as well, and the song lyric was on it's way!

Ps. Those that know me at all are probably not surprised in the least that I wrote this particular song!

"Houston In The Blind" - I am picking up where I left off in tracking [fancy music biz term] my "70's space song". Would you like to hear it? This is harking back to my blog post in.....February?! Holy musical molasses! Can I pour out a finished song any slower? (Are you, like me, thinking about pancakes at this very second? But I digress....)

With only drum, piano, guitar (no bass), and a vocal that I will re-do - talk about bare-bones! - But here ya go.

"Houston in the Blind". A phrase transmitted to no one by Sandra Bullock in the movie, "Gravity", which then in turn became a song by yours truly. (But wait, there's more! Skip to down below)


Check this out on Chirbit

** HERE IS "DOWN BELOW" **

Since drafting this episode but not posting it yet, I've added bass guitar, numerous electric guitars, tambourine, congas, shaker, and spacey sounds. You can hear this one only or compare with the one above.


Check this out on Chirbit

Not posting it on YouTube, because it's like.....not done... but I figure if you're perusing this post, you'll forgive the imperfections and just be totally mesmerized by the whole creative process! ha ha

Okay, continuing on from last post about "Live On" - here's another rough mix with some added stuff! (Precocious drum, percussion, horns, keyboards, and of course, more guitars!) And - there's an "Easter egg" at the end! "Wait for it..."

And once again: Vocals, lyrics, instruments, you name it, subject to change! Watcha' think?
Check this out on Chirbit

Remember the song progress clips I spoke about? Well, here's one! (Okay, it's like this. If I was painter and you came to my house, you'd see a bunch of unfinished canvases in different stages of ....finished-ness... set up and begging for more attention... or maybe crying to be taken down and stowed away!)

With "Live On", I was going for inspirational acoustic based contemp. singer/songwriter songs with pop appeal. But at this tempo it seems more "Folk" to me, and maybe it got away from the direction I was originally planning on. I think some sort of latent "Neil Diamond" in me took over. No worries though. This is as far as I got (lyrics, melody and all) on the deadline day.
Want to know how I came to settle on this tempo (speed of song)? I just repeated "Live On' to myself while tapping on my knee. Seemed to fit best, this tempo, so off I went.

Vocals, lyrics, instruments, you name it, subject to change! :)

Hear "Live On (work mix)"
 

If there's life on other planets I can't say I care
When there's a part of me you can't see that's lighter than air
I'm not trying to go way over your head
It's just something on my heart that just needs to be said

Thought about my days, the ebb and the flow
Took a walk on the beach and kicked at the foam
Saw the children live it up, another sunset lay it down
And then a still small voice washed over me like the roar of a crowd

Let your life be more than just a message in the sand
Waiting for the tide to come crashing down again
Every second counts
Take the higher ground
And Live On

What if every word we speak has a lifetime unseen?
It could tear through a soul or help it spread it's wings?
Are we a seabird on the wind, just born to fade away?
Or will we make a better life right here and now and for forever and a day?