Category Archives: Creativity

Articles about creativity

CD Project Update #8 – Electric Guitar Overdubs, The Fun Begins

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The recording session went very well yesterday however, I wasn’t quite prepared for the time it was going to take to get things done. Right now, it seems like it’s going to take forever to complete this CD.

In a 6 hour period Darren and I only completed one and a half songs and I was really feeling the frustration early on in the day after being so used to the immediacy of live music. I tell you the temptation to just say “yeah, that’s good enough” on any particular guitar track we recorded was high on my list but I remained strong.

I’m glad that we’re taking the time to get this part of the recording process just right.

We arrived at the studio at 9:30am started recording at around 10:30am after Darren finished setting up all of his guitars and amps that he and I were going to use for the day.

We started off proceedings with Billboard Angel

Overkill? I think NOT!

A nice rack

Once we finished Billboard Angel we had pizza for lunch thanks to Fat Pizza and Yiros (staple studio food) and by 2:30pm we started on the second song Back Of My Mind finishing up at around 4pm.

Anthony Stewart loves his pizza

Darren Zaza

I learnt a lot about patience and tolerance yesterday but I also started to learn the fine art of music production and how to use the recording studio as a separate musical instrument. It’s amazing what you can do to change the overall ambience of a song through the layering of sounds on top of one another.

By the end of the day I was absolutely worn out due to the amount of listening and concentration that was put into the session but somehow I had to get home and get ready to run the Open Mic @ The Dan that night.

The recording madness continues next Wednesday…

Peace,

Corey :)

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CD Project Update #7 – Recording Starts Again!

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Me @ Industrial Records Studio 1980
Image by Chris_Carter_ via Flickr

This Wednesday (September 8th) I go back into the studio again and start putting down electric guitar tracks with my good friend Darren Zaza and after almost 4 weeks of not recording I can safely say that I’ve really missed the studio.

I know that at the beginning of my CD Project Updates I said that “…at times the recording process felt a little disjointed” but I’m now getting used to the layered nature of the recording process. I can see why some musicians want to stop gigging and just record music.

What I’m beginning to love about the recording process is embracing the elements of the unknown that exist between what ideas I have in my head and the end result of an overdub.

You really don’t know what is going to happen until you do record the take and that to me, is really exciting.

I’ve also decided on what I’m going to do with the 16 songs that you can still hear on my CD Project page, I’m going to use all of them but, there’s still an opportunity for you all to have a say in what’s going on.

I’ve been asked by SCALA (Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association) to submit a song for their upcoming CD release in a couple of months time so one of the 16 songs will be a “SCALA Exclusive.”

I’ve narrowed down my choice to 3 songs

Billboard Angel

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Don’t Turn To Me Now

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Girl Like You

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Have a listen and let me know which song should be the “SCALA Exclusive.”

As for the other 15 songs, I’ve decided to use all of them because I simply can’t choose which ones to leave out and all of the opinions that you’ve put through to me point to that very conclusion as well.

Barring any recording disasters or acts of God, “Out With The Old And In With The New” will be a 15 track CD project and that’s okay, I’m very happy with that outcome.

I’m proud of what I’ve done so far and I’m looking forward to continuing on with the recording on Wednesday.

Now, on to working out how to sell this CD…

Peace,

Corey :)

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Guitar Tuition With Corey Stewart

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A variety of guitar picks

Image via Wikipedia

After many, many enquiries from interested folks I’ve finally decided to get back into teaching guitar again.

What does this all mean for you?

Well, have you ever wanted to:

  • Play the guitar but you didn’t know where to start?
  • Seek out and learn your favourite songs on guitar?
  • Write more songs using the guitar as a songwriting tool?
  • Learn more chords and get more out of your guitar?
  • Play your guitar for relaxation or, maybe as a profession one day?

If you said YES to any of these questions then consider me as your guitar teacher.

As well as being a songwriter I have also been a guitarist for just over 25 years and I reckon in that time I’ve picked up a thing or two about playing the guitar and how to get the best out of it. My experiences and what I’ve learnt on my journey is what you will learn from me.

You’ll also learn everything you need to pick up your guitar and play your favourite song, jam with others, expand on your own chordal and theoretical knowledge or write your own songs using the guitar as your primary songwriting tool.

Each lesson will be customised for you and for the goals you want to achieve, whether it be to play for relaxation or as a step towards playing music as a profession.

You’ll learn at your own pace with someone who is patient, understanding and very knowledgeable.

That would be me!

