Just Keep At It...

Talk is cheap, so I'll keep this brief.

I released my last EP just as I was graduating college and preparing to move back home. It's been a difficult transition for me. There were many times when I wanted to post to this blog, and very nearly did. But I'm good at talking myself out of things. Hopefully, this transitional period is over and I can get a good flow of ideas going once again.

The songs for the Summertime EP are almost ready to be recorded. The ideas are mostly there. I'm hoping to release it by the third week of August.

When I was taking music lessons last spring and showed the songs for the Springtime EP to my teacher, I was told that the next step after releasing the EP is not to start work on another EP, it's to begin promoting myself and my music. I haven't done much in the way of promotion thus far. So why am I starting a new EP? The main reason is that one of my goals I'm working towards is being able to play live. The first thing I need in order for that to happen is songs to play, and five songs is not enough to fill out a set list. While many bands might create an album in order to fulfill that goal, I've decided grouping the songs into singles and smaller sets better fits my working style and the overall concept for my music.

The only judgment I have to rely on is my own, I must do what I think will best service my career. What this means for you: MORE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

_Gaius J.

Completely non-music related: My first trip to Cedar Point

I should be posting my next music-related post soon, but I thought I'd go ahead and post this in the meantime to explain why I didn't post last weekend. I do have interests other than music of course, and a big one is roller coasters. I read about them, I watch countless POV videos on youtube, I dream about them (all the time), and of course I ride them at every opportunity. So why not write about them a little?

Thoughts on graduating from music school

Last week I received a BM in composition from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. And... well... where do I start?

I knew I wanted to make this post, I knew what I wanted to title it, I knew my topic. But what do I really want to say? I think there's two main questions that need to be addressed.

Tally Hall Songwriting Showdown: "&" vs. "You and Me" (part 2)

This is part 2 of my previous post, comparing two excellent songs by Tally Hall. I want to re-emphasize that I believe both of these are excellent songs, as I do every song off the album. However, "You & Me" is definitely not one of the best songs, and I believe a little bit of analysis can reveal why. Granted, and I also alluded to this in my previous post, my reasoning has a lot to do with what I personally value in songwriting, others may and will disagree.

But here's my humble opinion.

Tally Hall Songwriting Showdown: "&" vs. "You and Me" (part 1)

Good songs are good for a reason.

Now, it's true, different people have different tastes, and different things appeal to different people for different reasons. And, especially in pop music, there's a lot that goes into whether or not a given piece of music will appeal to you, like personality, raw emotion, context, previous experience, stuff that goes way beyond the meat and bones of the composition itself.

BUT.

There is most definitely an art to songwriting, and some songs simply do certain things better than others. A neat example of this: "&" and "You and Me", both by Tally Hall. Where does one succeed more than the other? Construction. What do I mean by that? Read on to find out.

What's Next for Gaius Jeepers?

Hello, my name is Gaius Jeepers, and it's very nice to meet you.

This blog is where I'll post all about my musical life, relating both to my own music as well as music I listen to. I thought I would start things off by talking a little bit about my plans for the rest of the year. I recently released my first EP, entitled the Springtime EP, which you can hear on my website:

http://gaiusjeepers.bandcamp.com/album/the-springtime-ep

"Is this really your first EP, Gaius Jeepers?"

This may be my "first EP", however it's also the result of about six years of experience writing and recording my own music, honing my sound and figuring out just what I want to do exactly.

"Is this EP what you want to do, exactly?"

Well, it was the closest approximation I could make at the time, and I'm still proud of it and hope to begin performing the material live soon. However, I already have a few ideas of what I'm doing next, and it may or may not sound much like this EP does. It's all still a work in progress, you see.

"Gaius Jeepers, why do you sound like you were huffing gas when you made this EP?"

Three reasons. One, it's because in the past I have struggled with sounding bored on record. What you're hearing is me overcompensating for that. Two, it's because I like having fun when I make music. If it's not fun, I probably won't do it. Three, it's because most people making music who are of my age, skin color, and gender all look the same, sound the same, and are trying to do the same things, and I want to distance myself from them as much as possible. Because, you know, fuck those guys.

"So, what's next?"

What would a Springtime EP be without a Summertime EP, an Autumn EP, and a Wintertime EP? All of these will exist when it is seasonally appropriate. Musically the plan is simply to continue exploring my sound, seeing how "wrong" I can make it while still keeping it "right". I do plan on reigning in the nuttiness a little bit, but don't worry. Not too much.

"What is most important to Gaius Jeepers?"

Two things. One, writing good songs. Finding good hooks and finding new and exciting ways to frame those hooks. Two, my fans. The people that enjoy my music. I am resentful of the fact that I now have to worry about "marketing", that the current music industry has left me with no choice but to do everything related to promotion myself, because to be honest, numbers don't matter to me. It's not the number of views, the number of downloads, it's the quality of the connection that matters, how deeply I'm communicating with people. I'd rather make music for two people that love it than a thousand people who are indifferent. I don't even care if you buy the album. I don't charge admission, I just want your lovin'.

"Anything else?"

I would also like to start a conversation about music. About what it is and what it could potentially be. I hope to contribute, to give something back to the musical world, because so much has been given to me. That is partly the aim of this blog, as well as simply to document my musical endeavors.

I hope you'll come along for the ride.

_Gaius J.