#Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting

FRAIL AUTUMN UPDATE.

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FRAIL AUTUMN UPDATE: ONE OF THOSE LONG UNREADABLE BLOGS…BORN FROM 02.30 INSOMNIA AND NEEDING TO TIRE OUT THE BRAIN.

I thought it was a good idea to get my mind straight on the music project. It’s been a very busy year outside of the music and the emphasis on following through this amazing adventure has to be typed down to bring a force and energy to stay focused. I have been flying solo on this project. What happens with self-motivation? It becomes a struggle that needs an inner strength which can be really difficult to carry on with purpose and to realise an achieved status. I loved being in a band. I was never a solo performer. So being alone in all this adventure is a very strange affair. I write in a journal to reflect usually. Settle with treasured fountain pens and simply write down thoughts that help enormously to refocus tasks and aims. I realised a few days ago that I haven’t done the journal sabbatical for months now. So I am typing one now, as I have typed out some others this year, to help me build confidence. WordPress blogs have, it seems, replaced pen and ink.

This blog is for my own purpose I suppose. If you want to read alongside, you’re very welcome. Some of us bloggers do find a gentle catharsis in writing our thoughts. Others who look at one’s blogs, either read or part read and say ‘I like that’……or ‘No thanks, too much here’. Do we care? Well….I don’t necessarily. Nice for the readers’ feedback, because it gives a warm glow. But not hungry for the feedback, because I know that inherently, the blog is the crux to giving myself positive thinking. A way of feathery word dusting away the collective conundrum collective mind dust that can build over months.

So…..After self guiltily buying another few equipment pieces needed for home recording my songs, I began to think about the costs since last April. Of course, before April there has been an outlay to actually get back into playing bass guitar again. It all started from a phone call last October 2023. Asked to reform a three piece 1970s band I was in. This for a one off festival gig. After agreeing and having to find a bass guitar and appropriate amplifier, it was back to being a committed musician again.

Since dropping full time musician status back in 1983, where I was earnestly involved with it as a career, I held onto my Eko dreadnought acoustic guitar to carry on writing songs. And also, to generally keep my hand in playing. I sold my beautiful Fender Jazz 1960s guitar back in 1983. Never to pick up a bass again. Until November 2023.

My wife said, back in November, we had to go to Newtown for some shopping. Strange as it is an 80 mile round trip drive. She said it was a while since we went to Newtown. I hadn’t thought she was so fond of the place. But of course, there is a fabulous musical instrument shop there that sells very many new and second hand guitars amongst other instrument choices too. The strangest of strange happening was that a Fender Jazz bass guitar, that sat amongst other bass guitars, was near as near exactly the same as my old one. A re-issued model, exactly the same non-colour blond, but near as near as to what I had back in the 1970/80s.

A bunch of equipment bought. Please tap on individual photos to enlarge.

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Because of my Aphantasia, I have no visual memory of that bass other than my WP black and white avatar photograph with myself holding it. Holding this early 2000s close as close to near perfect visual equivalent had me emotionally wrecked. I was holding a part of my history it seemed. My wife said I had to buy it. She could see I was close to tears probably. I bought a Fender Rumble amplifier/speaker combination a week later.

In the loft/attic I had two electric guitars I had been given over time. A Vintage make SG, a Tanglewood Falcon Stratocaster. Recently I have now further acquired a Hohner Les Paul L75 electric guitar, a Guild D25 Cherry acoustic guitar, a charity shop bought Eko 1960s acoustic guitar exactly like my first Eko acoustic bought in the early 1970s and a variety of percussion instruments. I had ethnic djembe and Indian drums for playing in a drum and dance workshop which a couple of Social Services work colleagues and myself ran.

Suddenly it felt I could be a one man band! Not a great musician at all. But a keen trier.

Of course, the initial start of all this, the festival gig which was supposed to be in July this year (2024), never actually happened. The drummer and guitarist couldn’t commit due to busy lives. I completely understood, but then felt completely lost up a creek without a paddle. What could I do! I had begun writing songs in earnest again since around Christmas last year. I had very many song ideas bizz bozz buzzing around my brain anyway from tunes dropping into my mind over the decades. Once a songwriter…….

