Sunday, November 15
9:30pm
The Commodore @ The Holiday Inn on West End, Nashville

Battabing! The show promises to be longer than an open mic, but I’m unsure of how long, or how many writers will play in the same set…pretty casual deal.

Hope to see your face!

When you look down your path and cannot determine how to practically walk in what you know….that’s when a lot of great ideas, theologies, and doctrines fail. But it is the only true test of anything we put faith in.

For me, the only thing that works is remembering that I have a choice; that the only person I have control over is me, and I’m completely responsible for my responses and actions.
So when I respond to or initiate life situations, I can do so in love. When I respond to, or initiate interaction with people, I can do so in love-which is the only way I’ve found that delivers all the results I truly want.

What works for me is simple because it has to be. I can’t start spinning my mind’s wheels or I become more stuck in its mud. So it’s just love, which implies all sorts of desirable attitudes and attributes. I don’t choose it for any particular reason except that it works time and again.

Loving and respecting yourself and others is creating a harmonious environment for your life. Then you live in peace, and allow others to experience the same. What bigger difference can you make than this?

Circumstances (and people) can suck, but we only make them worse by forsaking what works for what feels more satisfying to our ego. You choose, so why not choose peace instead of furthering the chaos? Why not choose love?

I’m posting a rough cut of a new tune called Let it Be Love. It’s sooo unfinished, and kind of off-kilter in places, but I couldn’t help it…I think it’s pretty appropriate; hope you dig.

Thus, on the verge of recording, they must wear, or choose someone to wear the cap called “producer”. The producer’s job is to keep the song on course as it navigates the recording process, so it begins by asking the hard questions:

What is the essence of the song?

What is its style?

What is its structure and flow?

Are there definable parts, like chorus, verses, and bridges, and where do they begin/end?

What/who are the instruments and do they uphold the essence of the song?

These definitions guide the recording process, providing the producer (me, in this case) with a strong sense of the song so recording sessions run efficiently. The more people involved, the more creative energies there are to direct. Direction is key. Without it, my sessions would be a waste.

The production process tends to submerge a song into the sea of hands who all want a part in its journey-changing it for the better or destroying its true nature. That’s why I’m inviting you, the listener, to be apart of my songs; but I’d like to show you how to listen, in hopes that you will better appreciate all music.
A recording is a captured moment-and unlike a live performance, cannot draw upon the energies of others–so let that moment be what it is, and let its effect on you be known.

Motif’s Guide to Song Critique. Best if Used Immediately After Listening.

Tell me about the music video….any other visuals?

Would you give the song a second listen? If no, why not?

First impressions are stains that rarely lift, but an open listener knows that art evolves. Your critique allows these songs to develop and grow, so let it be constructive, and let it desire the best for the song. Remember that roughs are not perfect and I do not boast exceptional vocal nor instrumental talent. I’m really looking for whether or not the song’s emotion rings true within you. Feel free to add any other information you deem helpful, so long that it is specific and personal.

Though I ran my songs through this first phase of production, I realize that not all decisions are final, especially when they’re still labeled “rough”. So dig in, if you please, and try out motif music from the producer’s chair. Ask yourself to be precise in your response–remember, without a specific direction, we’re no closer to our destination of a final recording! Motif’s ongoing creativity loves your support! Thanks for it!

p.s. Lyrics are always helpful references for producers. I like to print them out and write on them. If you find inconsistencies in what you hear and what you read, let me know!

Yes, I was supposed to release an LP in July- the actual album, all polished and pretty. But I didn’t come close to meeting that expectation, though I think you can probably conjure up some sympathy for my fail.

Ah, Logic. Learning my recording software, Logic Express, is rather time intensive for the creative mind, and frankly there weren’t enough ticks on the clock to fully immerse myself in education…while writing, recording, and producing a ten song LP. No Logic, no record….for now…

I also took a summer scamper down a different path, re-evaluating my ambitions and examining how I operate on a daily basis. I thought I’d return to blogging with an entirely new purpose, where the music was more of a chaser for the life philosophy I’d be shooting.

Yet again, the path dipped and I found myself sliding into the arms of writing, where I really needed to be. Discovering the depths of certain older lyrics (like Labyrinth and Like the Rain), I found myself tracking just for fun, and ended up reacquainting myself with the creative and technical process. After a love affair with my metronome that ended rather badly, I finally got the hang of what works for me in the studio.

Studio recording and playing live are night and day-completely different energies; but both require me to completely lose myself in the experience. My realization, personally and professionally, was this: There is great power in not thinking and just doing. So I wrote, played, recorded, re-recorded, and had a “preliminary” listening party to try out the roughs. Now posted for your critique (yes!), the roughs need further feedback before I record their final (ha, as if) versions. The next post will cover what you should listen for, as well as insight on each track. For now, your honest opinion is all I ask. And I’ll thank you for it!