To make a booking or for more information about my fees and/or what I can do for you and your guitar playing please contact me.

Peace,

Corey :)

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Judging SCALA’s FOOM Song Competition

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I have the privilege of being one of the judges for this years SCALA FOOM (Festival Of Original Music) Song Competition and I’m having a great time doing it.

I’ve already judged one of the live heats a couple of weeks ago and at the moment I’ve shortlisted some songs in the demo section of the competition ready for another listen or two to determine a winner and some highly commended and commended songs.

I love being a songwriting judge because I get to give back to the songwriting community in the way of constructive feedback.

Even through some songs grab me more than others, I always learn something new about my own songwriting in general or, of the songwriter themselves through their songs and its that experience that I value so highly.

Some people have criticised FOOM (and songwriting competitions in general) in the past saying that there’s no room for competition in songwriting or, in fact any artistic endeavour. While I can see their point of view I can also see how the existence of songwriting contests can be of great benefit for some songwriters.

Sometimes a sense of purpose and/or a deadline to work towards can spark amazing feats of creativity in a songwriter and if FOOM or any other song competition can become a catalyst for the creation of new songs then how can that be a bad thing? FOOM gives the songwriter a unique chance to get really concise and constructive feedback on their songs which they can then use to improve their craft.

This feedback is meant to be taken for what it is, thoughts and observations coming from a place of love and respect for the songwriter, the song and the creative process as a whole. It’s not to be taken personally.

The giving of feedback is the thing I take very seriously and it’s something I’d like to see more of as a way of helping songwriters become better at their craft in general.

Peace,

Corey :)

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SCALA – I’m A Member And You Should Be Too

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For those of you who don’t know, SCALA stands for Songwriters, Composers and Lyricists Association and it was formed in 1987 which makes 2010 its 23rd year of helping songwriters be the best they can be.

I’ve been a proud member of since 1992.

My first ever solo show was at SCALA. It was a Wednesday night, July 29th, 1992 at the Duke Of Brunswick Hotel and I clearly remember how intensely nervous I was.

As a result of those nerves getting the better of me that night I put in a terrible show and afterwards, I was ready to give up (yes I was that bad) except for the amazing support and encouragement of SCALA’s president Rob Childs and the rest of the crew.

I would even go further to say that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today if it wasn’t for the existence of SCALA in my life. Period!

Over the years I have seen SCALA develop into an organisation that really has the development of emerging songwriters as its primary focus. It provides for its members:

Not bad for an organisation running on limited funds and with virtually no volunteer base for the past 23 years.

For a number of years now, I’ve been a member of the SCALA board as well as a resident songwriting judge for its FOOM (Festival Of Original Music) song competitions. I relish in the opportunity to give back to SCALA what it had originally given to me when I was first starting out.

Time, effort and support, the very things that SCALA can give to you now, if you decided to become a member.

I don’t get any money for promoting SCALA, I’m just writing this because I really do believe in the power of community and the grassroots support for the next generation of talented songwriters and artists out there. I mean, my own efforts in running the Open Mic Network has been largely inspired by my involvement with SCALA.

The more I walk on my musical path, the more I realise that we are all in this music business thing together and organisations like SCALA just make the journey a little easier for those who choose to take that first step.

Peace,

Corey :)

PS: Here are some SCALA links for you to check out – Website | Facebook | MySpace | Twitter

CD Project Update #6 – Acoustic Guitar Tracks Done!

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The last couple of days have been very, very busy on the recording front.

All of the acoustic guitar tracks are now done and in my possession is a CD with the all of the songs recorded so far. just the guide vocals, bass, drums and acoustic guitar. All I need to do now is burn a copy of the songs for the other musicians.

I’m in the process of putting the updated songs up on the CD Project page but in the meantime, here are some photos for you to check out

The Studio Setup

Another Angle (with Anthony’s De Gruchy in the background)

As it stands at the moment, recording wont start again until the beginning of September because Anthony Stewart (owner of Red Brick Music) will be away for the rest of August as he is a guitarist for hire in his own right and will be busy touring.

This will give the other musicians (Darren Zaza on electric guitar and Victor Oria on keys) time to work out what parts they will be playing plus, the time away from the studio will also allow me to finalise the songs for the CD.

By all means though, keep the feedback on what songs you’d like to hear on the CD coming. It’s really helping.

Peace,

Corey :)

Everybody Has A Story – A Song

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This song first started out as a musical idea inspired by me mucking around on the piano which I then hammered out on Logic. Adrian and I then nutted out the lyrics in a separate 3 hour session.