Record them! Lightbulb moment. On what? Reality bites moment. The iPad and get a decent microphone. So I did. But technology moving quickly Apple iPad changed its format. My old slow as slow iPad with little storage had the old lightning adapter. The same as my Shure MV88 expensive little recently purchased microphone. A new competent iPad bought by my wife as a gift had a USB-C adapter and no way to connect the MV88. No converter existed.

So……new equipment need. It then got ‘monetary outlay’ silly. Expensive and silly. Pensioner on a budget silly. An Apple Mac M2 computer with a whole bunch of external technology equipment inclusions to create a basic, but hopefully effective, home recording studio. I have used the system from last April and bought the add ons as required. Always looking for decent deals money wise. I began to record songs. They have been experimental excursions. A technophobe learning to be a bit better at this arena of technological conundrums. As experiments they are passable. But not worthy of keeping as finished songs. So, I have to re-record a lot of old and new song ideas and hopefully produce a bunch of 12 really decent results for release early January to April/May next year. Even if simply to justify the outlay. But mainly to ease my soul.

Old 1960s Fender Jazz Bass guitar.
New Fender Jazz bass guitar and Rumble amplifier/speaker combo. Old iPad and Shure MV88 microphone not suitable for purpose.

It’s a fantastic retirement project to be honest. And one that has certainly been challenging mentally. But a hoot emotionally. Really fantastic vibes in writing songs again. Songs with considered outcomes and not just playfully strumming and singing ditty tunes like I have been for decades.

EQUIPMENT UP TO DATE:

1). AKAI Professional MPK Mini Plus – 37 mini Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller with 8 MPC Pads, Sequencer, MIDI/CV/Gate I/O, and Music Production Software

2). Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO Studio Headphones – 250 Ohm

3). Apple 2023 Mac mini desktop computer with Apple M2 Pro chip with 10‑core CPU and 16‑core GPU, 16GB Unified Memory, 512GB SSD storage, Gigabit Ethernet. Works with iPhone/iPad

4). Apple Studio Display – Standard glass – Tilt-adjustable stand

5). XTUGA USB Audio Interface for PC,Interface for Recording Music Computer Recording Audio Interface XLR with 3.55m Microphone Jack, USB Sound Card for Recording Studio, Ultra-low Latency Plug&Play, Q-12

6). Pre-Sonus Eris E4.5, Studio Monitor Speakers, Pair, 4.5 Inch, 2-Way, High-Definition Multimedia

7). M-Audio M-Track Solo – USB Audio Interface for Recording, Streaming and Podcasting with XLR, Line and DI Inputs, Plus a Software Suite Included

8). TONOR Dynamic Microphone Preamp Booster, Professional Mic Voice Amplifier Preamplifier, Ultra-Clean Gain for Broadcast Podcast Gaming Streaming Recordings Studio Singing TA20

9). Crucial X6 2TB Portable SSD – Up to 800MB/s – PC and Mac – USB 3.2 USB-C External Solid State Drive – CT2000X6SSD9 – Black

10). Microphones = All Shure. Two Condenser Microphones. MV88 and MV5. The 1970s built in the USA Dynamic Microphone Shure SM58.

11). Yamaha DD66 digital drum machine….. . .

Which required:

a). YAMAHA HH60 Hi Hat drum pedal with spikes.

b). YAMAHA KP65 Electronic drum kick tower bass drum pad trigger with spikes.

c). Premier Olympic Single Bass Drum Kick Pedal / Hardware #MK65

d). YAMAHA UX16 USB MIDI Interface Cable

12). Connecting equipment leads upon leads upon leads. And then…..Upon more leads!

13). ALTO ZMX52 Mixer.

31 thoughts on “FRAIL AUTUMN UPDATE.”

  1. Thank you Gray for your photos of your musical instruments and equipment! I feel like I’ve been transported back a few decades to when I thought I wanted to be a musician.
    As for your comments about writing our blogs, I see it the same way. For me, it’s a kind of logbook in which I record where I am at the moment and how the journey continues. It’s not interesting for everyone, but it helps me enormously and so I’m full of gratitude to my readers.

