#5090challenge — Public Fediverse posts

2025 50/90 Challenge Day 1/90

Today is July 4th. While that means something to the nation formerly known as the US it now just means that it is the first day of the 50 Songs in 90 Days Challenge. Welcome!

I would link to the 50/90 website but apparently it no longer exists. I guess 50/90 as an organized thing is over? Sure looks that way. I’ll still try it on my own though. There are 90 days between July 4th and October 1st. During that stretch of time I plan to write 50 songs… because I am an insane.

It’s after 11:00pm now. We just came home from watching fireworks up in Derry, NH. Do I have a 50/90 recap? Why yes, yes I do.

There are two songs in the pipeline. One has the full song form and the MIDI bass and drums done. The other is just three loose fitting eight-bar phrases.

That’s it. Two songs under way. Come back again tomorrow and see if I made any additional progress. One day down, 89 to go!

#5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #SongWriting

This year’s challenge is now officially over. 90 days in the books. Thanks for coming along on my journey through silliness.

The next internet based musical songwriting/recording challenge kicks off on November 1st. National Solo Album Month. I’m not sure if I am going to play along this year. 50/90 took a lot out of me. We’ll see.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/10/02/2024-50-90-challenge-day-90-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

This year’s 50 songs in 90 days challenge equates to more like 57 songs in 89 days. I am done. I mixed the last four songs. I didn’t mix them well (just quick and dirty) but they are done and now so am I. I hit all of my goofy little goals.

• 50 songs
• 10 songs started and finished within each calendar month
• More songs than any of my previous 50/90 successes (my record was 52)

And there we have it, folks. My forth successful summer challenge. I guess the next step is to pick around 10 songs that aren’t as awful as the rest and edit, rewrite, and rerecord them into a sort of album-ish project. Maybe that will be my task for day 90. We’ll see.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/10/01/2024-50-90-challenge-day-89-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

And just like that, the 50 songs in 90 days challenge comes to an end. I mixed the four remaining songs and that’s all she wrote.

https://hearthis.at/musical.idiot8/this-is-the-way-it-goes/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/30/finished-6/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I think I am going to miss these first thing in the morning posts once this year’s challenge is all over. I always try to do this but I’ve never managed to do it for the full 90 days. Another challenge completed? Sort of.

Yesterday, day 88, I put vocals on four songs. Then I put both rhythm and lead guitars onto two songs. Finally I mixed three songs. All that’s left now is to mix the last four. I technically have two days to do it but I sort of see this little project as needing to be over before the calendar strikes October. We’ll see if I can wrap it up tonight (day 89). Today is a work-in-the-office day so I lost a lot of time to my commute.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/30/2024-50-90-challenge-day-88-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I have mixed three songs so far tonight. I’m up to 53 songs complete for the 50 songs in 90 days challenge. 106% complete.

https://hearthis.at/musical.idiot8/i-think-you-know/

I still have four songs to mix. Will I finish tonight? Probably not. Tomorrow seems pretty likely. Success is fun, even if it is for something incredibly stupid like 50/90. Incredibly stupid and endlessly pointless. Yippee, bro.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/29/53-106/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I think it was at some point last week when I declared that tracking was done for the 50/90 Challenge. Then I added four more songs because I’m a doofus. Now today, once again, I am declaring that tracking for the 50/90 challenge is done.

I put all guitars onto two songs that I started writing yesterday. They both got vocals earlier this morning and now every song I’ve come up with for this stupid internet songwriting challenge has had all of the parts recorded on their individual demoes. Hallelujah, Holy Shit.

I am now left with seven songs to mix. If I finish them all before Tuesday then I will finish the 50 songs in 90 days challenge with 57 songs… again, because I am a doofus.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54030562949/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54030562929/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/29/tracking-is-done-again/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #iphoneography #Music #photography #Recording #Songwriting

I did some singing in the car today. Nice. I put vocals on four songs. Two of those songs still need some guitar parts but that’s all that’s left for 50/90 challenge tracking. I still have seven total songs that remain unmixed and I have until Tuesday to get to them all. Crazy, right?

Since coming home from car music at about 9:00am (three hours ago, approximately), Jen and I have been sacked out on the couch watching episodes of Parks and Rec and New Girl because it’s Sunday and we’re flipping a big eff-you to responsibility today.

