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

Storyboard. The Den songs.

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Today I had a small lightbulb moment concerning what to do concerning recording a video as a storyboard in the VeeDub Bus.

I believe that the songs that are already finished and have been recorded on the Apple Mac M2 in the little home studio, known as The Den, would be ideal played in acoustic fashion out in the open air. Then a comparison study would be a good theme. Especially to chat about how the songs can progress. An acoustic version of these songs below, stripped and laid bare, would give ideas to how my songs develop. Sometimes it may be said that the simplicity of an acoustic version may be far better. Who knows.

The storyboard format would have specific sections every time. And two of those sections are now sorted. #1. Acoustic song and #2. The Den song. Trouble is! An idea of what to put visually over The Den songs below is the hardest thought process at the moment. Playing an acoustic version of them is simply myself alone, or myself alongside another musician with an instrument or a singer. Alongside? Simply chatting about the ways of getting songs recorded.

These songs below are the core for the first videos though. Use what has already been done. And what is quite nice about the versions below, is that with my new fast fibre broadband, I can send out the highest quality option into the universe. Before, the songs have been uploaded here on WP on basic levels.

For the possible new visitors to this blog, here is the background info regarding the songs below. All songs written by myself, Gray Summers. All the instruments, apart from the drums which are from the GarageBand library, are played by myself. So guitars, keyboards, vocals and a bit of percussion. I don’t like AI one little bit. So will never use it. So the songs will have mistakes. But that’s okay. I’m only human after all.

If you have the opportunity to do so, using headphones is a far better listening experience. Thank you.

🎧

Cheers and all the best to you all.

Intro song to the YouTube Vlogcasts.
Rhythm of Lies. Wind of Sorrows.
Eddie Loves to Dance.
18 years was 50 years ago.
Old Man…I guess that’s me.
Clean Start to Nothing Yet.
This Instrumental is an intended introduction to the Cloud 9 Vlogcast on YouTube when there are other musicians involved in the ongoing video. The intention is to write an upbeat lyric of simple introductory content intent and find a melody to attach. A kind of ‘Hello, Hello. Here we Go’ type of involvement which is suitable for The VeeDub/Cloud 9’/Musical Vibe storyboard scenarios.
And…..remember to not to get too cheesy!
Faded Walls. Time to burn them down. If the Outside looks Right in at You, then, don’t turn around.
November, the Stereo and You…..My Friend.
Year One.
Stop this Heartache.
Stars above the Dunes.
Currently an instrumental. Considering rewriting the intended melody/lyrics. Removed the vocal/lyric track as to sing over just this presentation above.
He Said, She Said.
Hey Yano……. A little vocal ditty attached too.
Groovin’ with Mr. Summers on Cloud 9.

AND NOW THERE BECOMES A TIME OF ENQUIRY. I NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE MUSIC PLATFORM ‘BANDCAMP’. TO UPLOAD SOME OF THESE SONGS ABOVE. AS WITH ALL NEW VENTURES AND THE ENQUIRY NEED, I HAVE A FAIR AMOUNT OF TREPIDATION BEFORE JUMPING IN TO THE EXPERIENCE. NEED TO BITE THE BULLET AND JUST WEATHER THE POSSIBLE STORM.

AND…….SOME FINAL INSTRUMENTAL INCLUSIONS FOR REFLECTING WHEN WALKING THROUGH THE LOCAL SCENERY OR SIMPLY FILMING LOCAL SPOTS.

Be Humble …. i-know ……..that I know nothing. Socrates.
TADA.
#black and white photography, #meanderings

And so the story goes……

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And so the story goes.

To where?

No one knows.

Borne from?

Well!

Out of self promises.

Not worn out wishes.

I’m a Staff Nurse. Capitals on the S and N. I’m proud to be a nurse. It was hard won. And is still really hard to win on a daily basis. I have loved my life so far. Every 10 years I would subconsciously change direction career wise. These changes would just creep up on the Summers’ lifestyle. Unknown until they arrived. No planning involved. Left school in the early 1970s and picked up a guitar (musician) and it felt ‘right’.

