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As songwriters, we need to be eternally vigilant to any opportunity that might arise which enables us to replenish our repository of songwriting ideas.

When we talk about a songwriting process though, we generally talk about engaging in a set of activities that is separate to our lives in general. We live our lives and in between that we try to make the time to write songs then, we start living life again.

My question to you is… “Why limit your songwriting process only to activities where you have to make time? Why can’t you make your whole life become one continuous songwriting process?”

By doing this, you create a day-to-day life/songwriting ideas loop where one activity (songwriting) can exist within another (day-to-day life) at the same time

Think about it for a moment. When we make the most out of our lives, the experiences gained will make great songs but in turn, when we also write songs about what is happening around us it helps us make the most out of our lives.

Looking at our lives as one continuous and never-ending songwriting process forces us to pay closer attention to what we do in and with our lives and be more mindful it.

I have mentioned in another post the well worn Socrates quote…

“… an unexamined life is a life not worth living.”

There is no reason why you couldn’t find songwriting ideas through the activities that make up your everyday life which will in turn inspire you to find more songwriting ideas.

Imagine your life becoming one big songwriting ideas loop. That would be very cool indeed.

Of course, this concept would only really work if first of all, you’re able to internalise the habit of being vigilant to any songwriting opportunity that comes along and secondly, to have a means to record the songwriting idea as it happens if it cannot be worked on straight away.

At the end of the day, all of this is another way of enabling us to live more in the present. It’s all about being in the NOW, and with that in mind, I’ve now got a song to write.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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“What is the meaning of life?” 

This is probably the oldest and most asked question that humanity is still trying to answer and while there is no global answer to this question, I do think it’s important for us all to attempt to find our own answers and then apply it over the top of our lives as we’re living it. 

Now, all I can do is offer my personal observations as to what I think the meaning of life is so, here goes…

Asking a question such as this assumes that the concept of what life is about is constant for everyone at the same time. It also assumes that life is something that happens directly to you and therefore your reactions to life determines what you do within it.

With that in mind, some people have come to the conclusion that our life paths are predetermined by a God, the universe, fate or some other external mechanism and the meaning of our lives are one of the same for all and are already laid out before us.

Apparently, all we need to do is find the path and then walk it, but my take on all this is that…

Life (in itself) has no meaning or purpose to it. Life is just… LIFE. 

There’s no agenda to life, life isn’t out to get you, there are no predetermined grand plans to your life whirring away in the background without you knowing it, no divine interventions and no hidden meanings. 

Life is a blank canvas and we are but the paint that is applied to it creating whatever we choose to create onto it. Life is merely the environment, the space that we as human beings inhabit within. 

Always remember, the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening whether we exist or not.

This doesn’t mean however, that we can’t find meaning and purpose to our lives, it just means that we need to internally define what that meaning and purpose is for ourselves (and only for ourselves) rather than us trying to find the meaning and purpose externally.

Therefore, there is no “THE meaning of life” but “A meaning of life” which is as unique and as individual as we all are. Meaning and purpose can be defined for ourselves through the continual process of knowing ourselves. 

Therefore, the meaning that we all seek then becomes the by-product of a greater knowledge of ourselves, not the other way around.

On a personal note, I have taken my own advice and applied these conclusions to my own existence and from doing this, a whole new perspective on where I fit in this thing called life has been developing for me. 

I’ll make sure that I share these new perspectives in later posts but what I’ve found is that finding my own meaning and purpose through self exploration will over time create a sense of peace and calm in myself which will slowly permeate into everything else that I do.

This meaning and purpose to life is of course a dynamic and fluid thing and can always change at any time but having the knowledge that I am in control of the paintbrush and it not being controlled by someone (or something) else gives me a greater sense of freedom to just… BE.

What do you think is the answer to the meaning of life? Does the very thought of it make your head hurt or, is it a question that you actively strive to find the answer for? 

