tag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:/blogs/sometimes-i-sits-and-thinks?p=1Sometimes I sits and thinks...2020-03-15T18:13:31-04:00Mike Frankefalsetag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/64880132020-11-29T13:50:54-05:002020-11-29T13:50:54-05:00Everybody Talkin' - Episode 1 - Larry Sakayama<p>Larry Sakayama was gracious enough to be my very first ET volunteer. We talked about his song "Missing You," but we also discussed his other talents and interests.</p>40:44Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/62504392020-03-15T18:13:31-04:002020-03-15T18:20:13-04:00Jeff Miller -- Facebook Live<p>Jeff Miller performs the very first Facebook Live event at Third Street to a nationwide audience. Our very own Bob Schmucker is the opening act.</p>
<p>Note that this performance was held at Third Street with a minimal audience of volunteers, in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.</p>1:33:19Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/62501792020-03-15T12:33:45-04:002020-03-15T12:34:52-04:00Kinnfolk CD Release Party<p>Kinnfolk CD release party, playing to a capacity crowd at Third Street.</p>2:26:22Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/62411752020-03-07T18:55:21-05:002020-03-09T12:28:02-04:00Tom Eure & Amelia Osborne<p>This is NOT the "Tom & Amelia" from Gray's Anatomy. :-)</p>1:48:29Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/62244712020-02-22T22:45:51-05:002020-02-22T22:45:51-05:00KT VanDyke with Mike DeGiorgi<p>Two fantastic songwriters, showcasing the best listening room in SouthWest Virginia.</p>1:32:40Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/62096982020-02-09T20:39:28-05:002020-02-09T20:39:28-05:00The Entwined (Dan and Adonna) -- Trivia Night!<p>Dan and Adonna share their homespun music, humor, and knowledge with an appreciative and smart crowd at Third Street. Openers: Betsy and Mary Beth.</p>2:08:33Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/61731252020-01-25T17:16:15-05:002020-01-25T17:16:15-05:00Steve Guidas, with The Friskies<p>Steve Guidas' wall of sound and Nashville chops, opened up by the Friskies' harmonies.</p>1:39:46Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/61336642020-01-19T16:54:11-05:002020-01-19T16:54:11-05:00SVSA Showcase<p>Amy of the usual faces, plus some new faces, playing live original music at the best listening room in Virginia -- the Third Street Coffeehouse.</p>1:45:27Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/60523912019-12-30T21:47:35-05:002019-12-30T21:47:35-05:00Davis Bradley Duo with Entwined (Christmas)<p>Davis Bradley Duo performed with a stage full of instruments. Dan and Adonna (The Entwined) opened.</p>1:42:47Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/60500272019-12-28T21:32:41-05:002019-12-28T21:32:41-05:00Steve Langston with Dollar & Walker<p>Black Friday show. Dollar and Walker did a number of Christmas songs in their opening set, but to keep the show relevant to all year, I edited them out. If you're interested, let me know and I'll post the whole show.</p>1:34:46Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/59633032019-11-17T01:19:13-05:002021-08-21T04:40:58-04:00Virginia Hollow<p>Virginia Hollow plays third street.</p>1:57:25Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/59632812019-11-16T23:47:58-05:002019-11-16T23:47:58-05:00SVSA Showcase<p>SVSA Showcase with some of the best songwriters in Roanoke, Va.</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/59599852019-11-14T01:08:23-05:002019-11-14T01:08:23-05:00Steve Smith with Kinfolk<p>Blues traditionalist Steve Smith, with Kinfolk (formerly Beren and Luthien) warming up the Third Street Coffeehouse stage before him.</p>1:45:43Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58921942019-09-14T15:50:42-04:002019-09-14T15:50:42-04:00In The Round with Bob, Wayne, and Mike<p>Bob Schmucker, Wayne Willingham, and Mike Franke traded songs at Third Street. Fun night!</p>1:44:58Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58864762019-09-10T00:18:32-04:002019-09-10T00:18:32-04:00Davey O with Betsy B<p>Davey O is a fine singer-songwriter. Great voice, wonderful stories and message. Betsy B and friends started us off.</p>1:55:41Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58864562019-09-10T00:15:22-04:002019-11-16T23:48:34-05:00Steve Smith with David Simpkins<p>Our own David Simpkins (SVSA legend), backed up by the KGB, warmed up the stage for Steve Smith, fantastic blues songwriter.</p>2:06:54Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58698702019-08-26T01:04:29-04:002020-01-22T00:35:46-05:00Sashimi Brothers<p>A couple of the Panini Brothers ran into some scheduling difficulties, so Mike DeGiorgi and Larrry Sakayama invited me to join them for an in-the-round show instead. Man, what fun! Can't wait to do it again!</p>1:51:51Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58698462019-08-25T23:06:27-04:002019-08-25T23:06:27-04:00Andrew Kasab with The Entwined<p>Classic folk at the Third Street Coffeehouse.</p>1:24:24Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58601642019-08-16T14:18:24-04:002019-09-04T11:50:53-04:00Rough and Tumble<p>Fantastic show by Rough and Tumble, with Britt Mistele leading off.</p>
<p>As an engineer, it's rare that I enjoy the chitchat between songs when I do these recordings. I usually spend a lot of time editing much of it out. In this case, they were so engaging an entertaining, and the stories so relevant to the songs, that I left most of the show pretty much as it was on stage that night. Fantastic entertainers and wonderful, professional musicians.</p>1:53:30Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58475122019-08-04T22:02:49-04:002019-08-04T22:02:49-04:00Dollar and Walker (and change)<p>Dollar and Walker graced the Third Street stage (named, in part, after Randolf Walker himself), along with drums and bass. Katie Mitchel opened.</p>1:51:04Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58471702019-08-04T13:37:47-04:002019-08-04T13:37:47-04:00Joy Tru with Bob Schmucker<p>Hi Folks. Joy Tru did her usual stupendous job of entertaining, enlightening, and astounding us with her voice, musical talent, songwriting, and technical chops. Bob Schumucker opened.</p>1:58:05Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58243712019-07-14T16:28:53-04:002019-07-14T16:28:53-04:00SVSA Showcase<p>Another fantastic SVSA Showcase! Two sets for four performers:</p>
<p>First Set: Mike Frankē, Larry Helms, Mike DeGiorgi, Mollye Otis</p>
<p>Second Set: David Simpkins, Greg Trafidlo, Josh Jones, Bob Schmucker</p>1:43:22Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58088152019-06-29T19:43:19-04:002021-08-05T15:15:22-04:00Shawn Byrne, Live at Third Street<p>What a fantastic show at the Third Street Coffeehouse. Nashville songwriter Shawn Byrne entertained us with his wit, humor, warmth, and talent. And our very own Mike Pearrell got things started as the opening act!</p>1:51:54Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/58008702019-06-22T22:00:39-04:002022-09-05T14:52:23-04:00Mike Frankē Live At 3rd Street with Greg Trafidlo<p>Greg Trafidlo joined me on stage at the famous Third Street Coffeehouse. My Dad was in the audience. What a special night!</p>1:12:25Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/50457372018-01-26T16:02:44-05:002018-01-26T16:02:44-05:00It’s REALLY Important<p>Start With Why </p>
<p>reading a book called “Start with Why,” by Simon Sinek, bestselling author on books about leadership. You can find him on TED talks, as well. In this book, the author repeatedly comes back to the theme: “People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it.” </p>
<p>I think perhaps the same is true of songwriting. People don’t listen to WHAT you do, they listen to WHY you do it. </p>
<p>I heard someone once speak about it from the perspective of promoting yourself as an artist: “It’s about the story,” they said – meaning the artist’s story. WHO the artist is, not what they do. </p>
<p>I think perhaps that if you don’t know WHY you write songs, nobody will care about your songs. Or perhaps you at least need to know why you wrote any particular song. </p>
<p>If you don’t know WHY you perform, nobody will want to listen to you. Or perhaps you need to at least know WHY you perform any particular song, for any particular audience, in any particular venue, on any particular day. Narrow it down if you have to. But the bigger you know the “WHY” of what you do, the more your audience will be with you. </p>
<p>That's my theory. Would love to hear your thoughts.</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/44849292016-11-26T16:53:03-05:002019-06-22T22:01:10-04:00It's Important<p>(<a contents="an article for the SVSA Newsletter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://svsasongs.com/Newsletters/SVSA-Music%20News,%202016-10%20Oct.pdf">an article for the SVSA Newsletter</a>)<br><br>In a hectic world, it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important. <br><br>Recently, I was doing a little workshop in a small group at church, in which we were all working to “discover our life purpose.” <br><br>We’d done a number of exercises, and had a lot of conversations. Then we did a drill where, on one side of a piece of paper, I we wrote down things that gave us joy. <br><br>I wrote down things like playing and writing music, of course. Also hiking, doing Aikido, spending time with loved ones, teaching, debating, etc… <br><br>On the right side of the page, we then wrote down things that we thought the world needed more of. I could have written really practical stuff. Instead, I found myself listing lofty concepts like understanding, compassion, patience, forgiveness, curiosity, and acceptance. <br><br>Then, we were asked to match up the left and right sides of the pages, essentially answering the question of which of the things that bring us joy are connected to the things we think is lacking in the world. Then, we were coached to find “actions” to take that would connect those dots. <br><br>For me, there was no “silver bullet.” There was no magic “aha” moment in which I suddenly realized the missing piece of my life’s puzzle that would forever guide the rest of my days. <br><br>But I did have a bit of an awakening. <br><br>In my case, I realized that I simply need to keep working to be the changes I want to see in the world (pretty sure I’ve seen that on a bumper sticker – “be the change”). I need to continue to practice my music, continue to teach what I know, continue to learn more, continue to cultivate compassion for myself and my fellow man, etc. <br><br>And then, I need to connect with more people; one at a time, a few at a time, and many at a time. However I can. <br><br>That’s where my music started to take on a meaning that it never really had for me before. I’ve always treated my music as something rather self-serving; something I do primarily for myself, and perhaps for the adoration of a few fans. <br><br>But there’s more to it. Music is a way to connect with people. Music is one of MY ways of connecting with people. Whether you write love songs, or folk songs, or blues songs; whether you play covers, or originals; whether you play in public, or in private; music is a way of bridging the gap between human beings. <br><br>And that makes it more than fun, or beautiful, or interesting. That makes it important. <br><br>So, I’m working on it. I’m working on being the change I want to see in the world, and music will be one way in which I connect with people. <br><br>You never know who you’re going to influence.</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/44362212016-10-25T12:08:12-04:002016-10-25T12:08:12-04:00CreativityI haven't felt very creative lately. Or perhaps I mean "productive." I mean I haven't written any songs lately, or even worked up any new versions of old songs -- even covers. So, I got to thinking about creativity, and, as fate would have it, I stumbled across this in a twitter feed -- from an article in which computer chess, and whether computers can think "creatively," was discussed: <p><em>"...Thinking out of the box means not only examining ideas that are outside the scope of those that are usually used, but understanding that is what is being done. In other words, before claiming to have found a novel idea, one would have to know what the old ideas were and realize that this idea is indeed new. If I were to write a phrase that transgressed certain rules of the language, I can only claim it was an act of creativity if I deliberately did so, knowing I was breaking some rules. If I wrote this same mistaken phrase simply because I was unaware of the rules that applied, then one would have to conclude my phrase was the result of ignorance, not creativity. "</em></p>
