This is part of an email I wrote back to a friend today:

> those sound like good things to change. what are the music projects
> youre working on?

Craig and I started writing some songs together. We have two demo songs written and recorded. At this rate, I think I want to finish 5 to 10 songs with him, then go back to fix them up and record them a little better. My ultimate goal is to have a CD of myself. Bands usually go through this process: 1) form a band 2) write and practice songs 3) play some gigs 4) record a studio-quality demo tape or CD and get copies printed with nice pagacking. I've been playing in bands for over 12 years, and I've NEVER gotten to step 4. TicTocMan recorded some stuff with good recording equipment (after numerous attempts by renting equipment only for one weekend at a time), but never a good looking product. So that's my goal -- to have a CD of songs I wrote in a great package, hold it in my hands, and be able to say "This is me". IF and only if I think it's the kind of music where putting together a band and doing some shows would sound like fun, THEN I might consider getting a band. I know how to get domain names and put up a website, I know how to make mp3s and streaming video, I have money if I need more equipment, so if I do get to that bridge, I'll know how to cross it. In the meantime, I don't miss having to double-park in Boston and unload heavy equipment with frozen fingers, to play a show with no soundcheck and no money.

I tried writing with Chris, but that didn't go too far. His visions are different than mine. He wants a band. He wants a drummer. And in all honesty, I don't think he's a very good guitar player, despite being a good song writer. Furthermore, I want to do some stuff that doesn't even fall into the huge category known as "rock". More like the huge category known as "jazz", which is what I've always liked playing anyway.

This goes back to the Residents. They're not only a band that I love to listen to, but they've inspired me to think about music in different ways. I don't mean just the non-traditional style of music, but the whole approach to music and being in a band. Nobody says you have to follow those 4 steps in that order, or even have all 4 of those steps. Not every band needs somebody with a big drum set. Songs don't have to be based on guitar riffs (and even though Craig and I are huge Black Sabbath fans, that's not the kind of stuff I want to do). I think I was also indirectly inspired by my brother. I showed him how to make a CD of himself from beginning to end, so he could stop passing out tapes with hand-written index cards. I registered a domain name for him, was his webmaster, and made mp3s of his music for his site. And I thought "Why aren't I doing all this stuff for myself?" I didn't have the material, the music.

So that's my goal, and I intend to achieve it this year. I'd also like to make music that could be used for the ritual chamber (maybe two really long pieces), and I already have ideas for that.