Immediately following the conclusion of OMOD conference
season, I switched gears to indulge my passion for creating music. My old
roommate and musical collaborator, Felipe Archer, flew in from his home in
Ashland, Oregon to help me arrange and record four new songs. Over the
course of a week, we tried hard to abandon all other thoughts in order to focus
purely on making the best music possible.
Work on each song began with
me either sharing a raw recording of the song or playing a stripped-down live
version (à la sparse piano chords and often breathless, off-pitch
singing). Felipe would then nod, understanding the potential for the song, and
we would launch into a week-long discussion of song parts, riffs, chords,
harmonies, drums, recording techniques, instrumentation, etc. The next two hurdles
would be to record scratch rhythm and vocal tracks for each song to play back
while recording drums, and then record everything else over the drums. Of
course, this is easier said than done, and two full days of drum take after
drum take can attest to that. Last comes mixing and mastering, which is
often the most time-consuming of all.
For me, the real beauty in
recording music is taking a small seed of inspiration and watching that seed
grow into a full-fledged song, with intro, chorus, verses, bridge, guitar or piano solo, and outro (of course, not every song calls for
this exact structure – and often times they don’t – but you get the idea).
Because many of my songs originate as simple chord progressions played on a little keyboard on lonely weekend afternoons, much of my appreciation for a finished song
stems from recalling this image of myself and recognizing that what appeared at
first glance to be a sad waste of a sunny Saturday afternoon was in fact the crafting
of something rich and beautiful (in my humble opinion, at least).
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An emotive, eyes-closed version of myself
recording vocals for “Amends” in my bedroom |
As I worked with Felipe this time around, I couldn't
help but think back to how I got involved with VSA Texas in the first place: the
New Media Arts Music and Recording Summer Camp of 2012. It was here I learned
that many people with disabilities share my passion for music but that through
physical limitations or the lack of access to technology, gear, or other resources,
these dreams are often stunted. I was incredibly heartened by this music and
recording summer camp because it provided a rare opportunity where young people
with disabilities – regardless of background and musical experience – could
create original music in a supportive, low-stress, and accessible environment.
Not only was I able to share what I knew about making and recording music, I
also learned a lot myself, which bolstered my own musical journey (I remember
spending several solid weekends just experimenting with drum loops after the
camp concluded).
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Me instructing two interns in the
Spring of 2014 Music and Recording Internship |
Since then, I have been involved in some capacity with
almost every music program that VSA Texas has sponsored, including the
year-and-a-half old Lion and Pirate Unplugged, where my musical band of
brothers, Dude Choir, and I can often be seen performing. This is an inclusive
monthly open mic held at Malvern Books for writers, performers, and acoustic musicians presented in
partnership with the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities’ Pen to Paper
Creative Writing Contest.
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Former Dude Choir members, Caleb and Felipe, and I pose
for a photo
after the May 2014 Lion and Pirate Unplugged
open mic(Photo courtesy of Malvern Books) |
In my musical adventure, I've learned that if you can
imagine a song, you can make it. Programs and events like those sponsored by
VSA Texas empower musicians with disabilities like myself to realize our
creative dreams. That said, many more strides must still be made in order for musicians with disabilities everywhere to achieve their full potential. Our struggle will
not be over until all stages and studios are made fully accessible, and all
aspiring musicians with disabilities are connected to the technology, people, or other
resources needed to give life to their music, still simmering inside.