<p>I thought this was an interesting perspective. It happens to support the argument that learning theory, and scales, and other academia can never make us <em>less </em>creative, no matter how much we'd sometimes like to think so. <br><br>However, I think there's another component to this. I think that part of creativity is also recognizing it when you see/hear it -- no matter how you got there. This is what Steve Jobs was so good at, for instance. If I make a mistake though ignorance or lack of skill, but then I recognize "hey, that's good!" -- then that's being creative, even if I didn't consciously break a rule or try something new.<br><br>http://en.chessbase.com/post/machine-creativity-what-it-is-and-what-it-isn-t </p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/43134402016-08-07T00:38:19-04:002021-08-21T04:01:35-04:00BOSS vocal processors<p>Hi<br><br>I have now tried the BOSS VE-20, VE-2, VE-5, and VE-8. What I want is great vocal processing, and harmonizing. I'm frustrated with features.<br><br>I have found that I cannot rely on guitar input to determine the tonal base (key) of the harmony. It's something to do with the way I play, which is finger-style and often somewhat staccato and percussive. I have to set the key before each song. <br><br>Also, I use a collection of different harmonies. I use some sort of harmony on about half of my songs now. Most of them are a high third, a high fifth, and (when I can get it) both combined. I have used other stranger harmonies on a handful of songs.<br><br>The main thing I'm looking for is the ability to set the harmony and the key without bending down to tweak a knob on the floor, when I'm on stage performing.<br><br>Here's a basic off-the-top-of-my-head assessment of each of the BOSS processors with my needs in mind. This is not an exhaustive analysis.<br><br>VE-20<br><br>This unit has a lot of banks of customizable effects, and I could change them using my foot. But I'm pretty sure I would have to pre-set my favorite effects for each key I'm interested in. That is, a pre-set memory includes the key setting. This sucks.<br><br>VE-2<br><br>I like this, and it got me used to those two-part harmonies. But there's only minimal control using an external foot switch -- three memories -- with the same problem as the VE-20. I'd still have to set the key. This is also the only unit of the ones I tried that does NOT have some kind of looping. Don't really use it yet, so it didn't bother me.<br><br>VE-5<br><br>So far, my favorite unit. Mounts on a mic stand for easy access to setting without bending down, and I can punch the harmony in and out with an external foot switch. It's nice to have a little less on the floor -- lest clutter, and less chance of hitting the wrong pedal. Problem is, this unit doesn't have two-part harmonies! Why the F did they get rid of two-part harmonies?!?! Isn't there some way to download a firmware patch or something?! I've compensated because this unit has the ability to do 4th and 6th harmonies. But no two-part. Very disappointing. <br><br>VE-8<br><br>Very fancy shmancy unit that includes guitar processing. Problem is, though I get my two-part harmonies back again (similar form-factor as the VE-2 in this regard), and I could set it up to change the harmony type and the key with external foot switches, I have now lost some control in the settings. It's a pretty complicated unit to use on stage -- would take a lot of getting used to. Also, no 6th or 4th harmonies.<br><br><br>All in all, I would sure love to see BOSS come out with a firmware patch for the VE-5 that includes some two-part harmony options. Like, a combination of +3 and +5. Or perhaps also the other options available on the VE-2 (high/low octaves, thirds, and fifths).<br><br>Mike</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/41977482016-05-26T09:40:19-04:002017-01-15T15:34:20-05:00SVSA new home want to take a moment and put on my SVSA President hat.<br><br><em>Aside, for those of you who don't know:<br>I am the current president of the <a contents="Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://svsasongs.com/" target="_blank">Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association</a>. We meet the fourth Wednesday of every month to celebrate the craft of songwriting through socialization, mutual support, and song critiques.</em><br><br>Last night, we met at Roanoke's <a contents="Jefferson Center" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://jeffcenter.org/" target="_blank">Jefferson Center</a> for the first time. We've been meeting since before my time (ten years) in the basement of Trinity United Methodist Church in Roanoke (a.k.a. the <a contents="Third Street Coffeehouse" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/3rd-Street-Coffeehouse-190361914329993/" target="_blank">Third Street Coffeehouse</a>). Fred Pryor, Director of Center Services at the Jefferson Center, met us there to give us an awesome introduction to the history of the place, and a tour that included the <a contents="Music Lab" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.jeffcenter.org/musiclab" target="_blank">Music Lab</a> and an inside look at <a contents="Shaftman Performance Hall" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.jeffcenter.org/facilities/rental-spaces/shaftman-performance-hall" target="_blank">Shaftman Performance Hall</a>. I got to put my hands on a sound board that was used to product Quincy Jones! <br><br>There was a graduation there that night, so the first part of the evening was rather raucous, with hundreds of folks in the hallway outside the <a contents="L.L. Rice Room" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.jeffcenter.org/facilities/rental-spaces/ll-rice-room" target="_blank">L.L. Rice Room</a> where we met, but that was all over by the time we started our meeting. Having tables in a "circle" (square, actually) where people could all see each other during the meeting seemed to really facilitate the conversation. It also made it very personal when a song was presented via live performance, just sitting there at the table. Very cool.<br><br>We had six songs presented, including one by a brand new member. Unfortunately we had to table one more that night because we ran out of time, but I'm hoping that <a contents="Matt Gibson" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.kingdomofrock.com/author/matt-gibson/" target="_blank">Matt Gibson</a> will bring his tune next month. I can't wait to hear it!<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/43966/69ac585d107f8a1f8d5e308c51fc8700f73c9dc7/large/llrice-room.jpg?1464269578" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/43966/64dc2a5c2bd4a850aaf390b2b37059a470d20d98/medium/shaftman.jpg?1464269623" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/43966/5653ff3db41ce48b898b0765a613c099d99b47b4/medium/analog-board.jpg?1464269569" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/43966/31d27ac3cb3c687e61bfc859b460462c2b0c24d7/medium/bob-guitar-room.jpg?1464269565" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/43966/f8773c03751e06845ff2ea2ecafb98ad42eb4ae6/medium/larry.jpg?1464269634" class="size_m justify_center border_" />Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/38664842015-09-24T06:23:13-04:002016-11-26T16:55:12-05:00Pretty Good TeamI brought a new song to a songwriting workshop with Sally Barris this past weekend, and it got panned. I learned a few things in the process.<br><br>This particular song was written for my wife. The idea for the song came from a moment when we were discussing our regular everyday things that we do, and juggle, and manage. There was a feeling of warmth between us that only couples can probably understand -- couples who have tacked life and kids, and job changes and health issues and aging parents (etc..) together for a while. At this particular moment she was also feeling down about some things she had screwed up (don't we all?).<br><br>Anyway, I smiled at her and said "you know... we make a pretty good team." <br><br>I played the original version of the song for her, nervously, and she liked it. Loved it, I'd even say. This is highly unusual -- she's my toughest critic -- to the point where I don't even play songs for her any more if I just want her approval (as opposed to her opinion).<br><br>When I offered the song at the workshop, though, the song fell flat. The meaning of the song relied on inside subtext that only my wife and I understood. It also wandered a bit (which was intentional -- another inside reference). Finally, the "pretty good team" hook didn't go over with a lot of people. I was told it felt almost negative.<br><br>I've been writing songs long enough to know that, when you offer a song for critique, you can't argue with your audience, and you can't be seeking approval. I didn't argue, but I will admit that, despite knowing intellectually that I was "too close" to the song to be objective, I really did want approval of my peers -- especially of Sally. I admit that it hurt to have the song fall so flat.<br><br>After I licked my wounds overnight, I tried to address the comments made by my peers, and re-wrote the song. The new version is what's posted on my site under "new stuff, rough cuts." This is the version that I took to our regular songwriters meeting last night.<br><br>The new version was well-received, though it still didn't seem to be a big winner. Especially with the ladies in the group. <br><br>Ah, well. Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/37389092015-06-12T07:51:40-04:002015-06-12T07:51:54-04:00It Hurts Me, Too<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm learning to play the classic Tampa Red tune "It Hurts Me, Too"</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34VJzHT9nuk</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">... though I'm doing it more in the Elmore James style. My guitar work is very minimalistic, a slow shuffle, lots of emphasis on the slide.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=958Gw-tCbmg</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It occurred to me as was practicing it that, on paper, the lyrics are kinda flat and empty.</div>
<blockquote style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;">
<div><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">You said you was hurting, almost lost your mind,</span></div>
<span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">And the man you love, he hurts you all the time.</span><br><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">When things go wrong, go wrong with you, it hurts me, too.</span>
</blockquote>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I had some fun singing this completely "straight" -- no fake southern accent, absolutely no bends in the notes. Even when you do it sincerely, not intending to mock, it's pretty weird. </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">So I gots to thinkin'...</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It's really fascinating how it really delivers so much more meaning when you add the music, complete with its rising and falling lines, bends into and out of the notes, and associated changes in the pronunciation. Blues lyrics are inherently minimalist -- very un-clever and to-the-point. The music, I think, is needed to give the lyrics an ocean in which to swim.</div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'll bet, however, a lot (if not most?) poetry is better NOT set to music.</div>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/37103592015-05-16T20:25:35-04:002015-05-17T21:44:03-04:00Come the Fury, Come the FloodI just wrote a new tune: "Come the Fury, Come the Flood." Here's the story behind it.<br><br>I was really sitting on the front porch of my 129-year-old house in the hills of Appalachia, with a 1934 Dobro (not mine yet -- thanks, Greg) in my lap. I really did hear thunder "down the valley." It really did "roll on over the hill." I really did see lightning strike. I really was wondering if the storm would really come in.<br><br>So the first verse was easy. Then I got stuck. So, without thinking about it much, I sent off what I had to my buddy Mike DeGiorgi, with whom I've co-written before, and said "what do you think?" He was busy, so he put me on "finger hold" until he could get to it later in the day.<br><br>Here's the email exchange I had with Mike...<hr><u><strong>Me:</strong></u><br> I think the groove is kind of dark, and it would suit some dark lyrics. I like your idea of going back-and-forth between the real storm and metaphorical ones.<br> I have to admit that one "metaphorical storm" that keeps coming to mind when I sing the lyrics is the looming terrorist threat in the world. Pretty big theme to be taking on. But I think the simplicity of the song could suit a simple message.<br> Thing is, everybody's got a different take on the subject. I'll have to be true to mine. This is one case in particular where I think the song might teach me something in the process.