Jen’s going to have lunch now and we’re going to watch one more episode of New Girl and then she’s going to do some work because we can’t be flipping the big eff-you to responsibility all day… I guess. I’ll finish the guitar tracking then. I should have lunch but I had a snack at around 11:00 and I am stuffed. I way over did it. My tiny little re-wired stomach pouch thing is a little cheesed off with me right now, but it will be okay. We’ll get through this, stomach pouch. We’ll get through it together.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54029567881/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54029897749/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/29/car-music-14/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #newGirl #parksAndRec #parksAndRecreation #Recording #sitcoms #Songwriting #Television

Monumental stuff today. I added two new songs because I am a glutton for punishment. I also mixed one song. That one song being the 50th song. I have successfully completed the 50 songs in 90 days challenge! Hurray for me, folks! Yet another pointless waste of time in the books!

Now while I could call it a project and take the last three days off, I will not. I still have seven songs outstanding. Three are ready to mix. Four need vocals and two of those still need guitars. I hope to finish all of the tracking (again) on day 88 (today). I can pull this off.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/29/2024-50-90-challenge-day-87-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

And with the finished mix of this stink nugget, I have successfully pulled off the 50 songs in 90 days challenge. Yup, this is finished song number 50. I was hoping it would be a banger, but instead it is not. Oh well.

2014, 2020, 2021, and now 2024. My forth victory.

https://hearthis.at/musical.idiot8/on-the-edge/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/28/50-songs-in-90-days/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

Day 86 (yesterday) was a nightmare of stomach pain and post-gastric-bypass surgery awfulness. I woke up at 5:00 feeling pain and it didn’t go away until about 9:00pm. In short, yesterday sucked.

I did manage to put both rhythm and lead guitar tracks onto one song. I was hoping to mix something and maybe add another song to the pipeline as well, but my redesigned innards had other plans. At least I didn’t get shut out, right?

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/28/2024-50-90-challenge-day-86-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

Let’s see… I put all of the guitar tracks onto one song before work. After work I added another song (why?) and then mixed song number 49. The project is officially 98% complete.

I’m hoping day 86 is going to look pretty much the same.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/27/2024-50-90-challenge-day-85-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I over did things without making any major progress. Somehow… I guess.

I mixed a song. That’s good. Before I did that though I added a song. MIDI bass and drums down as well as a melody and lyrics. The pipeline is up to 54 songs now. Why did I do that?

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/26/2024-50-90-challenge-day-84-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I mixed another song. It’s been uploaded to Alonetone.com and cross posted to the 50/90 challenge page. 48 songs down. Two more completes the challenge for this year. I’m 96% finished.

https://hearthis.at/musical.blathering.idiot12/rejection/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/25/48-down/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I mixed one song last night, just before bed. That’s all I had time for. 47 songs complete. Three more to finish the 50 songs in 90 days challenge. Three more on top of that to empty my in-progress pipeline.

I have 11 songs that were started in September. It would be more fun if there were 15, don’t you think? I have this weird compulsion to add four more songs. I think this whole project might be getting to me. We’ll see.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/25/2024-50-90-challenge-day-83-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

47 songs down and three to go in order to complete the 50 songs in 90 days challenge for 2024.

If I pick out 5-10 songs from this year’s batch to make an “album”, it’s safe to say that this one one be included. It’s not the worst song, but it’s not terribly good either. Can 7/8 time swing? I guess not.

https://hearthis.at/musical.blathering.idiot12/never-come-home/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/24/47-songs-down/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

A good day. I put vocals and lead guitars on the last three songs. I also mixed the last song that was started before September 1st.

There are 46 songs mixed and complete. There are seven more ready to mix. 53 in total. There are eight days left. I have more days than songs left to mix. I think I am in good shape.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/24/2024-50-90-challenge-day-82-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I had a vision in my head of finishing the tracking for the 50/90 challenge by adding vocals and lead guitars to the final three songs. Instead, I didn’t do any of that which lead to me sneaking out and putting vocals on those final three songs this morning. I won’t have time for the last few guitar tracks until… Thursday? I have a bunch of songs still to mix so there’s plenty of work to do between now and then. I mixed one song last night and started mixing another. Hopefully I’ll finish that tonight, but I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night at all and I expect to crash hard tonight. We’ll see.

