Author: Heath

05
Apr
2010
23:56

Metamorphoses

I used to live my life utterly and completely honestly and openly on the internet. I blogged about everything, good, bad or ugly. My life was an open book for anyone to read. I enjoy being a completely open, honest person with no boundaries and I still live extremely openly on the net but sometime last year I changed a little bit. I started keeping a lot of the darker, more painful or negative things out of public view. I’m not sure what exactly changed, I just know that I decided there were some things that I just didn’t necessarily want to spew onto the web any more.

I think there are several layers to this, one being that I really want to be a positive person, and I believe what you put out into the world is what you will get back. Maybe it’s also because, while I still talk to friends in private about anything I need to, I don’t think the world at large necessarily wants to here me whine, complain and be all emo. During this process, I’ve found that being forcefully (and sometimes slightly falsely) positive about something, actually does make me feel happier and more positive in reality. That was something good to learn!

It’s also made it harder in some ways when things have been going on. The open part of me wants to share and be honest and cry out but it just doesn’t feel right any more. That’s something to do in private with those close to me. Part of me misses the days when I would share that, but I do think I’m overall happier in my new skin.

It’s been a year of a lot of changes. I’m still dealing with a whole lot of things in life, but I always try to remember as I’m going to bed that in the grand scheme of things, my life is charmed and I’m a hell of a lucky guy. And every now and then, I get a glimpse of something that shows me that I’ve taken a step closer to being the person I want to be.

30
Mar
2010
16:54

Imitation

Why replication?
Knowledge through imitation
Study from the best

30
Mar
2010
16:51

Education Through Imitation

I’ve recorded a handful of cover songs by various artists. Some were my own original take on a song such as “Tomorrow Never Knows“, “Kiss The Girl” and “Boys Of Summer” and some were painstakingly faithful reproductions such as “Because“. Some people may wonder, “Why bother re-recording someone else’s song? Especially if you’re not doing anything original but just meticulously copying the original artist.” Sometimes it’s a bit of a hybrid such as “Eleanor Rigby” which faithfully reproduces all the individual parts but replaces the string quartet with all guitars instead.

My newest cover is mostly a faithful reproduction of Butch Walker’s “Ships In A Bottle” with a little bit of my own flavor in it. I think Butch is one of the best singer/songwriters making music today so why do my own version? Well for one, it’s a tribute to him. Secondly, it’s just fun. And thirdly it’s amazingly educational. Breaking down a song, finding all the little hidden parts and nuances, listening to how it’s mixed, the effects used, the equalization across the frequency spectrum, and all the million little details of a recording educates me through osmosis. I learn to be a better producer, engineer, and songwriter not to mention honing my playing and singing chops.

These songs are only available to stream at the moment because I’m still working my way through learning the legalities and such of covering other people’s music, therefore, while I have bought some limited rights to these songs, I don’t feel comfortable offering them for download, much less for sale. If you like my versions, I highly encourage you to go out and buy the original artists’ recordings of them! Thanks for listening!

19
Mar
2010
0:04

Falling Away

A song resonates
Speaks to the depths of your soul
Then you must sing it

15
Mar
2010
18:03

Perfectionism

Never good enough
I’m my own harshest critic
Learn to be content

15
Mar
2010
18:01

“Vampires In Love”

Performing “Vampires In Love” by The Marvelous 3

I’m finding doing these videos fun but also enlightening. It feels a bit like performing naked. Just me, a guitar and a camera. It’s very much a feeling of being “under the microscope”. It’s not like when I record and can take my time and get things just right to my satisfaction and it’s also not like performing live where there’s the energy of the crowd and the venue and lights and all that. So in general I find myself not entirely happy with what gets recorded. It’s very humbling. However, hopefully doing these videos will improve me as a musician and performer. The important thing is that I’m doing something and not sitting on my ass thinking about doing something. And I have all of you to thank. Seeing my Facebook page jump up to 200+ fans was inspiring and the feedback I get from you and knowing that there’s at least a handful of people who care enough to to watch these means a lot to me. Music is somewhat symbiotic. Of course I do it for myself, but if no one cared or wanted to listen to me, I think it would lose a lot of it’s magic. I think almost all performers do it, at least to some degree, to entertain other people.

14
Mar
2010
21:36

Fan Mail

Such glowing, high praise
A dedication to you
I mean, really *smile*