TGF Do Something Challenge Week 5

Technically, this should have been done for last week's challenge, but it took me a few days to get this solo under my fingers. That's a few days longer than I've spent learning someone else's music since high school, but it was fun and I'm glad I did it. I was considering doing a cover of the whole song, but as badass as it is, there's a lot of empty space in that song and I'm now being lured back in by an original.



Doing something a little different this week; I have a song I wrote and recorded around 10 years ago, it's changed a couple times over the years and I was never stoked with it, but I really dig what I've done with the vocals. So I'm re-writing all the music for it to work with the existing vocals. I've never tried writing to vocals before, but I was up for a while last night dicking round with it and I think I can work it into something I can tolerate.

You're the most clean-cut ZW impersonator I've ever seen!
 
Man, I have not come through since week 1, so I need to get back on the horse.

I've been fighting burnout and busy schedules. My wife got slammed at work leaving me the kids and house for a few weeks, then I got slammed for another couple weeks. Kids in sports seven days a week doesn't help at all. Now that sports season is over and work has calmed down, I'm hoping I can get a lot more done.

The other thing I need to do is finish cleaning out my office/music space. I spent a week setting up my electronic drums and that's a big step forward, but I have boxes full of crap I need to go through and get out. Yesterday I had the day off but I couldn't stand sitting at my desk full of junk, so I ripped everything apart and put back together (hopefully more cleanly).

Either way, now that I'm not on the hook for taking my kid to hockey every night from 8:30-10:30pm, I should be able to come down to the music space and get some more tracks in.

Spent some time trying to get drums on a riff I was working on a couple weeks back, gotta dust that off too. If I can get some drums in, I'll be in a good spot for this week.
 
Scratch tracks for verse and drums are added now. I need to remember that I dig this kind of stuff and it's way more productive than buying more crap.

I swear it's going to be quicker for me to relearn to play the drums than to get decent at programming them though.
 
Man, I have not come through since week 1, so I need to get back on the horse.

I've been fighting burnout and busy schedules. My wife got slammed at work leaving me the kids and house for a few weeks, then I got slammed for another couple weeks. Kids in sports seven days a week doesn't help at all. Now that sports season is over and work has calmed down, I'm hoping I can get a lot more done.

The other thing I need to do is finish cleaning out my office/music space. I spent a week setting up my electronic drums and that's a big step forward, but I have boxes full of crap I need to go through and get out. Yesterday I had the day off but I couldn't stand sitting at my desk full of junk, so I ripped everything apart and put back together (hopefully more cleanly).

Either way, now that I'm not on the hook for taking my kid to hockey every night from 8:30-10:30pm, I should be able to come down to the music space and get some more tracks in.

Spent some time trying to get drums on a riff I was working on a couple weeks back, gotta dust that off too. If I can get some drums in, I'll be in a good spot for this week.

I hear ya, man! I think Whizzin is also doing the kid’s sports thing lately.

I don’t know how ya’ll have the energy or capacity for all that. I’m amazed I keep myself alive at the end of each week, never mind doing it with a wife and kids.
 
I hear ya, man! I think Whizzin is also doing the kid’s sports thing lately.

I don’t know how ya’ll have the energy or capacity for all that. I’m amazed I keep myself alive at the end of each week, never mind doing it with a wife and kids.

I got into sports after I graduated college, mostly playing rec hockey. But when my son came along, he was always into sports and it was a fun thing to do together. For a long time I coached his teams because they needed coaches and I was there anyway. I've always really enjoyed being part of it.

This year though he went from 4-5 days a week up to 7 days a week and it got really exhausting after the holidays. He had practice from 9-10pm at a rink about 15 minutes from our house, and of course needed to be there 15 minutes early. So every night it was putting the two younger girls to bed, then about 20 minutes of downtime until I drive him to the rink, and then back home usually 10:30pm. For me, my prime hours for creative stuff is like 9-11pm, so it basically sapped any ability I had to do fun creative stuff for myself, which sucked.

But on the other hand, he's going into high school in the fall and may only have another year of sports left. He's not a great hockey player compared to other kids his age so likely won't make his high school team. He's got a chance to play baseball but that's only a couple months each spring. So I'm trying to savor this last stretch as much as I can.

Still, I'm going to like not having to leave the house every night for two hours. It's fun a few days a week, not every day.
 
Kids are definitely worth it… You’ll have plenty of time when they’re out of the house.

Best thing I ever did, even though it can be super frustrating at times. 👑

F*ck that, they cut into gear money. :rofl

(I decided many years ago that kids weren’t for me and it was the healthiest, most sane decision I’ve ever made. I’ve got my own life to f*ck up!)
 
When they grow up wanting to watch Produce Like A Pro and become interested in audio interfaces and midi controllers
giphy.webp


I srsly need to "borrow" my son's electronic drums for drum programming :farley
 
O/T … my youngest was in New York City prior to Covid, and during… working in some well-known tobacco shops there.

A lot of crazy stories from NYC during this time. But he met a great woman, and eventually moved back out here. Then was hard for him to find something to latch onto for the past year.

While this initially rubbed me the wrong way… “Like WTF man… you’re retired already?” 😣

…But I also realize that I moved here to sail and never pursued it properly. He seems to love it.

Hope it spurs a passion. (He’s a very talented drummer/musician, who has left the music scene for a variety of reasons.)

BDAC4FAC-691D-4A98-AD18-584B44A6254F.jpeg

Winter sailing a few weeks ago.


Seeing your kids happy is a joy like no other.
 
Been at the desk all day. Some days the music beats you. Todays that day. I’m calling this one. Not my best work but I have to move on. 6 songs to go still.


Guitars are my Doug rappoport Knaggs Kenai and both the Soldano SLO 100 and Friedman BE100. Wall of sound plugin. I think the lead was fractal.

Vocals were the Townsend mic, with the exception of my vocal was the Townsend as well as the Warm WA47. Wanted to compare the model to the clone. Spoiler alert: don’t buy the clone if you own the Townsend or UA mic. It’s similar enough to call it redundant. I do like having it and it is a little different but not 1k bucks different. Great mic though if you want a tube mic centerpiece for your home setup.

Not too thrilled with this mix. Guitars are too heavy. Vocals not sitting right. Drums sound good I guess but it could be better overall. I really should stop using the originals as reference. The original drums sounded like ass and the guitar sounds were nothing to write home about. There is also no making us sound vocally like this song so it’s doomed from the get go.
 
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OK back on the horse again. Here’s something a little different for me. Playing in drop C on a PRS P24 with tens. Virtual capo pitched down two half steps.

Amplifiers are all Axe3 on 21.04; mostly Orange, some Carol Ann OD2 and a little bit of FAS Lead 1.

Bass is a NI Ric w some synthesis bits to fill out

Drums are Logic

Love this stuff. Thanks for the playgroup!


Pulled SoundCloud Link - here’s a direct dl


Still sounds off a bit still (smearing details) - gotta figure this out.
 
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