Being up here in Iqaluit, slightly distanced from my equipment (in the old residence) and the ability to be noisy at any time of day has certainly taught me a few things.
1. Not to rely on equipment for music. There is a reason I have an acoustic guitar. To play music with BY ITSELF.
2. Not all songs need looping (although it certainly does help in some cases!)
3. Songwriting and lyrical content is what I need to focus on at the current moment
4. I really wish that I hadn’t forgotten that one cord that allows me to record while I’m here. I’ve been coming up with some good stuff, and I hope it’s not being lost.
5. Coffeehouses are a great atmosphere, so having a variety in repertoire is always a plus.
6. Open Mic nights are positive and negative:
A) Positive: you get the chance to showcase some of your original music to new people
B) Positive/Negative: you can butcher one of your favorite cover songs, and while hating yourself, the rest of the room does not hate you.
C) Negative: Open Mic’s with full bands are not a good time to showcase an acoustic ballad. Buzzkill. (Not that I did this, but someone mentioned that I should, to which I replied “are you crazy?!”)
I’ve got a new lyrical snippet in my head, and the end of the chorus sings:
“can you bring me a knife?
for the bones…”
I know…a scrap at best…but hey! I wrote it at a youth centre while listening to kids blaring Guitar Hero III, followed by walking, and soon to be capped off with sitting in a residence room, not being able to play my guitar and imagine where I want the lyrics to go.
The concept for the song will be self-empowerment. Fail to see the connection between that and knives/bones? That’s alright…when it’s complete you’ll understand.
Tomorrow brings the weekend, which means that while I don’t have any scheduled interviews, I will play the part of the dreaded tourist, visiting attraction after attraction, taking photos of anything and everything, purchasing overpriced knick knacks from arts groups that take commission from the artists’ themselves (I’m kidding, I’ll buy it direct from the artist).
I’ve acquired a new cable for the weekend that will allow me to download pictures, so watch out readers! More photos to come.