Let me know what conclusions you come up with as it would make for a very interesting discussion in the future.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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As a continuation of a previous post about me being a Secular Buddhist, I wanted to outline what meditation is and why it is so important to me.

So… Let’s address the first part of the question… “What is meditation about?”

Well, according to Wikipedia, meditation is defined as…

“… a practice where an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state.”

Meditation is the means of stopping the never-ending chatter in my mind through being still, quiet and in the present moment.

For me, the desired result is a feeling of being more calm, relaxed and at peace with myself and the world around me.

The main point to realise with meditation is that you don’t get to your desired result straight away, you need to be patient with it. It takes a lot of consistent practise (the operative word being “consistent”) to achieve the desired result that you would be looking for.

However, there is a plus side to being patient and putting in the practise. The very act of practising meditation (whether you think you’re good at it or not) is just as important.

Giving meditation a go and integrating it in your life’s journey is its own reward.

Another great thing about meditation is that it can be practised by religious and non-religious people alike. This shows the versatile, and inclusive nature of meditation.

You see, meditation is for everyone and for an atheist like myself that is a good thing.

And now for the second part of the question… “Why is meditation so important to me?”

Well, right now, we live in a non-stop 24/7 world where no-one takes a break from it all and because of this, we have all become unwilling participants in a perpetual game of catch up to which there are no winners and no end in sight.

Meditation allows me to step off the treadmill and to take a break from the race. This encourages me to be a human “being” rather than a human “doing.” It allows me to be calmer, more relaxed, more at peace, less anxious and feel happier as a result of doing it.

We all need some time out every once in a while and meditation will give all of us that gift at any time that we choose to practise it.

With that in mind, imagine a world where everybody was calm, relaxed and at peace with themselves and with everyone else?

What kind of a world do you think we would we be living in? I don’t know about you, but it’s definitely a world I’d like to be living in

Anyways, if you’ve ever considered the possibility of meditation being a regular part of your daily life you should let me know so we can chat about it. I’d love to know your thoughts on the matter.

In the meantime, be still and enjoy the silence.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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I just wanted to give you all an update as to what’s happening with the SongMachine Studio build.

In an earlier post La Casa Di Mara – The New House I mentioned that…

… the shed out the back is too small and has no power to it so it will need to go and a new purpose built structure will take its place in the new year.

Well, fast forward about four months and this is what has happened so far.

  • Organised the final shed quote with Stratco Goolwa
  • Old shed was dismantled and taken away leaving the slab
  • Yankalilla council approves the new shed build
  • Remaining slab is cut up and prepared to be removed

Here is what is should be happening from now on (barring Murphy’s Law and life getting in the way).

  • The slab is to be removed in about 2-3 weeks
  • Ground to be prepared for slab after shed construction
  • Shed components to be delivered around about the same time
  • Shed to be erected about 4 weeks after delivery
  • New concrete slab to be poured soon after

All things considered, the new shed should be built and ready to go by the end of July which is when the real fun begins. 

Power will need to be connected, wall linings built, soundproofing installed and lastly, all of the musical and studio equipment that’s currently filling up the two extra bedrooms of the house will need to be moved in, set up and tested to see if it’s all working the way it should.

Phew.

Along with trying to re-establish myself plus my music and web businesses in a whole new environment, this new office/studio/creation space has taken up a lot of my time and focus. I suppose I’m creating for myself everything that I’ve always wanted for me and my music.

A place to play, create, develop, compose, rehearse and record. My happy place.

I feel like everything that I’ve been working for is moving towards a single point of time and that is the time when SongMachine is finally operational.

Right now, thinking about all of the possibilities excites me. It gets me out of bed in the morning and I just can’t wait to share with you all the fruits that this SongMachine tree has to offer.

All I can say is “watch this space” as there will definitely be more news to follow.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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In a previous post I wrote about my fascination with artificial intelligence (AI) and how it could either be a help or a hindrance to my songwriting process. 

