I know, it’s not very catchy. BUT that’s how many week days there are in September, so that’s how many songs I’m going to write this month. It scares me, and I’m worried it’s still too ambitious even with my permitted weekends off- AND I’m going to do it anyway. Why is it that something that feels so good to do when I sit down, something that feels so focusing, so cathartic, so creative, so beautiful…is still hard to get myself to sit down and do? Why is there resistance? Perhaps I’ll learn more about that this month too…
As I have been writing songs over the past year and a half I have started many and completed none. Part of that is the difficulty in “finishing a song” before there is accompaniment, or at least a plan for accompaniment. The absence of a band or other musical collaborators has been a great excuse for me to leave song ideas open; potential fodder for a shared musical future that hasn’t arrived yet. But the repertoire of partial songs has taken on a weight too- unfinished projects, uncompleted thoughts, unspoken truths. I’m feeling like it’s time for me to push myself to create something a little more satisfying- to push through good ideas and lovely turns of phrases and get at what I really want to say, and how I really want to say it.
So the idea came a few days ago when I was driving home from the Bay in a slightly manic state that I would push myself through the place where I usually stop and actually write complete songs, one a day, for a month. Thankfully my love reminded me to take my own advice and build in some breaks in. So- 22 songs in 30 days. That’s what I’m doing, people!!
I began today still unsure of whether I was going to do it or not, or announce it. But since I actually did write a song today I’m feeling positive about my commitment. For me a complete song is lyrics worked all the way through and a melody. I haven’t magically gotten good at guitar over night so I’m not going to post fully worked out songs- but I may post some acapella versions, or at least some lyrics at some point.
Here I go! Wish me luck!!
So
Life Together 
