It’s been about a year since I put music on the backburner of my life. I would say I was burned out creatively, even though it was nowhere near a full-time gig or anything. The only music I played was practicing for my sister’s wedding this past Spring (2 Spanish guitar pieces which was a, knowing that after that I would put it down almost completely for an indefinite amount of time.
That said, even in the last 6 months I would sometimes find the inspiration to write down some lyrics or work out a melody in my head. Not often, but it wasn’t like I cut music out of my life completely. (I don’t think I could even if I really tried.)
I few weeks ago, I started using GarageBand as a way to work on recording some very basic song ideas into demo form. It’s been a useful tool to easily sketch out a blueprint for songs so I don’t forget them.
More recently, I saw Switchfoot in concert. They have been, by far, my favorite band over the last 15 years and got me through a lot of difficult times as a teenager. I can’t help being inspired by their music, with lyrics like “This is your life. Are you who you want to be?” and “We were meant to live for so much more,” among many others.
And so, once I got my hearing back and recovered from a very late night last week, I began feeling a renewal of energy and creativity that I want to capture and turn into something productive.
I’m not sure what it will lead to yet. Hopefully an album at some point, but for now I am thinking of releasing a bunch of singles over the span of next year as they are finished. As much as I like the idea of a coherent group of songs going together, I am tempted by the freedom of independent creations that need not to be related in any form or fashion.
Another thing I still have big hopes for is to play house concerts. I have been mixing live music at the school where I work and am really enjoying it. I really believe in the power of live music and the ability to connect with people in smaller settings. However, the practicality of doing that in the next few years is rather limited with my kids. Maybe in a few years, they’ll be able to join me.
If you want to keep tabs on what I’m doing, here’s a few places to follow along:
