A Look Inside My Head When Writing Silly Songs

Music has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. I took it very seriously at first; I was studying to become a classical pianist. When my hands stopped growing just shy of a full octave reach, I had to change my plan. I still play piano but it is mostly for my own amusement now.

I still sort of think in music even though I took a very different career path. When people talk to me, I often hear the line of some song that wants to come out of my mouth as a reply. I try to only let it out among close friends. :)The other thing my brain does with music is a sort of "Weird Al Yankovich" thing. I am constantly re-writing the last song I heard to fit the situation I am in and occasionally, I let one of those things out for the rest of the world to have a chuckle. I am a "less than fabulous" singer... so I am happy if you laugh at me as long as you laugh with me too. This is intended to be funny, not fine art.

Normally I would simply post my silliness but this week there was a challenge to combine that little hobby of mine with writing, another staple of my life. I am a word nerd, I was born that way it seems. When my daughter was working on her English Major, she used to have me check her work. "Word Nazi" has been used to describe me. The invitation to write a story about my silly song appealed to me immediately. Rather than just throw my little song out there, this time I am taking you on a little journey inside my head. Grab a jacket, it can get breezy in there!

It usually starts on the back of an envelope or some scrap of paper that is handy when I am struck by a lyric.

Once the first line has suggested itself (and it may be from the middle of the song by the time it is done) I try to get a couple of verses completed. If it turns itself into a full enough lyric, it will get put to music.

Next, I flesh out a SIMPLE tune. I may have to get more "professional" about this now that steemit is part of my life. Most of these ditties were destined for obscurity. I may play them for my husband and a friend or two, then they are gone. I do not really try to polish these turds, they are for amusement - not destined for a Grammy. I USUALLY am writing words to another song, so I just have to find enough of the right chords to suggest the original tune. A few times I have actually written the lyrics and the music to a song, but that is a lot more like work. This is "play" for me, it is just what my brain does as I do laundry, feed cows, what have you.

If I decide I want to make a video, I have to put SOMETHING on screen besides my singing mug. I get very self conscious when a camera is pointed at me. It is better after being in @papa-pepper's selfie contest, but I still prefer to point the camera away from me. So I doodle up some cartoons, and have my adorable husband try to make it a little story while I sing and play.

There you go, that is the making of the nonsense you will find in this post:
https://steemit.com/christmas/@fishyculture/an-amurkin-christmas-tale

Contests details here:
https://steemit.com/contest/@tinypaleokitchen/reflections-1-a-mixed-media-collaboration-contest

Thank you to @tinypaleokitchen for hosting this!