#Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #meanderings, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting, #The VeeDub Bus, #Volkswagen Type 2 Crossover Bay Bus

Eureka is not always the answer.

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Grooving with Mr. Cloud around midnight and more has officially ended. That desk top shot is a welcome sight after the GarageBand shenanigans.

We are our own worst critics at times aren’t we. Or, actually, sometimes we do not criticise ourselves, but challenge the journey we have taken so far. The journey can be a project, educational learning, our career choices, or simply what we do in our day to day routines. Hunker down at home as an introvert of hermit. Or feel continually bored and go out into the world looking for something that is new in providing interesting or exciting themes.

THE ‘GROOVING’ SCREEN.

I don’t know how other individuals feel about what they produce in any of the ‘art forms’ that they are presenting. But I should imagine that they are on that journey of ever searching. Being happy with what you capture at that one self given eureka specific moment is fantastic. But you find yourself feeling, ‘What’s next?’.

Grooving with Mr. Cloud #1.

Tonight. After mixing and trying to improve a piece of the Cloud 9 instrumental tune to future use for the various filmed related Musak vibe inclusions, for various themed subjects in future videos, I began thinking ‘What do I need to achieve here? Consistency….a happy place that nurtures well being on listening’. There are twelve different instrumental music tracks. This collective of interactive instruments provide varying dynamic levels that, volume wise in introducing themselves, need each to become bravado for a while, and then fall back gently to allow others to arrive and shine for a while. If one crashes the party and sticks out like a sore thumb? You tweak. Is that a dance? Or is it twerk? Anyways. It got complicated to say the least. The complication arrives from two reasons. The Summers’ lack of technical abilities to tweak, not twerk, the GarageBand editing and volume levels in order to arrive at a lovely music balance and hear it evolve into a perfect synergy. And, secondly, my interpretation of what it ought to sound like, as it does in my mind, with frustrations that it isn’t being realised.

Grooving with Mr. Cloud #2

Eureka moments? It was not found tonight. But in artistic pursuit, it isn’t always a lived phenomena of seek and you will find it seems. Perceived failures do exist and it’s knowing when to say, ‘That actually is okay. I’m happy with it’. We imagine the next step to perceived improvement becomes a positive forward one. One that takes us to a place called Nirvana. Eureka is always present in those small achievements. Eureka, in these forms, will not change the world.

Grooving with Mr. Cloud #3

Our eureka moment achieved will be historically captured and self remembered for all time by being ‘that was our to be treasured moment’. Captured either by pen and paper, canvas, sculpture, musical vinyl, tape, CD, MP3 to streaming internet platforms, filmed movie, and et al. Eureka will be enough if it is only ours alone. Or, if lucky, for others to adopt too. Attempts in creating art forms, that go on to disappear into nothingness, is easily accepted too. Because the satisfaction of being involved in producing a few moments in time can provide a significance of impact on just yourself. Even one significant other, a half dozen significant others or the whole world of significant others. It is a weird conundrum that you, without realising, subconsciously analyse. Artistic individuals seem to be seeking different levels of capturing new ideas in order to satisfy our own hearts, or a hoped desire that others receive what we do and find recognised affinity and adopt the offerings we give. Or consciously or unconsciously gift.

Grooving with Mr. Cloud #4. The closest to Eureka.

I listen to my first recordings on the GarageBand platform and they sound so basic and naive. No dynamics at all. But when I actually sit back and listen, I realise they have some sort of ‘inherent charm about them’. I have to remember that at the time, I was satisfied with achieving small something’s. You capture, sit back and relax. Not eureka. But a warmth of ‘thank you’ to whatever exists and a small period of smiling because ‘You actually did it’. Then! Niggling thoughts invade the mind. ‘Is this it? No, it needs more’. This is your mind’s learnt history of the outside influential world coming back and challenging you. ‘Do better. Others will be listening to these songs’ it says whilst wagging its finger at you.

THE INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENTAL PARTS LISTED.

I can see, when truly believing in myself, what this all means. As Jonny Mozza says on his YouTube videos, ‘Just do it. No one will probably listen anyway’. Paraphrasing him, but inherently the message. I should dump my chattering mind of doubts and embrace my inner soul wholeheartedly. Essence. A beautiful inherent base that is always your true soul. No matter how you present it to externals. Believe in the essence of who you are in the most basic form. Because it can naively show itself and still shine.

And yet, persistently, my stupidity of a conscience still screams at me in these times. Mind is conscience. Mind has its own little games it plays with you. It says that essence isn’t something to be complacent about. There are better achievements. Sometimes it is easy to bat a Mind argument away. Place it in a paper boat, push it out to sea and pray that it’s the type of paper that is porous and will eventually soak up enough sea water to finally sink.

I used audio bars here because you only put one singular version on YouTube (below) and a fifth earlier version is already there. If you did manage to listen to bits of each slightly different version here on WP? I sincerely hope the four Mr. Cloud Muzak ditties didn’t result in a musical ear-worm that has invaded and annoyingly impacted part of your day.

15 thoughts on “Eureka is not always the answer.”

