A Songwriter's Sanctum

"New" Tune: Torn

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 03:23:00 +0000

Wow, it's been a while since I posted on here. Makes that yearly domain name charge totally worth it.

I figured now was as good a time as any to finally get something on here. I have a new studio space set up and I've been getting inspired. I thought an easy way to get things rolling was to record some old songs and hold myself accountable for creating and sharing.

I wrote this song over 3 years ago back in March 2011. I never really got around to making a recording so this is the first one. I'm hoping this helps get the ball rolling. I tried recording another video right after this one, but after about 10 takes I'd had about enough.

Somehow I got this in one take. I let some things slide but I'm sure you don't mind. Rock on!

What are Oldies?

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Mon, 28 May 2012 20:49:00 +0000

It's crazy to think what is considered oldies music these days. As time rolls on I guess the definition changes but the older I get the harder it is to consider some songs as being called oldies when I was alive or not far from it when the songs first came out.

When I think of oldies music I think of the birth of rock and roll. I think of Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, The Beach Boys and maybe even Johnny Cash. Basically music of most any genre from the 50's and 60's. That usually is the kind of music I would hear if I were to turn on an "oldies" radio station when I was younger. But now as I reach 30, more often than not I tend to hear The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and crazy enough, Huey Lewis and the News!

How could this be that music that came out around the year I was born could be considered oldies? Until I started to think about this blog post I never really thought about what classified oldies and oldies music. According to Wikipedia, which is also right by the way, "oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day." But apparently as the years roll on, 80's music like good ol' Huey, Phil Collins, and Hall & Oates is commonly referred to as classic rock to distinguish it from earlier oldies music as I've always seen it.

It just makes me wonder, what will the music that I've listened to growing up and the music I listen to now be called in the 15 to 55 years it takes to be considered "oldies." I know bands like Guns n' Roses and Metallica are being considered classic rock, but it's hard to imagine the harder music that I enjoy to ever be called classic rock or oldies. So what will be the term applied to all of todays popular music be when I'm reaching the end of my days? I guess time will tell.

Going Old School with "It's Over"

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 02:09:00 +0000

This seems like it was ages ago. This is the one music video that was made for my old band Now Transmission, created by my now sister in law.

ONLY NINE SEASONS!

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Thanks to Roman May

I have really gotten into watching an old show lately on Directv that I never thought that I would ever like. I was flipping through the channels one day and a rerun of the “X-Files” was on. I remember hearing about the show in the nineties, but honestly, it was before my time and I was a little too young to watch it. I remember my parents being fans of the show, but I never watched it. I have always been terrified of all things UFO and ghostly. I thought that the “X-Files” was just going to be terrifying, but I was wrong! The show has a great story line. The two agents that work together for the FBI have great chemistry and now I know why the “X-Files” was the longest running Sci-Fi show in history! It is science fiction mixed in with “Law and Order”. I love all shows that have to do with crime investigation and I think that the “X-Files” now is by far my favorite. I just hate that it only ran for nine seasons!

There's Reading Then There is "Confusing the Seasons"

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:17:00 +0000

I'd consider myself a pretty avid reader. Well, the interest in reading comes in waves I guess. I'll get in these crazy kicks when I pick up a book and get totally sucked into the story and then I try to pick up another and I can't seem to get through the first couple of pages without my mind wandering. I always felt that reading would have a positive effect on my songwriting simply based on the fact that it put words through my brain and gives me ideas and "experiences" to draw from.

As much as I'd like to be reading right now for the improvement of my songwriting I seem to be in one of those little funks. But of course, this is following one of those spurts where I busted out a few books that I couldn't put down. This particular spurt lasted a little longer than most others including 3 books that I got for Christmas: "Micro" by Michael Crichton (a posthumously released novel), "11/22/63" by Stephen King (my favorite author) and "Confusing the Seasons" by Dan Cavallari (a new author to me).

