When I was a toddler, I was lucky enough to be treated to bedtime stories from my dad. I don't recall ever falling asleep during one of his stories - they were just too damned interesting! Years later, I chatted with him about the source of his stories. He said he would just focus on some topic I or my sisters found interesting, and then - improvise. I'm still in awe.
For what it's worth, I take the same approach in writing these blogs - except I don't have a clue what anybody out there finds interesting! If there are any themes you'd like me to riff upon, don't be shy to suggest.
Speaking of Dad, he does have a few favourite jokes. One is the story of a truck driver who is travelling an unfamiliar, winding road. He reaches a covered bridge, but is uncertain as to whether his truck is too tall to fit under the bridge cover. Sure enough, when he draws the truck close and gets out to check, he is exasperated to see that his truck box is an inch or two too tall to fit under the bridge rafters. He looks around desperately, and is aghast to see that he is at the fence of a mental institution. Worse still, a couple of the 'guests' are watching him, bemused or amused. After a minute, one of them calls, 'let some air out of your tires!'. At first the truck driver rejects the suggestion out of hand, but upon reflection, he realizes that this is indeed the perfect solution. He deflates the tires a little, and is soon driving the truck across the bridge (with rafters intact). Once across, he parks, leaps from the truck, returns to the fence and thanks the person who suggested the solution. The person replies: ' You're welcome. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid'.
On related notes: I've read a very funny and entertaining book serveral times now: Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs (Andrews McMeel Publ.). A syndicated columnist, Barry found that people all over North America had very strong opinions as to what deserved to be declared the Worst Song Ever Written. Barry categorizes, analyzes and thoroughly trashes a number of 'popular' tunes from the 50's onward, sifts through readers' mail on the subject, and draws conclusions. And the Worst Song winner is (spoiler alert): MacArthur Park by Jimmy Webb. Remember that name.
A friend and fellow songwriter vehemently recommended a book to me recently, and I've been reading it over breakfast (one advantage to living alone) for the last week. The book takes an in-depth look at the approaches and techniques of songwriting, and it is written by a man who has made a very substantial living with his songwriting. While I'm not far along in the book, I can tell you it is entertaining, substantial, definitely worth the read, entitled 'Tunesmith' (Hyperion Books Publ.), and written by...you guessed it...Jimmy Webb.
Now, just because Dave Barry and his readers think MacArthur Park is a bad song, it doesn't necessarily mean it IS a bad song...but I don't like it, and I hope I never write a song like it, even if it were to make me fabulously wealthy and insufferably sexy. Nothing against Jimmy Webb - he probably wouldn't be too crazy about my stuff either.
One thing I have concluded in watching literally thousands of music students and musicians over the years - you can learn something from everybody, no matter their level or their aesthetic compatibility with you. It ain't always easy to scrunch one's ego down small enough to admit it, but there's always something to be learned if you don't mind a little hunting for it sometimes - and sometimes the hunting can be fun.
For what it's worth, a friend and fellow songwriter of Jimmy Webb is currently working on a book entitled 'Bad Books About Songs'. Publisher to be announced. ;)
For what it's worth, I take the same approach in writing these blogs - except I don't have a clue what anybody out there finds interesting! If there are any themes you'd like me to riff upon, don't be shy to suggest.
Speaking of Dad, he does have a few favourite jokes. One is the story of a truck driver who is travelling an unfamiliar, winding road. He reaches a covered bridge, but is uncertain as to whether his truck is too tall to fit under the bridge cover. Sure enough, when he draws the truck close and gets out to check, he is exasperated to see that his truck box is an inch or two too tall to fit under the bridge rafters. He looks around desperately, and is aghast to see that he is at the fence of a mental institution. Worse still, a couple of the 'guests' are watching him, bemused or amused. After a minute, one of them calls, 'let some air out of your tires!'. At first the truck driver rejects the suggestion out of hand, but upon reflection, he realizes that this is indeed the perfect solution. He deflates the tires a little, and is soon driving the truck across the bridge (with rafters intact). Once across, he parks, leaps from the truck, returns to the fence and thanks the person who suggested the solution. The person replies: ' You're welcome. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid'.
On related notes: I've read a very funny and entertaining book serveral times now: Dave Barry's Book of Bad Songs (Andrews McMeel Publ.). A syndicated columnist, Barry found that people all over North America had very strong opinions as to what deserved to be declared the Worst Song Ever Written. Barry categorizes, analyzes and thoroughly trashes a number of 'popular' tunes from the 50's onward, sifts through readers' mail on the subject, and draws conclusions. And the Worst Song winner is (spoiler alert): MacArthur Park by Jimmy Webb. Remember that name.
A friend and fellow songwriter vehemently recommended a book to me recently, and I've been reading it over breakfast (one advantage to living alone) for the last week. The book takes an in-depth look at the approaches and techniques of songwriting, and it is written by a man who has made a very substantial living with his songwriting. While I'm not far along in the book, I can tell you it is entertaining, substantial, definitely worth the read, entitled 'Tunesmith' (Hyperion Books Publ.), and written by...you guessed it...Jimmy Webb.
Now, just because Dave Barry and his readers think MacArthur Park is a bad song, it doesn't necessarily mean it IS a bad song...but I don't like it, and I hope I never write a song like it, even if it were to make me fabulously wealthy and insufferably sexy. Nothing against Jimmy Webb - he probably wouldn't be too crazy about my stuff either.
One thing I have concluded in watching literally thousands of music students and musicians over the years - you can learn something from everybody, no matter their level or their aesthetic compatibility with you. It ain't always easy to scrunch one's ego down small enough to admit it, but there's always something to be learned if you don't mind a little hunting for it sometimes - and sometimes the hunting can be fun.
For what it's worth, a friend and fellow songwriter of Jimmy Webb is currently working on a book entitled 'Bad Books About Songs'. Publisher to be announced. ;)