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Category: Songwriting

Write What You Know

  • 10.14.13
  • Dale
  • · Blog · Inspiration · magic mondays · Musings · Songwriting

I do a lot of things. I love a lot of things. One of those things is Magic the Gathering, obviously. I write about it on Mondays. What’s up with that?

Well, from what they tell me, a personal blog for an artist should be a place where he should express himself however he naturally does, about things he’s passionate about. Some of you may apparently care about what I do in my free time – or maybe we have a common interest.

So there’s the reasoning. Here’s some resources:

The Limited Resources Podcast is where I learn the most about my favorite formats to play, which are the limited formats. Sealed and draft are the most skill intensive way to play, whereas constructed formats are far more controlled.

Limited formats involve you starting with sealed product – that is, unopened packs of cards, then you end up with a deck. 40 card minimum, usually 2 colors, 23 spells and 17 lands or 22 and 18. The game becomes one of evaluation, deliberation, and attentiveness to what you’ve got, what you need, what you’re opponent had access to, and what each turn might mean for each player’s overall strategy. Super deep.

Anyhow, if you like the game, I highly suggest you check out the show, buy cards at cardkingdom.com and follow the hosts on twitter. They’re good guys who respond to their email more often than I do!

Writing Songs While Not Failing at Parenthood

  • 09.26.13
  • Dale
  • · Blog · Fatherhood · Inspiration · Musings · Songwriting

Lately, a couple times per week I have a morning exactly like this one: Wake up at the crack, Nikki’s asleep on the couch with Abby, I get Addison ready to roll, and drop her at school. Aiden isn’t up yet. I got probably 45 minutes before things go off. So I grab a guitar and start writing.

guitar

Fitting in some creative time in between tasks is a great way, I find, to keep my wheels greased. Not every Idea is good, not every song gets completed, but that’s how we get a gem – put out a buncha crap until there’s something worth keeping, focus on it, then work it to completion.

In the last couple weeks, I’ve probably run through about ten new song ideas. So far I think that 3 of them will become one new Something Beautiful song (all heavy ideas in related keys that could work well together) and 2 of them will be new Dale Tippett, Jr songs that I’ll need to demo out and teach to Tin Lolita – after I can get a good lyric set together at least.

All this while working on some studio tracks for Angel Anatomy. And directing for 5 active accounts, AND keeping 3 kids from starving/freezing to death. I’ve been asked how I do it, and really the most important thing is having a partner like Nikki, who can trade parent/creative shifts, depending on the situation. She knows how a project can take over a night, and is always accommodating to my work – but I’m not always accepting of it.

There’s a ‘feel-bad’ that I get when she’s willing to take all the kids so I can woodshed on a track or write for awhile. I can intellectualize it, but I tend to make myself rush, and sometimes even push out sub-par work just so I can get back to helping. I’m getting it under control, but I personally need to remind myself that she does that so I can succeed, not so I can just get by.

That’s enough for now – Imma go be a daddy for a while. Stay out of trouble you guys.

Songwriting is Easy, and Other Lies Your Music Teacher Told Me

  • 03.09.13
  • Dale
  • · Blog · Inspiration · Musings · Songwriting

Songwriting is easy. Yes, really, but only sometimes. It can be a rare thing, and you’ll never appreciate it as much as you should. It’s not one of those things that you “can’t appreciate and easy thing until you’ve hit hard times” type of situation, it’s just that those easy ones are the ones you overlook. So much effort goes into a song like Something Beautiful’s Dreams About Your Skin that a song like Nobody told Me, or Not So Blues just doesn’t seem to come to mind when I think about what I’m proud of when I’m asked about what I write.

I wrote that song in pink fuzzy boots and mario pajamas after getting coffee at my starbucks, which is across the street from where I live. I was in a good mood, and it made me sing. Easy job, no hangups. Said something about being single, having it easy and living simply. It took about ten minutes to write and record, and spend very little mental energy on reminiscing on the ease with which it flowed out of me. Some people really like it, but I consider it merely a joke. How rude is that of me? Kinda, I think.

Some other songs can take years to write, and that ever-present feeling of “I’m leaving something unfinished…” in the background is what will make those tunes stick out to me. But you know how we’re always being told to stop and smell the roses? I’m finna do that once in a while. Thanks for indulging me.

Some of them 20 minute songs became some of your faves, or at least big hits… I’m not saying that mine was a knockout, but it certainly was serviceable. It was pure expression of an emotional state, and depending on the listener, it may convey the ease of the moment. Or maybe it’s just a quick dumb song. It may not be a steak dinner, but once in a while I’ll take a jolly rancher.

Count your blessings instead of sheep tonight.

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