Neil Fein's Blog

Martha came home from DC last night. The back brakes on the Grand Marquis are going, and we're gonna have to buy a new car. (We've shoveled around $2k into that car in the last year, probably more.) Sara (our current houseguest) feels that's normal for a car with that kind of mileage, but I dunno...

I spent yesterday after work driving to Home Depot, getting wood, dropping it off, teaching a lesson, and then sawing and drilling the bits into a slightly nicer-looking ark. Rabbi Greene got some nicer curtains, it'll help.

We spoke about the Songwriter's Exchange a bit, about the goings on at Hillel, the current situation at her folks'.

Craig called me back and I repeated the story about yesterday's root canal. He's interested in hearing more, but quite frankly there isn't much to say. I think I'm giving the impression this is more of a big deal than it is. This is the "Wow, you wrote a song" phenomenon taken to the next level.

Tonight I'm off to Hillel, to throw a second coat of paint on the ark and put up the bannister. I'll be quite happy when these jobs are done, it's been a headache all around.

Well, where to start about The Greenwich Village Songwriter's Exchange... look here, first, at an essay about the Songwriter's Echange by one Amy Marie Keller:

http://www.vigilcd.org/songexcamk.htm

Amy and I drove in through the Holland Tunnel, and she pointed out where her Dad used to work (the old Port Authority building on your left as you approach the tunnel) and I told her the story about the couch John and I bought in downtown Jersey City.

Now. I know Amy, no problem there. I know of some of the other musicians. I even have CDs by some of the regular attendees. Intimidating.

We get there, there's noone answering the buzzer. We wander a bit, Amy introduces me to Jill Gewirtz and we decide to go have dinner. We came back in an hour and Jack is starting the pasta.

There were songs played that were just barely sketched out. There were songs completed to the point of finding the fills and trills.

The routine is, pass the geetar and play your damn song. (Bringing your own instrument is frowned on, maybe a device to keep focused on the song.)

After listening a bit, I felt comfortable enough to offer criticism. I think people took me pretty seriously. It helped that Jill played the first couple of songs. I was pretty quiet. That's a lie. I spoke up almost at once, while I was telling myself to shut up and listen.

I did play, a retooled "Dance In My Kitchen". I've been wrestling with that song for years, trying to think of a way. To shorten. It.

Stage fright I can handle. I was telling Martha the night before, I don't know how to handle the playing-in-front-of-other-composers brand of anxiety. My voice came out in a leeetle peep.

Then the song was over, and I said to myself, damn that's long. Without exception, all of my "new" lines passed without comment. But the group found other spots where I was being too cute, too confusing. I heard good comments on the "eyeballs" line; I do still think that word belongs in there, but the context is terrible. (Maybe "Our eyeballs align, and the memory, mine / is keeping my song out of focus"... that's hokey, but so's the original.) The music's fighting the story. No, I disagree, the difference adds to the feel of the song. Oh, yeah, it's too long. Amy assures me, the best reaction is to get a lot of criticism. I know this, having gone to art school, but it still deepens that construction zone in my stomach.

I left the place feeling about two inches tall, but I think I'll return when I grow back the hair on my ego. There's a solid, concise story buried inside the five minute monster, and I will find it and bring it back with me.

(Apologies to Jim Steinman.) I was going to call the studio "Reptile Studios", in homage to my former pets, but a quick web search shows me there already is a Reptile Studios! Talking with Martha last night, I think a similar name will do fine. Perhaps "The Reptile Room" (sounds like a lounge, cool) or something playing off of "Scales".

I've not posted for a while, I have a lot to catch up on:

I got a call last week from a prospective student, and realized I'd not yet set up the studio! I booked him for Monday, 19 August, and got to work. (I'm still teaching another student, but that's a by-special-arrangement travelling teacher situation.)

I spent the weekend working, and got the place set up. There's a nice carpeted performing/teaching area, a desk with the computer and mixing board on it, and good lighting. The acoustics are very nice.

The new student arrived on time (although I do need to give out better directions! Perhaps a folding business card with a small map on the back?) and we got to it. About the only immediate problem with the place is that I still need to install the A/C, but I'll get to that this weekend. I need to get some newer chairs, using kitchen chairs doesn't cut it.

I think I'm getting the teaching thing down. I was able to spot potential problems and set the student up well, and I gave him a good first lesson without too many preliminaries. I think he was pleased, but I need to take him past the newbie stage and will evaluate then.