<br> Musically, I think the song is mostly going to be a showcase for slide guitar. I'm working on that part. I hear of chorus already, too -- bet you hear the same one, it's that straightforward.<br><u><strong>Him:</strong></u><br> I like the terrorism idea, but you are singing like a blind old black guy sitting on his porch in the middle of Mississippi. Might be a disconnect!<br><u><strong>Me:</strong></u><br> Yeah. But I don't mind the juxtaposition. Just have to make the message still work in that context. That's where I think maybe it needs to be pretty generic. Not sure.<br> I'm on a roll, BTW. Got a second verse, and a shell/idea of a chorus.<hr><br>... and then I went home for lunch and ended up with a first draft, including a chorus. The "terrorist threat" theme morphed into a more generic theme, which is what I wanted. I want to be topical, but I want the song to have a life. Besides, I think the chorus ended up saying it all. I actually went back to remove references in the verses that would point to more specific subject matter -- both a terrorist theme, and recent police shootings. <br><br>I was thinking about <em><strong>neither </strong></em>of these subjects very deeply -- just the common thought of how ignorance ("darkness") turns into fear, which turns into hate, which becomes endemic, which brings suffering.<br><br>Here's the chorus:<br> Darkness turns to fear<br> Hate gets in your blood<br> Tears fall like rain comin' down<br> Come the fury, come the flood<br><br>BTW... about the chorus... Here's how that came about... ( I love this stuff. I often have no idea how this stuff is going to unfold)<ol> <li>The original first two lines were something like: Hate turns into Fear / Fear gets in your blood. </li> <li>The first line was backwards, in my mind. And besides it all starts with ignorance. "Ignorance" is not a word that will fit into this song very well -- especially the way I'm singing in. I used an app on my phone to look for a better word than ignorance, and found my way to "darkness" while washing the dishes.</li> <li>I already had the second and third likes, which I liked</li> <li>I needed to rhyme "blood" in the closing line.</li> <li>First try: "turns everything to mud." (very lame)</li> <li>Next try "<em><strong>From </strong></em>the fury, comes the flood." (not bad, but still weak)</li> <li>I just played it over and over, and got into the part. "<u><strong>Come </strong></u>the fury" came to me as I stepped out onto the porch again.</li>
</ol>One little letter. I think it made a big difference.<br><br>So... We were wondering... Does Mike get a co-write credit for this? Honestly, I don't think so. I certainly wouldn't think so if the roles were reversed. On the other hand, I really couldn't have done it without him. At the very least, I will give him credit every time I play the song. Thanks, Mike.<br><br>Oh -- one more thing. The recording you hear on my home page under "New Stuff" is rough, I admit. But keep in mind I did it all on my iPhone in about an hour. That means the drum track, two guitar tracks, and two vocal tracks. I used an app called MultiTrack DAW to record, mix, EQ, and add reverb. The click/drum track was from an app called Metronome. I used the mics on the phone for everything. Ironic that I was playing a 1934 Dobro through all that (thanks again, Greg).<br><br><br><br> Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/34842802015-01-24T14:10:10-05:002015-01-24T14:10:10-05:00SVSA Vision, 2015I have been voted in as the president of the Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association (SVSA) for 2015. I'm excited about it.<br><br>Here's the article I wrote for the first 2015 newsletter:<br><br><strong>SVSA Vision, 2015</strong><br><br>Hello everyone. <br><br>It's a brand new year, and the SVSA has a brand new rookie president -- ME! I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself, since not all of you know me.<br>My name is Mike Franke. I've been an active member of the SVSA since about 2007, and have served as a board member for the past couple of years.<br>I live in a 129-year-old house in Salem with my wife of 19 years, my two internationally-adopted 13-year-old children, my two dogs, three cats, two chinchillas, and (counting now…) currently about 5-6 guitars. I perform around the area as a solo singer-songwriter act, doing a mix of originals and covers in a finger-picking, blues-biased style. (check me out at mikefrankemusic.com)<br><br>I’ve had some time to talk with SVSA leaders in the past few weeks, and have formed a vision of some things I would like to accomplish this year. I have several pages of notes, a really daunting mind map, but it all boils down to two themes: Improving our Craft, and Socializing, Let’s talk about each of them.<br><br><strong>Improving our craft</strong><br><br>This is what we’re all about at the SVSA. Nothing revolutionary there. Since I’ve been a member, the primary means by which we do this are<ol> <li>song critiques</li> <li>internal workshops (where the presenter is an SVSA member), and</li> <li>outside workshops (where the presenter is from outside the SVSA)</li>
</ol>We’re always experimenting with each of these, and even in the relatively short time I’ve been a member, I’ve seen some changes.<br>With respect to song critiques, we’ve experimented with time limits, round-robin answers, several formats of written responses, and allowing live performances or not – just to name a few variations.<br><br>Larry Sakayama (our president for the past few years) has done a great job of “recruiting” SVSA members to share their knowledge in workshops. We’ve also had several awesome outside workshops, including Darryl Brown, and Sally Barris with Don Henry. After discussion with our current SVSA leaders, I would like us to make the following tweaks…<br><br>First, I will personally be taking on the task of facilitating the discussion during song critiques to draw people into the conversation who don’t usually say much. My mission would be to create a safe environment where people feel (rightfully so) that their opinion is valued. I will try to help people get over any shyness or reluctance they might have, while still allowing plenty of time to hear from our revered regulars. I hope that, in the end, this is a way to diversify our learning, and eventually our music.<br>We’ll also be continuously restating and reinforcing guidelines we’ve long had, which include basic courtesy (which has really never been a problem), and the importance of written comments.<br><br>Second, I will be asking for ideas on how to take our workshops to a next level. Without taking the fun out of them, I’d like to give both “hobbyist” and “serious student” a more goal-oriented vehicle for advancement. Some ideas that have been discussed is to expand upon the “song challenge” idea (remember February’s challenge?), and some new ideas like a regular “why does this song work?” feature. Perhaps we’ll use the web site to reward members who really show improvement. Publicity is good, right?<br><br>Thirdly, we’ll continue to seek outside workshops. This year, I hope to expand beyond the obvious singer-songwriter workshops, to other ways of getting out of our own way. More on that later.<br><br><strong>Socializing</strong><br><br>Let’s face it. A very important part of what we offer at the SVSA is a venue for songwriters (musicians and lyrical artists, performers and non-performers) to hang around like-minded people. This year, though, I’d like to offer a few new spices to the usual dish.<br><br>First, I will try to have a regular monthly meeting for SVSA officers and board members to get together and enjoy each other’s company, talk about what’s working and what’s not, and hear more of David’s stories. (ha!). So, for those of you contemplating serving someday, keep in mind that scratch-made blueberry oatmeal pancakes might be a perk.<br><br>I will encourage, and help organize, events outside of songwriting. Hiking is one of my favorites, and I’ll start with that. I’d also like to make a habit of attending local performances as a group – both touring artists coming through the area, and our own up-and-coming artists. We will attempt to reach out to other songwriter groups nearby with all of this.<br><br>Finally, and perhaps most ambitiously, I think it’s time for the SVSA to get into the modern world and use the best of social media to reach out to a new, vibrant pool of talent and ideas. Thanks to Larry, we have had a really awesome web site (svsasongs.com) for some time now, and I hope to leverage that even more: more dynamic content (pics, blogs, recordings), more links, more engagement. <br><br>We have had a Facebook page for some time, too, though I think we could make better use of it. We’ll dig into that and see if ReverbNation is something we could leverage. We now have a Twitter account (@SvsaSongs) as well, and we’ll be experimenting with how to use it. Other ideas include live internet shows via tools like StageIt.com, and an organized and SVSA-sanctioned YouTube channel.<br><br>I’m convinced that, if Mozart were alive today, he would have a room full of equipment, a fast internet connection, a GoPro, and a zillion Twitter followers.<br><br><strong>Tag, out</strong><br><br>(whew) I’m tired already. OK, so I know that, as the new guy, I have lots of energy right now, and that this is the honeymoon phase. But if you keep nagging me (Twitter!), I’ll keep pushing the envelope.<br><br>If you’re a serious songwriter, I want to continue to improve SVSA as an asset and a resource for you. If you’re a hobbyist, I want to create an environment in which you feel supported, valued, and encouraged to improve – and have the tools to do it.<br><br>Which are you? <br><br>@mikefrankemusic @SvsaSongs #WriteOn<br> <br> Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/31603532014-08-28T09:56:56-04:002014-08-28T09:56:56-04:00Talking StickI want to change the format of the national, cultural, and global discourse. <br><br>I want our normal way of communicating evolve from one in which we take a side of an argument, present it, and defend it. I believe that we have devolved into a state where actually fostering some sort of common understanding, and even eventually forming mutually agreeable solutions, is no longer even a goal. The goal in the usual, public debate on any issue seems to be posturing, spin-doctoring, and disseminating outright propaganda.<br><br>I would like to establish a new format of communication. Like "Robert's Rules of Order" (Parliamentary Procedure), I would like to establish something like the rules behind the use of the <a contents="Native American Talking Stick" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_stick" target="_blank">Native American Talking Stick</a>.<br><br>If people have heard of this before, they usually think it's "oh yeah -- whoever gets the stick gets to talk." This is true. But it missed the point. The real beauty of using a Talking Stick is that you don't get the stick in the first place until the person with the stick feels understood by you. If you don't have the stick, you can ask a clarifying question, but you can't present your own opinion, and you can't even agree or disagree. Only when the speaker is done does he hand the stick over to the next person, at which time he doesn't get to keep it (or doesn't get it in the first place) until he can express the previous speaker's viewpoint to <em>their </em>satisfaction.<br><br>We need this in our public discourse. We need more listening; less talking. <br><br><a contents="Here's an article" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.reply-mc.com/2008/04/05/the-talking-stick/" target="_blank">Here's an article</a> on the subject, in the context of Organizational Change (after all, what I'm lobbying for is a fundamental aspect of Organizational Change -- Communication).<br><br>It seems to me that we're dealing with a backlash of some combination of 24-hour news media needing to fill their time, and the onset of social media. We have these tools, but haven't learned to use them wisely yet.<br><br> Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/30519472014-07-01T19:44:08-04:002014-07-01T19:44:08-04:00World CupOK, so the US just got eliminated from the World Cup by Belgium in an exciting 2-1 match that went into extra time (all three goals scored in extra time).<br><br>To all those soccer critics out there I have a few things to say...<br><br>First, I acknowledge that some games are rife with players taking dives, whining, etc. I must say that this is mostly evident in the South American teams, and perhaps Italy. Today's match was hard-fought, and had none o' that shit.<br><br><strong>To those who think that there's not enough scoring in soccer, I say...</strong><br><br>It's not just about the scoring. It's about the pace, the rhythm, and the scoring <em>chances</em>. On the other hand... is there really much less scoring in soccer than there is in, say, American Football?