The burst was all started by "Confusing the Seasons". I've always felt that the mark of a well written story is how easy it is to put down. I had a lot of trouble. In the span of the couple of days it took me to fly from cover to cover, there was many a time where I stretched my break at work a little too far just to see what was going to happen on the next page. I was really engrossed in the characters and the narrative kept dragging me in and tugging at my heart strings. Being from Maine and reading this story about a Maine family going through some really messed up times made me feel even more involved in the story.

I highly recommend "Confusing the Seasons" by Dan Cavallari to help out a new author and get you going on your own reading kick that hopefully lasts much longer then mine did.

Beach Vacay

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 18:04:00 +0000

Content by Mitch Osborne

We looked into Direct TV Deals and have decided to switch. I made an appointment for next week when we are going to be on vacation so that it would be set up when we got home. I am going to have my sister go over there and let them in after I tell her exactly where I want everything to go.

We are so excited about our vacation next week. It has been a while since we have taken a family vacation. The last two years, my husband had some personnel changes at his office and just really couldn’t feel comfortable leaving for a week. If we had gone on vacation, it really wouldn’t have been a vacation for him. I know that he would have been worrying non stop about the office.

This year, he is at the point where he can go and enjoy himself. We are going to go to Anna Maria Island in Florida. It is located on the Gulf of Mexico. It is only about thrity minutes away from Sarasota. We have been there before and love it. I just can’t wait to sit on the beach, sip margaritas, and get some sun!

Inspiration In Simple Places

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:54:00 +0000

When it comes to writing music I don't think it's necessary to stress out about the lack of inspiration. Ultimately, inspiration (The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative) comes when you least expect it and is actually best served as a surprise. Sure, it's a great feeling to do something with the intent of poking at that creative area in the brain to get something moving and it actually works. But for me, I like just going through life and letting that inspiration hit me in the weirdest places and sometimes some of the most obvious places that I wouldn't even think of looking. Whether it be a magazine article, a news broadcast, a simple sentence that my wife speaks or a song on the radio. Even that painting on my friend's wall or the piece that I hung in my own creative room.

I mentioned in my last post ("Only Apart," Still One of My Faves) about one of my favorite songs that I've written "Only Apart". I had my wife recreate the page from the lyric book of the original lyrics of the song. (I didn't have the heart to cut it out of the actual book.) I then got a float frame so I could see both sides and hung it in my creative room. My intention was merely give the room some decoration and an artistic feel while also reminding me of accomplishes past, but I never thought it would be a rich source of inspiration. With all the scribbles and crossed out words that plaster both sides of the page from top to bottom, this lyric page is exactly what I like to see in my lyric book when I write a song. A messy scrawl of thoughts and even doodles is the ultimate proof that a song has been thought out and toiled over for a good period of time. You can actually leaf through my book and pick out all the songs that have died or stalled and the ones that have been become finished pieces pretty easily (with some rare exceptions).

It's not very often that I get to see a physical representation of my music and it's time like these that I can actually "see" my music as a piece of art instead of just hearing. It might not seem like much but having that lyric page on the wall here behind me is a great source of inspiration just for the sheer fact that I want to make more lyric pages that look just like that and songs just like that one of which I can be just as proud.

So whenever I need a little push when I'm struggling on a song I just sit in my creative room facing that frame and I float away into thought. Really, that was the whole intent of the room anyway with it's orange walls and comfy feel. It looks like I accomplished what I was going for even in the places that I didn't intend. Rock on!

Teen Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:18:00 +0000

Guest post written by Derick Burks

I convinced my sister to start watching the show “Teen Mom”. She and her husband just got satellite TV from www.EXPERTsatellite.com, so she was excited to find a new show that she could consistently watch. I’ve been watching Teen Mom since its first episode and honestly, it’s like watching a train wreck. I think it is so sad that these girls have babies at such a young age and have no family support. Many of them are not in a relationship with the father of their babies. You would think that having a baby would cause these girls to grow up, but many of them are still very immature. I will be interested to see what their children are like when they grow up. Statistically, people who were babies of teenage mothers will most likely have babies when they are teenagers.

