Unsung melodies

If I were an animal, I think I would be a monkey.

Not because I like monkeys. But tonight as I was watching the BYU songwriters’ showcase, I realized that I’m very much an imitator.

Not because I copy others’ work. Rather, whenever I see something creative, I feel inspired — nay, compelled — to try my hand at the same thing, whatever it is. So tonight, I was itching at the bit to write more songs, and not just anything, but songs with passion, songs to be belted, songs that could be on Broadway. Those are the songs I want to write. To date all of my music has been like little toy soldiers marching along to the oh-so-uniform beat, fitting almost perfectly into the box of the meter and the bar lines. Mechanical rather than organic. (Tangent: the songwriter’s showcase was quite good. I was really impressed with the songs themselves and with the performances. There’s another showcase Tuesday night which I’m planning to attend as well, and this one should be even better.)

Granted, I haven’t written a song in two years, and I haven’t composed a piano piece in five or six. I was younger then (it’s a nice excuse, isn’t it ;)), and I’ve learned a lot in these past few years. Not having a piano in my apartment has been the ostensible reason for not composing or songwriting, but that’s weak sauce. I didn’t have a piano when I wrote that one song two years ago. Besides, my roommate has a guitar. And I know how to read and write sheet music, so I really don’t have any excuses.

Except time. And not even that, since I obviously find time for other things. (But I will have a heck of a lot more time starting next month when I graduate. I can’t wait!) I’ve neglected music for too long, other than intermittent gigs accompanying people on the piano (like at the stake music fireside last month, and tomorrow I’m playing at a baptism). But no longer.

(And yes, this is somewhat of a rambling post.)

Right now perhaps the most exciting thing to me, songwritingly, is the marriage of vocals and melody. Instrumentals can be great, but I absolutely love the human voice. It’s uncannily electric. And lyrics are a cousin to poetry, which is in my blood. (We won’t ask what that makes poetry. :P)

Anyway, I’m going to start writing songs again. And have I mentioned that I’m getting ready to start drawing a comic strip? I’ve been doodling ideas for it in my classes for the past handful of days. At first I thought it was folly, but somehow my doodles are ending up looking less like a two year old’s and more like something that could be in a comic. Of course there’s the struggle to find things to say, particularly funny ones (by comic strip I should clarify that I mean the funnies, ala Dilbert and Pearls Before Swine, not necessarily a narrative comic strip or graphic novel). We’ll see how it goes.

And history! I’ve been aching to read up on history for the last while. There’s so much I don’t know — so many uncharted paths to follow, so many things to learn and experience. In a world like this, it’s hard to be bored.

Haha, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this, or how many times I’m going to say it in the future, but I know what you mean. Movies like Finding Forrester and Finding Neverland make me want to write, for example. Well, Finding Forrester makes me want to write on a typewriter, and Finding Neverland makes me want to write children’s stories in my journal. Reading Fahrenheit 451 makes me want to read and write. And sometimes I see a movie or hear a song on the radio that makes me head to the piano or pick up my guitar. Sometimes, strangely enough, a movie or something will make me want to live a life of danger as a secret agent who saves the world with my special skills. Thankfully, I never try to live that one out…I just think about it for a week and maybe even write something down about it. :)

P.S. I decided, at your suggestion, to start a blog of my own. I have no idea if I’ll be as regular as you are, but I figured it’s worth trying. Take a look! www.xanga.com/theRunestone

p.p.s. when you were first talking about being a monkey and imitating people, I thought you meant you like to mimic people. I have a tendency to do that, for comical effect. For a second, I thought it wasn’t just me and my mom :)
Example: the other night, I was walking home and was waiting to cross at an intersection. Two girls were kitty-corner from me, obviously out running, in their cute little jogging outfits, kind of dancing/jogging in place to keep their blood moving. I couldn’t help myself; they looked so Jane Fonda gone Happy Valley, that I started dancing too. My cousin said I was mean. I’m laughing just typing about it. I don’t know if they saw me.

LOL, mimicking people is a skill I need to practice more at. I do accents (on occasion), but that’s the extent so far. It’ll be my summer hobby… (Even though I’d be petrified to get up on a stage, I think there’s an actor inside of me just waiting to get out. We’ll see.)

And yes, I too feel like being a secret agent whenever I watch an action-adventure movie. I’m subscribed to your blog, now, by the way — keep posting!