<br><br>The median score of an American football game is 20-17 (<a contents="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_scores.cgi" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_scores.cgi" target="_blank">http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_scores.cgi</a>). That's about three touchdowns to two -- or somewhere around 5 touchdowns per game. Yes, there are field goals. But I would argue that if you count field goals, you almost have to count "near misses" in soccer. Field goals are a consolation prize -- something soccer doesn't have. Hit the crossbar? Too bad. Keeper makes a miraculous save? Too bad.<br><br>BTW, The average number of goals in a soccer game is about 2.5 (<a contents="http://soccer-europe.com/Statistics/Goals/GPGEuro.html" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://soccer-europe.com/Statistics/Goals/GPGEuro.html" target="_blank">http://soccer-europe.com/Statistics/Goals/GPGEuro.html</a>). That's about half that of a football game. Butr then, a football game usually lasts (clock time) about 3-3.5 hours, including all the timeouts, replays, and time in the huddle. Except for shootout endings, a soccer match is 90 minutes of pretty much <em>continuous</em> play (or 120 if it goes to extra time). So really, if you don't count field goals, that's about a score every 30 minutes in American football or in soccer. So I'm tired of hearing that there isn't enough scoring in soccer. Would it seem like more scoring if a goal counted for 6 points? Pfft.<br><br><strong>To those who think it's just boring...</strong><br><br>To each his own. You pr. I love all kinds of sports. But the rhythm of a soccer game is just different than an American football game. It's more like a hockey game. Or lacrosse. Or even basketball (but let's not have the "number of scores" conversation again). The nice thing about a football or baseball game is that there's plenty of time to get a beer. Or a snack. Not so in soccer, or hockey. Turn away, and you might miss something, because things happen fast.<br><br>In football or baseball, there's also a lot of time to talk about strategy. One of my favorite baseball moments was when my brother, years ago, talked me through all the background behind-the-scenes stuff going on in what looked to me to be a dull game.. The more you know, the more fun it is.<br><br>To me, there.s nothing in all of sports like a soccer goal for excitement and release of emotion. Why? Because it's damned hard to score a goal in soccer. It can come out of nowhere. It usually ends with a goalkeeper flying through the air or sprawled out on the grass. <br><br><strong>To those who complain about "prima donnas" whining about minor injuries...</strong><br><br>First, again -- I hate the part of the game that has players play-acting to draw fouls -- especially in the penalty area, which can easily decide a game. However, soccer isn't the only sport where "drawing a foul" is part of the game. Get touched on the hand in basketball, for instance; or draw the charging foul. Who hasn't seen an NFL game where the wide receiver makes the "throw the flag" motion? Almost all coaches are constantly haranguing the referees. And oh, BTW, while soccer <em>fans </em>from certain countries have a bad reputation, I've never seen the <em>benches </em>empty as in a baseball game. So get off it about the prima donnas.<br><br>Also... if you think it doesn't hurt to get clipped in a soccer game, you haven't played. Most pro soccer players run about 6-7 miles in a match. I challenge you to jog and sprint 5 miles while someone is trying to knock you down, and then sprint as hard as you can and let me kick you in the knee or step on your ankle with all of my professional athlete strength.. Yeah, you're wearing shinguards, but so am I. Keep in mind that often the "clip" happens just after the "clipee" has made a move that beat the "clipper." I don't like the "drama queen" acts, either -- but don't get the idea that getting clipped doesn't hurt, or doesn't matter. I still have trouble with the blood vessles in my shins from my soccer years.<br><br> Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/23821762014-01-11T22:15:08-05:002014-02-15T16:55:33-05:002014Just thinking that I'm hoping to add a resonator to my kit this year. I'd also like to add a bit of banjo frailing. And just generally get on stage more. Stay tuned (pun intended).Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53792012-08-22T18:38:36-04:002012-08-22T18:38:36-04:00Swannanoa GatheringI recently attended a week-long music "camp" called the <a target="_new" href="http://www.swangathering.com/">Swannanoa Gathering</a> at the beatiful Warren Wilson College campus in Swannano, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge mountains near Asheville. What a fantasic experience! <br><br>
There's too much to write about here, but you can <a target="_new" href="/files/70082/SVSA-MusicNews-August2012-v2.pdf">check out my article</a> in the <a target="_new" href="http://www.svsasongs.com/">Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association</a> (SVSA) newsletter this month.<br><br>
I came back renewed and excited, and it must have showed, because I'm now the featured performer every second and fourth Friday night, at <a target="_new" href="http://www.millmountaincoffee.com/locations/salem.html">Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea</a> in Salem, Virginia. Check out my "<a href="./gigs.cfm">gigs</a>" page.<br>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53832012-04-15T10:10:15-04:002012-04-15T10:10:15-04:00ChoicesThe following is from a Princeton commencement address, give by Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, in 2010:<br><br>
How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?<br><br>
Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?<br><br>
Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?<br><br>
Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?<br><br>
Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?<br><br>
Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?<br><br>
Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?<br><br>
Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?<br><br>
When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?<br><br>
Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?<br><br>
Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?<br>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53842012-03-23T21:20:00-04:002012-03-23T21:20:00-04:00Thanks, Mill MountainI just wanted to thank Sean for giving me the stage at <a target="_new" href="http://www.millmountaincoffee.com/locations/southwest.html">Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea, on Starkey Road</a> tonight. I had a great time. Thanks to my friends who showed up to listen and socialize. Thanks to those who bought CDs and left tips. Much appreciated. I hope I get to do this again.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53812012-03-08T05:55:00-05:002012-03-08T05:55:00-05:00The Gig is ON!<p>The Saga of the Unpaid Gig is soon to come to a happy conclusion.<br><br>
Sean, the manager of <a target="_new" href="http://www.millmountaincoffee.com/locations/southwest.html">Mill Mountain Coffee & Tea on Starkey Road</a>, has agreed to let me play at his venue. In the end, he didn't offer a free gig after all -- I offered to play for free, and he accepted. So, all y'all musicians who were upset with him for not paying the talent should please come see ME -- not him. <br><br>
I'm really looking forward to this gig. I will be putting out a tip jar, and Selling CDs, and playing my songs in a public place. What could be better?<br><br>
Oh, and I'll be debuting a new song, co-written with <a target="_new" href="http://www.facebook.com/people/Mike-DeGiorgi/1390400439">Mike DeGiorgi</a>, called "<a href="./clips.cfm">Tombstone News</a>" (if I can ever stop tweaking it).<br><br>
Mike</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53822011-08-04T16:34:54-04:002011-08-04T16:34:54-04:00Mediocrity, the Manifesto, and Religious Overachievers<p>I just read a book called "The Overachiever's Manifesto", by Ray Bennett.<br><br>
Actually, it's<br><br>
THE<br>
OVERACHIEV-<br>
ER'S<br>
MANIFESTO<br><br>
...which I thought was fitting. Or not fitting -- on the cover. You know what I mean. Or maybe you don't.<br><br>
What was I saying? Oh. The book. <br><br>
I recently began a little journey into the study of mediocrity. Part of it came about with the one line in my song "What's Done is Done" ... and I quote: <br><br>
If I had a dime for every time I looked behind and missed the road ahead<br>
I'd be a mighty wealthy man, but I'm just a mediocre man instead<br><br>
I then proceeded to start writing a song called "Mediocre Man" -- which isn't ready for prime time yet.<br><br>
Along the journey, I purchased a book called "The Underachiever's Manifesto". I highly recommend it. It contains more wisdom in its 100 or so pages than most other books I've come across. (only one left in stock at Amazonat the time of this writing -- but then, having more in stock would be overachieving, wouldn't it?).<br><br>
I've spoken with friends of mine over the years (written, acutally -- in an email group) about my views on religion, and ultimately that the enemy is not necessarily religion, but fundamentalism. In this book, the fundamentalist seems to be like the "religious overachiever." I found it refreshing.<br><br>
With apologies to Mr. Bennett, I post here a snippet from the book, which I couldn't resist because I captured the text from the book on my iPhone using an OCR application (and VERY little editing -- very cool).<br><br>
THE UNDERACHIEVER'S FAITH:<br>
TRUE ENLIGHTEN-<br>
MENT<br>
Would that underachievement were its own reli-<br>
gion, holding as it does the keys to contentment,<br>
happiness, and a well balanced life.<br>
Religion is too often the pretext for war,<br>
hatred, intolerance among different faiths, and<br>
competitive piety within faiths. But the problem<br>
isn't with faith, or even with difference in faith<br>
within the churches, synagogues, temples, and<br>
mosques. The problem is the overachievers in<br>
those institutions.<br>
When people feel the need to prove them-<br>
selves more worthy than their neighbors, that's<br>
when the trouble starts. It can happen within a church,<br>
when some members are absolutely<br>
convinced that God prefers one sort of recog-<br>
nition over another. Or it can happen when<br>
members of a particular faith decide that the<br>
rest of the world needs to see things their way,<br>
and their way only. For too many people, that<br>
becomes another means of achievement. Instead<br>
of striving for the worldly successes of money<br>
or fame, the religious overachiever competes for<br>
special cosmic significance or special favor with<br>
God. To believe that you are God's only gift to<br>
the world puts you at odds with the six billion<br>
other people who might like to feel the same<br>
way. If the faith of underachievement holds<br>
anything to be true, it's that by not striving to<br>
be better than someone else, you're free to bet-<br>
ter yourself.<br><br>
So, my buddies and I got to talking about this. Mostly one buddy -- Jeff. He asked me what the difference in my mind was between a "fanatic" and a "fundamentalist" (religion-wise). Jeff considers himself a "traditionalist" -- another twist. <br><br>
I post an edited version of my response here because 1) it's at least tangentially related to songwriting, 2) I found myself expressing a viewpoint of mine clearly enough to actually help me explain it to myself (unlike this blog entry), and 3) I don't have anywhere else to post it.<br><br>
. . .<br><br>
I learned a new word today: <br><a href="http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics">http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermeneutics</a><br><br>
I found this new word along the way towards trying to figure out if there was a difference in my mind between a fanatic and a fundamentalist. I admit that I thought of them as equivalent. Some day I'd like to get back to talking about Hermeneutics (which sounds like Scientology for Munsters or something). I'm sure we will. <br><br>
A fanatic is all about excessive zeal -- which I suppose is the definition of an overachiever. A fundamentalist, on the other hand, is defined by rigidity; dogma. The part of the Wiki entry that stuck out for me was "unwavering attachment to a set of irreducible beliefs." -- which, oddly, sounds a lot like "Faith" to me, and this could be the source of some of my confusion in the past when I've pondered faith, belief, and the like. In the end, it seems that "traditionalist" and "fundamentalism" could be thought of as the light and dark sides of the same concept. <br><br>
