June 28, 2009: That was the day of my first SongwritingScene.com post! A full year and one day ago. It’s hard to believe it — I had just switched day jobs and was waiting to start the new one, and was bored out of my mind. I needed a new project!
It never occurred to me that anyone, with all the blogs out there in the universe, would ever read my little missives. But suddenly there you all were, a community of like-minded savvy songwriters who wanted to chat about things like choruses, bridges, progressions and inspiration. Totally awesome.
Then months went by, and the traditional blogging trajectory — post super-regularly, post regularly, post less-regularly, post less — started to take hold, even as I planned more content, such as a monthly newsletter. I didn’t want to be one of those bloggers who suddenly started posting once every blue moon instead of providing real information regularly. So with a busy day job and a new CD recording project in the works, I figured it might be time to hang up my blogging hat one year after beginning to post. I even posted the fact that I’d be ending the blog on the Songwriting Scene Facebook page.
But then…(yes, I’m crazy and this is how my mind works!) I thought about it some more. Why not keep things going? Why not find other things to write about, like…um…the songs I’m writing? What about continuing to promote other songwriters that I think are groovy? How about getting more people to talk about the challenges and surprises and beauty that comes through songwriting?
My friend Christine Stay, of the acoustic duo Friction Farm, even called me out on this issue on Facebook, posting the following on my wall:
“I find it funny that someone who had a songwriting blog, and who is writing a new album, isn’t blogging about writing songs for her new album.”
Ulp. Touche, Christine!
So, life changes keep coming for me at a quick pace: I’ve decided to cut back on that day job — heading back to the freelance writing life to earn my keep — and am also planning to start a Pilates teacher-training program, something I’ve become very passionate about. And I’m super-excited about my new CD, which will include 5 or 6 new original tunes that have all been written since I started the blog (including one called “Winter’s Come Around Again” which was part of our first Songwriting Challenge!) and will be released hopefully in September.
And, in the spirit of “a girl has the right to change her mind” as well as in celebration of one year of SongwritingScene.com, I hereby say that I plan on continuing the blog! I’m also hoping to run a second annual SongwritingScene.com guerrilla showcase at NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance). But, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up with the idea of doing that newsletter that some of you subscribed to…I have to think about that!
I will keep you all updated on my writing and recording and the universe of songwriting and hope you will do the same for me. I certainly hope you’ll keep reading and staying challenged with your songwriting!
Cheers…
