Tag: show-your-work

Songs

Sonic inspiration – Sad Moon Above

patmcg2 Comments

My friend and I have been working on a song called Sad Moon Above for a while now. It started with just some lyrics (hers), then a few guitar chords (mine), culminating in a very rough outdoors acoustic demo, recorded on my iPhone and featuring a metronome and a barking dog. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Yeah, it was that rough. But it was just a proof of concept.

The was three years ago.

We got a little stuck, so to move things along, I made a really basic “karaoke” version of the song. I even sang on one cut, even though I’m not a singer, to demonstrate the timing.

That was two years ago.

Now I’m trying to get to a fairly “good” version of this song. Or maybe 2-3 good versions. 🤷🏻‍♂️ In my head, I hear a New Wave version, a grunge version, and a dream pop version of this song.

So I just bought a keyboard, even though I’m not a keyboard player.

Aspirations keep us moving forward.

Here is a playlist of sounds that I want Sad Moon Above to feel like when it’s eventually done.

I just bought a keyboard. Wish me luck. 🤷🏻‍♂️
Books · Quotes · You

“If you work on something a little bit every day, you end up with something that is massive.”

patmcg6 Comments

I like this idea…

If you work on something a little bit every day, you end up with something that is massive.

Kenneth Goldsmith

The book Show Your Work references this quote and really brings it home with an image that illustrates how a good picture can outshine even the best words.

👉 By the way, Show Your Work inspires this blog and will most definitely be getting its own super summary (or series) here (eventually).

Music · Songs

The Sad Moon Above (karaoke edition)

patmcg1 Comment

Here is a “karaoke” version of The Sad Moon Above (barking dog demo), with really basic instrumentation to sing to and potentially record a voice track remotely.

Anyone can sing to this version, and then I can go back and re-record a few differently-styled instrumentations. I’m thinking a “dreamy” version, a “noisy” version, a 50’s version, a Weezer version, and a Walkmen version.

Here’s my own take. I’m not a singer. 🤦🏻‍♂️

We shall see where this ends up…