So. I've said in the past that it's fundamentalism that I am suspicious of -- not religion in general. I'd say that statement still holds, given that most people equate fundamentalism with fanaticism most of the time. I'm not against traditionalism, however, since in my mind at least that term implies at least some openness to interpretation, albeit biased towards the wisdom of the past. <br><br>
In the end, I am suspicious of any set of beliefs that relinquishes responsibility for personal thought and action to any single source under the pretense of divinity. It's just too convenient, and to easy to abuse. I respect the study and use of scripture as a tool for self-examination, but draw the line at anything that starts to smell like "because God said so", simply because it's all wrapped up in Hermeneutics, even though most traditionalists/fundamentalists would deny it. (there's that new word again)</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53782011-02-03T04:55:00-05:002011-02-03T04:55:00-05:00To share or not to shareI very much enjoyed last night's meeting of the Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association (<a target="_new" href="http://www.svsasongs.com/">SVSA</a>). As always, I came away with several really useful suggestions for improving the song I offered during the critique session.<br><br>
I also really appreciated comments from Laurie and Aspen about how to make our group more useful and accessible. <br><br>
Along those lines, when we talked about "sharing" a song versus offering one for critique, I mentioned that I no longer play new songs of mine for my wife unless I want her comments (as opposed to her approval). This morning on NPR, I learned that singer-songwriter <a target="_new" href="http://www.ediebrickell.com/">Edie Brickell</a> does exactly the same thing. This isn't all that remarkable until you realize that Edie is married to Paul Simon.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53772010-12-28T08:54:38-05:002017-01-15T15:34:20-05:00Rapture SchmaptureInspired by Meg Barnhouse...<br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/43966/12c9fc6a144070fa50ae7fb767f6d6689993a25a/original/Rapture-Schmapture.jpg?1377623923" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="Rapture Schmapture" height="360" width="400" />Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53762010-12-16T17:33:46-05:002010-12-16T17:33:46-05:00What's Done Is Done<p>The CDs arrived on my doorstep on Monday. I've been updating the web site, uploading and sending stuff to CD Baby, editing clips, etc, ever since. I'll bet Neil Young never had to do all this. Not that I'm complaining. I'm happy with it, and I'm pretty stoked that I finally did it. <br><br>
It should be available on CDBaby soon. Individual tracks might be a little longer. Also, I want to sell it directly on this site (so that I keep ALL the money!).<br><br>
Now, to gig...</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53682010-11-04T08:40:21-04:002010-11-04T08:40:21-04:00Why Coffee?I finally did it. Got rid of TV in our house -- about a week or two ago. Honestly, we don't even miss it (much). And the times I do miss it, I miss it in the same way I don't have ice cream in the house when I'm looking for that 1000-calorie midnight snack.<br><br>
So I'm thinking of quitting coffee. Here's the deal. I'd been wrestling with a pretty nasty cold for about 10 days now -- I'm pretty much over it at this point. But while I was feeling lowsy, one of the first things I noticed was that coffee made me feel terrible -- especially those oh-so-decadent cappucinos that I've started making at home with the cappuccino maker that my wife bought for $4 or something. Anyway, coffee just always made me feel crappy. So I gravitated towards tea. Earl Gray and Peppermint, mostly -- English-style, with cream and sugar. Tea always makes me feel better.<br><br>
So why is it that as soon as I start to feel better again, I head right to the cappuccino maker instead of the teapot? Why don't I drink tea even when I'm already feeling good?<br><br>
What does this say about me, anyway? Do I have latent self-destructive tendancies? <br><br>
Is this just another manifestation of my instinct for mediocrity? (OK, I'll have to explain that one some other time)...Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53752010-10-17T12:58:34-04:002010-10-17T12:58:34-04:00David Wilcox I saw <a target="_new" href="http://davidwilcox.com/">David Wilcox</a> in concert at the <a target="_new" href="http://www.1015themusicplace.com/events-calendar/music-calendar-venues/kirk-avenue-music-hall">Kirk Avenue Music Hall</a> recently. I had no idea what to expect, since the idea was entirely that of a neighbor friend of mine -- I had no idea what David did. <br><br>
David is a masterful performer. While a lot of his amazingly voluminous repertoire seems to be the sensitive stuff, his show was expertly balanced between the gentle stuff, a fantastic sense of humor, great instrumental work, and very engaging story-telling. He reminds me of James Taylor at times, which is probably no accident. I love what he does with a partial capo -- including playing <i>above </i>the capo at times.<br><br>
My only negative is that I happened to sit next to someone that SANG during the stuff he knew, which was very distracting. Fortunately, I was able to move over one seat to leave the one and only vacant seat in the house between us (now <i>that's </i>serendipity!).<br type="_moz">Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53742010-10-01T06:42:26-04:002010-10-01T06:42:26-04:00CD Sooooo close... Hello. I have had a few days to listen and critique the first CD master (14 songs now). I'm happy with almost everything. I think I need to re-record Eddie with a new arrangement, and perhaps tweak another song or two. Really expecting this thing to come together for Christmas. Art work is another matter. Stay tuned -- I'm very excited.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53732010-09-09T07:00:31-04:002010-09-09T07:00:31-04:00My First CD I've been threatening to put out a CD for, oh, about 15 years or so. I'm almost done. I've got 12 tracks recorded, with one more to come. Final mixes are still forthcoming on 4-5 of them, and I want to add a few tweaks here and there. I'm thinking one more studio session, and I'm done.<br><br>
Incidentally, I did all this at <a target="_new" href="http://bwrecording.com/">Blackwater Recording</a>, which overlooks Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia -- about 50 minutes from my house. Harold is the greatest.<br><br>
So now I have to name the CD, and come up with artwork. I've thought about calling it "Mike Franke's Greatest Hits." Friends of mine liked "The Essential Mike Franke." I kinda like the latter, partially because it sets me up for my second CD ("The Non-Essential..."). My wife thinks either of these are obnoxious (which they are), and wants to call it "three-quarter time". I don't like that because there's only one song on the CD in 3/4.<br><br>
Your comments appreciated. Many of the recordings on this site are on the CD . What do you think? <br><br>
Hmmm.... Howsabout "It's About Time" (though that's an idea for another song...)?Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53702010-03-16T02:23:09-04:002017-02-01T14:05:44-05:00Kirk Avenue Music HallHi all<br><br>
What a fantastic night of music at the Kirk Avenue Music Hall (<a href="http://www.kirkavenuemusic.com/">http://www.kirkavenuemusic.com/</a>) last night! Two sets of three songwriters-in-the-round doing four songs each. Each performer brought their own unique style -- from the mellow pickins of Frank Dieter, to the soaring vocals of Britt Mistele, to Randy Walker's blend of "George Jones meets Monty Python" -- not to mention Connie Sellers' heartfelt a-cappella crooning and the all-around talent of Mickey Nelson and Josh Jones. The atmosphere was genuine, the sound <i><b>fantastic</b></i>, and the performances all top-notch and memorable.<br><br>
I especially appreciated Barbara Martin, a long-time member of the the <a target="_new" href="http://www.svsasongs.com/">SVSA</a>, but whom I'd never heard before. . I also really enjoyed the way all the musicians were able to back one another up on harmonies and the occasional guitar fill, including "friends of the SVSA" quietly sitting in the the back row on stage, adding harmonies and (Greg Trafidlio) mandolin to taste. I asked Britt that night if the show was rehearsed, given how smoothly the backups all went, but the answer was "no." This tight-knit group has hung around with one another for enough years, and seen each other at enough shows, to be able to just "jump in" -- something I truly admire.<br><br>
I want to thank all the folks who make time in their lives to see to it that events like last night continue to take place, including the <a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V92Y49EuQFU">leaders of the SVSA</a>, and the folks at Kirk Avenue. If you're reading this, and you're local, come on out and support the Kirk Avenue Music Hall in Roanoke. There's no reason Kirk Avenue couldn't some day be mentioned in the same breath as the <a target="_new" href="http://www.sweetwatersaloon.com/history/history.html">Sweetwater</a> in Mill Valley, or the <a target="_new" href="http://www.freightandsalvage.org/">Freight and Salvage</a> in Berkeley. If you're not in the Roanoke area, then support your local version of Kirk Avenue, and keep the circuit alive!<br><br>
I look forward to being honored to be on that stage some time soon.<br><br>
MikeMike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53692010-03-14T12:35:21-04:002010-03-14T12:35:21-04:00Danielle MiragliaHello all.<br><br>
Quick note to rave about Danielle Miraglia (<a href="http://www.daniellem.com/">http://www.daniellem.com/</a>). I saw her at the 3rd Street Coffeehouse in Roanoke on March 14. What a treat! <br><br>
When Danielle gets her feet stomping on that stomp-box, the strings snappin', the slide slidin', the harp harpin',,, and her voice belting it out... it's amazing how much sound comes out of someone who can't be more than 5'2" and 100 lbs. Pound for pound, one of the best musicians I've seen in a long time. I notice that the word "Rory" doesn't appear on her web site any where, but I immediately compared her to Rory Block in my mind.<br><br>
I bought both of her CDs. I much prefer "Home Live at Club Possum" over the more standard production of "Nothing Romantic."<br><br>
Go see her when you get the chance.<br><br>
Mike Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53662009-06-15T18:00:00-04:002009-06-15T18:00:00-04:00First Critique(The following is an article recently submitted to the newsletter of the Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association -- SVSA).<br><br>
It’s an honor and a pleasure to be asked, as one of the newest members of the SVSA, to write an article for the newsletter. I wondered, at first, what I might have to offer to such a knowledgeable audience. But, as is often the case in my life, I find that I’m in the blessed position of being able to leverage my ignorance and inexperience. Surely it’s been years since most of you dear readers have experienced the first time you offered a song to the group for critique. Not so, for me! I stand before you as a newbie; a rookie; a green, wet-behind-the-ears, recently deflowered virgin of the songwriter’s inquisition. And as such, I will now attempt to relate my experience to you.<br><br>
It was my second visit to the SVSA gathering in the familiar and hallowed basement halls of Trinity United Meth. I arrived a half-hour early, eager to participate, only to realize that I had forgotten my 12 printouts of the lyrics. No worries. I drove back home (Salem!) to get them, and arrived back just in time for David Simpkins’ bumper sticker exercise – which I found fun and useful, but shall remain the subject of another article – but I will say that if the SVSA bumper stickers come out and they’re perforated, well, you missed it.<br><br>
But wait. I forgot something. See, on my first night, the previous month, I actually brought my guitar, thinking that we’d be performing our songs live. Silly, me. So why don’t we perform the songs? Well, as a newcomer, I can see that there would be advantages and disadvantages to performing the songs live, rather than playing them on some recorded media. I was skeptical at first (as is my way), but I can definitely see the wisdom in the recorded format. It allows the focus to be less on the performer, and more on the song – for both the audience (critics) and the author. I see that. For future reference, though, I’d also like to see a performance workshop. <br><br>
