I completed my One Man. One Voice. One Year. (#OMOVOY) project on 3/28/21 with “Even My Shoes Got The Blues.”
Side note - that wasn’t the song I intended to use; I’d been practicing “I’m The King” from “The Life And Times of Snuffy Wilson,” but on a whim, I recorded one take of “Shoes” and figured I’d add it as a bonus video if I liked it. I did, but I couldn’t get a decent recording of “King.” So, I went with “Shoes,” which I hadn’t played for at least five years, maybe closer to ten. Life can be weird.
I started the project as an echo to “Twenty Aught Eight” where I wrote, recorded, and posted a new song every week for a year. #OMOVOY was not new songs, but instead, was videos of just me and my guitar. About a third of the way into it, I decided to add cover songs. Originals were released on Sundays, covers on Wednesdays.
I enjoyed myself, and it was great practice. I recorded songs I never thought I’d actually try (Hallelujah comes to mind) and felt good about the results. It’s amazing what consistent practice and work can do.
Duh, right?
Back when I started working on “Words, Music, & Pain” in 2017 or so, I was not happy with my vocals. I had a full time job that required an hour’s commute each way, so in order to make use of that time, I created backing tracks and practiced singing while I drove. I’d try recording on weekends, and it was a long damn time before I felt like I was hearing anything I liked. I didn’t wind up keeping any recorded vocals until 2019.
Looking back, I wasn’t happy with my singing because I’d stopped practicing consistently for at least...hm. I’d say 3-4 years. Time starts to slip by when you focus on other things. I won’t get into them here, but my life was pretty much a mess. These days I like my singing. I’m not a world class vocalist, and never will be. But I can produce recordings I enjoy and am willing to share with the world. It wasn’t always so.
I didn’t license all the cover songs, so their audio files are not for sale. My material is, and right now, it’s all available as singles. I’m going to compile them into an album, and will start that process this week or the following weekend. The existing singles will disappear in favor of the album. Then I’ll begin my next creative pursuit.
What will that be?
I’ve decided to write another book, and it will be based on one of my existing albums - “The Life And Times of Snuffy Wilson.” The plot and high points of the story are already flashed out; I essentially have an outline, so I think it will be sort of like connecting the dots. I started to write it once before, but I didn’t get very far. I have no idea how long it will take, and I don’t anticipate self imposing a deadline, but if my productivity lags, I may.
To date, it’s been my inclination to focus on one project at a time, but I’m going to try and change that. Why? Because of what I said earlier about my vocals. It’s not difficult for me to get my guitar chops back after a layoff; singing a different story. So, I’m also going to write and practice material for the next album, but I have no idea when it may be done. I’d guess sometime in 2022. I might post the occasional new video along the way, but I’m not committing to anything.
So, yeah. I’ll start work on a new book and a new album. Why?
Well, what else am I going to do? I took a couple of weeks off after ending #OMOVOY, and while I needed it, I sometimes felt the urge to be productive. I’m 51. Time is my most valuable asset. Laying on my couch and watching TV shows/movies all weekend may sometimes be necessary, but it ain’t gonna get stuff done. And I *need* to be creative. To be blunt, it keeps me sane and happier, even when it’s frustrating - and make no mistake - creating (and recording) can be exceptionally difficult, especially when nothing seems to be going as I’d like.
But hey. That’s life.
I’ll also start posting my thoughts regularly again; I didn’t feel the need while releasing material.
Be good.