Holy Smokes! Just in time for summer (I just finished my final exam for the semester today). I wonder if I should give it a try this time around, or just stick to shadowing.
Go for it! It's a lot of fun, gets your mind focused on things that you probably wouldn't consider under normal circumstances and will almost certainly develop your songwriting skills in some way, however minor. I wouldn't worry about the commitment too much - it's not like you're getting paid for it - people drop out regularly for a variety of reasons (JoCo and Neil Innes, for a start, so you'd be in good company!) I'm stepping out for this one, so there's even a space waiting for you!
voidptr-YES! Please, with your insane and wonderful talent for lyric combinations, I want to see what you can do starting from scratch- give it a shot!
I signed up. I am promising myself NOT to write a funny song. Unless I am feeling particularly funny that day. Then I will break my promise to myself. But I promise to feel guilty about it. Unless I am not feeling particularly guilty. Then I will break that promise too.
Aww, thanks for the encouragement you guys! I just might give this a shot...
@JoAnn: In case you missed it, I did post one "from scratch" (but Coulton-inspired) song that I've written: right here. About an astronaut who's not having a good day.
ETA: Question -- I don't have a website. Is that OK?
Good luck, guys! I may or may not shadow. Probably not, because my schedule doesn't ease up until about mid-June. (A drawback of being involved in multiple choral groups - spring performance madness.)
Is there a need to limit yourself to "funny songs" or "unfunny songs"? It really depends on what the assignment is for that week, don't you think? Like, writing a happy song...you can't really be too serious about it.
I think people are expecting clever songs, which often translates into being funny. Given the tastes of the crowd who's following these competitions, if you're submitting a run-of-the-mill love song, it'd better be pretty great when going up against zombies and ninjas and whatnot, given that zombies and ninjas and whatnot are what we're all into.
I must make a note, if I shadow it: write depressing folk songs.
About a maid I'll sing a song Sing rickety tickety tin About a maid I'll sing a song Who didn't have her family long Not only did she do them wrong She did every one of them in...
Re funny vs. serious songs: this is something I've been noticing in the last round and thinking about as I've contemplated shadowing and joining.
While I tend to come up funny ideas myself, I've been surprised (in some cases) to find myself more impressed by some of the serious songs. I'd say, for example, that Edric did an excellent job of writing a serious happy song. That said, I hope that Song Fu doesn't lose its knack for hilarious songs (and I don't think there's a danger of that happening). Even better is when they strike a nice balance between serious and funny.
However, I'll also note that this distinction was clearly demonstrated in the final round. Molly's winning song had very little in the way of humor (especially after the first verse), and P&S's had little else.
Just write what you're inspired to write. Maybe you'll try to write a funny song and end up with something superficially quirky that has a serious message. Maybe you'll try to write a serious song and end up with something hilarious. Maybe you'll try to write a happy song about a nice day and end up with a song about a vampire who commits suicide, but it'll be the best song you can write in the circumstances.
I got in. Now I have to write two songs, one for Song Fu and one for Viva La Fry, next to my school work and upcoming exams (well, a month away yet, but the time goes by fast, especially when you're busy...). Oh god oh god oh god. Well, I'll manage. :-)
Is it wrong that I'm so nervous about this, that I've already come up with a potential topic (including a possible chorus), even though the chance of it actually fulfilling whatever our challenge is, is pretty close to zero?
Didn't he say somewhere that he was going easy on the touring this summer to work more on song-writing?
I'm not sure about JC entering - He tweeted that the same day that Ken called me asking for my address so he could mail me the goodies, so Ken might've called him to ask for his address, and somehow instilled panic in the process.
I hope you round 3-ers come back, even if just to shadow. I've been promoted to Master, so now I won't feel so bad about shamelessly lobbying for votes ._. I don't know if Hank is returning, but he sounded kind of tired when I talked to him at the end of SF#3, so I'm guessing that he's going to take a break.
"See that's just it, I'm not the boyfriend. I'm the mistress. No, not the mistress. The mastress. The master. What do you call it?" "Uh, pretty sure we're going to call it mistress."
I see no challenge posted yet, and have no e-mail from the Plume.
@Angelastic: I wholeheartedly agree, but I finally found the magic steps to find anything song fu related on that website (which is the only reason I ever go there).
