Reading

I’m reading a lot these days and it feels so good.  I typically like reading non-fiction which is strange because I love writing fiction.   I’ve been taking books out at the library which I totally forgot was a thing.  Right now I am reading a book called ‘How Music Got Free: The End of an Industry the Turn of the Century, and the Patient Zero of Piracy’.  So at first I was mildly interested in the subject but thought it would be really boring.  But I am happy to report that is not boring and really interesting.  I think its probably more interesting to me – someone who had zero clue about how the world works.  I also took out some other book which I’ve been skimming but I probably won’t really read them.  These books are: How Music Got Free, The Story of Music, Understand Music Theory and for something completely different:  How to Organize (Just) About Everything.  (I’ve actually temporarily misplaced the last one I wonder that says about me. oops).  And there are so many more books I want to read this summer.  I’m so excited to get lost in all these books.

I’ve been taking a write a one person show class with Toronto’s guru of doing such shows: Anne Marie Scheffler.  I’ve actually been working/thinking/dreaming about this show for a good long while and so now I am making it come to fruition.  That is to say I am organizing what I hope to be a small reading where I get feedback on the material.  I then plan on working on the material for as long as it takes – at like open mic nights and such until an opportunity presents itself to do it in its entirety.  (AKA I’m going to submit it to festivals).  I’m doing this one person show-thing as a precursor for my next show, My Big Fat Jewish Christmas. I am hoping I can finish a solid draft by the new year.  I definitely think writing/perfecting those songs would happen more naturally within the holiday season.  But I am getting way ahead of myself.

I’ve also been taking songwriting classes with Murray Foster at Toronto Songwriting School and he has been so very helpful with my songwriting journey.

I’m also working on my piano playing/music theorizing skills with Anita Beaty.  This is more for getting the songs onto sheet music.   And I want to be able to accompany myself when I play/sing my songs.

Even with all this help, sadly, I’m still no virtuoso but I don’t care anymore.  I’ve decided to make music and creativity a high priority for me in my life.  I want to do more of the things that make me feel good and writing musicals and other such stories is one of them.