Just as all manifestations of life are entwined, my endeavors are never really separate from any personal change I’m undergoing. Like lyrics, they serve as representations of myself at a particular moment.
Over the summer, I decided to allow the changes to unfold, rather resisting them in favor of what? …Stagnation?! Haha, never!

It’s only natural to change and grow, not to mention beneficial. Thus: my state of being has and will continue to permeate Motif Manifesto (our conversation here) as it does Motif Music. I hope you’ll consider the music deeply, reflecting on the lyrics and sharing your perspective. If that doesn’t work for you just yet, no sweat. Just listen. :)

Lookout for the next post! I’m getting back into the rhythm of blogging and something tells me I’ll be more consistent this time…Check out the tune-age! Leave the love! And do make your day remarkable!

:c:

No matter your perspective, you can’t ignore how change started the world’s engines-without it, you wouldn’t have breathed your first breath-or how it fuels our survival by providing ample scenarios for adaptation.

Change is so pre-historically natural to life that we couldn’t possibly live here without acknowledging and accepting it; yet we seem to have trouble digesting it.

At Matt Cheuvront’s rad blog Life Without Pants, I snagged a guest post on a multi-perspective discussion called The Inconvenience of Change. I went to school with Matt, and man, he’s a thinker! And a great guy to know! So pop over and visit Life Without Pants…and while you’re at it, discover The Sour Grapes of Lost Control

That means if a mistake was made, it was there forever! And mistakes weren’t uncommon–in fact, some listeners and producers find that mistakes add some raw emotion to a song and interest to a singer’s voice, though too many implies a lack of natural ability.

Now that we have technology to correct or control a singers’ pitch (how close they get to the right note), it’s hard to tell if a singer has any talent simply by listening to their CD. When you hear the artists you love for real, LIVE, it can be incredible or disappointing because they either live up to their product, or they don’t. Since tech-polished vocals are now the norm, and the real deal isn’t often as sweet.

I think that’s pretty unfortunate because there’s plenty of talent to choose from–talent that doesn’t require pitch correction in the studio and lip syncing during live performances.

Take Paula Abdul’s recent performance on American Idol: (skip the first part of the video)

Unwavering, polished vocals, even through all the dancing-an obvious lip sync and obvious overproduction. Paula’s performance is followed by No Doubt: (again, skip the front)

Gwen Stefani’s a crazy fool (read: awesome) jumping and dancing around the stage, yet she performs the entire song live (because that’s the meaning of a live performance), hitting all her Gwen-ish notes. Gwen and those like her definitely get the legitimacy award, but the way of the music industry is largely like Paula’s.

For studio recordings, listeners expect music to be perfect. The opinions swing all over the place about how much tweeking is too much for a particular genre of music. Often, songs with radio marketability are produced to perfection, leaving the listener with the idea of the song’s sound, but not its true quality (electronic music is the obvious exception).

There are plenty of musicians who record and produce their music independent of mainstream record labels so they don’t feel bound to false perfection. They’re happy with their own talent, and if they need more, they invite someone else to help out. That’s the honesty and camaraderie the music community once had, and it’s nice to see it retained somewhere.

I’m kind of a purist in valuing honesty in writing AND recording–I don’t want you to hear electronic Chelsie, just as I don’t care to hear electronic Paula. That approach doesn’t provide any honest feedback for me because it’s not an honest performance. Nothing separates the talent from the assumed talent like playing live and letting the listener be the judge.

This summer, dates and times TBD, I’m playing in the Nashville area and anywhere else I think might be fun. Hope you’ll come hang; it’ll be real. ;)

Many of our opinions about the world and people come from what we think about ourselves. Pretty true, right? We tend to dish out the same expectations and judgments, as if it will help us achieve what we want for ourselves. We should probably keep in mind that creativity uses our thoughts and feelings as a jumping-off point for what create; you’ll be perceived in the same tone as your thoughts (which is why it’s important to get into character if you’re writing fiction).

For example, if I want to be perceived as a loving, caring person, but my thoughts are selfish and judgmental, my writing comes off as a load of bs.

Getting a grip on negative thoughts is productive for both the writer and the audience. A cloudy outlook about your self-image and life will cast a shadow over your perspective, causing your creativity to spill out grim and dismal themes. Your audience likes to feel what you’re feeling, but won’t for long if you feel crappy all the time. Or, say, if you’re mushy gushy over romance all the time, or an opinionated bigmouth, etc, etc…

Luckily, we all have the power (and responsibility) to feel good, to control our thoughts, choose our course, and live each day freshly. Keeping the mind, body, and spirit well is the simple key to unlocking that power. Taking time for yourself to reflect on your life, make plans, and challenge yourself lends a much more confident self-image than trudging each day away in disappointment (or whatever you might trudge in).

