Did I say difficulty?  Yes!  Actually, the songwriting wasn’t as difficult as I thought it might be for a song “to order,” so-to-speak.  I’m sure that’s partially lucky happenstance due to my own life experience.  You see, I have been to a number of Cherry Blossom Festivals in the Washington, DC area and seen the amazing display of cherry trees in bloom around the tidal basin there.  In addition, I have family in Tennessee and have spent a fair amount of time in and around Nashville.  After doing a little more digging regarding the fairly new Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival, I had a decent well of inspiration from which to draw.

The difficulty came from a) nasty cold germs; and b) technological challenges.  In the first case, I came down suddenly and violently with a nasty cold that left me barely able to speak much less sing for over a week.  Of course, that was just when I had planned on recording the song I’d written for submission.  Not good!!  And then I had to travel — with the cold — on business.  I dragged along my laptop and a mic just in case and was able to get a fairly un-phlegmy version recorded (albeit a poor quality recording) just before the deadline.  And THEN, I couldn’t get online to accomplish the submission.  It was as if I had done something to anger the techno-gods.  Or maybe they were testing my resolve.  In any case, where there is a will ….   

The folks at Nashville Arts Magazine were very helpful and understanding.  They took my payment info by phone so that all I had to focus on was finding a way to get the darned song to them.  Eventually, I did.  It took another day to do, but it was accomplished.

In the end, I think I did a pretty good job on writing the song.  It’s titled “We’ve Got Friends,” and it highlights the importance of friendship and the reflection through the beauty of nature of the good things people can do if they try.  I also threw in some references to Tennessee and Japanese culture.  Do I expect to win?  Well, it is a contest in Nashville, TN – Music City U.S.A – home to one or two professional songwriters.  I have no doubt a few of them have entered.  Probably many of them.  So, I don’t expect to win.   But hope does spring eternal.  And I’m proud of the tune I wrote.  While I’d love to win, I know that I did good work.  And that will keep me writing songs.

Thus, I’ve decided to challenge myself and enter a songwriting contest for a very specific event.  This contest isn’t the general kind where you enter whatever you’ve already written in the appropriate category.  No.  This contest is specifically designed to find the “theme song” for an upcoming event.  It’s for a non-profit organization.  They do good work.  And … it’ll be a tremendous challenge for me as still a fairly new songwriter. 

After all, if you don’t set goals for yourself, you never accomplish anything.  A truism that just happens to be true.  And my songwriting process can – at times – be very lengthy.  But by having this contest before me and committing to composing a song for this very specific topic, I will be forcing myself to be a productive songwriter.

I realize that, in the end, the song I write for this contest may not be an amazing tune.  It may not even be noteworthy.  It might even suck.  But it will be a song.  And it will have been created by me within a specified (and very short, I feel) time period.  And THAT is the goal I am trying to achieve.   Will I “win” and see my song chosen for the theme?  Well … certainly not if I don’t at least give it a go and do my best. 

I’ll share some updates on this process as I move forward.  If nothing else, it’s bound to be interesting.

And I’ve got just the tune for you to enjoy – free.  My song “In The City Lights (single)” is available via my website — www.joepeck.net — gratis.  This is a limited time offer and will end with the release of the imminent CD (titled Joe Peck: In The City Lights) which will be out in the New Year. 

If you’re wondering what kind of music we’re talking about here, I’d describe it as Americana-Rock-Pop.  Is it any good?  Well, my singles are being aired on radio stations in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden and Switzerland.  Oh!  And on a station or two in the U.S.A., as well. 

“In The City Lights (single)” has even been nominated by listeners at Glasgow’s Radio Six for “Record Of The Year.”  If you’re a die-hard sample-before-you-buy consumer (although the song is free), you can listen to it at www.reverbnation.com/joepeck.

Many thanks to all my friends who showed up.  I have to give a special  ”shout out” to Patrick, Heather, Nancy, Alyona & Scott, Peri & John, Mercedes, Matt, Andy, Joy & Carl, Tosia, Barb and Dan.  Big, big thanks to Gabin Assouramou who did an amazing job on percussion.

Like the song?  Your support would be greatly appreciated because the winner for “Record of the Year” is decided by votes.  To give “In The City Lights” your thumbs up, just send an email to votes@radiosix.com .  Put Vote in the subject field, give your name, full postal address, and then “In The City Lights – Joe Peck”.

Thanks for listening.  And thanks for the votes!

No cover.  But they will be passing the hat to help get live music to the servicemen & women receiving care at Walter Reed Hospital.  If you can, please give generously.

First, let me say that Mercedes is one of the nicest people you’d ever wish to meet – really a genuinely great person who also just happens to be a very talented singer/songwriter.  Her album – a multi-year herculean effort – has a full complement of 14 great songs for your enjoyment.  Her voice is very expressive and brings a lot of feeling to her well-penned lyrics.  In my personal opinion, I’d say her music sits squarely in the pop/folk singer-songwriter space, and her voice has a twinge of the bluegrass stylings of killer female vocalists like Alison Krauss and Dolly Parton.  You can give it a listen HERE.

The release party on December 2 was jammed with friends, fans, and music lovers.  There were even CD fairies (complete with glitter and wings) who roamed the SRO crowd with Mercedes’ album for sale.  It was a fun party and performance.   And Area 121 in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of DC is a nice spot for listening to live music.

Why do I say this?  Because when I started this project, I had an initial thought that we could be finished by July.  That was at the beginning of 2011.  And, I suppose, we “could” have been done in July if I had pushed through the project and booked day after day in the studio.  But since this is my first CD,it became clear that rushing wasn’t  a good idea.

Next I thought we’d be done by October.  Well … then maybe November.  Surely we would be finished by November.  Um, maybe not!  LOL  I’ve stopped giving potential finish dates.  When we’re done, we’re done.  I have HOPES of being done by/in December.  I promise to make a big announcement here and everywhere I can when the album IS done.  In the meantime, we’re going to make the best darned CD we can.

BTW, over the past year, I’ve heard other talk of spending 1, 2, even 3 years finishing an album.  So, I will be glad to have my CD when I have my CD.