Musician seeking inspiration and community.

[Michael Blaustein]

I am 54 years old, and I wish to start writing songs. 

 

I have been bouncing ideas off Chat-GPT, as well as binge watching great TV series, and it is really boosting my creativity. 

 

I picked up the guitar at 21, and within months I was playing and singing at an open mic with my friend Eric Solomon in a band called Huft.  In 1995, I busked my way through Europe and the Middle East for 11 months.  I was in a band called "The Jaywalkers" in 2007 which performed in many different clubs throughout NYC.  I musically directed a production of Sweeney Todd in Williamsport, PA, and I played one of the lead roles in a local production of the musical Spamalot. 

 

I love Sondheim, The Beatles, Bach, Coltrane, Led Zep, The Who, Stevie Wonder, Radiohead and Steely Dan. 

 

I think life can be pretty bizarre, and I like pointing it out to people, like showing them a constellation they've never seen before, and I like to do it in subtle ways, and I like to make people think about language, and what the hell does any of this mean?  I love teamwork, like when the third baseman makes a throw in the dirt and the first baseman picks it up clean, like improv games, or everyone stopping on the same beat at the end of a song.

[john]

Hey Michael

 

Great to meet you! Welcome to Songstuff

 

What ambitions do you have for your music now? I don’t mean ‘become famous’, though if that is your jam, that is cool too. I mean specifically the music part of the equation

[Michael Blaustein]

Hi John.  Thank you for the warm welcome.  I see we have some musical influence overlap. 😀

Well, let's see.  I would like to collaborate, since I love teamwork.  I have played acoustic guitar my whole life, I would like to start to use current tech to make music.  I would like to write lyrics, and maybe even delve into composition.  That's a lot, so I think I'll leave it there for now.  Thanks for asking, it feels good to articulate my desires like that.

 

Here's some lyrics I posted for review:

 

Edited November 22, 2023 by Michael Blaustein

[Peggy]

Welcome to Songstuff, Michael!

[Mahesh]

Welcome aboard Michael! Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Radiohead - I dig those influences and consider them  to have played a role in my music journey as well! Do you have any videos of you playing guitar that you could share? Just getting to know ya!

[Michael Blaustein]

Thank you Mahesh.  Thank you Peggy.  I appreciate the welcome.

 

I have one video from 12 years ago.  It is more a showcase of my vocals than my guitar, though.  I think some parts of it are pretty good.  Not sure I really had the stamina at that time for the song I chose.  

 

Anyway, thank you for the invitation to show this video.  I just bought Ableton today, it is the first time I've used a digital songwriting tool since Fruity Loops like 20 years ago.  It's got me pretty excited.

 

 

[john]

4 hours ago, Michael Blaustein said:

Hi John.  Thank you for the warm welcome.  I see we have some musical influence overlap. 😀

Well, let's see.  I would like to collaborate, since I love teamwork.  I have played acoustic guitar my whole life, I would like to start to use current tech to make music.  I would like to write lyrics, and maybe even delve into composition.  That's a lot, so I think I'll leave it there for now.  Thanks for asking, it feels good to articulate my desires like that.

 

Here's some lyrics I posted for review:

 

 

Articulating them is a great first step towards manifesting them

 

I’ll check out your lyrics