The next step in the Story-to-Song process is to prepare the text for the first singthrough. I take that big block of words all strung together and shape it to look like one long poem. This essentially means looking at the text and imagining reading or singing a line of words. Inhale, speak or sing…
Songwriting Step I: The Spoken Story
A week ago, I started working on a new song. I decided to try staying close to the Story-to-Song method for this one, which meant that I needed to think of a story. The songs I have come to love most dearly tend to be those from other people’s stories. Maybe, it is the grass…
Sing sustainability
For the past month, I have been struggling with tendinitis in both of my arms. Needless to say, my ukulele playing time went from daily to nonexistent. I’ve injured myself in the past and know far too well that the healing process will take longer if I don’t listen to my body and take care…
Accessorize
These are a few uke accessories I have enjoyed in my tenure as a ukalalien: The Ukalalien Songbook by Kate Power and Steve Einhorn, replete with CD, fun artwork, and chord charts: http://www.qualityfolk.com/ukalaliens.html I also recommend getting a ukulele with pegs or ordering pegs to put on your uke and adding a shoulder strap. You…
The ukulele is juuuuuuuuust right
It took me about 30 years to find the instrument that was the perfect fit for me. I grew up playing piano in the classical tradition, which involved a strict adherence to historic interpretation of pieces from many incredible composers. While the sound of Prokofiev continues to tug at my heart strings, I am finding…
Choose the Uke for You
Congratulations! You are about to become the proud owner of a ukulele. While I cannot claim to be a ukulele expert, I can share some knowledge that I have gained in my tenure as a ukalalien. There are different modes of thought for choosing an instrument. In general, the nicer the instrument, the better it will…
An unexpected meeting
I have never been one to rely too heavily on ideas like destiny or fate, but discovering the ukulele may very well be one of those indescribable phenomena that shapes our lives ever after. I was attending a writing workshop in Eastern Oregon when the fateful moment occurred. Two musicians, Kate Power and Steve Einhorn,…
You can uke!
Seriously, you can! One of the wonderful things about the ukulele is that it is so very inviting. It is small and non-threatening and seems to be saying, “Go ahead. Pick me up! You know you want to. Check out my soft nylon strings. You won’t get callouses from these babies!” Who can say no…
What’s in a song?
What makes a song a song? If a child is sitting in the bathtub singing away, is that a song? One of my favorite Pete Seeger songs is one of this very kind. Malcolm’s idea of a song: To me, a song is something that when you start to sing you are carried by each…
Guiding Song 