It’s been a little over two weeks since my last entry; sorry about that. I’ve just been busy. As you might be able to guess, work continues on my audio book (finished chapter 11 today) and on One Man. One Voice. One Year (#OMOVOY). I’ve posted 11 songs - I’ve counted 10 plus one bonus: Rebecca Black’s “Friday.”
Yes, that song.
No, I don’t like the tune.
Then why did I do it?
My new manager at work begins Friday meetings by playing the damn thing and singing along, and encouraging all in attendance to participate. Granted, it’s a virtual meeting these days, but he started doing this before covid. He’s a super nice guy and incredibly positive, so when he asked me if I’d do a version of it, I immediately said “not under any circumstances.”
I changed my mind a few days later. Why?
Because the company is huge on company culture, and I would very much like this to be the last place I work. Therefore, I’m really trying hard to fit in. Even when it means recording a version of “Friday.”
Could be my temperament is changing as I age, or maybe I learn from my experience. My former mother in law would have loved for me to do an album’s worth of xmas music, and my ex asked me to do it a few times. The last time didn’t result in an argument, but I made my feelings clear. I said something like:
“I have to eat shit and grin through most of my life. My music is the one place I can do what I want, how I want, when I want, with no compromises. Why would I do something I wouldn’t even want to listen to?”
To her credit, she said she didn’t understand how opposed I was, and that she wouldn’t ask again. And she didn’t. But really. Would it have killed me or hurt me in any way to do something that would have made my mother in law at the time happy?
No. And my ex’s parents were very good to me. I don’t maintain a relationship with them, but they have good hearts. Still, at the time, I meant what I said. To a degree, I mean it still. There is a difference between playing / recording one shitty song and doing the same with 10-12 songs.
Oh, and I’m opposed to xmas music because I’m agnostic. I hated xmas for many years for several valid reasons; it was only within the last 3 or 4 that I began to come around. Still, recording songs that praise the son of god would be hypocritical at the very least. I could have done non christian xmas songs, but I’m not a big fan of those either. And it would have required significant time - learning, recording, editing...it took me about 8 months to record stuff for my last album, and I love that material. Consider how much time I’d have to spend with material I don’t like. There’s a reason I don’t play many covers, and will never be in a cover band.
Yeah, there’s a big difference between one song and a full album. If my new manager asks me to record an album’s worth of stuff I hate, I will refuse. And not change my mind.
That’s it for now. Stay healthy and safe.