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    1. Thank you for your reply Friedrich. I will answer properly later. I am currently about to go over to my daughter’s old house to tidy up before handing back keys to the estate agent. Your reply deserves a considered answer. All the best.

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      1. I believe a lot of us, at younger and older age, would love to be part of a band at some point or other. I had my brother and two of our friends all living for music in the early 1970s. We had our own favourite bands to discuss and share with each others’. I bought a cheap acoustic guitar, then a cheaper electric guitar and my Dad went to town and brought back a small amplifier with speaker. That was all it took. The four of us began in earnest. A journey of about ten years with different musicians culminating in supporting and touring with The Specials, Madness and having a great time. It is now just having the luxury of free time to enjoy it all in retirement again that feels so nice. Thank you.

        I do enjoy reading your blogs of chosen relatable subjects. They are very informative and have philosophies close to my own heart. You always take me down avenues of new thinking. Very inspiring. So thank you very much for writing such insights to share with us all. So very much appreciated.

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  2. I don’t mind reading along at all, at all. I feel you’re supposed to go on these splendid journeys, the long posts and trips to faraway towns, to discover stuff about yourself and at times rescue instruments that need love and a good musical home and a fulfilled purpose, like being on the next Frail Autumn song. x

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    1. Insomnia is a crazy few hours of reflections and inspirations cookie. It gets a kind of euphoric mind searching exercise as to what is possibly achievable. I’ve been listening to a lot of different music lately. And by listening to such variety, there is so much to consider regarding where you could use similar ideas.

      You must experience this yourself cookie, due to your creational thoughts. Using vibes to build your own unique slant on them. After such thoughts, you then pick up your ownership of a loved collective of instruments that you understand and trust. I do. Because these choices give us further individual synergy unlike any other sound. A collective of playing the instruments we have who become old friends. They encourage a familiar tune. From out of each of them they marry alongside our songs. In my case, the others blend into each other. Having said this, I actually love your singular focused approach of guitar and vocal cookie. Why?

      Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan on acoustic and vocal was a late 1960s listening experience that will last with me forever. He had Steve Peregrine Took alongside on drums, bells, various percussion which was sublime as interaction. But the overall vibe was a guy sitting enjoying an acoustic guitar accompanying his voice. He then became a superstar from such a strong and creative base. If we are comfortable in our songs for the self perceived strength that they possess in how they sound with us simply strumming a guitar and singing our personal words and melodies, we can ultimately relax in what they have to offer others. We can simply get on with our music, wherever it may lead, and present it to others confidently. Cheers cookie. Thank you as ever for your words. Always appreciate your insights.

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      1. sometimes I will pass a shop, like Rivington on E 4th, and there’s heavy eye contact with an instrument—my mom thinks I’m nuts. thank you for your kind words about my focus. I prefer to play and sing solo because that’s when I feel most like me. it’s my way of working things out with myself. plus my situation doesn’t allow me to commit to regular rehearsals, and being around other musicians sometimes brings behaviors I’m trying to avoid.

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      2. I can understand completely cookie regarding trust. We are in a comfort zone with our songs. We hear them in our mind. I love the sound of my own songs too, of perceived ‘rock and roll’ or ‘sympathy for creating the songs’ from within. That’s simplicity in explanation I know. But we want our songs to be ‘us’. I do trust others from the past. Because we lived the same dream. I don’t know others currently yet, aka from the present, who can contribute to represent my ideas. Because my own dream is a personal self enquiry. Hope that makes sense to you. I suspect it does. Because listening to your songs, they express your own emotions and personality. Wonderful results too. Cheers cookie. Onwards and upwards hey!

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      3. Hi cookie. Just spent some time reading reviews of the Rivington guitar shop. I wondered if it was as awesome as the second hand guitar shop we have in Newtown. Rivington don’t do well with the feedback do they. Some pretty awful negative comments. Only replying because you said you ‘passed’ the shop. Not sure if you have ever gone in to buy. Cheers.

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      4. oh, no, I only window shop. it’s super expensive. I have gone in a few times. some people there are friendly, but not all of them. I get this icy vibe, and they watch me like a hawk.