Pictures. One guitar picture as a reminder to myself that I didn’t play yesterday (or today) even though I wanted to.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54015482856/in/datetaken/

Next, a view from my “recording studio” this morning.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54016009200/in/datetaken/

Finally, yet another picture of the downtown clock from the drive home. Fascinating.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54014670302/in/datetaken/

I have eight days left to finish the 50 songs in 90 days challenge. I am feeling some pressure, but I am also optimistic.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/23/not-quite-done/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #365Project #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Hipstamatic #iphoneography #Music #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #Songwriting

Okay, let’s get nervous now. Less than 10 days left. Just over a week.

I mixed one song. That’s it. I had SO much more planned. I thought I was going to be able to finish all of the remaining tracking but I didn’t get to any of it.

The nerves are irrational, I know. It doesn’t matter though.

45 songs complete. The challenge is 90% finished.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/23/2024-50-90-challenge-day-81-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

The arrival of day 80 (yesterday) brings on the start of crunch time. I am light years ahead of the pace still, but seeing day 80 still brings on a crashing irrational panic. You know how it is.

I put rhythm guitars onto one song yesterday and lead guitars onto four. I’m hoping day 81 (today) will include some vocal tracking and maybe some more lead guitar. There is a very slim chance that I could wrap up tracking entirely by the end of the day. We’ll see.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/22/2024-50-90-challenge-day-80-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

Hey there, everyone out there in internets land. How’s your morning going?

Are you having a good morning the way I am? Are both of your kids home for a visit? Did you play a ton of guitar before breakfast?

That’s my morning in a nutshell. Both kids are here, but only for the morning. I also put rhythm guitar tracks onto one wong and lead tracks onto four.

It’s a good morning ’round here.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54010567901/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54009666677/in/datetaken/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54010992510/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/21/hows-your-morning-going/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #365Project #5090 #5090Challenge #collegeKids #Family #Guitar #iphoneography #lids #Music #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #Songwriting #StepKids

I wrote lyrics and a melody for two songs. Likely they will be the last two songs. I started putting vocals on one of them but I had to stop in the middle. I doubt I’ll be able so salvage any of it.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/21/2024-50-90-challenge-day-79-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

We’re really through 78 days of this thing? That means today is day 79… which means that counting today there are only 11 days left? Daaaaaaamn.

I had almost zero time to spend on music yesterday (day 78) but I did manage to sneak in a mix as I was falling asleep last night. 44 songs finished. Six to go. We’re 88% complete.

https://hearthis.at/musical.blathering.idiot12/riddle/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/20/2024-50-90-challenge-day-78-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I had a very full, busy day yesterday (day 77) and I am not sure I can remember everything I did. I think this is everything…

I put lyrics and melodies onto two songs, then I added a new song with bass and drums (all MIDI), and then I jumped in the car and drove to an empty parking lot and put vocals onto four songs. A good haul on an extra busy day.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/19/2024-50-90-challenge-day-77-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

Today’s photo a day pic:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54003311682/in/datetaken/

She looks pissed off because I keep stopping her when she tries to eat one of the plants. I’m a jerk like that.

In other news, I put vocals on four songs for the 50 songs in 90 days challenge. I now have 50 songs with vocals… which implies that I will be successful this year. Huzzah, babie.

Here a picture of the clock downtown from my drive home… because.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54004158471/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/18/jungle-cat/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #365Project #5090 #5090Challenge #Cat #Guitar #Kitty #Music #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #robin #Songwriting

Right then, back on schedule with the previous day’s update happening first thing in the morning.

Yesterday, on day 76. I added lyrics and melodies to one song. Time to get cracking, red head!

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/18/2024-50-90-challenge-day-76-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

This post is supposed to happen first thing in the morning but I didn’t get to it until dinner time. Sorry.

Yesterday, day 75, I added lyrics and melody to one song.

That’s all.

15 days left. Still a lot of work to do but not a long time remaining.

Crap.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/17/2024-50-90-challenge-day-75-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I did a few things on day 74 (yesterday) Let us recap!

I put rhythm guitars onto two songs. I think it was two songs. It was two songs, wasn’t it?

I put lead guitar onto one song.

I mixed two songs.

I wrote lyrics and a melody for one song.

