Careful what you ask for....Nick's original- It's not a love song

tovo
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Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:59 am

I am always learning.

I'm a singer/songwriter/guitarist. On a scale of 1-10, I'd rate myself:

Singer - 7
Songwriter - 6
Guitarist - 5

So I still have a long way to go. Neil's lessons just about always teach me something new, maybe the hidden pick, perhaps just a new way of playing something I already know, maybe a better understanding of theory.

If my being here proves anything, it's that you too can write your own songs, and you too can perform in public. If I can, you can.

But thanks for the compliment.


suziko
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Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:21 am

Really nice, Nick! If you're ever playing a show in the Midwest, I'd love to come see you guys.

You may or may not be familiar with the Berkshires, but you probably know the song Alice's Restaurant. Stockbridge is where it took place. Dewey Hall holds about 100 people and we usually sell out.

Stockbridge is also mentioned in the lyrics to Sweet Baby James:


Now the first of December was covered with snow
And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Lord, the Berkshires seemed dreamlike on account of that frosting


MarkM
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Tue Jan 19, 2010 9:28 am

Nick,

Another very good song. Again I thought the lyrics were very good. Very descriptive as I can visualize the story unfolding. This song could easily have been in a movie soundtrack. Thanks for posting. I'll actually be heading out that way tomorrow as I have a meeting in Pittsfield MA. Hope the weather holds......



MarkM


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Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:20 am

wandoctor wrote:
The past two recordings were done at Dewey Hall near Stockbridge, Mass. You may or may not be familiar with the Berkshires, but you probably know the song Alice's Restaurant. Stockbridge is where it took place. Dewey Hall holds about 100 people and we usually sell out.

I go up there about two to three times a year to play, with a stop in Princeton for a gig or two that I play with friends. David, the lefty, is the author of Idiot's guide to Bass guitar, and also Rock guitar in the same series. I stop in a day or two early, we go through what we are going to play, hang out and then head off to the gig.

Let's see, songwriting I've been doing for about 6 or 7 years. Long enough to write several articles on how to do it, lol. Though the first two years shouldn't count because I really sucked. Still you have to go through the process of learning to write. I'm still learning what works and what doesn't. I find myself writing playable songs about 1 in 4 tries now, good songs about 1 in 10, really good proud of it songs about 1 in 50. I started at about 1 in a 100 for something in the playable category.


This one I wrote the chords first. Although I do write songs both ways, it's so much easier for me to do the music first. The music dictates the mood, the mood suggests the subject and the subject the lyrics.
Thanks Nick! Love the info!

MJ


wrench
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Tue Jan 19, 2010 11:31 am

Nick,

I love your music and I think it's very generous of you to share your insight on writing.

When is the gig near the Berkshires? I am pretty close to that area.

Dan


professor bob
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Thu May 20, 2010 1:34 pm

Fantastic ... I love it

I liked the way you presented the code as well. Great work . . . keep it up



Bob


lueders
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Fri Jul 09, 2010 3:39 pm

What great songwriting! And the best part of it is you're letting us pick your brain in regard to your creative process. Not too many are willing to do that. Generally speaking: either songwriters can't articulate what they are doing, are simply unwilling to talk specifics, or believe the song doesn't really belong to them (i.e. they were simply an earthly vessel for the great all-knowing conscience that simply is and always was...blah, blah, blah!)

I saw a clip of Tom Petty saying he gets "real annoyed when people talk about their process." (defense mechanism perhaps?) This view starkly contrasts with the following:

In an old Acoustic Guitar Magazine interview with Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings, Welch made the statement that "we haven't really invented anything here, little old ladies in their kitchen could do this stuff." (Isn't that the truth of it?)

Or do we need to believe song writing is magic?
Academia, (In particular, works very hard and making the average person think he can't understand art or music.)
Also, you have a lot of Artists,& Critics, in these arenas with personal agendas looking for personal validation...Whoo..Sorry about the rant.


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