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      5. That’s what the reviews say too cookie. I looked because I was reading reviews of our local Newtown shop, Mid Wales Music Centre, and they are virtually all 5 star reviews. I noticed photos are available to look at on Google. You ought to have a look cookie. Some lovely vintage ones. Their supply stock is absolutely mind blowing. And so helpful. I bought my Jazz and Guild from them. Bought my son’s Christmas present guitar and Marshall amp there too. And his ukulele.

        I was worried you may not know of the comments I read and buy something you regretted. Cheers.

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  3. In hindsight, that was one expensive “phone call last October 2023.” But of course, it brought back some of the great joys of your younger days, no? Creating, playing, and singing music! Ha!
    I love your long cathartic prose, Gray. And the image is lovely and comfy. Wonderful to take the time to thoroughly read.

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    1. Yes! It did bring back, with after midnight ramblings, a full circle of my love of music. You can understand this completely Sheila. You yourself have exuberance in giving energy to improve others’ good vibes in what music offers. Music in our lives is precious. Be it from others’ creations or our own contributions. Relaxation or get up and go is always the result of listening to music. I always listen to your uploads you present daily. A few minutes of time so well spent for us personally from an enormous amount of hours of both yourself and Richard’s applied creation. It is important to recognise Karma in such a process. What you give personally comes around to influence and bring harmony to others. What is offered should be well received. And we all receive gratefully Sheila. Cheers and all the best.

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    1. Very true Shep. Just got to get my second wind now and get inspired to playing properly. Been moving my daughter and grandchildren to their new house over the last two weeks. And yesterday started painting walls in the old house they left. Needed freshening up. Travelled back here to Wales last night. The UK had downpours of rain, so had to drive through a fair few floods. Going back tomorrow to carry on with painting all the rooms. Fingers crossed it’ll be an easier drive. After next weekend it’ll be time to pick up the guitar again properly. Getting a bit old for all of this now Shep. Feeling shattered.

      The music is really important now. As you say, one shot at it, and it’ll be one that has to work this time. It’s been fantastic to have the opportunity to play music again with intent. Cheers and all the best.

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    1. Thank you Brenda. Good to hear from you. It’s nice to be back writing songs and having the decent equipment. Couldn’t have done it without Angie’s helping monetary wise. Currently though it’s really tiring with the daughter’s house move though. Going back to Worcester tomorrow to paint walls. There until Friday probably. Came back last Sunday through floods. Really scary. A two and a half hour journey ended up five hours. Not sure what it’s like up North.

      I believe in the all round feel good factor of blogging Brenda. It’s a really nice quiet half hour/hour of focus. Important simply for the act of expressing thoughts. It’s also fantastic reading the blog uploads that all of you put energy, experiences and thoughts into. Hope you are keeping well. Cheers and all the best.

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      1. Hi Gray, I’m good. We had some snow and rain but nothing like down south. I was thinking about you and Hugh from Hugh’s Views and News. That drive must have been scary. I’ve been fortunate to be working from home when it was bad. It sounds like your daughter is keeping you busy.

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      2. Sorry for the late reply Brenda. Just got back late last night. Peach of a journey. Better than driving through the floods last time which took five hours instead of the usual three. So all finished now and they are all settled in their new four bedrooms house. Far better than the two bedroom one with four children to think of. So really was a good thing timing wise with the old landlord selling up. Christmas should be far more comfortable for them all now. And! I can catch up on reading all my fave blogs now. Cheers Brenda. All the best.

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      4. Very true Brenda. They can each have a bedroom that is no longer turned upside down by the youngest granddaughter piling her toys all over the room. Strangely though, the youngest is keeping her own room tidier now! 😊 Cheers.

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to read Destiny. Sometimes reflection is a cool write for self analysis. Writing, or typing, words and simply seeing what is in your life currently is helpful. It kind of pinpoints the valuable choices you need to make and avoid the clutter.

      I can now get back to normality too after helping my daughter and grandchildren to move. They are settled now so that is really nice outcome now. All the best Destiny. 🙏🏽

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      1. my pleasure, Gray…
        I’ve got one too many under my locked notes on these reflections lol…true, it does help.

        glad it went well with them…and all the best to url too 🤍🙏

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