I often wonder if this show is deferring teenagers from having children or making them think that they should have children at a young age. I cannot imagine having had a baby when I was in high school or college. I had our first child when I was 26, and only then did I feel that I was truly ready to begin raising a child.

"Only Apart", Still One of My Faves

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:13:00 +0000

Out of all my songs, "Only Apart" is still one of my favorites to listen to and perform. I wrote it more than 4 years ago (it feels like longer than that) and it was actually one of the last songs that we worked on as a group in my band Now Transmission. We never quite finished the full band version before we parted ways. As a band it had some cool things going for it but I'll always have a fondness for it in the raw acoustic form. I recorded the video below about 3 years ago but it still pretty much holds the same basic form today.

I've always been really proud of this song and I even framed and hung the page of hand written lyrics on my wall here in my creative room. It really adds to the creative feel. Sometimes I just take it down and look at it. Is that weird? Rock on!

Technology Central

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:49:00 +0000

Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays

There's nothing like the drone of the TV from the living room when you're trying to have a family dinner and I can't get my daughter to eat with us to save my life. She's pretty much obsessed with technology and when I told her last week there would be no texting at the table she said "Fine! Then I guess I just won't eat!" That won't really work. So anyway, I finally got her to agree to eat if she could watch TV during the meal...I figure it's baby steps.

Anyway, we got http://get.wildblue.com/ internet at home, too, and my intention was that it would help her with her homework and I'd be able to do some online banking but really she spends all her time now on social networking sites and "chatting" with her friends. I don't mind a little technology and it sure has made my life easier in some ways but it's really ruining our family dynamics and I think my daughter's technology obsession is getting a little bit out of hand.

Not Even Close To "Done With This"

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

I'm continually writing new material and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Sometimes I feel like I've only just begun. But occasionally I can't help but look back at old material and bask in my few but very pride filled musical moments of my past.

I will always remember the story behind the creation of my song "Done With This" very well. It was my senior year at the University of Maine, the last week of finals before the end of the fall semester. It was getting down to the nitty gritty of my core business classes, final projects, long papers and extremely boring group presentation sessions that everyone was required to attend. In the last presentation of the session in one of the biggest lecture halls on campus I could barely stay concious. The only thing keeping my nodding head from drifting off to dream land was my pen as I wrote down every angsty feeling that flowed through me at that moment. The more I wrote, the more I woke and the more I woke, the more I just couldn't stop.

The rest of the session flew by in a sea of words and a rush of inspiration that almost carried me all the way to the neighboring town of Old Town where my guitar waited in the small upstairs bedroom of the house I was renting with some friends. Quickly a guitar a riff floated into the air and the lyrical melody soon after. It couldn't have been more than hour after I got home when I had a rough version of "Done With This" recorded on my computer.

I don't know how many times I've told this story but no matter how dull it may seem to anyone else, it never gets old to me. Recalling this moment in my songwriting history makes me think of why I love writing music in the first place and why I don't think I can ever stop for as long as I live.

Rock on.

Mom's Worries

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:47:00 +0000

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

Mom's been so concerned with money lately which I guess I can respect but she needs to chill out a bit. I love her to death but it seems like every other word she says is about coupons and taking money out of the bank and looking for good Internet Packages Deals that she can save money on...I think it's because she's going to retire relatively soon and needs to make sure she's got enough money to live on but you know, at the end of the day mom worked really hard for a lot of years and I know she's got plenty of money. I don't she felt financially secure since dad dies but she knows that me or my brother would take care of her if anything every happened and we needed to - I don't know why she's such a worry wart. I love her to death but she needs to chill out otherwise she's going to have a heart attack or something from being so stressed out all the time!

The Best Laid Plans...

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 01:33:00 +0000

You can't say that I didn't have good intentions. You can't say that I don't have the skill or the desire to create. But you can say that I don't have the absolute go-getter attitude that gets things done.

