It shouldn't be that long a road really. Its only been a few weeks. When I say it's what I should be doing it's only really me saying that. It's not an official position. I'm not working for an orchestra or royal court. I'm in a couple of 'bands' and could produce work for them. That's maybe the way back.

I'm short on sleep courtesy of my internet/computer addiction which is not new. Crypto's not a new pastime either and since there's been little profit here in the last year I could also leave that. Writing or blogging still feels good however. So... music...

Ted Gioia, the Honest Broker and prolific Substack scribe, sent me an email on the magical and spiritual roots of music. It makes sense to me. So why do I struggle with it so? Because I struggle with magic and I struggle with spirituality? Maybe. That would also make sense.

I play a few tunes early in my awake hours today. If music be magic, there is naturally some magical function to merely playing a record, CD, MP3 file or audio stream. I played some that felt right to me today. They don't always work the magic with me but today was quite good. And not too high or volatile in mood which can often be (fun but) problematic. Bob Dylan, Catatonia, Charlatans, Madonna, Oasis, Fatboy Slim, The Streets and Stevie Wonder. Songs of my white boy youth. But magical.

And now I'm on a train (without music), wondering whether to take a slight upper (Pro Plus) or downer (Diazepam) and still on a path in between. I like thinking about music but making it is still a mystery. It's just strange. I have ideas. Like, while listening to the Stevie Wonder I was wondering if it's just making a line with groove i.e. beats that make you tap your feet. Or making a number of these lines and then seeing if they interact. Which is the basic principle behind Ableton Live, my DAW of choice. Melodies come into it and movement of the song and yeah I lose my way...

So I lose my way making music and after a few months and many attempts at this losing my way I end up focusing on other stuff... reading, writing and accounting satoshis for fun or (once upon a time...) toilet seats for Ideal Standard, it doesn't much matter. Good to know the magic is still out there anyway.

Upper I reckon 🙂