The Happy Guitar

Song Creation #5 – Rock and Roll Dream

Ryan Thompson — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:26:01 +0000

I just realized how far I’ve fallen behind on these. In the next couple of days, I will try to catch up on the songs that I’ve missed in this blog, before new ones start being published to ryantmusic.com.

Rock ‘n roll dream is heavily inspired by true life occurrences that led up to, and my decision to leave the band that I had founded and led for many years. I attempted to place the weight and emotion of those events and decisions in the minimal lyrics of the song.

Sometimes the toughest choices to make in life are the ones that need to happen. My years with the band were incredibly formative and inspirational. I made many wonderful memories with all of the people I encountered. But, all things must come to an end. Except for RUSH. They’ll go on forever.

Song Creation #4 – The Goatman

Ryan Thompson — Sun, 16 Sep 2012 22:43:19 +0000

If you live in Maryland, you know who (what?) the Goatman is. He is mean and nasty, murderous – a horror film archetype. Half-man and half-goat, he was borne of a Silver Spring scientists mad experiments, or is he the scientist himself, twisted and mutated in a lab test gone horribly awry?

Regardless of the origin tale, Goatman is a uniquely Maryland legend. I think he lives on one of my local back roads, and that’s the home I chose for him when writing this song. A friend approached me a couple years ago suggesting the value of songs that connect to a locale, and give listeners something they can connect with. He wrote a poem about the Goatman that inspired me to write this song.

The story is of a band playing at a Maryland bar local to myself (and very near the road in question). The band is tired of playing and ready to go home for the night, but the Goatman is in the audience. He doesn’t want the band to stop playing. Knowing what the Goatman will do if his wishes aren’t met, the band plays on. And the Goatman dances the night away.

Song Creation #3 – Rockin’ Out

Ryan Thompson — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 12:19:40 +0000

This song’s purpose is to introduce myself to those who don’t know me. The lyrics are a nod to my influences and musical youth. I wanted to write a fun, upbeat, happy and enjoyable song. I hope I’ve accomplished this here. It was loads of fun to write, figuring out the best ways to incorporate all the nods to bands, artists and songs that I wanted. I hope it’s as much fun to listen to as it was to create!

Rockin’ Out gives props to:

-Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Conway Twitty, U2, REM, Pearl Jam, Drive-By Truckers, Collective Soul, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden and Cream.

Enjoy!

The demo version of “Rockin’ Out” is available for download at http://www.ryantmusic.com

Summer Accomplishments

Ryan Thompson — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 00:26:19 +0000

Summer break is officially over. Tomorrow, I’ll have 180 little feet walk into my spectacular science room throughout the first day of school. The beginning of a school year is always bittersweet. I look forward to meeting all my students and working with them in science class, but the endless free time that summer brings… ends.

I think I’ve accomplished a lot musically this summer. I’ve written well over a dozen new songs, and have many in various forms of recordings. A five song EP is well on its way to being finished, and I can not wait to get the songs polished to the quality I want them to be before release. I’ve played quite a few shows on my own, made some wonderful musician friends and look forward to see where I go from here.

Song Revision: On My Own 2.0

Ryan Thompson — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 01:24:01 +0000

I have five songs written for an EP release that I would really like to put out before the end of 2012. As I build up to the final versions of these five songs, I’m putting the rough drafts of them up for public review. The first version of “On My Own” was uploaded to http://www.ryantmusic.com in late February. At that time, I was using 10 year old recording software (that I hadn’t used in ten years).

Fast forward to July, and I’ve installed brand new recording software and upgraded the computer running the program. Add to the tangible factors the experience a solid four months of practice gives, and it’s pretty certain I can get a better sound now than I did the first time around.

I think “On My Own 2.0″ has a crisper sound. The guitar is brighter, and I’m keeping a much steadier rhythm. In terms of vocals, they are pushed more solidly through the mix. I agree with the feedback of one of my listeners that perhaps the lyrics aren’t sung with as much sincerity, or sweetness – that perhaps I tried to hard to get a “better” take, that I lost some of the honesty of the original. I appreciate your feedback. It’s why I’m putting these songs up there. Knowing what you think about the draft versions of the songs as they go will help me to make the finals as good as I hope they can be.