Anyway, so there I was, with my printouts, and my iPod & iPod speakers (the group is still somewhat old school, I must admit – preferring CDs and <gasp!> cassette tapes). I was, I admit, nervous – despite the fact that there isn’t a less intimidating, more “granola” group of people between here and Santa Cruz (dude, I used to live there).<br><br>
Now, I won’t say I actually agonized over my choice of song, but I did give it the same considerable thought that I do all my spontaneous decisions. The process of choosing the song, in fact, was probably as therapeutic as working through my “issues” as I actually write my songs. And believe me -- I have some issues.<br><br>
Should I pick a song that I considered done? Nope. Too risky. What if it got ripped to shreds (shudder)? Too pretentious, as well – I mean, was I just there to try and impress? If I did manage to impress the audience, what would I learn? Nah – no real way to win here.<br><br>
Should I pick a sappy love song? Again, this felt too emotionally vulnerating (new word -- I like it). After all, I barely knew these guys! Besides, I don’t write too many sappy love songs, so, again, this choice wouldn’t get the most “bang” out of my buck (twenty bucks, actually).<br><br>
Should I choose a blues song, even though I distinctly remember at least one member of the group explicitly stating he pretty much hated the blues? Well, sorry – that’s mostly what I write, so he and I would both have to get over it. Besides, since blues is much of my repertoire, it doesn’t narrow it down much.<br><br>
Should I choose a “gimmick” song (I’ve got a few of those). A possibility. I have to admit that I considered this because if the whole evening went badly (how!?), I could always laugh it off with an “oh well what did I expect?” The emotional safety of that kind of detachment did appeal to me.<br><br>
(See, I told you I have issues).<br><br>
In the end, I settled on a cheeky little straight-ahead country blues tune called “Communication Blues,” which is all about the hapless author/singer (that would be me) and his trials and tribulations as he tried to communicate with his significant other. I knew it would get a laugh or two (which was safe), I knew the guitar playing was entertaining, and I knew the song wasn’t quite finished somehow, so I really genuinely wanted input. <br><br>
In the SVSA tradition, the submitter of the song is asked to “set up” the song in some way – to explain what kind of input they’re requesting. I mentioned that the song just seemed a bit “boring” to me, and that I was considering spicing it up with some instrumental, or maybe writing a bridge, or something. I just didn’t know. <br><br>
Incidentally, I’m proud to say that I resisted the urge to apologize for the performance on the recording. I learned only last month that this is a cardinal sin for a singer-songwriter. See? And you thought I wasn’t paying attention…<br><br>
OK, so I played the song. People laughed in the places I expected them to laugh, which put me at ease. In retrospect, though, I must still have been a bit nervous, because I now remember not watching people at all as the song played. Strange, that. I should have looked for reactions. Note to self.<br><br>
Song ends. Applause, applause. <br><br>
The range of comments I got included all kinds of comments, and lots of kind comments. There were a couple of quippy jokes about how people could relate to the lyrics, and I was told that there were a couple of “barnacles”. <br>
Mostly, though, I got some very useful comments about the structure of the song, which is what I was hoping for. I was particularly encouraged when I was told that the song was not actually “boring” at all, as I had thought. I was told that the verses were out of order by several people, and offered suggestions as to how to fix that. I was offered a suggestion as to how to shorten the song without actually shortening it. <br><br>
When I got home, I immediately went through the notes that people made and put them to use. I rearranged the verses in a way that I had never considered before, added some impromptu spoken “ad-lib” during one transition to act as a kind of diversion, and cut several bars out of the last verse to “move it along” a bit. <br><br>
I don’t know if the song is “done” yet, but I’m now much more confident in the song, and this has helped me “let go” a bit and loosen up the performance, including the addition of a rather playful ending. None of this would have occurred to me without the help of my fellow songwriters. <br><br>
I know that this one song certainly benefited from the experience. I think I also benefited as a songwriter on the whole – specifically by being reminded once again that it’s not good for me to work too much in a vacuum. Songwriting is, for me, a rather introverted endeavor, but in general I’m an extrovert – as I think most songwriters are – meaning that we get our energy from the events and people around us. I was reminded that I need to come down out of my tree at some point in the process. Maybe someday I’ll even co-write a song. <br><br>
Sometimes I am arrogant enough to think of the songs I write as my children. In this sense, performing those songs in front of a live audience, or even in a recording, is like showing them off. I do that with my actual kids sometimes, I’ll admit. And it doesn’t matter that my kids are always the smartest, or prettiest, or weirdest, or whatever-est kids in the room – even if everyone else thinks the same of their kids. Offering a song to the SVSA group for critique is like letting the kids grow up. They’re pretty much out of your hands at that point, and take on a life of their own – for better or worse.<br><br>
Thanks.<br><br><br><br><br>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53652009-03-07T16:20:00-05:002023-10-16T10:44:13-04:00I AM a singer-songwriter<p>I am a singer-songwriter. I write down random lyrics on little slips of paper, only to lose them and then reunite with them like old friends when I find them years later stuck to chewing gum under the back seat of my car among the half-eaten tootsie pops, the dog hair, and the coffee stains. I agonize over finding an upbeat, happy rhyme for the word "dead" before I can go to bed at 2:30 in the morning on a weeknight (dead, bed). I can squeeze 10 syllables into 7 beats in a way that maintains the laid-back feel of the verse, keeps the story line going, sneaks in a subtle middle-of-the-word rhyme, and still sounds like it all just spilled out of my head and onto the paper. I play the same four chords over and over again sometimes until I’m actually grateful when my wife begs me to stop, or threatens to retaliate with… Cher. I sit at home practicing tuning and re-tuning my guitar... standard to open G, open G to standard... so that I can get it under 30 seconds while I'm telling the same story I've told a hundred times and have it sound like I'm making it up on the spot. I study phrasing, and rhyming, and arranging songs ‘till I wonder if I’m over-thinking it all. I drive through the rain on bald tires on Friday nights even though I feel guilty that I’m not putting my kids to bed instead (dead, bed, instead) – I do this so that I can play those two songs I've practiced all week – play them horribly – in front of the same small, dedicated group of people who applaud out of support, maybe solidarity, maybe sympathy, and then I sit in the audience and do the same for all the others. I dream about having a song that gets requested so often that I get tired of playing it; but I will never, ever, EVER turn down a request.<br><br>I hear songs on the radio that suck but that have sold millions, and I know mine are better, and I want to sell one, just one song, to somebody famous and then hear someone I don’t know singing it as they walk down the street. I fantasize about being faced with the decision of whether or not to quit my comfortable day job so that I can go on tour to open for one of my heroes and promote my album. I tell myself that someday I’ll do for a living what I do now for free. Eh. Really, I’d be happy cashing in on those literally hundreds of dollars a year just waiting to be made singing songs in coffeehouses.<br><br>I don’t know a pile of covers, and I dread the thought of a “jam” session, but I can hold an audience in the palm of my hand if we’re sitting around a campfire drinking a little moonshine and eating oreo cookies. I can move people. Hell – sometimes I move myself. I tell stories, even though they’re usually about myself. I leave my audience with something good. I make them laugh, think, maybe get angry, maybe shed a tear. I write, sing, play, breathe, live and die words and music. I am a singer-songwriter.</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53642008-12-30T02:54:33-05:002008-12-30T02:54:33-05:002009 resolutionsWell, it's that time of year again, where I get all philosophical and start to think about all the things I want to accomplish in the coming year. It seems that there's never enough time to do the things you want to do... (hey, that's a song)... but then I seem to find time to write about not finding time to do the things I want to do...<br><br>
Like right now. I should be working. Or fixing something. Or something. Anything but writing about the things I should be doing. <br><br>
Ah, forget it.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53632008-11-12T16:45:16-05:002017-02-01T14:05:44-05:00SposaI'm not a big opera buff. But this song has always made me stop in my tracks and drop everything for the 5-6 minutes it takes to listen. <br><br>
Two elements I think we've lost in modern music: patience, and melody. <br><br><a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr3WNaMJMA8%20">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jr3WNaMJMA8</a> <br><br>
The lyrics never meant much to me, but here they are: <br><a target="_new" href="http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=12809">http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=12809</a> <br><br>
MikeMike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53622008-11-11T13:20:00-05:002008-11-11T13:20:00-05:00Time goes by...Funny. It's been months since I posted anything here. Since then, I've nearly completed the kids' room and learned how to refurbish 120-year-old double-hung windows, torn out a ceiling in my hallway, gained a few pounds, written another song, taken a new job, and voted for a new president.<br><br>
Here's a quote that stuck with me recently:<br>
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts." - Albert EinsteinMike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53612008-05-04T19:19:47-04:002008-05-04T19:19:47-04:003rd Steet -- Many ThanksWell, my long-awaited gig as the featured performer at the 3rd Street Coffeehouse has come and gone. It was a real pleasure. I had a blast. Thanks to all those who came out to spend the time with me, and thanks, as always, to all the people who have made the 3rd Street Coffeehouse such a welcoming venue for local performers for over 50 years. <br><br>
Thanks, in particular, to <a target="_new" href="http://www.redmahna.com/">Red Mahna</a> for recording the show and just generally being a real Mensch. Stay tuned, folks... perhaps a few postings from the show are in the making.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53602008-04-29T03:53:19-04:002008-04-29T03:53:19-04:00KIVA RocksI got a chance to play a few songs this past weekend, along with some other talented folks, at Happy Hollow Park, for the adoring fans of the Donahue family and KIVA. It was a blast. Thanks for asking, Chip!<br><br>
The Donahues are doing an amazing service for our area in organizing monthly outings to local parks. There's story telling, craft crafting, hike hiking, treasure finding, and just general good fun.<br><br>
If you're local, and you haven't heard about KIVA, you should check it out:<br>
<a target="_parent" href="http://www.kivainfo.blogspot.com%20">www.kivainfo.blogspot.com</a> <br><br>
MikeMike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53592008-04-24T08:49:10-04:002008-04-24T08:49:10-04:00Who?My daughter went to see "Horton Hears a Who" with her kindergarten class a while ago. In case you're not familiar with the story (I'm not), it's about an elephant named Horton who hears a small creature (a Who) talking to him from a dust spec. <br><br>
So anyway, I asked Mia about the movie. I asked her to explain the movie to me. She did. But I figured the whole concept of there being a whole other world on a spec of dust was actually pretty much over her head. So I asked her "Mia, do you think we might be on a spec of dust, too?"<br><br>
She paused for a moment. A very brief moment. Then she looked up into the air and shouted: "HELLLOOOOO?"<br><br>
I guess she got it after allMike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53482008-03-01T17:54:52-05:002008-03-01T17:54:52-05:00HouseI want to be like House -- the brilliant but personally reprehensible doctor who's the main character in the television show by the same name (I'll assume, for the sake of this post, that you know the character). I want to be like House for the same reasons, mostly, that I also want to be like Jack Nicholson, Bob Dylan, Johnnie Depp, Woody Harrelson, Steve Jobs, and a bunch of others.<br><br>