In my post, It's About Time To Let The Music Flow, I mentioned on online course that I was pretty excited about that I was sure was going to get the music flowing once and for all. Honestly, it started out great. I spent the first 2 weeks jamming out a half hour of ideas everyday. With the Garage Band running I just played, not really thinking about what I was doing just basically going with the flow and letting my unconscious mind send those notes down to my fingers to be played and recorded. It was a little frustrating at first but as the sessions added up the ideas became more complete and more interesting.

By the last session I was feeling good with the amount of original material I created as well as the quality of that material. But when it came to listening back and picking out those ideas the momentum quickly faded. Those ideas that I was so excited about were few and far between and even the ones that I was most interested in still seemed dull and overall uninteresting. At that point I felt like the last 2 plus weeks had been wasted and the album that I was going to have to show for all that work wasn't even one song closer to being in existence.

Since then, things have changed a bit. I've continued to write like I always have before, letting the ideas come as they do and building them slowly into a somewhat cohesive piece. I currently have 2 or 3 songs stuck in that oh so common phase of mine that involves me playing what I've completed over and over again until it makes me sick only to be perpetually stuck without a bridge, a solid ending or an interesting enough hook.

It seems to be my curse and overall I feel like it comes down to confidence and the lack of drive to just sit down and get things done. I so badly want these songs to be completed and see the light of day. I want to share them and be proud of them. I want to jam with some other musicians and turn these songs into a complete composition. How I do that is the question of the century.

I'd really like to take a lot of these principles from the course and run with them. I already know that they have a major difference in my songwriting by the quality and number of ideas that have been arising even after I kind of gave up on the program. I know I've probably said it a hundred times but I just need to do it, as insanely hard and idiotically simple as that is.

Stay at home

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:50:00 +0000

Posted by Filiberto Garcia

Being a stay at home mom has been great for my kids and my family but terrible for my relationship. I know it’s all me but by the time my husband gets home I’m just exhausted from watching DIRECT TV all day and dealing with screaming kids and not really having any adult interaction – it’s no good for any of us. I know my husband really misses the extra income I used to bring in but for now I feel like this is the right decision for all of us because I can give the kids the undivided attention they really need at this young age. But there are definitely times that I wish things were easier between Mark and I and I surely hope we can make it through this tough time. It’s hard being a mom in this day and age and sometimes I feel like I’m totally dependent on my husband or that I’m supposed to be able to do everything AND be a great mom. It’s a lot of pressure for a woman.

It's About Time to Let That Music Flow

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 00:59:00 +0000

Yes, it's about time for some music creation to hit the front burner. I've always wanted to be super productive and create music that I'm proud of and people will enjoy, but I've never really put in that true commitment. Now is the time. I'm taking an online course that is going to jumpstart this brain of mine and the music will soon follow. I can't wait to get rolling.

One of my first exercises is to fuel my unconscious brain. To do this I've simply been listening to music. For starters I stuck in my favorite album "Clumsy" by Our Lady Peace. I strapped on my Bose headphones, laid down on the couch and pressed play. It's an amazing feeling to just lay back with nothing else on your mind but the music that is pumping into your brain. You notice all of the little details that you might never have noticed before. You feel the emotion, you picture the raw sound behind your closed eyes. Such a great feeling, especially when it's your favorite album. You truly get lost. It was like Raine was pouring out that signature falsetto just for me and as Big Dumb Rocket had it's turn, it took all of me energy to stay relaxed and lay there, just appreciating my favorite tune and not rocking around the room belting the lyrics.

Next I picked another album from my cd shelf. I dug a little deeper for this one. I searched for a disc that I hadn't spun in a real long time but still had that way of tugging at my internal rock strings. I came across "Lemon Parade" by Tonic and knew I had to give it the treatment. Man, was it worth it. You tend to forget sometimes how good music is when you haven't listened to it in a long time. As Open Up Your Eyes, Mountain, and Wicked Soldier blasted through my headphones and drove it's way into the pleasure centers of my brain I was taken back to high school when this album was on constant rotation in my cd player. The heavy guitars, full acoustic strums and soaring vocals had me floating in musical bliss. No offense to Tonic, but I was so relaxed I even fell asleep for half a song. Considering how loud it was in my ears I see that as a compliment anyway.