10 years go by touring, playing, dreaming and writing my own songs singing to an initial audience of myself alone to audiences of thousands. Toured with my band supporting the Specials, Selector, Madness, and Dexy’s Midnight Runners. Lived above a Whole-food Shop, which had a Potter supply his hand thrown stoneware coffee/tea pots and domestic ware. He gave me a lump of clay, and ‘hey’ I started making Raku and St. Thomas White stoneware Mythological and Mystical travellers and warriors. I became a ‘ceramicist’ in earnest. Couldn’t call myself a Potter because I couldn’t throw anything on a wheel. Completely useless.

Craft fairest, exhibitions, shop supplying were my selling places for ceramics. Even opened up and ran a shop with another craft worker. It was located behind Coventry Cathedral. It was short lived. After 10 years go by working with clay? My nephew, born profoundly Deaf, meant we all, as a family, went to college to learn British Sign Language. I took this up as a career and supported Deaf students in higher and further education. I move to Wales in this role and…..

10 years go by again. Sitting having a coffee with a lecturer in Aberystwyth, I bemoan my age of 50 and say I’d love to do something different. “Become a nurse,” he says. He takes me onto his Access to Nursing course, which allows me into the General Adult Nurse degree course in Swansea (well the Carmarthen site of the three University’s sites), and there you go. After three years trying I become a Staff Nurse.

10 years have gone by. Now? I’m 61 and it seems my 10 year change has stopped. I have my Volkswagen T2 Crossover 1972 Bay Bus, “Wow, an old camper van!” as people call it, nearing renovation completion. I used it as my daily transportation (that’s ‘My Daily Ride Dude’ when I would have been in my younger days) and it will once again become my ‘daily ride dude’ when I get it back home very shortly. I’m thinking I may use it as a central life changer. It’s name is Billie Bud and it will carry my interests including guitar, djembe drum, Pentax cameras (LX, 645, MX), lots of black and white film, my aromatherapy essential oils (120 plus) to create new synergy concoctions, decent pencils and art paper and my small collection of beautiful fountain pens (1930s to 1990s) to write thoughts and songs.

So the story goes, to where? No one knows.

WELL…….AN UPDATE IS REQUIRED NOW I SUPPOSE.

Now soon April (tomorrow) of 2026, it has been four years and eight months since retiring at 65 years old. So now a soon to be 70 year old in September this year. I have been a gardener, decorator/DIY enthusiast on renovating the house for about two and a half years when retired and nearly two years as a musician again. I have been songwriting and recording the results on a MAC M2 home studio. It’s been fun.

So I suppose, change still is ongoing. The VeeDub Bus has had some new carburettor updates and now returned. Hopefully music can be recorded on the go. Ambitions are to get a ‘van studio’ set up and record amongst nature whilst chilling in the VW Bus. Blogs of course have been ongoing and will still be a future aim.

Cheers to everyone that has stuck through this WP adventure. So very much appreciated. Thank you all.

#Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #Lyrics, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting, #The VeeDub Bus

FADED WALLS. Second Phase. Not Fazed.

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SECOND PHASE……Faded Walls is now the inspirational track for ongoing sound.

Currently having a weekend away. When back home and inside The Den, the new songs now nicely getting there are going to be recorded. Typing this means commitment to do this thing. So I am reposting Faded Walls in order to simply put a blog out of one new song one at a time. As they are finished? Probably. Then followed up with how the song developed as I have done before. An insight into this home recording malarkey.

THE SONG. FADED WALLS, ON THE AUDIO BAR BELOW WILL BE THE INSPIRATION FOR THE ‘SOUND’ OF THE NEW SONGS.

PHASE ONE (Realistically the learning process in 3 parts.

When starting this recording malarkey back in, and around, May 2024, it was a case of writing a bunch of songs on the hoof and experimenting. I tried three key areas. First up? Simple pop type songs, akin to songs I wrote in the past. They were fairly different styles.

Secondly, I moved on to dabbling with instrumentals in order to try understanding how the computer technology worked. In other words, experimenting with the GarageBand app and the additional outside attachments a little deeper. Interfaces, pre amp booster, monitor speakers, etc. There was, and still is, so much to learn in this regard. A Tascam mixing desk is awaiting understandings. But instrumentals gave me opportunities to create lots of tracks on tracks in one song in order to get at the possible synergy of sound and how melodies could mix. I did have, and still have, rough failures, but they were, and still are, fun in trying.

