The Calendar Project 2009

I can't believe it's 2009 and The Calendar Project is still going. As I said last year, If I'm ever going to stop posting month to month I would do it after I finished December but before I post January. That way each year is a complete thought. I'm excited that after 2007 I decided to continue. Life has been so good to me there is always new inspiration to write about. The project is allot of work but an object in motion tends to stay in motion.

Every year has it's own rules. The first year I tried to make each month sound like the month it was created. I also wanted to say the name of each month in each song. I forgot to say "July" in July but at least I said it in August. The most important rule however was the deadline. The songs had to be posted by the last day of the month.
The second year I tried to work without rules with one exception: the deadline. I tried to push myself and write not just typical Craigy songs. I wrote two children's songs, two instrumentals, a political song, a slow burner, and a bluesy backwater jam with a rap! I'm pretty happy with the results but after doing most of the year alone I'm ready for a new year with new rules.
Going into the third year I want it to be all about collaboration. The rule this year is a song isn't done until it has the input of someone else on it. I want my friends and family to feel that the Calender Project 2009 is their outlet too. I don't want to spend the year recording music by myself at the shop. And of course one rule remains in tact. The Deadline!

I want to thank Jay, Kate, Erik and Brian for playing on the '08 edition. The best months are the ones where my friends are in the playback. That's why '09 is all about collaboration. I look forward to jammin' with friends this year. We have a date to make music, put it on your calendar!

Stoneville Pond

Here I am on New Years Eve posting a song for the Calendar Project. It's a really good feeling finishing a second year. It was a New Year's resolution, I need to write more songs. I feel I've delivered on that resolution. Last year I wasn't sure if I was going to continue for another year but going into '09 I have no doubt I'm doing another year. Not only did I continue to write and record a new song every month but I began writing and recording with friends this year outside of the audioblog. I learned what made last year stand apart from this years project. Collaboration. Working with other people gives you a fresh perspective on what your working on. I intend to keep the Calendar Project going next year with input from other people.

Working with Erik and Brian as Mob 3 is a great example of what collaboration can do for the writing process. Stoneville Pond isn't the same song I originally wrote. their influence and playing style shaped the song beyond the structure I came up with initially. After countless hours over several months Stoneville is the only audio representation of the work we've done as Mob 3. I feel this song is a nice segway into a collaborative Calendar Project next year. 2009 is when the doors open. Come on in friends and bring your guitar!

Mob 3:
Erik Brackett
Craig Morin
Brian Onish

Stoneville Pond

Fingerprints

November is a big month for the Calendar Project. Last year was "Om" which I feel to be one of my best songs. The pressure of following in my own foot steps one year later was getting to me. I had what I thought to be some throw away riffs. Mob 3 has been playing at a bar in Sturbridge and I made friends with the bartender on Myspace. Her "about me" section caught my attention:

"I am a married, Christian woman. My husband and my kids really are awesome! So blessed, really, truly thankful.. I love what I do for work, I bartend and waitress, good stuff!I love nature, I really can't understand how people can deny that God is real! Take a look around you, his fingerprints are all over everything! It blows my mind!!"

I loved her wording. It screams faith. I put some of those phrases to music and organically came up with a song I am proud to post. Jay suggested the piano. The best thing about this song is my backing vocalist. It's nice to finally have my wife's voice on the Calendar Project. Kate made it a special month. Maybe after eleven years I'll release all the Novembers in one collection and call it 11/11. Food for thought. Enjoy!

Fingerprints

(wake up) Sleepyhead

Lennon,
Riley
and
Virginia

You are the reason Mom and I get out of bed in the morning.
We love you.

(wake up) Sleepyhead

LeRoi

As I stated last month this song is a tribute to LeRoi Moore. He was the saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band. I was really saddened when I found out about his death. He was one of the greats.
I had written the riff and had started referring to it as my "Dave Riff." I had the chorus down but didn't know what to sing in the versus. When I got word of LeRoi's passing it became obvious. I then started to put together the words. Every line in the versus and bridge references a title from a DMB song. The chorus is about striving for that level I believe LeRoi operated on. This is a memorial. I'll miss LeRoi's playing and contributions.
R.I.P.
LeRoi Holloway Moore
September 7, 1961-August 19, 2008
LeRoi

Believe It

Here I am last minute again. Cutting it pretty close this time. The month is up in fifteen minutes and I I've just finished recording. It's been an insane month. We've moved, have had 3 separate automotive events, and I've started a new barber. And of course it wouldn't be August if Riley wasn't splitting his head open. This year he was inspired by the Olympics and did a triple header back flip off the couch and caught it on the coffee table. Five Staples!
This song has a close relationship with chaos. I was involved in the reforming of my old band H.M.S. We we're all going to bring new tunes to the table so I found myself needing to come up with 3 songs above and beyond the calendar project. The timing was off but I ended up coming up with one and a half songs. The completed one was Believe it. In the midst of all the chaos this month every time I had a chance I picked up the acoustic at the shop and busted it out. I knew this month I already had believe it in the bank so I just needed time to lay it down. Here I am on the last day of the month getting it done. Perfect. It's in this song's blood to be done in a whirlwind. It's a straight up live take. I even brought the shop guitar to our new home to lay it down.
The other half song has since become "Leroi." It had already been referred to as my Dave Matthews riff (sometimes Rush?). When I heard Leroi Moore died it really hit me. The guy was awesome and his music and presence will be missed. More on that next month.
Two minutes to spare.

Believe It

Wedding Bells (I Do)

Last year my July song was very rushed. Even though I liked it nobody else did. I to this day think it was because the recording was hurried more than anything else. My only complaint was I forgot to say the word July last year. I tried to make it up in August but I guess I never recovered.
Having said that I felt a great deal of pressure for this year's to be better. This is actually one of my oldest tunes that I never could quite finish. One day I was jamming at the barbershop when I stumbled upon the missing pieces. It's the only song since the inception of the Calendar Project that is in an open tuning. I also thought it was fitting since Kate and I celebrated our 5th anniversary this month.
The recording was still done last minute but I think it's much better than last July. My only concern is that it will come across as a poor man's "Om". More Roots than Mercury. I had technical difficulties during the recording process but got the job done.
I'm proud of it. I hope you enjoy it too.

Wedding Bells(I Do)