I used to think I wanted to be like House because House is an asshole. He's arrogant, abrasive, uncaring (well, at least he pretends to be), and brutally honest. Well, OK, I do admire that side of him, because it is so far from my own personality, appeals to me. Nicholson is like that, too. Even Jobs, or Dylan.<br><br>
But that's not it. I realized recently that being an asshole is not what really draws me. That's just a cherry on top.<br><br>
The real thing I like about the people like this that I admire is that they are <em>rule breakers</em>. I originally made that the title of this post, but I thought I'd be giving it away. See how clever I am?<br><br>
You see, I've always been a good boy. I've always, or almost always, followed the rules. I play the game. Toe the line. Know when to quit. Find the happy medium. Aim to please. Not House. <br><br>
House got his job, and keeps it, because he's so damned good at what he does. Oh, he plays <em>a</em> game, but not <em>the</em> game. He keeps his job despite all of his other, less palatable traits. I've always been pretty good at my job(s) -- I'd like to think even above average -- but I've always really found and kept employment because I get along well with others. People like me, and because they like me, they are willing to forgive a certain level of mediocrity. House is the opposite.<br><br>
But I digress-- back to the rule-breaking part. Somewhere along the line to this revelation, I began to wonder if maybe it's the rule breakers that actually make the real rules. When someone tells you "this is how you play the game," and you play it some other way, haven't you just changed the game?Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53492008-02-21T01:52:29-05:002008-02-21T01:52:29-05:00Ronald MacDonald HouseI was privileged to play at the <a href="http://roanokeronaldmcdonald.com/">Ronald MacDonald House</a> in Roanoke last night. Thanks to Gary Hunt for hooking me up, and for your other volunteer work. What a great evening! <br><br>
I didn't know the place existed before getting this gig, even though I've ridden by it on my bicycle several times. I'd heard of the work they do, but had never learned more. <br><br>
For any other musicians reading this, I would encourage you to <a href="http://roanokeronaldmcdonald.com/HowYouCanHelp.html">contact the house</a> -- I'm sure if you ask for Gary, they'll put you in touch. You'll play in the living room, for a very small and very appreciative audience of people who have a lot on their minds and really need to be distracted for a short while. And it's very nice to just play acoustic -- no amplification of any kind. <br><br>
I hope I get to do it again.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53582008-01-30T16:15:26-05:002008-01-30T16:15:26-05:00Parts is partsI have an item in my new "Daily Diary" (Wow, those words are very similar. Coincidence?)... that says "blog about something." So here I am, blogging.<br><br>
This Diary, incidentally, is something that my brother suggested. He's a very organized kinda guy. Unlike me in that way. In fact, in the conversation with him about it, I got a little creeped out at how his energy started rising as he spoke about it, and I started to cringe at the thought of making lists of things and crossing them off. "I'm not a 'list' kind of guy," I told myself. Then I realized that I use lists all the time at work now, of my own accord, and it's really simplified my life. Sign of getting older, I guess. So anyway, my wife bought me the same book my brother has. She's all in favor of it, incidentally. And now, day one, I'm crossing an item off the list.<br><br>
The book is a very boring-looking book BTW -- I really need to spice it up with a creative cover or something. Wait. Let me write that down...<br><br>
I just crossed another item off, too. Selling an item on craigslist. Hopefully it will more than pay for the Diary. $30 seemed awfully steep.<br><br>
But none of this is what I wanted to blog about. I wanted to blog about my daughter, Mia. She's six.<br><br>
I sent her to the bathroom to pee last night, and then brush her teeth. I walked in on her to prepare the toothbrush and stuff. She was standing there in front of the toilet, saying "Papa, I want to pee this way." <br><br>
I said "but Mia, girls don't do that. Girls sit down to pee." <br><br>
"Because my weenis is little?" (side note: my son, Tucker, who's also six, made up the word "weenis") <br><br>
"Well, sort of. Actually, it's called a 'penis', not a 'weenis,' and boys have one that goes out. Girls don't have penises -- their parts go in." <br><br>
"Mine goes in?" <br><br>
"Yup" <br><br>
"You parts go out like Tucker?" <br><br>
"Yup" <br><br>
"Mama parts go in like me?" <br><br>
"Yup. Mama sits down to pee, too." <br><br>
"Oh, OK." (insert tinkling sound)<br><br>
Notice how I cleverly (and narrowly) avoided the word "vagina." Not a bad word, but if you knew my daughter you'd understand why I don't want that particular word in her arsenal just yet. <br><br>
I also couldn't help but recall the times I've stood in the bathroom line at concerts or ball games and watched grown women standing there at the urinal (because they were fed up with the long lines at the womens' bathroom). That'll surely be my girl some day.<br>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53572008-01-14T04:19:57-05:002008-01-14T04:19:57-05:00Zoom!I love my new <a target="_zoom" href="http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4/">Zoom H4</a> portable digital recorder! I got one for Christmas recently (thanks, Santa), and it's awesome!<br><br>
I started by trying to set it up to use two inputs -- guitar and mic -- at home. I thought I'd go all out, and run my vocals through my JoeMeek compressor and then through my ART Tube MP. I also tried using the stereo output from my guitar (internal mic and split piezo), through my little Fishman mixer, and then into the Zoom. After wrestling with it all and getting nothing but hum (the Tube MP, I think), and then realizing in the end that I was short one input to record the sound of my feet, I gave up and tried the built-in stereo mics on the Zoom itself.<br><br>
Oh MAN! I'm very impressed with the sound, and it's SO easy. I'm still tweaking the placement, and setup, but I've already recorded two demos, which I've posted (Talk and Consensus). It's not pro quality, but it's pretty damned good for demos, I think. <br><br>
I've also started recording my open mic performances. I'll post one when I get one I'm happy with. <br><br>
Oh -- and I've found that my performances recently have suffered because I'm not practicing with amplification. It's just different to have the mains up and the monitors shouting at me. Actually playing through my amp (I have a Crate Acoustic) is problematic because it's extra equipment to have out (and around two 6-year-olds), and it's just loud in the house, so I have to be pickier about when I play. So I'm using my H4 to simulate playing on stage. I just set it up, put it in record-enable mode, turn the volume up, and plug in the headphones. That way I can hear myself through the headphones while I'm playing, much the same as if I had the house PA turned up. I think it's really going to help my performances. I'm even going to practice with a microphone in my face, just to get used to that, since I've found it makes a difference how I sit, physically, as well. <br><br>
Incidentally, I'm experimenting with my physical setup for performances. I don't like sitting on a tall stool, or standing, because I can't tap my feet and I don't like the way the guitar hangs on me. A shorter stool lets me reach the floor, but the guitar doesn't sit in my lap the way I like. I've tried sitting in a chair, and that works, but I don't like sitting so physically low on the stage (Chris Smither gets away with it, but that's him). So I've started practicing at home with a short stool, but putting my right foot on the neck of my guitar case, which I set beside me. I like this because it gets me up, but I can still tap my feet, and the guitar sits comfortably on my right leg. Plus, I think I might even mic my feet once I get the rhythm down and figure out which shoes I plan to wear, because the guitar case makes a nice, consistent sound. I've even thought of installing a built-in mic into my case (but that would work better if both my feet were on it when I played, and putting the guitar case right in front of me is really cumbersome on stage).<br><br>
(I wonder if Clapton when through all this...)<br><br>
Anyway, I love my new Zoom H4.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53562008-01-11T04:09:20-05:002008-01-11T04:09:20-05:00When I grow upInspired by a <a target="_WhenIGrowUp" href="http://video.crn.com/index.jsp?auto_band=x&rf=sv&fr_story=FRdamp236408">link</a> sent to me by a good friend (thanks, Jon), I wrote this in response...<br><br>
When I grow up, I want to be a software engineer. I want to sit in a cubicle all day with headphones on, dreaming up brilliant solutions to the wrong problems. I want to spend 90% of my time fixing my own mistakes, and the rest of the time complaining about everyone else's. I want to spend all day rebooting my computer repeatedly to try and work around a problem that's Microsoft's fault, only to be told by their tech support that my data is unrecoverable and I should have backed it up more frequently than once daily. I want to be told how to do my job by people who have never done it. I want to be asked to give a two-week estimate to a four-week task, and then be reprimanded when the job "slips" to three. I want to learn a new bit of trivial nonsense every day, I want 50% of what I know to become obsolete every six months, I want to completely re-invent myself every couple of years – and I want to do this while competing with people half my age who have no life outside of their job. I want to work on chaotic skunkworks that do produce real solutions to the right problems but get no respect. I want to work on behemoth projects with reams of paperwork per line of useless code. I want to work long unpaid hours because it's built into the schedule. I want to be consumed with minutiae, and yet responsible for the "big picture." I want to spend three days on a problem only to find out I had an "i" where I should have had an "I". I want to ship products, under pressure, with hundreds of documented flaws and hundreds more that are known but undocumented, and then I want to stand behind my work in front of the person who signs my check. I want to slam my forehead into a wall repeatedly.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53552007-12-16T14:42:31-05:002007-12-16T14:42:31-05:00GunsWhenever a gun control debate starts up, I feel uncomfortable. On the one extreme, there are those who would have no laws regarding guns. In fact, there are those who would blame violent crime not on the perpetrators, but on the victims -- for being unarmed. On the other hand, there are those who would jump at the chance to make all guns illegal, despite certain realities. <br><br>
Like most of us, I think, I'm in the middle somewhere. It seems completely absurd to make the most lethal of weapons easy to obtain. It seems completely reasonable to me to require permits and background checks and waiting periods before owning weapons. It also seems absurd in many cases to blame accidental deaths on the guns themselves -- or the industry that produces them. Although, I think the gun lobby in this country missed an opportunity to change its image in the past 8 years -- it should have been the strongest advocate for gun safety, rather than accepting its image as hard-nosed, shoot-'em-up, war lovers. I think a lot of people think that "responsible gun-owner" is an oxymoron, and that's a bad thing. Hell, if Phillip-Morris can change its image, then surely so can Smith & Wesson. Furthermore, I think the argument of upholding the second amendment in order to fight back against the government is ridiculous -- unless you also advocate legally owning tanks and RPGs and Cruise Missiles. It's absurd. <br><br>
Anyway, I don't know where I'm going with this. The martial artist side of me wonders if we'd be safer overall in a world where guns didn't exist, but everyone carried hand weapons. The historian in me realizes that every time one side of a conflict is outgunned or outnumbered, the other side finds a way to change the rules, which always amounts to upping the antie. Hence, despite my idealized vision of a world of responsible owners of weapons and honorable rules of combat, I always seem to come back to a world where, in the end, fewer weapons is better, period. <br><br>