When you’re confident in your mentality, physical health, and life path, you see the world on your terms, a much more positive viewpoint for most of us. Then, creativity is free to take whatever form it wills, instead of being trapped by overpowering circumstances.

As common as we are in life, it serves each other to share what we learn through our various experiences. If you could impart any wisdom you’ve gained freedom by, what would you share?

The clarity of song’s message depends on the same creative control–choosing a direction and sticking to it! Knowing what your song is about, where it ends up, and what it means will show through in your writing. Songs with a clear direction will make a lot more sense to listeners than a hodgepodge group of ideas.

Do you connect with songs you don’t get? Probably not. What about songs you can understand and relate to? Those are the keepers, aren’t they?

For a while, I liked to let my song run free even in its structure. I left a lot open to interpretation, which I thought was very multi-dimensional; however, listeners only found it confusing.

It can be tough to find and keep your direction; you get distracted by pretty (or ugly) thoughts along the way and soon enough you’re down some backroad you don’t remember turning onto!

At those moments, it’s helpful to put down my brain and write with feeling. Taking a few minutes to jot down ideas frees your mind to focus on what you’re really writing about.  I know if another paper doesn’t hold my ideas for me, I’ll waste energy trying to include them in my current writing–which ends up confusing my audience. But if I pause and empty my thought tank, I can track down my direction and write with purpose.

Simple Steps to Stimulating Songs (and anything else for that matter…)

Ask your brain:

-What is my purpose-why am I writing?

-What message or emotion am I expressing-what do I want to say?

-How do I want to convey my message/emotion? Should I use a metaphor? A story? Wit?

-How will the listener to respond? Do I want to endear my listeners or raise their eyebrows; stir up sadness or excitement; foster curiosity or awareness, etc…?

The essence of art weighs the shoulders of the artist, who without direction or goal will surely crumple under all his possibilities.

-Nola Forthwrite

Like, you’re supposed to be a normal person once you become an adult; I read normal as no more fun house decor, wearing shoes more than not, and settling into a repetitious routine. Well, I’ve passed through the gates of such normality and I’m STILL random, samurai-decor-loving, and barefoot. Hey, at least I’m consistent, right?

For my music, I’m supposed to pick a genre, or some hyphenation of several, i.e. pop/rock/folk. But nah, I said. I like all different genres and I don’t want my creativity pinned to a category.

And so commenced my grand (although, not so grand) vision to name my own genre. Cue motif music.

Motif is a simple word I enjoy. Literally, it means theme or design, but I loved it first in my ongoing relationship with literature. In my sophomore year of high school, we studied the wonderful classic To Kill a Mockingbird. A paper was assigned over the central theme, termed the “Mockingbird Motif“. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel’s ideas and messages, as well as the symbolism of a mockingbird’s innocence, and so “motif” stuck with me through the years to term my songwriting and its themes.

It’s not profound, or all that cool, really, but I could think of no better correlation than the timeless message of To Kill a Mockingbird to define my songs. I hope it’s not too much to aspire to, and I hope you enjoy motif music.

Sure, it allows us to stay connected, market ourselves, etc; but how connected do you really need to be? And do people really need to be apart of your every thought? And do you need to be apart of mine?

I can read tweets on the computer, along with my emails, facebook crap, and RSS feeds, which already feels like too much to keep up with–so why have am I sending it all to my phone? So it can plague me 24/7?! Do I not have better things to do? Plans, housework, maybe even HANGING OUT with tweet-heads I follow? I think I do. </ RANT>
…
In all the madness, my frustration distracts me from writing because I get worn out. My personality resists processing so much stimulation. In a heavy-traffic lifestyle, it’s vital to stop and catch up with ourselves.
Do you remember breathing in your day? Probably not, since it’s something we do so involuntarily that we needn’t even consider it. But I tend to think about breathing a lot.

Here’s my reasoning:

Breath is life, right? You must inhale and exhale to live; you must inhale and exhale slowly not to stress your body.

Thought is apart of life, right? You must think to reason; you must control your thought not to stress your mind.

Anything that strips me of my breath control or mental control is probably something I don’t have energy for.

When you consider that breathing and thinking take up most of our time (because everything else kind of relies on them), doesn’t it seem silly that we don’t take time to think about our breath or mental state? Doesn’t it seem silly that we knowingly stress our bodies and minds by recklessly (and knowingly) plowing through life?

You’ll never appreciate what happens in a moment, and therefore never accurately describe it, if you never experience your own moments. Taking time to be still, breathe, and control your thoughts is essential to writing, focusing your mind and body on the moment’s task.

Songwriting is about expanding the physical senses and emotions of these moments so the audience feels like they’re apart of them. So chill out for a few and take it in. If it helps you to call it work, preparation for a future gig, or research, then you probably need to clear out for a spell (I suggest enjoying a tasty beverage somewhere serene!)… at least till play becomes pleasurable again. ;)