Good Week

I’m having a very good week creatively.  It started on Sunday evening at The Social Capital where the nice people at Toronto Cold Reads read a couple of my projects.  It feels good to get to hear my work read aloud and out side of my head.

The first project that was read is called Thought Pixies.  If that one ever gets produced (by me or whoever at this point) the ideal would that it is animated.  Some days I say to myself I’m going to work on figuring out how to produce that one but the reason I don’t is because that would mean acquiring a whole host of new information and skill sets.  I’m not saying I won’t do it I’m just saying that’s going to take awhile.  And I want to figure all my other projects way before I ever get to this one. (Most likely)  The dream of what it could be is far away but that doesn’t mean I can’t dream it.  That’s my fancy way of saying it probably won’t happen any time soon.  But I think it’s important just to get some of what I’ve written out of the laptop and somewhere out there.

The other project that was read is called The Interview.  It is a sketch comedy scene I wrote many years ago most likely for a class.  I can’t remember which one exactly, there have been so many over the years.  The premise of the scene is that woman treats her date as if it is a job interview.  As in she’s seeking someone for the role of boyfriend.   I can’t see myself doing anything else with that one for the moment.  Anyway that was my Sunday evening.

Then Monday evening I plain old wrote.  I have been revisiting some old songs from Nobody’s Idol and trying to freshen them up.  Oh and I learned and practiced the song ‘Old Man’ by Neil Young. Why would I learn that song?

Because on Tuesdays I take ‘Fundamental’s of Songwriting’ at the Toronto Songwriting School taught by Murray Foster.  We learned about country music and I wrote learned how to write a country song.   At first, I wasn’t sure if this would be a good class for me because I am not a guitar player and my piano is basic.  I would say it’s slightly more than basic but I am not as comfortable as maybe I ought to be.

Then on Wednesday,  I went back to participate in the master class series.  I was attempting to work on “Rock Star” from Nobody’s Idol.  This is the song that is written for the Steven Tyler-type judge.  I was way too nervous to play it or sing it the way it is meant to be.   I sound awful when I attempt to sing my own songs but I can get the idea across.  This particular song it would sound wrong on my voice anyway. “Wrong” meaning not at all like a Steven Tyler type.    I have endless notebooks with the lyrics written out by hand with what the chords and notes should be above the words.  I actually know my songs off by heart but I get freaked out about doing it wrong that I need the notebook as my little safety.  Also because I am tentative about which chords are right.  Plus I can hear how awful I sound and I keep stopping and starting interjecting my various excuses for why my voice sucks.  I don’t think I’m a terrible singer.  My singing voice has its moments. I once sang On My Own from Les Mis as perfectly as it was written – high notes and all – and then never sang it perfectly ever again.   I think it boils down to nerves as the primary excuse.

And now it is Thursday and I reworked “Rock Star” and have figured out how it should go most likely.  We’ll see if tomorrow I feel the same way.

Oh yeah and last but not least I found out that Witch will be read this upcoming Sunday. November 1st at Toronto Cold Reads.  Oh and I handed in another application for the Theatre Creator’s Reserve.  I feel good about that one because I like it when I say I’m going to stuff and then I actually do what I said I would do.

Anyways,  that’s all she’s gonna write tonight.  Byes!