For Father's Day my kids bought me a Fit Bit. I thought it would be cool to have one and to see how many steps or miles I walk at work. My first day of using my Fitbit  I walked over 17,000 miles with a  goal of 10,000. No wonder my feet hurt. 

          My second day I had even more steps. I worked a full day at  the grocery store and went to the Country Stampede. The Country Stampede is the country music concert that is held in Manhattan, KS. This year it was moved to Topeka because of all the rain at Tuttle Creek Reservoir. It was a long walk from our parking spot to the concert and a wet run back to the car after a thunderstorm canceled the Jason Aldean concert. I probably walked about 17,000 steps at work and I ended the day with 27,446 steps. This would be about 13 miles altogether. 

           Yesterday was my third day, I only had 19,740 steps. Last night, I was looking at my Fitbit and it said that I needed to take a rest. I thought it was strange that a program designed to help me be fit decided that I had done enough exercise. So, I decided to listen to it. Today is my day off and I am resting. It is almost 10:30 and I have taken 314 steps. You don't have to tell me twice to take a rest. 

           It is great to chase our goals and dreams. Sometimes we are doing the work, putting in the miles, taking the steps we need to advance our career and to get our jobs done. There is a time to push and work hard but we also need rest. Taking the time to have fun, listen to the radio, watch a movie, play with your kids or grandkids, or do nothing at all. Maybe you need to listen to my Fitbit and we'll all take a rest. 

          

     I am typing this as I am watching game six of the NBA finals. I am a fan of the Golden State Warriors. My favorite player is Seth Curry. He is a great shooter and a good role model. One aspect of his game that I love is that he can shoot free throws. I believe if you are in the NBA is that you should be able to make free throws consistently. 

     This has been a rough series for the Warriors. Kevin Durant out with a calf injury and did not play until game 5. Klay Thompson got hurt and was unable to play in game 4. Kevin Durant got hurt in game 5 and had to have an Achilles surgery.  In game six Klay Thompson hurt his knee and had to leave the game in the third quarter. It is now the fourth quarter and the Warriors could win it. They are down by three with about three and a half minutes left in the game. 

     The Warriors may or may not win but they have battled like true Warriors. I love their competitiveness. Playing without two of their star players and still in the game. I love it. 

      We are all going to have obstacles in life. Life is hard. Cars will break down, Paychecks will be short. The AC unit will quit during the hottest day of summer. Your heart will get broken. Wives will leave their husbands. Husbands will cheat on their spouse. Kids will get broken bones riding their bikes. Obstacles are everywhere. 

       The game is down to the wire. Eighteen seconds left and the Warriors are down by 1. Golden State has ten seconds left and are down by one. The Warriors barely lost but I love the way they fought. The lesson for us is we need to keep fighting. God is on our side.  

      Yesterday, I was watching the movie a star is born. It is about a guy who is an established superstar who is falling  in love with a girl. The girl happens to be a struggling singer songwriter who is about to give up on her dreams.  He decides to give her advice on songwriting. I thought it was good so here it is. 

     Bradley Cooper says, Talent comes everywhere. Everybody's talented. Everybody in the bar is talented at one thing or another but having something to say, and a way to say it, so people will listen to it. That is a whole 'nother bag.  Now listen, until you get out there and try to do it, you will never know. That's just the truth. If there's just one reason we are suppose to be here is so people can hear it.

     Sometimes we thing that all it takes to be successful is talent. Talent is over rated. There are better singers out there than alot of the singers that are superstars. I like to watch the Voice and American Idol. Sometimes the contestants are better singers than the superstar judges that are judging them. It takes more than talent. Songwriters got to have something to say. I listen to some songs, ( country and pop) and there is no substance to it. I remember making fun of the song, Walking on Broken glass. Walking on broken glass was repeated and repeated and repeated over and over.

      A good example of having something to say is a song by T. Graham Brown. The name of the song is Wine into Water. He had something to say. Here are the lyrics. 

You've heard a multitude of prayer's on my behalf

I pray one more is not too much to ask.