The third and final album of this exercise is going to be something a little different. It's going to be an album that I've never heard before from a genre that isn't usually my cup of tea. I combed through Grooveshark for a few minutes and decided on "Hands All Over," the newest album from Maroon 5. I enjoy their radio singles for the most part but their music has never really driven me to keep listening. Hard rock has been my thing ever since I picked up "Sunburn" by Fuel and "My Own Prison" by Creed back in my high school days. But I'm excited to give it a shot and feed my brain with something that I would never listen to otherwise. I'm hoping moving to another genre and taking in the music for the experience of doing it will truly be a good step in making my own music that much better.

So now it begins. I can't wait to get this program going and get some music pouring out of my head, hands and throat and out into the world. I don't think I've ever wanted anything so badly in my life and there is no stopping me now. I mean come on, if my current homework is just chilling and listening to awesome music how can I complain? I can't, that's why music is so incredible and I'm itching to make some of my own. I look forward to giving updates of my progress.

Rock on!

Mom is Tough

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 23:45:00 +0000

Guest post from: Bruno Smith

Moving was tough but the hardest part of all was having to redo this house. I was worried I wouldn’t know enough about carpentry and stuff like that to get it under control but I tell you one thing, when you’re in that situation you really do learn fast! I wish I knew more but I’m learning as I go and I already feel better about being able to do things like put up bathroom tiles and lay carpet. My husband is more concerned with things like adt Nevada and getting the surround sound hooked up but you know, that’s all superfluous to me. I just care about getting this place livable compared to what I’m looking for which really isn’t all that much. We’re both getting better at contracting and I’ve gotten really, really good at hiring people to do the stuff I can’t. This place looks totally different than when I started with it and I count that as a success at the end of the day, I think!

Like A Broken Record

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:46:00 +0000

My songwriting goes through quite a few stages. Some of the stages are consistent while others come and go depending on the song. But no matter what, every song I write goes through this specific stage that I call "the broken record." I'd say it is the most frustrating step of them all, even more difficult to overcome than working from the original idea at the birth of a song.

Basically, this step in the process involves playing a completed section of a new song over and over again. And I mean over and over and over and over again. The drive my fiance insane give myself blisters kind of over and over. For example, I'm working on a new tune called "Set You Off." I have a concrete main riff on the guitar, a first verse and a chorus. I have been looping this section over and over again in it's entirety day after day, week after week.

Logically, I'm replaying it to eventually add on and complete the song. Some of my best ideas have come while just playing and fumbling upon something. Yes, there's always the option of recording that clip and listening on my headphones, in turn, not pushing my finance and neighbors into madness with my incessant strumming and screaming. Even though I always do record my progress, it's never really worked well for me to write without my guitar sitting in my lap.

The most frustrating part of this stage is not knowing how long it will last. Sometimes a song comes together in a day or a few days without having to play the riff into oblivion. Other times, like this new song, weeks go by with the same riff, the same melodies, the same lyrics going unchanged, rolling on like a broken record from hell.

Especially lately, things have been working out for the best when it comes to this monotonous stage of my songwriting as I've written more songs this year so far as I did all last year. (Good songs that I feel confident and proud of to boot. Like "Forbidden.") Really I just need to push through, concentrate and continue to do what I love doing, not worrying about what people think. In fact, right now it's time to stop typing and grab the guitar and play this riff a couple hundred more times before bed time. This song isn't going to write itself. Sorry honey, I'll try to keep it down.

Making Money In Music Production

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:42:00 +0000

I've been writing a lot and I've been working a lot. Those are the two things that are on my mind constantly these days. Most of the time, thoughts of music tend to win out. I find myself humming melodies and jotting down lyrics during the work day while having the overwhelming feeling that I need to get home to my guitar before I lose that precious inspiration.