Thirdly, I began playing little Muzak tunes. The project desire was to branch out to YouTube and make videos. ‘Gray Summers on Cloud 9’ was to be the concept. And of course, it still is ongoing now. The VeeDub Bus (a Volkswagen 1972 hippy camper van) is central to this philosophical ideal. Muzak would give little ditty soundbites to include within a video storyboard framework. Fill space so to speak.

All three stages above? I suppose they were, and still are, my Phase One in this music adventure in retirement.

The Faded Walls tracks. The Storyboard.

What I had been forgetting in all this learning, was the initial reason I wanted the Frail Autumn name tag attached to myself as Gray Summers. What it gives me as an identity. At first it was imagined that I could get a ‘band’ of musicians together to play songs. I realise now that, despite the desire still inherent for this scenario, it ain’t gonna happen. I am too remote rurally. I hear of bands that play around here locally. Mostly a bunch of youngsters. Me, at 70 years old this year, am never going to find guys or girls that can be a part of a consistent commitment. Believe me….I know who exists around here. And they have their own commitments. As I have.

So, I have moved to PHASE TWO in that I have to create a Frail Autumn sound. One that is not too challenging. Because I am not a skilled musician. Faded Walls is that sound. I do not get goosebumps at my own music. I did back in the days (1970/80s) when we were a musician collective and it was actually others playing alongside me that gave wonderful chills. But since this new recording project and getting into music again…I’ve been simply going through the motions. Goosebumps had up and left me decades ago.

The other day I started to realise an imagining of the right path was developing. I loved the Faded Walls sound I had played on echoing guitars and sweeping keyboards. But was struggling to get at finishing it properly. The 6 string Hohner Les Paul electric guitar kept/keeps going out of tune. Quickly too. Half way through songs! It needs setting up properly. Despite this, there was suddenly one single moment when, listening through the headphones, an emotional gift came. Being at a really low point emotionally, something can happen that brings hope. And suddenly, in one particular listen to this song below, there was a goosebump moment. A realisation.

Frail Autumn suddenly has a sound. I can amplify and repeat this musical noise below into my other newer songs. Meaning….akin to how the specific instruments sound. Get an overall consistency that feels comfortable.

This year, I am going to step up to getting Logic Pro. GarageBand is a fantastic app for playing music on. Logic Pro is the next stage. It’s what professionals use. So, I’ll save up and get it in 2026. Then, who knows what can be achieved. It’ll be fun trying.

HERE BELOW IS ‘FADED WALLS’.

ALL VOCALS AND INSTRUMENTS (apart from the GarageBand drums from their library) PLAYED BY GRAY SUMMERS.

AND NO….NO SET UP PRE-RECORDED COMPUTER BACKING TRACKS OR A.I. WITH GUITARS AND KEYBOARDS.

JUST ME PLAYING THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS…AND HAVING FUN……

IT’S ALWAYS BEST HEARING THROUGH HEADPHONES OR EAR PODS. CHEERS.

🎧

GOING INTO A SECOND PHASE IN HUNTING DOWN THE FRAIL AUTUMN SOUND.

Faded Walls.

Think about your future

False reality

You’re staring through the window

Looking down at the street

They’ll tell you that it’s cold outside

Best ignore

Tearing at the window

Won’t open up the door.

Don’t need surrealism

It’s already there.

Don’t know no information

Casual or rare

There’s a riot going on outside

Best ignore

An insane revolution

Ain’t worth fighting for.

Faded walls

Time to burn them down

If the outside looks right in at you

Then don’t turn around.

Don’t need no self reflection

Travelling round my head

I’ll focus on deflection

Instead

There’s a riot going on inside

My mind

An insane revolution

I’m one of a kind.

Faded walls

Time to burn them down

If the outside looks right in at you

Then don’t turn around.

It’s okay killing time

But it’s driving me insane

It’s okay laughing out loud

When I’m the one to blame.

The Den.