Posts tagged songwriting
Five Things #55
Five Things #55

Every Wednesday I share five things I've liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

    1. Brian Eno on children, play and art via a fun comic by Austin Kleon (the author of Steal Like An Artist).

    2. Wiltshire has its very own Iron Man. Richard Browning has developed a flying suit consisting of a lightweight exoskeleton and six gas turbines that are strapped to the arms and back. According to Browning it has the potential to reach speeds of up to 450 kilometres an hour, though it hasn't been tested at speeds anywhere near that yet.

    3. Learn to code for free! freeCodeCamp is a non-profit with approximately 2000 hours of free lessons and challenges. I've just restarted my quest to work through the course and so far I'm really enjoying the challenge!

    4. Ableton have made a cool interactive website that teaches the basics of songwriting and beat making — a really great resource for anyone interested in learning how to make music.

    5. This week's musical recommendation is Requiem For Dying Mothers, Part 2 by Stars Of The Lid. SOTL have been the soundtrack of my week as I work through the freeCodeCamp lessons. Their sound has (according to Wikipedia) been described as "divine, classical drone without the tedious intrusion of drums or vocals."

    That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, subscribe and you'll get the next one delivered to your inbox.

    five thingsRoss Farleybrian eno, austin kleon, art, play, iron man, richard browning, freeCodeCamp, coding, learning, music making, songwriting, ableton, stars of the lid, music, Music recommendations
    Five Things #42
    Five Things #42

    Every Wednesday I share five things I liked and think you might like too. Here are this week’s Five Things…

    1. I just finished reading John Seabrook's fantastic book The Song Machine. It explores the evolution of popular music, how chart-topping songs are written (or manufactured…) and how the music industry tries its very best to guarantee hits. A pretty mind blowing book, essential reading for musicians and music fans.
       
    2. I’ve recently been enjoying The Guardian’s Audio Long Reads podcast (I prefer to read long-reads with my ears wherever possible). A recent episode, The Spy Who Couldn’t Spell (an extract from a book of the same name), tells the true story of Brian Regan and how his plot to sell American secrets was foiled by the FBI. It’s a fascinating story. (Here’s the non-audio version of the piece).
       

    3. Here’s a video of Bruce Springsteen working out (with help from his band) how best to play You Never Can Tell live on stage. Great musicianship and great to watch!

    4. “When you can’t create you can work” — Henry Miller’s 11 Commandments of Writing and His Daily Creative Routine

    5. On Monday evening I saw the film Lion. It featured one of my favourite pieces of music, Atomos VII by A Winged Victory For The Sullen. The whole soundtrack was great but I love that song! If you get a chance to see Lion, I’d recommend it, just be ready to shed a few tears…

    That's all for this week. If you enjoyed it, sign up to receive future posts or check out my previous Five Things posts.

    five thingsRoss Farleythe song machine, john seabrook, music, songwriting, music industry, the spy who couldn't spell, books, bruce springsteen, henry miller, creativity, writing, a winged victory for the sullen, Lion