I have an interesting idea for this year. But I’m still working it out. And I need all the help I can get. Anyone interested? Well, read on.

Most of you probably know by now, that I’m a musician. If you didn’t know that yet, I’d like to let you in on a little secret… I’m a musician! Ta da!!! Shhhh… don’t tell anyone. 🙂

Since the year 2000, I have committed to engage myself in a musical project in which I write (by myself or with a collaborator), more or less, a dozen songs each year. I actually, write way more than that. But more on this later.

Now, the fun starts when I actually set aside a block of time to go into the studio (the basement, in my case) and practically live there for about three or four months, roughly, out of the year. The first order of things is to sort out whatever material I’ve got on hand. Usually, I end up having enough material for two or three CDs that I can work with. From the list, I pick my top songs to include in my current project. And, whatever I don’t end up using at this time, I’ll always reconsider later, for my next project.

Unfortunately, the past couple of years, I have been overwhelmed with personal problems that I started to experience writer’s block. Or, whatever it’s called. I completed my last CD in November of 2006. And, that was the end of it. After that, I had run out of songs and nothing was coming out of me since. Last year, I wrote about four songs, I think. And, they’re halfway recorded. Some have drum tracks on them, some have only guitars and rough vocal tracks. But I’ve been very lazy, I must admit. I just don’t have the same enthusiasm as I used to.

I feel that last year was a such a waste, if only because I broke my own streak. It was the first year since 2000 that I didn’t finish a musical project. I’m afraid that I am beginning to be a different person by not practicing music. It is, after all, what I claim to be the air I breath. It’s not a job. Not a career (anymore). Not a hobby. Not a chore. It is simply, the air I breath. I have to do this, somehow.

So, I thought about this today. How I could make it work this time around. I thought, maybe a collaboration will help me get a little excited about making music again. Maybe, if I wrote with someone else, it would inspire my creative juices to flow once again. I have been visiting some online music collaboration websites lately. But they’re a bit technical and geared towards serious musicians only. For some reasons, I thought it would be cool to collaborate with people who simply want to try their hands in songwriting for the first time. A simple storyline set in poetry in which one can imagine being married to a melody and/or groove.

Now, if you’ve read this far down, maybe I have somehow sparked an interest in you, already. I’d love to hear what you think, then. As far as my own vision goes… it’s a little too early to tell. I’m open to anything, really. But the simplest way I can imagine this idea taking off, is if I could get one partner for each song I write. Say, if you are willing to write a few lines of (factual or fictional) poetry, I can attempt to write a melody on top of it, if you haven’t already. Then, I’ll record it, and post updated versions of its recording here, on a regular basis. I’ll do this until we’re both satisfied, and the master recording has been completed.

I’d love to have as many collaborators as possible. Although, I can always collaborate on multiple songs with just one. Also, I can’t promise that things are going to work out with everybody, or every pitched in idea. Since I will be the one doing the majority of the work here, I will have to figure out what works and what doesn’t, for me.

But the most rewarding of all, is that at the end of the session, we will have completed a major CD project, with songwriting credits given to those who had participated. And everyone gets a copy of the songs’ mp3’s.

Sounds good? Let me know.

Oh, and if you want to get an idea of my songwriting style, and the kind of music I’m inclined to play… you can listen to them on this page.