hopefully this tongue-in-cheek video about how to fail at music challenges makes someone chuckle (there may or may not be actual helpful creative advice if you do the opposite of everything I say. YMMV) #RPMChallenge
https://youtu.be/FgUNPQON6RM

Another Screwy Day

Today is Thursday and much like yesterday and the day before it is turning out to be a screwy day. Fun.

I overslept this morning. I had a bunch of things I wanted to do before the work day started and then I overslept and screwed up all of my plans. I did get the big things in, my day’s worth of goofy exercise, breakfast, routine stuff like that, and I managed to sneak in a little bit of guitar playing. I put rhythm guitars onto one RPM Challenge song. Not much but better than nothing.

We got a little snow last night. Probably less than an inch. The snow turned into rain and now we have a driveway covered in a nightmare of slush. At some point later today the temperature is going to drop and that nightmare of slush is going to turn into a nightmare of ice and I don’t know if I am going to have time to clear any of it before it freezes. I am super happy about that. Really. There’s not an ounce of sarcasm here. I am thrilled to the teeth by this potential outcome*.

It’s not even noon yet and the work day has been just as crazy as yesterday. Not bad, but a weird combination of hectic and frustrating. It’s looking like tomorrow will be similar, but after that things should settle again. Here’s hoping at least.

In closing, here’s a few guitar pictures from this morning because I am insane.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54324874621/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54325281160/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54325099104/in/datetaken/

*Contrary to the above statement, I was in fact being sarcastic. Extremely sarcastic. My words were dripping with venomous sarcasm. Just call me a sarcasm machine.

#365 #365Challenge #365Project #dailySchedule #Guitar #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #oversleep #overslept #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #RpmChallenge #rpm2025 #schedule #Sleep #SongWriting #work #z5

On the Hunt

The cats are hunting their little toy mice right now. Well, Robin is hunting. Lily is watching and clearly being very judgmental. Oh well. They played nicely together earlier. It was nice.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54317564988/in/datetaken/

I had a musical idea tonight. What if I shoot for 20 songs this year (I always shoot for 20 songs during the February RPM Challenge) and have 10 of them be electric guitar focused, and 10 be acoustic guitar focused? I could try to do that. I’ll probably follow that plan for a few days and then just make it all electric anyway. That’s what usually happens when I try to get clever. Let’s see what happens.

It Was Just a Matter of Time

May 8, 2021. The musical nerd moment I lived today has been inevitable since May 8, 2021. On that day, my 50th birthday, my beloved bride bought me the best birthday present ever. A new guitar. A Gibson Les Paul Standard 50’s. Since that day I have been living the life of a glutton who owns two, that’s right, two Gibson Les Pauls. I’ve had a Les Paul Custom since 1990, and now I have two. From that day on it has been inevitable that I was going to be a total nerd and record some music with the guitar parts doubled using both Les Pauls together.

Today became that day, of course. I put rhythm guitars onto five RPM Challenge songs. In each case, the guitar coming out of the left speaker is my Les Paul Custom and the guitar coming out of the right speaker is my Les Paul Standard.

Yeah… nerd.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314748814/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314762328/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315308744/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314195197/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315307919/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54314195117/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315319038/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315308629/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315319728/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54315504755/in/datetaken/

Anyone else attempting the #rpmchallenge this year?

New EP. I recorded this in the month of February for the RPM Challenge. I went into it with a plan to work with one method I came up with a while ago, but then realized I could extend another method I've used in the past, so I had to try that a lot. I did a lot more "hand on" editing of waveforms than I usually do (I generally try to get code to do all the work). And it was fun, though my ears are very tired. On Bandcamp and Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/matthew-m-conroy/sets/b-lloon-s-1 https://matthewmconroy.bandcamp.com/album/b-lloon-s

My #RPMChallenge album for 2024 is now available on a pay what you want basis (from £0.00 upwards). It's called "A Room With A View" and was written and recorded entirely during the month of February 2024 (which was - thankfully - slightly longer than most Februarys )

#RPM2024
https://nigenet.bandcamp.com/album/a-room-with-a-view

I played my ES-335 today with it’s new frets and it felt good. I still don’t have any calluses on the finger tips on my left hand so it was still painful as can be, but other than that it felt good. I put rhythm guitars onto the final two songs for the RPM Challenge and then I put leads on three songs. The third song was bad as I was reaching the point where the pain and rust were too much to get around. I hope to sneak in some more playing later today. I took a vacation day so I should be able to find some time. We’ll see.

Pictures!

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/02/23/fun-with-new-frets/

#365 #365Challenge #Guitar #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #Recording #RpmChallenge #rpm2024 #SongWriting #z5

I'm off to a great start for RPM 2024 with this message from Csound:

csound command: Segmentation fault

https://www.rpmchallenge.com/

Anyone on the Fedi doing the #RPMChallenge this February? #music

https://www.rpmchallenge.com/

The #RPMChallenge is done and now you can hear the results. Select tracks from artists that completed the challenge are streaming all day today, here:

https://www.rpmchallenge.com/listen-concert

I recorded my tenth(!) #RPMChallenge album this year! Called "Where Did The Time Go?", and written & recorded entirely in February 2023. It's available now on a #PayWhatYouWant basis, from £0.00 and up! I hope you enjoy it #RPM2023

https://nigenet.bandcamp.com/album/where-did-the-time-go

My 2022 #RPMChallenge album "Focussed" is now available. Written & recorded entirely in February 2022. Each track uses sounds from just one VST library (except for percussion and field recordings). Pay what you want from £0.00! I hope you enjoy it
#RPM2022
https://nigenet.bandcamp.com/album/focussed

We wrote our 3rd record this past month, released today! I'm stoked, hope you enjoy some Weezer-y vibes, Austenian humor, songs about ancient civilizations, and love... I painted the cover Lego minifigs of crs. #RPMchallenge #music #mastoArt #albumArt

https://deathandthepoetess.bandcamp.com/album/smelling-salts