Whenever there's actual thoughts of work that clog my head, those thoughts wander toward getting out and doing work that I would enjoy in the long haul. As much as I've been writing music lately, the idea of making a career in music production haunts me, whether it be making music in a band, writing songs for other artists, or working in a studio helping other people create music. Where I would even begin is mind boggling and how to make a career out of it seems beyond fathomable.

Today was one of those days that I truly had to get out. I left my job as a screen printer early today in a haze of toxic solvents and exhaustion wondering what I could possibly do to get out my rut and take a leap toward doing something that I would love to do instead of just being content. I've thought about dabbling in video production. My mediocre knowledge of computers aside, I've always enjoyed making videos that involve my music. I don't see any money in that at the moment, more than anything it would be a chance to branch out and try something a little more creative. Though it steers away from my music a bit, I've also thought about things such as voice over work. I've always felt I had a really decent singing voice but the main challenge with doing voice overs would be becoming more confident in the sound of my speaking voice.

Overall, I'm getting more confident every day in my skills as a songwriter. Turning my love for music into a career would be a dream come true, even if it only played a supporting role. Anything would beat how I feel about my current job sometimes and I definitely look forward to taking the risk. For now, with money tight and a wedding in the near future, money is my focus. So as long as I can keep writing my songs in my free time, I am content with being content, getting paid and daydreaming about all the things that could lead to a career in music.

Bedtime with Letterman

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 19:58:00 +0000

Thanks to Roman May

When getting ready for bed, I enjoy turning on the television in the bedroom and watching "The Late Show With David Letterman" on my satellite TV from BestChoiceTV.com. I usually change into my pajamas and brush my teeth during his monologue. Letterman is so funny and quick. I love his dry delivery and how he makes fun of himself. He has definitely seemed to soften his personality since having his heart attack and after the birth of his son. Letterman also has a good report with the musical director Paul Schaffer.

I'm usually snug under my bed covers by the time the first guest comes on stage, but sometimes I am still folding laundry or straightening the room. The Top Ten List is usually entertaining with at least few hilarious entries but most are not very funny. My favorite regular segments are the Stupid Pet Tricks and Stupid Human Tricks. The acts are usually pretty entertaining plus it is fun to watch the animals react to the audience, lights, and Letterman. My favorite guest is animal expert Jack Hanna. He and Letterman play off of each other so well. Also, Hanna often brings on unusual and exotic pets which can be unpredictable. Recently, I enjoyed the appearance by singer Justin Bieber reading the Top Ten and how Letterman teased Martha Stewart. He has such good comedic timing!

New Song and Video - "Up The Down"

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Thu, 12 May 2011 02:26:00 +0000

I finished this song a few weeks ago then my computer died. So in turn I totally forgot to post it up here. Overall, I just was just too lazy to do a decent multi track recording so I just shot a quick video.

The title came from an always growing list of song titles I have kicking around. I had a couple of good friends pick from the list to give me a challenge and "Up The Down" is what transpired. Enjoy.

Rock on!

Guest Post: Have a Great Super Bowl Party

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:02:00 +0000

Guest post from: Bruno Smith

How do you have a great Super Bowl Party? One of the first things you need if you want to have a great Super Bowl Party is a nice television. My guests enjoy the game on my satellite tv from CannonSatellite.com. They also love the large and crisp display. I believe that when hosting a Super Bowl party you need a large screen television. The experience just isn't the same with a room full of people trying to watch the game on a smaller screen TV. The display should be over 50 inches and in HD.

Guests are going to be hungry. I make sure I have plenty of food. I'd rather have too much to eat than not enough food. Try to mix it up a little so guests have a variety to choose from. I usually put out a table with plenty of chips on it. I have different flavors ranging from regular to sour cream and onion. Can't forget the dip.

At one Super Bowl Party I put out a do-it-yourself taco salad option. A table was set up with all the ingredients and you could custom make your own taco salad. People loved it. I think I might have that set up again this year.

Don't forget the beverages. People will be thirsty. Get a variety and have a great Super Bowl party.