In reality, it seems that what we'll always have is a world where only a select few wield weapons, and the rest either admire them for it or despise them for it (or both).Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53542007-12-09T15:33:24-05:002007-12-09T15:33:24-05:00Cod Liver OilMy wife apparently grew up getting a teaspoon of cod liver oil every day, and she claims she was never sick. So, maybe a year ago, she started the practice of feeding the stuff to our kids. They're 5 and 6. <br><br>
It used to be rather comical, actually, because she did it in the morning, but always forgot until I was waiting for the bus, outside, with my son (daughter was too young for the bus, still). Linda would come running out in her fuzzy bathrobe with the bottle of "magic elixir" and a spoon. Like I said, rather comical. I wonder if anybody ever noticed that Tucker had "fish breath" every day.<br><br>
We've since transitioned to a nighttime dose instead, which gets around the bathrobe scene and the fish breath.<br><br>
Surprisingly, by the way, niether of the kids ever really minded. Still don't. They sort of make a "yuck" face, but it's always in that fun sort of way that kids like to do when they're just naturally embracing things of a disgusting nature.<br><br>
Until one day, we ran out of cod liver oil. Linda was overjoyed the next day (in a sad, nostalgic sort of way) that she actually found <em>flavored</em> cod liver oil! She said she couldn't even find the regular stuff (which would be... fish-flavored, I guess). So she bought two bottles -- one mint, one cherry.<br><br>
As it turns out, the kids hate it. Oh, they're still going through the bottles now, because we won't waste it. But they hate it more than the old standard.<br><br>
The moral of the story, I guess, is that some things just shouldn't be flavored.<br><br>
This now gets me thinking about whether or not I have other "cod liver oils" in my life; things that are probably good for you, but just plain yucky and ought to stay that way.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53532007-12-05T16:24:04-05:002007-12-05T16:24:04-05:00The Conversation"What do you do for a living?" the woman behind the counter asked, begging me to reply... <br><br>
"What do you think I do for a living?" <br><br>
Pause. "Well, I was thinking that you look like an author." <br><br>
"Hmm. I've never gotten that one before." I hadn't. <br><br>
Another woman behind the counter, the one who had just taken my money for a Cheese Steak Hoagie and made up my mind for me about what to drink, chimed in her agreement with the other, apparently her boss. "See, that makes two people," the boss woman asserted. <br><br>
We proceeded to make some small talk about how I was actually an author of sorts – an author of software, that is. She played along politely, but that clearly wasn't what she had in mind. I'd been told many times in my life that I "don't look like a programmer," which I always took as a complement. I'd even been told often enough that I look like a musician, but then that was probably because I wore an earring and had long hair – not because I actually am, also, a musician. Today, I have no earring, and short (graying) hair. But, I digress...<br><br>
"It's probably the coat," I concluded, as I walked away to wait for my sandwich to be made. I was wearing a waist-length, burnt orange, corduroy, author-looking jacket.<br><br>
"Yes. And the turtleneck." <br><br>
And that was the end of that, until my number was called, and the cook said something about the "author" comment as well, so it started the whole thing over again. So I continued. <br><br>
"So what kind of stuff do you think I should write, being the author-looking type?" I asked the boss lady again. "I mean, do I look like the Stephen King type? That's probably pretty scary." <br><br>
"Actually Stephen King is a pretty regular guy in real life," she says, "so it wouldn't be such a bad thing." Tilting her head at the cook, though, she remarked "he likes true crime stories, so maybe he's biased." The cook nodded his agreement. <br><br>
For some reason in all of this, I found myself standing there filling two plastic cup things with ketchup while we talked. Lost in the ozone, I guess – I mean, why would I need ketchup with a cheese steak? So anyway, I took my sandwich, said my goodbyes, and promised to happily grant the cook's wish and give free copies of my novel to the folks behind the counter when I finally wrote it. <br><br>
My sandwich was pretty damned good, too. Five or six napkins. <br><br>
After lunch, I followed my feet towards the bookstore a block or two away (after all, where else would an author wander?). The owner was helping someone, and in passing she asked me if she could help me find anything. "You can help me find what I'm supposed to find," I replied playfully. But she was in a bit of a hurry. <br><br>
It didn't take long for her to recover, though. I hadn't even gotten past soaking up the layout of the store, and browsing the "Language" section half-interestedly (no German, no Russian), before I overheard her apologizing to the other gentleman in the store for not recognizing him. <br><br>
"I'm sorry, Tom – but I have that thing where I can't remember peoples' faces," she told him. Tom wasn't upset. <br><br>
"I can remember faces," he said, "but I can't remember names." <br><br>
At this point, I wandered closer to the checkout counter so that I could force myself into the conversation gracefully. "My issue is context," I said. "I can connect peoples' names and faces if they're doing the same thing, or are in the same role, as when I previously met them. Put them in a different context, and I'm lost." <br><br>
The storeowner nodded and smiled, no longer in a hurry. "And years from now," she said, "when we recall this conversation, we can just say 'the conversation', and all of this will come back to us." To which, we all nodded our agreement. But I can admit to you now that I didn't quite get it at the time. <br><br>
Somehow, the subject morphed, then, into how married people finish each other's thoughts. I told the story about how a long-ago, long-time roommate of mine (hello, Wayne) and I were once watching T.V. together, and at some point he stated absently, "Red. We should have done it in red." He was referring to a conversation that we'd had years before, and I was supposed to pick it up right then and there, right where we left off. I can't for the life of me remember the conversation now, but I do remember that I was, in fact, able to pick up right were we'd left off. Anyway, I connected this story with what we were saying in the bookstore by concluding that it was only really marriage if the thoughts are finished incorrectly, which got a laugh. <br><br>
It was at this point that I mentioned to the bookstore folks that I'd been taken (or mistaken) for an author a short while earlier, and I told them that I would, in fact, write that novel, and it would be titled "The Conversation," and we were all in it. <br><br>
Smiles and puzzled looks all around. So I finished with, "Well, I guess that's what I came in here for," and left, feeling quite pleased with myself. <br><br>
Later, as I was entering a note-to-self about the whole thing into my phone's notepad while walking back into my place of business, I mentioned to a curious coworker what I was doing, and told him that he was now in the novel, too. And, of course, he is. Hi, John. <br><br>
Note to self: don't forget the "It's worse than that" Appendix for John. But that's another story.<br>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53522007-12-03T03:06:04-05:002007-12-03T03:06:04-05:00On lashings and action figuresI was just thinking this morning that it's a strange world where, in one part of it, a woman can be sentenced to a <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/11/teacher-faces-l.html">public lashing</a>* for allowing her students to name a Teddy bear after a child in their class (who just happens to be named Muhammed), while elsewhere it's OK to sell <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.mcphee.com/items/10746.html">Jesus action figures</a>.<br><br>
Furthermore, while the whole <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2971369.ece">incident</a> has been resolved as a "misunderstanding," I wonder what the misunderstanding was about. The defense is, after all, appealing. Was the outrage because of the name alone? Was it because it was a bear (which is not seen as a "cuddly symbol of mercy" in Islamic cultures)? (Do they even have bears in the Sudan?) And what of the lashing? We seem to be taking this kind of punishment with a shrug of the shoulders. What if Gillian Gibbons had actually personally named the bear after the prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him)? And what if it had been a pig instead? Surely there would have been a beheading, no? What if it had been a stuffed Lion, would she have been given a medal instead?<br><br>
...and, by the way, where are all the animal rights activists in all of this? Isn't there a shred of compassion for the bear himself? Doesn't anyone care about whether the bear is Muslim or not? Does this all boil down to a case of stuffed-toy profiling? Am I the only one who sees the issues of religious freedom involved? Clearly our priorities are way out of whack.<br><br>
* I take it back. From the same <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article2971369.ece">timesonline link above</a>, it seems that it wouldn't have been a <em><strong>public</strong></em> lashing after all. I quote: "<em>Had Miss Gibbons been sentenced to a flogging, the sentence would have been carried out by a woman, not a man, and in a private room rather than in public. And, like the murderer pinned against the wall, it would have been carried out promptly."<br><br></em>Well, that's a relief. I guess it's not as bad as I thought.<br><br>
Man, there's gotta be song in there somewhere.Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53502007-12-01T13:02:10-05:002007-12-01T13:02:10-05:00Third Street Coffeehouse<p>I played two songs at the open mic at the <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://community.roanoke.com/main.wsi?group_id=25">Third Street Coffeehouse</a> in Roanoke (VA) last night for the second time, and had a great time. Third Street is a completely granola place -- very supportive audience, and even pretty good pumpkin cheesecake on this particular night. <strong>I'll be the featured performer on Friday, May 2, from 8:30-10:00</strong>. I hope to see some friends there. <br><br>
When I got home, I realized that I'd signed up for a lot of practice between now and then. I spent the evening putting together a first draft of a set list (even though I had tons of other things I "should" have been doing). I also went over the notes I took during <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.jesspillmore.com/presskit.html">Jess Pilmore</a>'s set that night, where I took queues from her very seasoned performance. Hopefully, next time I play I'll even remember to unplug the guitar before walking off stage.<br><br>
Oh -- and my wife and I went to see <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.smither.com/">Chris Smither</a> play at <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.202market.net/">202 Market</a> in Roanoke on Wednesday. He was in fine form. I got his <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.smither.com/news.html">latest CD</a> (signed, of course). During the break I told Chris that I was learning his song "<a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.soundflavor.com/track.php?trackId=2309474">Can't Shake These Blues</a>" from his <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/pages.html?cart=34055246485881867&target=smp_detail.html%26sku%3DHL.641395&s=pages-http%253A//www.google.com/search%253Fhl%253Den%2526rlz%253D1T4GZHZ_enUS241US241%2526q%253Dsmither%252Bvideo%252Binstructional&e=/sheetmusic/detail/HL.641395.html&t=&k=&r=wwws-err5">instructional video</a>. He remarked "great! that's a hard one!", and proceeded to play it in his second set.. He told me after the show that he would have forgotten that tune if I hadn't mentioned it, so I guess it pays to open your mouth. Thanks, also, to Adam, our server that night -- he was awesome. Adam, if you're reading this, I hope you've found that voiceover work we talked about. Perhaps I'll see you at <a target="_MikeSlinx" href="http://202market.net/events/index.php">your open mic</a> some day.</p>Mike Franketag:mikefrankemusic.com,2005:Post/53512007-11-11T15:25:55-05:002021-07-30T18:10:40-04:00Bandzoogle Rocks!<p>Well I'm impressed. I've used web site builders in the past, and have been disappointed. So far, this one really got it right. I haven't yet bitten the bullet and actually <em>paid</em> for the thing (gasp!), but I'm on board so far.</p>Mike Franke