1) Go to any page at quickstopentertainment.com (I type "q" into Firefox's address bar and go to whatever page pops up first) 2) A bit down the leftmost side of the page is a menu. The first word says "Features". 3) Click "Features", and a submenu will expand to show four more terms. One of them is "Masters of Song Fu". 4) Click on "Masters of Song Fu" and an index page of all MoSF-related pages will appear, with the most recent on top.
Slightly extended meaning a few hours, or a day or two???
I'm really hoping to be able to record this Saturday, when the house will be mostly empty for the whole day. But I have to have it *written* by then to do that...
That said, I copied the timestamps from all his previous Song Fu posts into Excel and graphed them. By far, the most likely times for him to post are between 11:00pm and 5:00am... but in what timezone??? EST?
Comments
I'm reluctant to make commitments...
I'm stepping out for this one, so there's even a space waiting for you!
Unless I am feeling particularly funny that day.
Then I will break my promise to myself.
But I promise to feel guilty about it.
Unless I am not feeling particularly guilty.
Then I will break that promise too.
@JoAnn: In case you missed it, I did post one "from scratch" (but Coulton-inspired) song that I've written: right here. About an astronaut who's not having a good day.
ETA: Question -- I don't have a website. Is that OK?
Could this mean that JoCo is planning to enter?
http://twitter.com/jonathancoulton/statuses/1706510309
Didn't he say somewhere that he was going easy on the touring this summer to work more on song-writing?
@MaW: Certain impending embarrassment didn't stop me. Though maybe it SHOULD HAVE? :-)
Is there a need to limit yourself to "funny songs" or "unfunny songs"? It really depends on what the assignment is for that week, don't you think? Like, writing a happy song...you can't really be too serious about it.
So i'm not putting in for it-Leaving a slot for someone who *can* complete it.
Re: Funny songs... For some reason a lot of the comments seem to allude to the fact that people do not expect wholly serious material.
I must make a note, if I shadow it: write depressing folk songs.
Sing rickety tickety tin
About a maid I'll sing a song
Who didn't have her family long
Not only did she do them wrong
She did every one of them in...
While I tend to come up funny ideas myself, I've been surprised (in some cases) to find myself more impressed by some of the serious songs. I'd say, for example, that Edric did an excellent job of writing a serious happy song. That said, I hope that Song Fu doesn't lose its knack for hilarious songs (and I don't think there's a danger of that happening). Even better is when they strike a nice balance between serious and funny.
However, I'll also note that this distinction was clearly demonstrated in the final round. Molly's winning song had very little in the way of humor (especially after the first verse), and P&S's had little else.
Maybe this time she'll be counted as a Master, which is where a lot of people thought she should have been in the first place.
And he's ALSO got the Viva Le Fry thing going too!
I hope you round 3-ers come back, even if just to shadow.
I've been promoted to Master, so now I won't feel so bad about shamelessly lobbying for votes ._.
I don't know if Hank is returning, but he sounded kind of tired when I talked to him at the end of SF#3, so I'm guessing that he's going to take a break.
I hope Hank does come back, but if he does I think they should move him and his monster fan-base to Master status as well.
That's a little too sexy, I don't think I like it.
"Uh, pretty sure we're going to call it mistress."
Congrats anyway, and of course you have now raised the expecations even higher, Molly!
Time for discipline!
Bring the Fu!
@Angelastic: I wholeheartedly agree, but I finally found the magic steps to find anything song fu related on that website (which is the only reason I ever go there).
1) Go to any page at quickstopentertainment.com (I type "q" into Firefox's address bar and go to whatever page pops up first)
2) A bit down the leftmost side of the page is a menu. The first word says "Features".
3) Click "Features", and a submenu will expand to show four more terms. One of them is "Masters of Song Fu".
4) Click on "Masters of Song Fu" and an index page of all MoSF-related pages will appear, with the most recent on top.
ETA: Or I guess you could go directly to the MoSF index page which is here (without navigating the menus): http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/category/masters-of-song-fu/
And still no challenge since the last time I checked (5 minutes ago...)
I'm really hoping to be able to record this Saturday, when the house will be mostly empty for the whole day. But I have to have it *written* by then to do that...
That said, I copied the timestamps from all his previous Song Fu posts into Excel and graphed them. By far, the most likely times for him to post are between 11:00pm and 5:00am... but in what timezone??? EST?
DAMN YOU, EVENT ELECTRONICS!