From the road.

It isn't always easy being on tour. In fact, it's probably the least easy thing.  There's a heck of a lot of traveling, a lot of catching up with schedules, a lot of coordinating, a lot of meeting strangers, and then there's that snippet of time when you get to do that thing that you love to do, for about an hour or so, when it becomes wonderful.  But once in a while, there are shows that don't turn out wonderful (not so on this tour so far, I'm happy to report). I find myself surprised sometimes that I can still do this, even when it's not easy, when I'm running on a few hours of sleep and lots of caffeine; I'm missing "real" food and people I know. Last night I played a show here in Syracuse, and I had had a really long drive from Boston. I'm not sure how I had the ability to smile, chat, and socialize with the Le Moyne students after the late-night show (they were super funny and relaxed, which helped).


I thought about that this morning, and since it's Sunday and I'm craving my spiritual pick-me-up since I couldn't make it to my family church in Queens, I read some devotionals and came upon this verse, one I've read before but rings fairly true now:

12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;g but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved,h I do not consider that I have made it my own;i but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead... (Philippians 3)

Thinking about this verse, I get very overwhelmed by grace that allows me to continue what I do, even if it's not easy. Somehow, there's a love for music that was placed in my heart, and I feel close to it, even if it's full of struggles - on tour and off tour - and it's a big part of who I am. So, I guess the question I wrestle with is what the main purpose of this is. Sure, it's therapeutic, it's fun to sing about things I write, but how can my music effect bigger change? Is that even what it's meant for? Off I go to live that question...

Mixing signatures and structures.

I was up late last night starting a song. It was 1am and I was avoiding sleep. I'd started thinking about past relationships that were almosts-but-not-quite...thinking that a lot of the time I just didn't feel like the other person was letting me in as much as I wanted them to. That sort of unevenness seems to be an early sign of relationship problems to come. Anyway, I was messing with a rolling finger picking rhythm on the G# chord and started at the verse.  I know some people say starting with a chorus is a must for pop songs, but I wasn't sure this was going to be a pop song, and more often than not, I just want to go along with the song and see where it takes me when it gets to a "Chorus" moment.  What ended up happening was a Verse, Pre-chorus, Verse, Pre-chorus, Chorus pattern.  It's a little different, but something I've been gravitating towards the last couple of weeks.  I also gravitated towards the phrase, "from me."  I thought about the idea of repeating a phrase as a tag, but having it mean something slightly different each time... I also think the phrase "From me" sounds kind of nice at first, but in this song, is actually mellow and sad.

After some tweaking today, I wound up finishing the song. I think I'll end with the Pre-Chorus, rather than a Chorus, or a Chorus repeat. AND...this is a first for me, I think I will go into 3/4 time in the 2nd chorus.  I don't know exactly how it happened, but it felt very natural today. We will see how it sits tomorrow, if I can find time to play before my flight to Buffalo.

There is tweaking yet to be done... but here's that first bit that I wound up writing last night, along with edits from today:

From Me (Written by Alfa Garcia, BMI. (c) 2013. All Rights Reserved.)

Verse 1:

I try to speak to you / all casual and true

you speak in riddles back to me.

I wonder if it's just / the language that we have

I know you love your poetry

Pre:

But it seems I have to find 

a better man who doesn't hide

from me.

Verse 2:

You're such a wanderer / you're beautiful that way

and I would never tie you down

But your symbolic sighs / the overdrawn goodbyes

baby, they don't keep me 'round

Pre:

Lookin' for someone like you

who doesn't have to keep the truth

from me.

Chorus:

Tell me your secrets / tell me where do you go

I promise I'll keep it / I promise I'll let you go

when you want to be free.

----

In other news, I had my second rehearsal with drummer Kevin Jimenez, who will play with me at Room 5 on Nov. 22nd. I enjoy our weekly get-togethers, because it forces me to practice the older stuff, rather than get caught up solely in writing new songs.  I think songwriters are too quick to walk away from a song once it's written. I guess it's the artist's job from there...so if you're both (artist and songwriter), you carry a song with you a lot longer.  

That's it for now... will be in Buffalo playing a showcase with NACA this weekend. :)  More news when I return.