#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.

#Compact Disc, #Frail Autumn,, #GarageBand,, #Lyrics, #meanderings, #music, #Retirement Projects, #songwriting

Spring to Winter. The Frailty of Autumn leads to Winter’s Miracles……

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Older.
It doesn’t matter. Needs a mixing process next. Get the sound and instrument levels to balance.

Planning the future aim of a 2 CD (Compact Disc) recording intention, a song order list is important. These CDs are to be given out to family and friends and a double CD, numbering 100 total, is the number which are going to be made. Initially it was thought 3 CDs could be the plan. However, each CD can hold 80 minutes of music. Time considerations regarding how long all the songs total up together is still being worked on. 160 minutes/2 hours 40 minutes is a pretty long time to fill! I don’t think that is achievable in reality. But 80 minutes on each CD format doesn’t have to be filled!

Two CDs can have a nice totality. A themed ‘Spring/Summer’ vibe on the first one can be followed by ‘Autumn/Winter’ atmosphere on the second one. A double gatefold sleeve with inner lyric booklet would be very aesthetically friendly too.

The second CD is to be titled ‘The Frailty of Autumn leads to Winter’s Miracles’. Ever the optimist.

The first CD is yet to have a title regarding the meaning of what the Spring to Summer journey in life entails? No idea as yet. Can’t remember that far back!

Deliberations have begun. Which song follows which. At first? There was the thought that it could be time led. That being early to later songs written in my life. Or song style format. That being echo pop type songs, instrumentals and acoustic songs, together.

There She Goes is a nice example of simple tweak remix.
An Echo song. All that is needed is to get rid of the introduction inane speech blurb, maybe add a bit more instrumental dynamic (sweeping violin in latter ‘say our goodbyes’ to end ‘so goodbye’ bit) and then remix sound. Pull back the bass notes that cause that rumble speaker feedback. There you go!

A bit more thinking and the realisation that an eclectic jumping trip of back and forth diverse style as the songs present could be best really. Tales of the unexpected is a great way to live life. I love The Beatles ‘White Album’ and the way it crosses so many styles.

This morning it was wise to have a good look at the song list in GarageBand. See how many have been recorded. Confidence ensued because there are a nice number of finished and truly okay ones. Tweaks can round them off to a decent standard really.

Noticing the very first recording made, when first getting the ‘Mac M2 home recording equipment’, the little less than a minute trial song, on the video up above, was spotted. ‘My life has changed’. Suddenly it was evident that it could be a great little introductory opener to the whole project.

My life has changed

In so many ways.

Rearranged

Depending on the days.

It doesn’t matter much to me.

I guess it really doesn’t matter.

The philosophy of life, in those above short lyrics, has been of that premise. Changes over life regarding new adventures in career or hobbies/interests/pastimes has been of constant surprises. Musician, travel agent, potter, photographer, petrol station attendant, Whole food shop employee, sign language interpreter for Deaf students in education, teacher/lecturer in further education for adults, social services support worker, working in a Mental Health hospital situation, youth club work, Staff Nurse and more smaller career uptakes have been undertaken. And very many various hobbies, pastimes and interests that come along throughout life, as they are found or suggested, have been taken up and investigated as fully as possible too.

So I suppose that the lines in this little ditty above ‘It doesn’t matter much to me. I guess it really doesn’t matter’ are fairly apt. This is generally how I feel after situations have been experienced and then gone. Enjoyable at the time and taken very seriously. But once over and moving on to the next adventure? New and exciting opportunities are grabbed with open arms.

Aphantasia (lack of a mind’s eye) has a great deal to do with this situation. A visual recollection of nothing whatsoever, other than a blank grey canvas behind closed eyelids, means no true attachments to memories. They simply happened. Nothing emotional exists when born from a total lack of past imagery. All my emotions are present as current life happens. The ‘Here and Now’ basically.

Because I never have a mind vision of what has happened during past times, the enriched fullness to past situations is nonexistent. They are now pale upon paler has been experiences. “‘What once was’ is ‘Now has been’. So drag yourself into the light”, are lyrics from the song ‘18 years was 50 years ago’. Basically, a life of moving onwards and the inability to remember in depth the amazing experiences life has given me. Opportunities for the new unknowns are therefore enthusiastically taken up.

The last song on the CD #2 titled ‘The Frailty of Autumn leads to Winter’s Miracles’ will be ‘18 years was 50 years ago’. Albeit, when the CDs are finished when I am 70 years old… my 18 year old self will be 52 years ago! The 18/50 years ago song is an ideal outro to this project.

18 years was 50 years ago. The intentional last song on the 2 CD albums release.

Looking forward to realising this two CD scenario. Should be fun.

Younger.