FAWM is almost upon us!
I've seen a few KvR people at FAWM over the past few years. I think this will be my 5th year participating. It's loads of fun, albeit a bit hectic/manic at times!
For those who don't know, FAWM (February Album Writing Month) is a "challenge" to write 14 songs in the 28 days of February. It encourages you to turn off your self-censorship and just make songs without worrying about the little details. Every year I find it helps me stop mucking about with those same 16-bars (or 25.3-bars if i'm math-rocking) and just get a song done from start to finish (working horizontally instead of vertically in the sequencer). It also encourages me to try new things like writing in an unfamiliar genre or language, or using an unfamiliar instrument as the primary focus of a song.
FAWM isn't a time for EQs or compressors or analog emulations or any of that jazz... leave your spectrum analyzers and linear phase EQs and loudness maximizers at the door... it is a time for musicianship, improvisation, and spontaneous creativity!
A lot of the music tends to lean toward folk and acoustic singer-songwriter, but I've found some really great electronic, experimental, hip-hop, and hard-rocking stuff on there, as well as some truly humorous material! There is a lovely community and quite a bit of potential for collaboration as well.
So string up your guitars, tune your old analog synths, polish your kazoo, dig your Casio out of the basement, and get ready to write a bunch of songs!
FAWM 2014!
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- KVRAF
- 1791 posts since 17 Sep, 2002
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- KVRAF
- 8088 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
Ooh, thanks for the reminder. I've done it a couple times, though I've done NaSoAlMo more.
I've actually made some pretty decent tracks under time pressure.
[edit: I am "fallsastar" over there.]
I've actually made some pretty decent tracks under time pressure.
[edit: I am "fallsastar" over there.]
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- KVRAF
- 8088 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
So who else is doing FAWM and are you managing to keep up?
I've been keeping up with it, but I feel the pressure. So do the sink full of dishes and the litterbox full of worse.
I've made myself work on songs when I didn't really feel inspired, I've despaired of finding ways to start or finish tracks, I've counted the days until March, and it won't surprise me if I go a couple weeks without touching Maschine. (Shadowrun: Dragonfall is out in a few days anyway...)
I'm unsure whether FAWM is a good thing for me overall. It seems like too much pressure compared to NaSoAlMo, though that's possibly also due to other stresses in my life. But there's so much more participation and it's so much better at encouraging feedback... I wish I could have the best of both worlds.
I've been keeping up with it, but I feel the pressure. So do the sink full of dishes and the litterbox full of worse.
I've made myself work on songs when I didn't really feel inspired, I've despaired of finding ways to start or finish tracks, I've counted the days until March, and it won't surprise me if I go a couple weeks without touching Maschine. (Shadowrun: Dragonfall is out in a few days anyway...)
I'm unsure whether FAWM is a good thing for me overall. It seems like too much pressure compared to NaSoAlMo, though that's possibly also due to other stresses in my life. But there's so much more participation and it's so much better at encouraging feedback... I wish I could have the best of both worlds.
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- KVRAF
- 4727 posts since 25 Mar, 2006 from The city by the bay
Haven't some KVR members won that thing in the past? I seem to recall at least a couple of old Music Cafe Contest participants having done well at it.
And, is it just basically the honor system in effect? It would seem a bit too easy for someone to include stuff that was composed before hand. Not that it would matter to those of us who have trouble coming up with even one work in such a short period of time.
And, is it just basically the honor system in effect? It would seem a bit too easy for someone to include stuff that was composed before hand. Not that it would matter to those of us who have trouble coming up with even one work in such a short period of time.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1791 posts since 17 Sep, 2002
ten songs in. i'm in home-stretch mode this week.
i've been going for quality over quantity, which is kind of against the nature of the thing, but for some reason i've been having some really good ideas lately.
my first year, i did 31 songs, but about 10 were collabs (where i just played one instrument) and another 10 were rather crappy.
half of the fun is listening to all the others. fawm is a great way to meet new musicians.
i've been going for quality over quantity, which is kind of against the nature of the thing, but for some reason i've been having some really good ideas lately.
my first year, i did 31 songs, but about 10 were collabs (where i just played one instrument) and another 10 were rather crappy.
half of the fun is listening to all the others. fawm is a great way to meet new musicians.
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- KVRAF
- 8088 posts since 9 Jan, 2003 from Saint Louis MO
I did 5 years ago. I've also done NaSoAlMo 3 or 4 times now, but I'm pretty sure this is the first time I did one in November and the other the next February.rp314 wrote:Haven't some KVR members won that thing in the past? I seem to recall at least a couple of old Music Cafe Contest participants having done well at it.