The interesting thing about this songs writing process is that it wasn’t until the very end when we stumbled upon the song title that both Adrian and I knew roughly what the song was about.

There were many times that we both stared blankly into the computer screen not knowing where to go to next however, we triumphed and this is the end result…

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Everybody Has A Story
© 2010 C. Stewart/A. Miller

Somewhere in someone else’s story
I had a minor part to play
I was the kid standing on the corner
Watching the passing parade

Nobody noticed me
Nobody noticed me, but I was there

Where am I when the spotlights shining?
I’m a thousand miles away
I’m the guy standing in the shadows
When they’re handing out accolades

Nobody notices
Nobody notices, but I am there
Nobody notices
Nobody notices, but I am there

I may not be famous, stand out in a crowd
Or shout from the rooftops, noisy and proud
But this is my story and I want you to know
What is important and what can be let go
Stop what you’re doing, a moment or two
I’ll tell you something that I think is true
The more that you listen the sooner you’ll see
That everybody has a story, yes, even me

Someday in another lifetime
On any given day
You might ask me what I was doing
What it was that I had to say

Did you notice me?
Did you notice me? While I was there
Did you notice me?
Did you notice me? While I was there

Everyone does have a story to tell, we just need to take the time to listen to it.

Peace,

Corey :)

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CD Project Update #5 – Two Songs Culled, Four To Go

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First of all I want to thank all of you who submitted feedback to me regarding what songs I should keep on my CD and what songs I should leave behind. Your suggestions are very valuable and have given me some food for thought.

So far I’ve decided to drop “All Good Things (Must Come To An End)” off the list. This is my guide recording of the song with a click wasn’t as accurate as first though and therefore, the song hasn’t gelled with the other instruments in the recording process.

It sounds really weird and it messes with your head (just ask Tim about it).

The second song I’m thinking of leaving behind is “The Long Drive Home” because I misinterpreted the BPM for the guide track and hence it was recorded way too slow.

Talk about dragging…

I do however, love the song (especially the lyrics) plus, a few of you have said that you’d like to hear it on the CD so I may just do a piano and voice version when Victor’s in the studio next and see how that goes.

Hmmm, I feel paralysed by having too much choice sometimes. In the meantime, keep the feedback flowing.

Peace,

Corey :)

CD Project Update #4 – Bass Tracks Complete

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Green tick
Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday I completed all the bass tracks and they are sounding very, very tight. I love the sound of bass and kick drum working as one.

The next step is replacing the acoustic guitar guide tracks with the proper acoustic guitar tracks.

This will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week and once done, I’ll have a CD of the tracks to give to Darren Zaza (Electric Guitar) and Victor Oria (Keys) so they can work out what parts they’ll record on the CD in the near future.

I’ll also be able to update the music on my CD Project page. I’ll let you know when the new versions of the songs are up on the site, ready for you to listen (and to give feedback to of course).

Yesterday was a good day.

Peace,

Corey :)

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Running Out Of Love – A Song

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Pen and Paper
Image by Kristian D. via Flickr

“Running Out Of Love” is the third song that I’ve collaborated with Adrian Miller on and the first re-write we’ve done together.

This song was actually a half finished piece I had languishing in my archives for a few years called “All Out Of Love.” I loved the melody and the chord structure but the lyrics were something that I needed help on.

First of all the title needed to be changed as “All Out Of Love” reminded me of an Air Supply song far too much and secondly, the story of the song was a little muddled. This is where Adrian’s magic worked the best, he changed the title and sorted out the story and we both rewrote the lyrics to fit in with the new direction of the song.

I absolutely love it now and recording it gave me some fantastic piano practise. The best of both worlds really.

Enjoy,

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Running Out Of Love
© 2010 C. Stewart/A. Miller

Chorus
I’m running out of love
Running low on love, it brings me down
I’m running out of love
Running low on love, I’m empty now

I know that I have tried so hard
To show you how I feel for you
And you may feel the same way but
I’ve got no way of knowing that it’s true

Chorus

Another cold and lonely night
Staring at each other through the silence
Going over things that might
Have happened if we only took a chance

What happened to our love?
I’ve tried to work it out
So many little things
Are standing in our way
What happened to our love?
What’s it all about?
Is there anything, anything that I can say?

I’m running out of love
Running low on love, I’m empty now

I have so many half finished songs in my songwriting archive that are in dire need of re-writing, I’ll be busy collaborating for many years to come. Bring it on!

Peace,

Corey :)

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