Video: Foo Fighters - Rope

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:05:00 +0000

I picked up the new Foo Fighters album, "Wasting Light" on Tuesday. I'm really digging it. You can watch them perform the whole album live on YouTube. That's not something you see...ever, so definitely check it out. Here's the video for the first single, "Rope".

Taking The Vocal Cords For Granted

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 02:30:00 +0000

I stayed home from work today, not something that I like to do, but considering I can still barely get an intelligible word past my lips from my seemingly destroyed vocal cords, I thought it was fitting. Especially being a musician and singer, it's beyond explainable of how frustrating it is not to be able to sing let alone talk. You never truly realize how important something is to you until you don't have it anymore. That goes for so many things in life, but when it's something that you dream could be your livelihood someday, it makes it even more unbearable.

It's not that I haven't had laryngitis before in my life. I can remember two occasions quite clearly that overtake this one in a heartbeat. The first occasion was during one of the first shows my former band Now Transmission played. Only a few songs into our set my voice completely gave out. Mid song, out came nothing but a high pitched squeal and nothing but silence no matter how hard I tried from then on. It was a pretty embarrassing moment, and luckily I've been able to relive that moment over and over as the performance was being recorded.

The second time was due to sickness rather than strain although it did have an adverse effect on the band as it was only a couple of years later. We had signed up to play a battle of the band in Boston, quite a big deal for us as we didn't travel to the big city very often because it was quite a long trip. My squeaky voice box forced us to switch up the lineup a bit; our bassist moving to vocals, our guitarist playing bass, and me playing guitar. We only played one song, actually made it past the first round (due to a couple of bands not showing up) and played the second round in the same configuration a couple of days later. It wasn't the most successful venture ever, but it definitely could have worked out a whole lot worse.

That brings us today. I'm not in a band anymore, just writing and playing music on my own. But especially now, as I'm trying to write and practice as much as I ever have, not being able to do simple things that I do everyday like practice my new songs in the living room, sing in the car, yell at the guy who cut me off, or talk to my fiance is maddening. I'm sure my voice will probably come back to me in the next few days, it's just moments like these that make me realize how much I take things for granted sometimes. As if I wasn't motivated enough to work on my music before, now, once my throat heals, I want to be busting out the music like my life depended on it.

Who knows when you could lose that thing you love for good, you have to appreciate it while it's here. Cheesy, of course, but oh so true. Rock on!

Guest Post: Favorite TV Show About Animals: Animal Cops

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 04:38:00 +0000

Contribution by Michale Greer

Animal cops is one of the best shows that airs on Animal Planet. This amazing show reveals how cops work to free poor animals from horrible owners. As someone who has witnessed animal cruelty and violence in her own life, I am someone very dedicated to the cause of protecting animals. I always watch this show on my Satellite TV from expertsatellite.com with my own two puppy dogs.

For anyone with a passion for animals, then Animal Cops is surely a great show to view. This show makes anyone feel compassion for the suffering of animals. This show also makes one aware of just how many animal crimes happen in the United States on a daily basis. One will truly be stunned to learn how much crime happens on a daily basis here. However, one can also learn the steps necessary to protect animals that may be victims of crimes from abusive owners.

If one wants to help animals, then one merely need call the cops, just as this show reveals. This show inspires people to take action in order to protect animals so they can be given a loving home. There is no greater show that encourages the proper treatment of animals than this one. This show is one in a million and will inspire any person to help animals. I love this show so much!

New song: "Proud"

noreply@blogger.com (Frye) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:54:00 +0000

In the effort to keep the ball rolling here's another new song. Well, new to you anyway. I started writing this song back in 2006. It began as a simple as hell guitar riff, a first verse, and a nonsense words to get a melody chorus. Thanks to the Word Box and some awesome encouragement it officially became a song this week after 5 years. Hit it up in the player below.

My project this week is to start a song from scratch from a short list of old titles that my friends picked out for me. Should be interesting. Rock on!