I’ll be checking back in with you in a couple of days, with a write up accompanying the song, “Rockin’ Out,” an autobiographical track with lyrics riddled with rock n’ roll references.

Song Creation #2 – That’s All Right

Ryan Thompson — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:47:47 +0000

So, I’ve got the first track of a five song EP posted for you at www.ryantmusic.com. I’d like to tell you a little bit about it.

I was playing around with The Beatles “A Day in the Life” and strumming the C chord when this song happened. I like it when songs just happen, and that’s most often how I compose – by chance, rather than by design. Naturally, songs grow and develop over a period of time, but I try to let the core of a song just be.

My lyrics here are influenced by recent events in life, and I think they can apply to many situations. Whether you’re moving out of your parents house, off to college, quitting your job, or just stepping to a new stage in your life, the words can fit the experiences of many, not just myself.

This is the first song recorded with a new version of recording software. I’ve used the same recording program since 2003 for song demos, so there are bound to be some issues as I work with new technology.

The next round of songs I upload to the web represent the second drafts of songs for an eventual EP release. Please listen, share and tell me what you think!

The Hendrix Effect

Ryan Thompson — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:46:01 +0000

It’s interesting the moments our brain chooses to remember very clearly: weddings, childbirths, disasters and the incredibly formative moments that shape what we become. Last Saturday, I was preparing for my first solo appearance. After dinner, I was discussing the day that changed my musical life; the day I discovered the type of music I wanted to play.

I’ve always listened to vinyl more than compact discs. There is something unmistakably brilliant about a record. Its smell, feel and shine convey auditory magic. How do the wizards get sound on these giant black circles? As a child, I enjoyed my mom’s Elvis albums and my dad’s Conway Twitty records. At 14, in ninth grade, I stumbled upon a Rolling Stones record. It changed my life.

What I thought I was getting…

I can remember picking the album out of a plastic storage bin. On the cover was a white frosted cake with a record as the middle layer. Let it Bleed is a wonderful recording, but I didn’t find the Stones inside. No, I had stumbled upon a misplaced Jimi Hendrix album. I was disappointed at first. I hadn’t heard of Hendrix… it’s difficult to imagine that now. Curiosity struck, and I put the needle to the vinyl.

From the first dissonant two chord riff of “Purple Haze,” I was transfixed, hypnotized. I must have played “Fire” eighteen times in a row. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I imagine my thoughts were similar to those of audiences hearing Hendrix for the first time in 1964. Guitars don’t sound like that; at least they didn’t before Jimi. I stayed up well into the night listening. Side A, B and back again. 30 years past sounded like the future to me.

The mind shattering reality

I hadn’t touched my kid-sized electric guitar since second grade. There was no resisting the NEED to climb the stairs to my bedroom and dig it out of the closet. It was still missing the high E string snapped seven years ago, but that didn’t matter. I was going to fumble my way through these songs. Fortunately, I was a high school freshman; I existed on 3 hours of sleep and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I had this.

Before passing out, I figured the basics of “Purple Haze.” I sounded much worse than I thought I did, but this night started the journey. Jimi was my genesis of music, and my life would never be the same. I found more than an old record in the wrong sleeve that night. I found a passion.

Song Creation #1 – “On My Own”

Ryan Thompson — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 12:31:32 +0000

Deciding to leave any relationship can be difficult. I was inspired to take on the role of an individual leaving any manner of long term relationship. It seems hard at first, but time and distance are great healers. For me, the uncertainty at the beginning of the song gives way to a comforting knowledge and peace of mind by the end.

I hope this song can be taken by many in all types of related situations. Enjoy! You can listen at www.ryantmusic.com.

Wetting My Feet

Ryan Thompson — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:58:08 +0000

So, here I am…. on WordPress and on my own. If I can, I will post blogs related to new songs, old songs and the stories behind their creation. Like, VH1 Storytellers, only in novella form. You will you have to use your visual imagination.

You may see several entries posted July 30, 2012. I’m moving the entries I had posted at http://www.ryantmusic.com to wordpress, as ReverbNation doesn’t let me add spacing and paragraph formatting. Walls of texts are not my thing, and I don’t want to subject any of my potential readers to that either! ReverbNation is a great, free platform for musicians to post their music, but not so much for blogging. On that note, hello WordPress!