Not sure what I will have time for today (day 75). I have a bunch of songs that need lyrics and a few that are ready to mix. Nothing is waiting on guitars at the moment though. I should focus on the lyrics and the melodies so that I can do a car music tomorrow morning. I think that’s the plan. I also want to add one more song if I can. I’m at 52 total right now and I want to be at 53 when everything is over.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/16/2024-50-90-challenge-day-74-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I did it again. I messed up my morning routine. Big time. I overslept, then I had a problem that came up and screwed up my morning exercise. I am just off today… again.

I did work on some music though. I put rhythm guitars onto two songs. I used my SG for both of them.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53996964295/in/datetaken/

Then I switched to my Les Paul Custom and put leads onto one song.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53996538811/in/datetaken/

Musically speaking, what’s next for today? I haven’t a clue. I’ll let you know once I straighten out my brain. Maybe in 25 years or something? Who knows.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/15/another-screwed-up-morning-routine/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #365Project #5090 #5090Challenge #GibsonGuitars #GibsonLesPaul #gibsonSg #Guitar #Music #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #Songwriting

I worked on one song on day 73. One new thing that managed to get a song form and MIDI bass and drums.

Hoping for more today but not sure how things will go down.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/15/2024-50-90-challenge-day-73-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

Just the one mix that I mentioned late last night. 41 songs down, nine to go. 82% complete. Lots of stuff to do today, including recovering from a terrible nights sleep. Not sure what I will have time for. We’ll see how it goes.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/14/2024-50-90-challenge-day-72-90/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Guitar #Music #Recording #Songwriting

I played some guitar this morning. Judging by the above screen shot from my Apple Watch, I may have changed up the recording workflow a smidge.

Oh yes, yes I did.

I played through a speaker. Instead of using my Fender Bassbreaker 15 and my Vox MV50 Clean amps with their direct line outputs and speaker cabinet emulation functionality, I plugged into my Fender Deluxe Reverb. In the next photo you can see that the power light is on and it is glorious.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53989983269/in/datetaken/

I then did the craziest thing ever. I took the volume knob and turned it up. Way up. It wasn’t full blast, but it was close enough for a Thursday morning. In the next photo you will see proof.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53989668566/in/datetaken/

The volume was a smidge under nine. Again, glorious. Spectacular. I had an overdrive pedal boosting the input signal as well and it was distorting nicely. Tube amps are just the best things ever. I should have actually brought the volume down a little as the signal was over compressing to the point of being a squashed, squirely mess, but that’s okay. I’m just making demoes, right?

I played my SG because it was out of the case and sitting on the stand next to my desk. I probably should have played my Les Paul Custom, but this was fine with me. I ended up adding rhythm guitars to one song and leads to another. Oh, and I also added vocals to two songs. Fun. I probably could have snuck in a little more 50/90 challenge work, but I had to get ready for work and didn’t want to risk being late.

The one question that remains to be asked: Are my ears still ringing (about an hour after I stopped playing)?

Why yes, yes they are.

Glorious

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53990093035/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/12/volume-lots-of-it/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #365Project #5090 #5090Challenge #crankedTubeAmp #fenderDeluxeReverb #gibsonSg #Guitar #Music #Nikon #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photoADayProject #photography #Recording #Songwriting #TubeAmp #volume

So I am doing this 50 songs in 90 days challenge thing. If you have spent more than two seconds on this little pagey page you might have seen me post something about it.

July 4 through October 1. 90 days. Three calendar months. I also have a personal sub-goal along with the 50 songs thing. It’s to do an RPM Challenge style album in each of the three months. That’s either 10 songs written entirely within the calendar month, or 35 minutes of music. In July I somehow, magically, ended up with 20 songs. In August I only managed 14. Those combined with a few songs that were started in one month and finished in another had me at 42 songs on September 1st. That means that in order to finish the album in a month for September I have to get to 52 songs. Okay. I can do that.

I have a third goal now. It’s a mini-goal based on the three times in the past that I have completed the 50 songs in 90 days challenge. The first time was 2014. I ended the 90 days with exactly 50 songs finished. There was a 51st song but I never finished it. I still haven’t. The next time I completed the challenge was in 2020. I finished with 51 songs. Suck it, 2014! I beat you by one! The next time I pulled it off was 2021. I finished with 52 songs. Victory is mine, once again! 2021 rules, 2020 drools!

