Request-A-Song
Recently, I experienced a great tragedy. My main acoustic guitar, the Kay that I use for all of my gigs and final recording sessions, needed new strings. It hadn't been restrung in several months and after its use in a rather intense performance by Blake Cooper of The Instruments Band a few weeks ago, I decided to give it some new strings to have it in peak condition before recording the rhythm guitar tracks for the final version of "Steve." While tuning the strings up to pitch, the low E snapped out of place by breaking the nut of the guitar. For laymen, this is the part of the guitar near the top, where the strings sit in their respective grooves. The low E decided it needed room to stretch out and broke away for some freedom.
This left me in a tough spot. The guitar is several decades old; it belonged to my grandfather, who owned a record store in Delaware many years before I was born. I never met him, so this guitar was an inheritance of sorts, a way to maintain a connection to one of my ancestors. Initially, I was devastated. My guitar was busted, I wouldn't be able to record anything that day and it would be quite some time before I could have the instrument repaired, and I doubted that I would be comfortable playing that guitar again, always being concerned that its structural integrity was permanently damaged.
But after thinking about it, I realized that it wasn't the deathblow I initially thought it to be. The guitar, after all, had spent many years in the attic of my mom's childhood home until she had it cleaned and restrung, presenting it to me on Christmas a few years ago. The electronics never sounded great; perhaps this would be the perfect time for me to give my guitar a complete overhaul -- at the hands of professionals, of course. But I considered that I would never want this guitar to suffer some catastrophic incident again - it would be good to have another performance-ready acoustic guitar for those times when I wanted my Kay to remain safe at home. But with no job and no paycheck for a few more months, having to make a housing deposit of roughly $600 once I move to New Hampshire, and my upcoming trip to Chicago with my girlfriend, I knew that I wouldn't have enough money to cover expenses for repairs and a new guitar. That's where my creative idea came in.
Some years ago, a friend of mine, Jill Knapp, took part in a charity that involved creating a movie in forty-eight hours. This was done on LiveJournal, so people who donated could watch the event in action. Every hour, an update was posted: how much of the script had been completed, rough versions of scenes and the final product. People who donated a certain amount were able to contribute phrases and ideas for use in the movie, an enticement to dig a little deeper in the name of art and charity. For a while, I've thought doing something similar. I would spend twenty-four hours writing one song every hour. It wasn't so much to raise money, but it would be a way for me to write new songs and have an interesting experience.
But this situation has prompted me to edit my idea. Here's what I propose: Request-A-Song, a name adapted (read: stolen) from one of my favorite band's projects, They Might Be Giant's Dial-A-Song. Have you ever wanted someone to write a song about you? Have you struggled in vain to write lyrics and a melody detailing something you think deserves to be recorded? Have you always hoped I would sing about spelling naughty words with a Lite-Brite? Well, this is your chance. You can request a song about whatever topic you want -- but your creative input doesn't stop there. Choose from a list of instruments (posted on the website listed below) for me to use on the song, suggest a genre, suggest lyrics -- whatever ideas you have, give them to me and I'll make it into a song. First, I'll make a demo, then after some time has gone by -- long enough for me to be able to look at the song with a critical ear and eye -- I'll record the final version. You'll get both -- for only $1! If you'd like them on CD, I'll have to ask for a little bit more -- basically enough to cover shipping costs (unless I give it to you in person, of course).
But Request-A-Song isn't just about creating new songs. If you want a visual component, I can do that too -- for another dollar, I'll make a video for your song. Again, I'll accept any ideas you have and when it's done, I'll send it to you. Do you hate the sound of recordings, preferring the intimacy of a small performance? I'll perform your song live for you, either over the phone or in person if you are willing to pay for travel expenses and let me crash at your place if need be. (If I come play for you, I'll play more than just your song and your friends are welcome to listen too.) For each of these things, I'll ask for a dollar, but if people are willing to part with some extra money, donations would be welcome. Think of it as my own Stimulus Package, a New Deal Federal Music Project for one.
I know that I'm not going to make a ton of money, but that's really not the point anymore. I am hoping to raise some cash for repairs and a new guitar so I don't lose my life savings, but this idea is more about me coming up with something positive in response to a pretty crummy situation. If you're interested in taking part in this crusade for music, check out more details here. I hope you request a song and donate some money. Be a part of the magic.
