In order to write, perform, and record these songs I’ve had to write lyrics, compose melodies and accompanying guitar parts, sing, play guitar, and operate recording software, which in this case is ProTools. My skill with any one of these functions is mediocre at best, but I find it very satisfying to come up with a final product that I can actually listen to and share. As an amateur songwriter I compare myself to the hobbyist landscape painter who spends hours in the open air with easel and palette and fills the house with colorful canvasses but never has a show or sells a painting. These are decidedly amateurish, but I wanted to do something with them, so I decided to create a web site where I could post them.
Part of the process of recording songs is playing with effects. Sometimes the result is good, sometimes it is not, but playing around is part of the fun. What does it sound like if I add more reverb? Should I sing the same part with two octaves? Am I overdoing the guitar solo? In the end, I’m not really aiming for perfection, I’m experimenting with these variations. (OK, sure, I’d like to have better products, but since they are what they are, I’ll just say I’m playing around). As I listen to these recordings again I hear many things that could be improved, and other things I would simply like to change, but one can only be so obsessive before deciding to move on.