That leads me to this year’s goal within a goal within a goal. This year I want to get to 53. 50 songs completes the main challenge. 52 will give me the secondary challenge. 53 will give me the third challenge. I have 40 songs complete right now and nine more in progress. I have to finish those nine and then add four more.

I can do it. I think. Yeah, I can do it.

But first… it’s bed time.

PS: Still not watching the debate, but social media (which I know is an echo chamber based on my personal political beliefs and all) is hinting that Vice President Harris is effectively mopping the floor with the fascist fucker’s Nixon-esque flop sweat. Sounds epic.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/09/10/goal-within-goal-within-goal/

#5090 #5090Challenge #goals #harris2024 #harrisForPresident #kamalaHarris #magaIsACult #Music #musicGoals #Politics #songwritingGoals #trumpIsAFascist #trumpIsANazi #trumpIsEvil #vicePresidentHarris

It is Friday, at last. Every single day this week has tried to trick me into thinking it was Friday (there must be something wrong with my brain’s calendar function) but this time it’s real. This time it actually is Friday.

Insert the sound of an emphatic sigh of relief here.

The weekend is one 8.5 hour work day away. The best part? My step daughter is coming over tonight! She’s going to a work conference tomorrow and is stopping here on the way to it. We haven’t seen her in ages. I’m really looking forward to her visit.

Musically speaking? I played some guitar before work this morning. 50/90 progress. I put rhythm guitars on two songs and leads on one. I took a bunch of pictures with my Nikon. I had the 28mm lens on it for all but one. I swapped to the 40mm and took one more pic just to make sure it was working. It was. That lens is so much better than the 28mm. I’ll keep the 40 on there for a while. I really love that little sucker.

Here’s the one 40mm pic. It’s the choice for the photo a day thing for today.

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53912381450/in/datetaken/

Note the guitar case in the blurry background. That’s my other Les Paul. The one Jen got me for my 50th birthday. I’ll be swapping them out the next time I record guitars. The birthday Les Paul is the only one of my electric guitars that hasn’t made it onto a 50/90 track yet. That will change, probably tomorrow morning.

Now for a bunch of faux artsy pics with the 28mm lens.

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53911043922/in/datetaken/

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53911043832/in/datetaken/

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53912179078/in/datetaken/

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53912286524/in/datetaken/

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53912179148/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/08/09/musical-friday-morning/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Family #GibsonLesPaul #Guitar #Kids #LesPaul #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #primeLens #primeLenses #Recording #Songwriting #StepDaughter #StepKids #z5

I feel better about my place in the universe now.

I got up, did my exercise for the day, ate breakfast, and played the guitar. I learned two songs for tonight’s band practice. One of them requires a capo! What the hell, bro? I own a capo but I haven’t a clue where it is. I tuned the guitar up a full step to F# and learned the song that way. I’ll have to get a capo this weekend and re-learn the song for next time. There was a third song on our to do list but I seem to recall our singer saying to drop it. I hope so because there is a keyboard part that will tie my hands in an a knot if I have to play it.

After working on the new songs for the band, I recorded rhythm guitar parts for one song and lead parts for another! We had band progress and 50/90 challenge progress. Epic!

And even with all that music, I was not late for work! WOOHOO!

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53910407790/in/datetaken/

https://flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/53909068862/in/datetaken/

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/08/08/morning-music-9/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #Band #BandPractice #CoverBand #coverSongs #Guitar #lizardfish #Music #Nikon #nikonZ5 #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #Recording #Songwriting #z5

I overslept a little this morning. Instead of being down cellar doing my daily exercise at about 5:20am, I kicked things off at about 6:30. Not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination, but still… not what I wanted. I have become a creature of routine in a kind of negative way since my weight loss surgery. When I get off of the normal workflow I get bitchy. Sorry about that.

I started my silly running in place thing (pronounced “yogging” with a soft “j”, thank you Ron Burgundy) which should last about 48 minutes. I had to pause the proceedings three times. Two of them were not a big deal and I could easily get over them, but one was just dumb. At the risk of too much information, I had to use the bathroom. Oh come on, Robert. You couldn’t have taken care of that before you started? You couldn’t have held it until after? Ugh. Dumb ass. Instant bitchy.