-Paul
P.S. In case you missed it, here's the Facebook group with more details. If you don't have Facebook and want to request a song, post a comment and I'll give you the skinny. Request-A-Song: A Paul Riley Fundraiser
This left me in a tough spot. The guitar is several decades old; it belonged to my grandfather, who owned a record store in Delaware many years before I was born. I never met him, so this guitar was an inheritance of sorts, a way to maintain a connection to one of my ancestors. Initially, I was devastated. My guitar was busted, I wouldn't be able to record anything that day and it would be quite some time before I could have the instrument repaired, and I doubted that I would be comfortable playing that guitar again, always being concerned that its structural integrity was permanently damaged.
But after thinking about it, I realized that it wasn't the deathblow I initially thought it to be. The guitar, after all, had spent many years in the attic of my mom's childhood home until she had it cleaned and restrung, presenting it to me on Christmas a few years ago. The electronics never sounded great; perhaps this would be the perfect time for me to give my guitar a complete overhaul -- at the hands of professionals, of course. But I considered that I would never want this guitar to suffer some catastrophic incident again - it would be good to have another performance-ready acoustic guitar for those times when I wanted my Kay to remain safe at home. But with no job and no paycheck for a few more months, having to make a housing deposit of roughly $600 once I move to New Hampshire, and my upcoming trip to Chicago with my girlfriend, I knew that I wouldn't have enough money to cover expenses for repairs and a new guitar. That's where my creative idea came in.
Some years ago, a friend of mine, Jill Knapp, took part in a charity that involved creating a movie in forty-eight hours. This was done on LiveJournal, so people who donated could watch the event in action. Every hour, an update was posted: how much of the script had been completed, rough versions of scenes and the final product. People who donated a certain amount were able to contribute phrases and ideas for use in the movie, an enticement to dig a little deeper in the name of art and charity. For a while, I've thought doing something similar. I would spend twenty-four hours writing one song every hour. It wasn't so much to raise money, but it would be a way for me to write new songs and have an interesting experience.
But this situation has prompted me to edit my idea. Here's what I propose: Request-A-Song, a name adapted (read: stolen) from one of my favorite band's projects, They Might Be Giant's Dial-A-Song. Have you ever wanted someone to write a song about you? Have you struggled in vain to write lyrics and a melody detailing something you think deserves to be recorded? Have you always hoped I would sing about spelling naughty words with a Lite-Brite? Well, this is your chance. You can request a song about whatever topic you want -- but your creative input doesn't stop there. Choose from a list of instruments (posted on the website listed below) for me to use on the song, suggest a genre, suggest lyrics -- whatever ideas you have, give them to me and I'll make it into a song. First, I'll make a demo, then after some time has gone by -- long enough for me to be able to look at the song with a critical ear and eye -- I'll record the final version. You'll get both -- for only $1! If you'd like them on CD, I'll have to ask for a little bit more -- basically enough to cover shipping costs (unless I give it to you in person, of course).
But Request-A-Song isn't just about creating new songs. If you want a visual component, I can do that too -- for another dollar, I'll make a video for your song. Again, I'll accept any ideas you have and when it's done, I'll send it to you. Do you hate the sound of recordings, preferring the intimacy of a small performance? I'll perform your song live for you, either over the phone or in person if you are willing to pay for travel expenses and let me crash at your place if need be. (If I come play for you, I'll play more than just your song and your friends are welcome to listen too.) For each of these things, I'll ask for a dollar, but if people are willing to part with some extra money, donations would be welcome. Think of it as my own Stimulus Package, a New Deal Federal Music Project for one.
I know that I'm not going to make a ton of money, but that's really not the point anymore. I am hoping to raise some cash for repairs and a new guitar so I don't lose my life savings, but this idea is more about me coming up with something positive in response to a pretty crummy situation. If you're interested in taking part in this crusade for music, check out more details here. I hope you request a song and donate some money. Be a part of the magic.
-Paul
P.S. In case you missed it, here's the Facebook group with more details. If you don't have Facebook and want to request a song, post a comment and I'll give you the skinny. Request-A-Song: A Paul Riley Fundraiser