"Do you feel like writing and playing enriches your life more, or defines your life more? Yes"

One of my good friends asked me today if I felt like writing and playing songs was more of an enriching part of my life, or if it was more defining part of my life. Kind of an ethereal question, since it’s sorta splitting hairs, but I did my best to answer it and it got me thinking. The answer, as with most things, is yes. But it doesn’t stop there.

As I’ve played and written more and more music, I’ve fallen more and more into a place where I am always thinking about songs. At first, it was just when I would hear music, trying to think about what the writer would think about when he wrote those songs. What was Scooter Carusoe thinking about when he wrote “Better As a Memory”, how much was Brett James hurting when we wrote “Get off on the Pain”?

The more I wrote and the more I thought about songs though, the more I’d try to understand. I learned the Nashville number system so I could recognize chords as I heard the songs on the radio, I started trying to match up lyrics and mood of the music, a concept I refer to as “prosody” (look it up, its greek lol), and I noticed certain words in production (the band stops on the word “stop” or the singer sings low on the word “low”).

And now I’m at the point where I don’t think about songs just when I’m hearing them, but even when I’m not listening to music. In conversation, in life, in television… I start thinking about what those experience would be like if they were set to music. It’s in my mind 24/7, all the time, like a virus or a an idea that can’t be held back. And I like it.

And to get back to the question, I do feel like being a writer enriches my life, sure. It makes it more profound and interesting. And yes, it also defines me; I can’t have a conversation without thinking about the way words fit together, which syllables we emphasize, what rhymes we use naturally. But it’s not just enriching or defining, its like breathing. I just do it, it just is a part of my mind. I don’t mind it, I don’t fight it, I don’t even usually think about it. But I carry a notebook in my truck, in my guitar case, in my laptop bag, in my pocket, and I have two different note taking apps on my iphone in case I have an idea. Song writing is just a part of my life, like breathing, walking, eating, sleeping. The reward for me won’t be a record contract or a cut on the radio, although those are both things I want and work hard for. The reward is when I watch a kid next door throwing a ball straight up in the air and catching it in an over sized mitt. I watch, and smile, and think about how the kid probably is imagining playing center field for the Tigers, in the world series, 2 outs and bases loaded, while the oak trees and the passing cars cheer him on. And then I grab my notebook.

Here’s some links to the songs I mentioned:

To all my friends (and friends of friends) in the US Military, my band Small Town Son and I are putting together a music video for a newly written song called “Dog Tags”, and I’d like you to be in it.

We are recording a studio version of the song very soon, and the videos will be played behind it on youtube and possibly on tv.

WHAT WE NEED IS ANY SERVICEMAN OR WOMAN, FROM ANY BRANCH OF THE MILITARY, to take a 2-5 second video clip holding up their dog tags to the camera, and then email it to me, along with their name, rank, service, and where they are from.

You don’t need to say anything, the song audio will be playing overtop anyway, and the quality can be whatever you have (IPHONE, DROID, DIGITAL CAMERA, COMPUTER CHAT CAMERA, etc.)

We want to include as many as possible. Please take care not to let your social security number be visible on the recording of course.

Please email it to dogtags@krishitchcockmusic.com, the deadline will be February 19th. Please share this with anyone you know who is a member of the service, and any veteran of course as well.

Thank you all so much again for the hard work and sacrifices you have made, and may God bless you.

You can click here to go to the SONGWRITING page or follow the link at the top of the page!

Taking a Chance

I Can’t Remember When

Rock the Rapids – The After-Party!: woodtv.com

And let us know if you like it!