quadrant5

I'm surprised at how few people prefer computers over pen and paper. I too prefer using a pencil and paper. This is because I am easily distracted and my computer is full of distractions, and I hate reading something from a computer screen (which sucks as a computer science major...). I do like to use software like Guitar pro, just to capture a riff before I lose it, and Microsoft Word for spelling and sometimes grammar within the lyrics. ~Daniel~

I do nothing after I write them. I have tried recording, but I always have trouble with timing and adding multiple instruments (I'm a one man band, so I (try to) do everything). I also cannot sing, so even if I get all the instruments "down", that's as far as it would get. Maybe if I get some instruments recorded, I could get Mr. Bieber's contact information from Tom and I could have Justin sing them for me... ~Daniel~

I am in no way an expert... Remember that if something sounds like complete nonsense, because it likely is. As someone who frequently uses facebook, I really hate it when people and groups post tons of stuff and it clutters my "wall" ("homepage" or whatever you want to call it). As soon as I see another post from that person or group, I usually grumble, utter a few profanities, then pass it over. The next thing that bothers me is the sheer lack of creativity in some posts. Don't just post a link, make something a little flashy (but not too much so) that demands (positive) attention. I guess what I am saying is that you need to be aggressive, but don't come across as a spammer (for lack of a better word). If we move back a little bit, we can look at the product (the music and the video). Like you said, you need to make high quality music, and a high quality video. You must also take into consideration how interesting it is (what is the point of catching someone's attention with an advertisement if the product can't hold the audience). Again, I am no expert, so hopefully someone with more experience can drop in and give some better insight. Oh, almost forgot to mention, I checked out your soundcloud page and really enjoyed what you have up there. Looking forward to the EP. ~Daniel~

I myself, am not a doctor, so I cannot say. If you suffer from acid reflux, chances are that something has been irritated, any cold medicine may have also had an effect. As to whether or not it is permanent, I will not say as I just don't know. The best thing would be to wait until the doctor tells you what is happening, meaning don't sing or use your voice aggressively (not using it at all would be extreme, but could go a long way). If there is something permanent, there may be therapies, furthering the damages will only hinder your progress. Also, honey is supposedly good for sore throats, and it tastes good too. This site has some tips for lubrication of your throat, I don't know if it's credible or not, but you can take a look and see what you think: http://isabellasnow.hubpages.com/hub/Tips-For-Singers-and-Public-Speakers-Throat-Lubrication- Again, a diagnosis from a medical professional will provide the definitive answer. If it's just aggravated acid reflux or something that is remaining from the cold (which can happen), the best solution would be laying off the voice, just let it recuperate. If it is something permanent, there may be therapies to lessen the burden, but it all depends on the what and the severity. I wish you all the best, Daniel

I think it's a great idea. The only suggestion I would make would have been wait awhile and get a know for the people here and let them get to know you better (participating more frequently in the boards and shoutbox would be a good start). Such a reputation would likely attract more people to this challenge. About the rules, how do you plan on finding the "best lyrical piece"? Just wondering. Best of luck with this competition.

I love the bass solo in "Maxwell Murder" by Rancid. I love it even more when they do live shows and Matt Freeman goes insane with it. I have no reason's why I enjoy it so much, I just do

I lol'd a little bit. To me, genre is defined by the music. Let's use religious again. It really isn't it's own genre, it creates sub-categories in other genres (christian rock for example which has a rock sound to it) because people don't want it played on mainstream pop/ rock stations because they (mainstream pop-tards) hate god. If we look back at country, we can use Taylor Swift as an example of how lyrics mean nothing (as to genre). She has songs on country and pop radio. How surprised was I to hear "Love Story" on the local rock/ pop station. What was the differnce? The music, it had more of a synthetic sound to it as opposed to the country version which sounds more like real instrumentation. Now I wanna make my own examples: My all time favorite band, Green Day. Are they punk or not? For the most part, their (Insomniac era) music can be described as stripped down. It was considered punk. 21st Century breakdown is more, well, sophisticated (for lack of a better term) and is therefore considered to be pop-punk. Punk is considered to have stripped down instrumentation and political themed lyrics. Insomniac isn't really political, where 21st Century Breakdown was. What does this say? Meu-zac auw duh wae beh-beh *cringes* Saying that lyrics hold no merit towards genre is extreme, and I'll try and correct myself with this thought. Lyrics can have a certain feel when presented on their own. "Fall To Pieces" by Avril Lavigne, for example. These lyrics, to me, could be taken the pop route which she took or it could be a country like song similar to something Taylor Swift may do. This is just my opinion which I myself don't take seriously.