I was able to get everything I needed to do before work done. I also snuck in some guitar playing. I put rhythm guitars onto the two song ideas I started yesterday. I wanted to add a lead track to a song or two as well, but that was where the time cut needed to happen. Next time. I hope.

Why do I let little scheduling hiccups like having to use the bathroom at a random time get under my skin this way. Grrrrr. I don’t know.

Here’s a couple of guitar pictures, just because. I snapped them while listening to playbacks of the new tracks. Multitasking, as it were.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/07/16/routine-interrupted/

#20245090Challenge #365 #365Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #dailyRoutine #exercise #exerciseRoutine #Guitar #iphoneography #morningRoutine #Music #photoADay #photoADayChallenge #photography #Recording #routine #Songwriting #tmi #tooMuchInformation #workflow

When was the last time I drove to an empty parking lot to record myself singing for one of my dumb songwriting project demos? February? Maybe?

Well, we’re back. I did it this morning. I had an annoying interruption, but I still managed to record very bad, terrible even, vocals onto five songs.

I started here:

Oh, did I mention it was pouring rain? As I was finishing up the first song a truck pulled up near me. It looked like a landscaper. Then a security truck pulled up. Then another car. Everyone got out and just stood around looking at each other. Then another car. Then another car. What the hell?

I moved. I just drove to the other side of the parking lot.

From there I finished up four more songs. I could have maybe done one or two more (the battery on my MacBook Pro is legendary) but I had to pee so incredibly bad that I had to drive home. Oh well. Hopefully we’ll be able to do some more tomorrow.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/07/13/first-time-in-ages-2/

#20245090Challenge #5090 #5090Challenge #carMusic #carVocals #iphoneography #photography #singingInTheCar

I just ate lunch. I’m wrapping up my lunch break with a little brain dump.

One of the worst parts of the whole gastric bypass post-op/lifetime recovery is that after I eat I have to wait 60 minutes before I can take a drink. It’s been two minutes since I finished eating and I am dying for a glass of water right now. It’s going to be a long hour, kids. A long hour indeed.

One of the bird feeders I filled this morning is 2/3 empty right now. It’s been six hours. Calm down, birds. You’re going to be as fat as I used to be and you’re going to need stomach surgery like I did. You try flying when you weigh 452 pounds. I bet you can’t do it.

The next scheduled band practice is Sunday. I don’t know what we’re planning on focusing on, but I don’t care. I want to play loud. I haven’t played at all since the last practice, three weeks ago, because I am conducting a creativity experiment. Also because I am lazy, but the experiment is a thing. The 50 songs in 90 days challenge thingie starts next week (on the 4th of July). The last few years I have worked on some sort of writing/recording project just prior to the start of the 50/90. This year I wanted to avoid any attempts at writing anything in the hopes that maybe my hypothetical creativity reserve tank would fill itself up during the break. I don’t know if that’s a thing or not or is it just something I made up out of laziness. We’ll find out starting next Thursday, I guess.

The weather forecast at the ocean at sunrise tomorrow looks good. I was thinking of taking a camera or two to the coast and grabbing some sunrise shots. I mentioned it on threads and someone I don’t know in the real world sort of invited himself to join me… and now I don’t wanna go. No. No social interactions, please. Pretty please. I just want to be left alone, thank you. I’ll probably stay home and watch the blue jays inhale the bird seed at an alarming rate.

Hey, check it out. Next week is a four day work week thanks to the holiday on the 4th of July. The week after that is a three day week because I took two days off to celebrate my 20th work anniversary. One of those days will see me out shooting photos somewhere. The ocean, around my town, Boston… all of the above? I need to find more lighthouses. The one on Plum Island is the closest, but it’s kinda boring. It’s not even on the water. I’ll figure something out.

Uh oh… when I went to my Flickr account to grab the above photo I think I discovered that they have rewritten the album pages and I don’t think I like it. Sure, I have only spent about three seconds looking at it, but first impression is… uh oh.

Okay, back to work with you, Robert. 2.5ish hours left in the work week.

https://robertjames1971.blog/2024/06/28/random-thoughts-on-a-friday-lunch-break/

#5090Challenge #BackyardWildKingdom #BandPractice #birdFeeder #birds #CoverBand #filmPhotograohy #Flickr #health #introvert #kodakPortra800 #lighthouse #lizardfish #Music #Ocean #Pentax #PentaxK1000