I've tried to fight this battle by myself

but it's a war that I can't win without Your help.

 

Chorus- Tonight, I'm as low as any man can go

I'm down and I can't fall much farther

and once upon a time, You turned the water into wine

and now, on my knees, I'm turning to you Father.

Could You help me turn the wine back into water.

 

       I really like that song. That is a songwriter who really has something to say. If you listen to the song, he has a great way to say it. and people like to listen to it. That is why that song was a hit. 

        Songwriter's need to get out there and play there music. That is the only way you can find out if your songs connect with other people. If there is not a connection, it is time to go back to the drawing board or maybe, you are playing your song to the wrong audience. If you are playing to the wrong audience then you need to be out there playing so you can find out who your audience is. 

        I hope that this has been encouraging as you chase your dream. Even if your dream isn't songwriting. We all need to be chasing  our dream. Remember the way you do your dream is not how somebody else does there dream. Dream chasing is not baking cookies and they are the same size and shape. We are all created different with our own way of how we see and do life. Keep on chasing your dream, your way. 

      

 

       

    I wrote a song with someone I met over the internet. The name of the song is Somewhere in Texas.

 

Somewhere in Texas

 

Playing guitar all day

Living on tip jar pay

Singing on Friday nights

 

Trying to get a break

Takes every penny I make

Want my name in the marquee lights

 

Chorus- Someday, I'll get there

I ain't there yet.

Out on the road

doing what I do best.

 

Chasing the blacktop

wherever it takes us.

You can find me

Somewhere in Texas.

 

Singing Jason Aldean 

Selling homemade cd's

singing my autograph.

 

Mixing memories

with opportunities.

It's one step up, one step back.

 

Chorus- Someday I'll get there

I ain't there yet.

Out on the road

doing what I do best.

 

Chasing the blacktop

wherever it takes us.

You can find me

Somewhere in Texas.

 

From Dallas to El Paso

From Lubbock to Laredo

I play every county fair.

 

It's dance halls and bars

but no stadiums, so far

Maybe, you'll see me there.

 

Chorus- Someday, I'll get there

I ain't there yet.

Out on the road

doing what I do best.

 

Chasing the blacktop

wherever it takes us

You can find me

Somewhere in Texas.

 

     I worked on adding melody and chords to this song. I spent time trying to get the words to sing correctly. I chose the words very carefully. Finally I liked it and recorded a rough demo of it. I quickly sent it to NSAI (Nashville Songwriting Association International). No sooner than I sent it in and I thought, Oops!. It is not commercial. .What do I mean by commercial?  Not everybody will  care about the singer out on the road. I believe it needs tweaked to make it better.  

     Another problem with the song.is---- There is no girl in the song. After thinking about the song some more. The second verse could be about why he plays guitar and travels around. He is looking for the perfect girl. And where will he find the perfect girl- you guessed it. Somewhere in Texas.

     What happens next.? This could be the bridge on the third verse. He falls in love with the perfect girl, gets married, buys a house and lives happily every after, Somewhere in Texas. This makes the song more appealing to a bigger audience. That is what commercial songwriting is about. and  I am trying  to get better at writing songs this way. 

 

      

 

 

    I am always looking for song ideas. It might be a title, some catchy words that sing well together or maybe I'll write a few lines. It might be the start of a song or just practice at writing lyrics. Every Thursday I get a Title from Songwriter Pro. I will write a verse and a chorus to the title and post it on the website. I do this because it is good practice and it is fun.

    I decided to write a lyric  about hopelessness. I don't know if I'll do anything else with it but I thought I would share it. 

Hopelessness is a town, everybody drives through

Some stop for a while and spend a day or two.

I stayed so long that I built a home

but nobody visits and I'm here alone.

 

How depressing is that? Do I really feel hopeless? No, but that day when I wrote that, yeah it felt like a bad day. Maybe a pity party day and I was the Grand Marshall of the parade that got rained out. I hope you have a day filled with hope. I hope God blesses you today.