My Thoughts

Well this week I achived what most of us want at one point and when gas reached $4.00 a gallon out here last summer I not only dreamed for but prayed for the ability to work from home full time. So this is week one. I decided to do this right it makes since to ask someone that has been doing it a long time how to make it work. So I e-mailed a good friend and asked the question, "How do you make this work"?

His reply was insightful and funny so I thought I would share it with you.

Working from home; one word: Discipline

Get in a work pattern; be in the “office” by x O’clock every day. Remove distractions from the “office”, I have a separate room that I only use as my office, I do 95% of all my work there. Eliminate distractions (no TV, no News on the radio, nothing you “pay attention to” your own music is fine, but set it and don’t mess with it (Pandora or iTunes Genius is good for this)). I sit with my back to the window (not looking out). I leave my “office” to get coffee (need the exercise). I have some simple rules, NO Drinking in the “office”……… until after “closing time” which I consider 5:30 PM. Some other rules I’m not so strict about; lunch if eaten at home (rare for me) takes no more then 30 minutes; and when I go out no more then 2 hours (including time to do any grocery shopping). I do go out to eat almost every day, part of my routine. I try to be in my office working before 8AM, usually I’m “in” just after 7. No more than 1 pot of coffee (12 cups) a day. Door to office always open, but kids/family should not generally interrupt (unless they are looking to fill my coffee cup).

Interesting guy we have the same issue with coffee too (Know coffee Know Peace No Coffee No Peace).

Now while all of that sounds great one thing is the biggest challenge for me, getting rid of distractions. I have four guitars hanging on the wall next to me and I sit in a room with two keyboards and a baby grand not counting the bar LOL. Distractions are not just radio and TV but my passion. So I will do what I can but I am sure I will be playing the guitar and working on databases one day soon.

Enjoy Life and live it as best you can, we only get one ticket for this ride called life make it a good one.

R.E.

The New CD Strings and Keys

Well I am officially working on the newest set of music. Today's blog is on song writing or should I say the process that I go through. From the fear oh god can I still write a song to the tedious how many more times do I have to listen to this to find that one bad note that's driving me mad.

First Inspiration or Perspiration, I know we all have felt that drive to write the next great song and back in the day I would say I needed inspiration before writing a song and in some ways I believe that is still the case. But I have recently found not a formula but a routine that I seem to get into when I am between projects. I always start playing songs I wrote years ago. That in some ways inspires me to look into new songs. But what amazed me was that I found myself sitting and just playing melodies. Nothing I had heard before, and at first it seems that I am just running scales, working the fingers you know. But the next thing I hear is a melody like in the song By Request. That song like so many of my picking songs, as I call them. Either started with a melody or a sweet mixtures of chords I find while picking around. This is how I get around writers block which hits me like a ton of bricks some times. When I find myself just stuck unable to move forward with a new idea. I have found by going back to the very basics, picking out some chords and playing with transitions then moving on to melodies or running some scales something shows itself. From those melodies comes the next idea. Now sometimes it last longer so trying the Piano or the Bass seems to help as well. The other trick I have found to get out of this mode is to find other music, something I always wanted to learn or a style I have not tried yet, playing with other musicians, open jam sessions and of course listening to some of my older stuff with new ears.

Putting it all together, now this I have found to be the most frustrating and enjoyable thing ever. There is this phenomena that happens with song writers, we hear what's has not been written yet. I am blessed to have three great kids two of which are amazing musicians. Once my son and I were listening to a new song that I was working on. As he watched me he leaned over and said to me. Dad that parts not in the song, I had to stop because I was jamming away to a string section I was hearing in my head that was not record or even written yet, other then in my head. We all do it, its part of song writing we start playing those chords and we hear the guitar solo the bass line the keyboards every aspect of the song is in our heads being worked out. Then at some point, for me at least, when I believe I am done with the song as I am listening to it in the car. I realize that I never recorded the bass or that transition string section that I know will be the hock because it still stuck in my head. To work this out what I am doing is listening to not only the newest song I am working on but the other works in progress as well with headphones, in the car and over the monitors. I also play them at work when I'm working on a project. I keep notepad open when I am at a PC or use my cell phone as a note pad to remind me to add this or edit that. It seems that the times I get the most work done or the most inspiration on a song is when I'm not actively listening to that song. When you mind is elsewhere it seems you can work on the music better it least that's the way it works out for me.

Well that's enough for today look for more thoughts on work soon

Thanks