Saturday 24 June 2006
Magnolias
No new song from Day 9, I'm afraid.
Not that the flowers weren't inspiring. They may not have given me lyrics yet, but they've given me some chords. Some bright, almost ukulele sounding chords, which I'm about to put words to right now. I've only got a couple of hours to write a song today, because I have more Dayjob stuff to do. Plus I need a swim, and my mate Gareth's leaving Radio New Zealand, so we're going to his farewell dinner.
Chris came over last night and we had a roast. Mmmmmm. Roast. I played her 'Home' - which is now called 'Matariki' - and she had a little tangi, too. We're just a couple of old tangiweto's.
OK, so I've got my Fruit Toast (groan) and my kaputii and I'm about to open Day 10's parcel. Written on the outside is a very encouraging message.
Day 10 Care Package:
I think this is one of my favourites, in terms of the art of Sian's work, I mean. It's a drawing with a patch of gold/yellow to one side, very faint. The drawing is dark and kinda foresty. There are shapes that look like mountains where lakes might be. There are shapes like flames. The hoof of an animal splayed out. What could be a tower in the distance, viewed through an eye-shaped hole. A keypad of numbers? But they're all '1'.
There's text, too, in this drawing.
There's so much in here. It's reminding me of Len Lye, and why I love his stuff so much. The ageless scribbliness of it. I remember watching a DVD about him and he was describing his process and his work. He just kept using words like 'doodacky' and 'thingy' to describe the individual parts of the artworks. He didn't know their names either - he didn't want to know.
This drawing is full of doodackies and thingies. And something erupting.
x
OK, got some lyrics. This is another one in Maori. This time it is a sisters song - appropriate for Matariki (the Seven Sisters, or the Mother with the Six Daughters). I'm thinking of my mother, who's one of five sisters, and myself one of three, and Chris and her sis Kim. Also thinking of Sian and the two lovely sisters who've let me stay at this bach this whole time, Kate and Mary. And that flowers photo.
x
I'd like to use the line of text from Sian's drawing:
you leave no trace
I've also discovered a harmonica in the bach - a purple plastic one, excellent! I'm thinking of those lines in Bill Manhire's poem:
Only my harmonica
knows who you are
I want this one to be one of those sad but sweet songs - sweet chords and sweet melody but quite emotional lyrics. Let's see.
x
Ok so this one is like Whirimako Black. It's called 'He Tuahine'. Its guitar chords are way up high, capo on the 7th fret (again, that seven number). I've pretty much got the melody, just needs a bit more practice. Then I'll video it. Feels like a bought one.
That's probably it for me for Day 10. Thanks for tuning in. I truly am a legend (see above).
x
They're magnolias.
x
H
Magnolias
No new song from Day 9, I'm afraid.
Not that the flowers weren't inspiring. They may not have given me lyrics yet, but they've given me some chords. Some bright, almost ukulele sounding chords, which I'm about to put words to right now. I've only got a couple of hours to write a song today, because I have more Dayjob stuff to do. Plus I need a swim, and my mate Gareth's leaving Radio New Zealand, so we're going to his farewell dinner.
Chris came over last night and we had a roast. Mmmmmm. Roast. I played her 'Home' - which is now called 'Matariki' - and she had a little tangi, too. We're just a couple of old tangiweto's.
OK, so I've got my Fruit Toast (groan) and my kaputii and I'm about to open Day 10's parcel. Written on the outside is a very encouraging message.
Day 10 Care Package:
I think this is one of my favourites, in terms of the art of Sian's work, I mean. It's a drawing with a patch of gold/yellow to one side, very faint. The drawing is dark and kinda foresty. There are shapes that look like mountains where lakes might be. There are shapes like flames. The hoof of an animal splayed out. What could be a tower in the distance, viewed through an eye-shaped hole. A keypad of numbers? But they're all '1'.
There's text, too, in this drawing.
There's so much in here. It's reminding me of Len Lye, and why I love his stuff so much. The ageless scribbliness of it. I remember watching a DVD about him and he was describing his process and his work. He just kept using words like 'doodacky' and 'thingy' to describe the individual parts of the artworks. He didn't know their names either - he didn't want to know.
This drawing is full of doodackies and thingies. And something erupting.
x
OK, got some lyrics. This is another one in Maori. This time it is a sisters song - appropriate for Matariki (the Seven Sisters, or the Mother with the Six Daughters). I'm thinking of my mother, who's one of five sisters, and myself one of three, and Chris and her sis Kim. Also thinking of Sian and the two lovely sisters who've let me stay at this bach this whole time, Kate and Mary. And that flowers photo.
x
I'd like to use the line of text from Sian's drawing:
you leave no trace
I've also discovered a harmonica in the bach - a purple plastic one, excellent! I'm thinking of those lines in Bill Manhire's poem:
Only my harmonica
knows who you are
I want this one to be one of those sad but sweet songs - sweet chords and sweet melody but quite emotional lyrics. Let's see.
x
Ok so this one is like Whirimako Black. It's called 'He Tuahine'. Its guitar chords are way up high, capo on the 7th fret (again, that seven number). I've pretty much got the melody, just needs a bit more practice. Then I'll video it. Feels like a bought one.
That's probably it for me for Day 10. Thanks for tuning in. I truly am a legend (see above).
x
They're magnolias.
x
H
Day Ten Songwriting Retreat