    1. Thank you Destiny. It has been interesting watching other YouTube uploaders in their own ‘camper van’ journeys on the open roads. They don’t seem to play music, but they do enjoy the whole experience of freedom. I believe the description of using ‘Cloud 9’ for the VeeDub future filming was an appropriate one for naming this new project.

      Cheers Destiny. 🙏🏽

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    1. Thank you Brenda. I feel it would be ideal to meet up with a collaborator. I remember chatting to you when I first thought I was going to play a gig. Who would have thought that, after that little project fell apart when others had to pull out, that I’d be left on my lonesome. So, in reality it has been flying solo in all this music dream.

      Thing is. I always had my pals around back in the band days and the dynamics were so different. Being alone and continually trying to motivate yourself, playing instruments I never have played up to last year, being a technophobe and not having a ‘music producer’s or engineer’s ear’, it is frustrating. But, yes, it’s feeling like I’m getting there through tenacity really. We both enjoy a good challenge Brenda. Keeps us on our toes.

      Your Belfast post was really thought provoking. My Nan, from Enniskillen, told me her stories when I was older. She knew I would then understand her experiences in those times. But she always tempered the hard times with her descriptions of brighter days and living a wonderful magical life. She was a natural ‘diviner’, healer and gardener.

      Cheers Brenda. Thank you once again for your support in this.

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  3. You should look on the positives – you’re developing lots of new skills, Gray. Ive been impressed by the way you’ve been embracing technologies but I can understand missing the opportunity to collaborate.

    I can relate to the link to Ireland. My grandmother was Irish too … or rather her parents were, but they came to Glasgow before she was born, but even as a child I was aware of her visiting our Irish family every year.

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    1. Cheers Brenda. I usually do look on positive results. But it is nice to share in music so as to get unique individual inclusions in the totality of songs. A few musicians together can produce so much more ‘sound’.

      I love The Beatles. When Paul went solo and played most of the instruments himself in the early albums before Wings, it was fantastic. He is a genius after all. But it was Linda’s contributions in those first albums that lifted songs too. I do want to have someone to, as you picked up, ‘collaborate with’. A different energy is needed now.

      My Nan was always saying I should visit Enniskillen. I’ve never been to Ireland.

      Thank you Brenda.

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      2. I know a guy who used to take his guitar over and play with the musicians in the pubs. I think I would feel more comfortable by soaking up the cultural vibe by watching. Cheers Brenda.

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  4. I thought I’d read this previously but I didn’t see where I’d Liked or commented so here I am. I hope if you ever do go to the Republic of Ireland that you go to some pubs in Dublin and then visit the burial chamber of Newgrange. I would be curious to know if you feel the energy there. I felt it as soon as we climbed the steps at Knowth, which is close to Newgrange, and then again as I ducked to enter the chamber of Newgrange.
    Anyway, yes, we’re our own worst critique at times and as musicians, I think we want the play with and from other musicians to help us grow and figure out where we’re going. I love what you wrote about Paul and Linda McCartney too, Gray. Yes, Linda was Paul’s muse. I knew he was multitalented but sometimes I forget. Cheers!

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    1. I may go to Ireland in the VeeDub. Currently working on adapting to local spots and building confidence in how to set up and find consistency. I have watched lots of YouTube videos now where people are so entrenched in their routines, that it will be great when I find comfort in knowing how to set up and follow a pattern. I know the unlooked for episodes can occur, but want to have a safety ambience after a few months or more. You can sit in your home, dreaming of what to do, and have that gut butterflies dread of ‘What if’s’.

      So further distance travel abroad can wait for the time being Sheila. I actually do love hugging the Mid Wales coastline and the drive to South Wales. Did that a fair few years ago. Also, driving up to the Lynn Peninsula and Anglesey is a fantastic experience too. Some beautiful spots inland countryside wise on that particular North Wales drive.

      Music. Spot on regarding the need of others’s influences. Linda, alongside her musical influence, was both a creative photographer and vegetarian cook too. I have a few of her cookery books. And an amazing Wife and Mother. Cheers Sheila.

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      1. I can get lost in your descriptions of Wales, Gray! Ah! I am going to watch more YouTube of Wales now…

        And I love Grooving with Mr. Cloud #4. That little melody is going to be in my head for a while. It’s kind of tickling my neurons! Ha! There’s a sweetness to it for sure.

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      2. In the 1970s there were gentle TV programmes that had fantastic music themes. Jackie’s ‘White Horses’, Black Beauty, Follyfoot Farm theme The Lightening Tree and the Shillingbury Tales theme too. The Shillingbury Tales was my main inspiration for Grooving with Mr. Cloud. Take a listen if you can, it’s beautiful. But those old melodies….. they are decades old ear worms for me. 😊

        And early days, as a teenager, visiting Wales with Angie when we both lived in a big City, was the impetus to move here. We brought the two children here from birth. When they both were 5 and 7 we moved to our present house. They went to a Welsh speaking School and can now still speak Welsh if needed. My Grancher and Dad, and family further back, being Welsh was probably the reason for its connections. Cheers Sheila.

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