She supposedly does some lyrical work, so I'd have to say Mette Lindberg from The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. Why do I love her? She has an amazing voice, she's beautiful, funny and intelligent. 'Nuff said. Oh, you mean lyrically? Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day. I like to think back to their first two albums. Songs like "Going To Pasalacqua", a song about overcoming obstacles in a relationship ("Pasalacqua" was supposedly a funeral home in the area that the members of the band grew up in, so could the aforementioned obstacle be death?). "80", the line "80 please keep taking me away" in a song about young love (80 is taken to mean an 80 ounce alcoholic beverage by the general population. Billie Joe's wife's name is Adrianne. The name Billie Joe sometimes calls her by? "Adie". Draw a connection?). After Billie Joe and his (now) wife shared their first kiss, Billie Joe went home and wrote the song "2000 Lightyears Away" about how he felt afterwards. From the chorus: "She holds my malachite so tight so never let go" (Malachite is a green copper carbonate mineral. Billies Joe's eyes? Green). These corny little things make me love each song so much more every time I hear the songs.

Mette Lindberg 'Nuff said. Okay, why do I say she's my favorite singer/ songwriter? She's got a captivating voice (drives me up the wall with lust), her lyrics (co-lyricist really, does she still count?) are amazing, she is beautiful, she's not one of those morons you see on late night TV who is completely ignorant to others in their own part of the world as well as other. Did I mention she's beautiful. [sigh] [/sigh]

Sorry, but it's just me. lol To the question at hand, I would have to say that I write in phases. I started out writing love songs for my friend's sister. Then, once I realized that I could (lyricly speaking) write and entire album in two months (the longest summer break of my life up to that point), I decided I wanted to try and broaden my spectrum (pardon me ladies). Seeing as I was on a "21st Century Breakdown" craze, it only made sense to make a pop/punk opera (it failed by the way). Then I started getting into acoustic songs, and one cool winter night, the dog was barking at something and I went out to take a look (damn foxes), and as I was heading back into the house, I happened to glance up and notice the beauty of the little dots on the Earth's ceiling. I ran inside and wrote a song called "Starry Nights". So now I'm on an Indie acoustic kick right now. Does the idea of different sounds on an album pose a problem... So long as you have them aimed at a specific genre, it shouldn't be an issue, but putting a metal song as track two with a country at number one and pop on the other end in third, you may get some people who complain. At the same time, you don't want everything to sound too similar, or else people will likely get board, so switching it up a bit isn't a bad idea. I guess it really comes down to how you release it, if you start your own web site all by your lonesome and let people download (free or at a cost is up to you) your tunes from there, you'll be fine (so long as you advertise properly). If you're on a label, then your producer and someone from the label will likely be there to say what to use and what to hold. I'm anything but a pro, I like Tom write as a hobby, so my input is merely a shot in the dark (pardon the cliche). In the end, I too hope that someone who knows what he/ she is talking about comes along and gives you some help, and I wish you well in creating your album.

A couple things I found questionable: Do you use nylon strings? Looping a string around itself at the bridge with a steel string would be more likely to break in a short period of time. An important note to add, NEVER kink a string. I did that once, and as soon as I tightened it, snap. I don't think the gauge effects the sound so log as you tune it properly, the main difference is how your fingers handle having to press harder or softer depending on whether you go higher or lower gauge. The low E string (the fat one) on my electric guitar is comparable to that of the D string (comparing to G seemed like a bad idea) on my acoustic, but when they are tuned, they are E and D. Tune it, don't just tighten it until you can play it. You can get free digital tuners for your computer, I don't remember where, but I had one awhile back and never used it because I only had an acoustic and it was a pain in the butt. You can also get a proper tuner from a music store. I don't know if there is a proper time to change strings, I usually change them when one or more is broken or if they look worn or rusty. I'd imagine if you keep loosing the proper tuning frequently, then they might need to be changed also.