Pictures Falling

Episode #91: Pictures Falling This has been so much fun, recording these episodes. Long may it continue.  This is a pretty peaceful episode…before recording this, I was recording keyboards and mixing 3 songs. Paul Dredge (NZ co-songwriter) and I have another album well on the way. We are bouncing parts back and forth online. This week's song appeared on the album 'Walking Through A Dream'. It's streaming now, a very relaxed listen. If you like guitar, piano, vocal harmony.... Check it out. 'Pictures Falling' is about dreams. This week's blog post is about transformation. Thinking back, when you wake up in the morning, snippets of dreams can sort of come through. Maybe there's messages, something to glean from our dreams. Something transformative, perhaps. I think so.  I've dreamed of new paintings, complete song all sorts of creative ideas have come through I dreams over the years. The songwriting state of mind is so much like dreaming.  Last night an older gentleman asked me " at which point do you become an artist, a songwriter, a writer?"  My instinctive ‘shoot from the hip’ response was: " the moment you pick up a pen, a brush.” It's what I say to my piano students. I believe it.  However this very nice chap wasn't so sure. I thought a bit more and came up with this…perhaps you become a true songwriter when you can: recall all the theory instinctively;  and with your hands the technique happens instinctively; you need to be open to listening for something outside of ourselves & something within, perhaps; and we also need to be our own secretary, too. It's an art, going between the creative thinking and the analytical sort of thinking required to be your own secretary. You go back and forth and I'm sure it must be really good for us to think like this.  It’s a great feeling, writing songs. I feel completely energised after writing a song,  I feel the same after I've recorded a podcast episode. I really think it transforms my mood. I guess I'm ‘entertaining’, which I love. I love performing and also I'm analysing something I love - & I'm playing the piano.  All of which is great, but the best thing about this podcast is that I'm make contact with people, sharing the love, the passion.  I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed recording it,  Pete.