When I wrote that post back in October 2022, I was really at the beginning of my exploration into what AI could do for me as a songwriter. I also wrote that post before ChatGPT was released and what an absolute game-changer that was. 

For those of you that have been hiding under a rock, ChatGPT is a computer program designed to understand and process natural language, just like the way that humans do.

When you ask a question or type in a message prompt, ChatGPT uses AI algorithms to analyse the input, understand the meaning behind the words, and generate a response that is as accurate and helpful as possible.

It’s like having a conversation with a really intelligent friend who always has the answers to your questions or in my case, a really intelligent songwriting collaborator but bear in mind, the responses from ChatGPT are only as good as the prompts you type into it.

Now how could ChatGPT help me as a songwriter?

Well, I’ve always thought that when it came to writing songs, I was pretty strong in the composition department but not so strong in the lyric writing department. Using ChatGPT has opened the doors to a whole new world of songwriting ideas and lyrical concepts.

Quite simply, this technology has the potential to revolutionise the way I’m able to write songs. It’s created new possibilities and infinitely expanded my songwriting process, especially when it comes to writing lyrics.

Now, I can understand that you might be thinking to yourself that I’m going to just use ChatGPT to write all of my lyrics from now on but that would be so far from the truth. 

For me, letting a robot do the work would take all the fun out of writing songs.

One of my favourite ways to start writing a song is from a title or a phrase that incites my imagination and curiosity and this is where ChatGPT comes into its own. Let me give you an example of what ChatGPT can do.

Ok, here is an exchange with ChatGPT from a random songwriting prompt that I asked it to generate for me…

User (me)
Give me a random songwriting prompt that I can use to write my next song with

ChatGPT
Songwriting Prompt: “Whispers of Time”

Explore the concept of time through the whispers of the past, present, and future. Craft a story that unfolds as you hear these subtle voices guiding your protagonist through key moments in their life. Use the whispers to illustrate lessons learned, the beauty of fleeting moments, and the eternal nature of time itself.

User
Give me a detailed synopsis for the song titled “Whispers In Time” using the above songwriting prompt as a guide

ChatGPT
Title: “Whispers in Time”

Verse 1:
Our protagonist, a young dreamer, embarks on a journey to find their purpose in life. As they walk along a winding path, they hear soft whispers carried by the wind. These whispers are the voices of the past, speaking of their ancestors’ trials and tribulations. The protagonist learns that their lineage is filled with resilience, and they gain strength from these voices.

Pre-Chorus:
The whispers in time grow louder, guiding the protagonist as they navigate their way. Embracing the echoes of their ancestors, they feel a deep connection to their roots and a newfound sense of belonging.

Chorus:
“Whispers in Time, carry me through,
Voices of old, a story so true,
Ancestors’ tales, eternally bound,
In every step, their wisdom is found.”

Verse 2:
As the protagonist continues their journey, the whispers shift to the present, speaking of friends and loved ones. The voices tell stories of laughter, sorrow, and love, reminding the protagonist of the importance of cherishing every moment. They begin to understand that life is fleeting, and the present is a gift to be treasured.

Bridge:
The whispers transition to the future, painting a picture of possibilities and potential. The protagonist sees a vision of themselves, standing tall and proud, having overcome obstacles and achieved their dreams. They realise that time is always moving forward, and it is up to them to make the most of it.

Chorus:
“Whispers in Time, carry me through,
Voices of old, a story so true,
Ancestors’ tales, eternally bound,
In every step, their wisdom is found.”

Outro:
The whispers in time fade away, leaving the protagonist with a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of the past, present, and future. With newfound courage, they embrace their destiny and continue their journey, knowing that the whispers of time will always be with them.

User
Using the detailed synopsis above as a guide, name 10 music artists/songwriters that you think could write a song such as “Whispers In Time”

ChatGPT
Joni Mitchell
Bob Dylan
Sufjan Stevens
Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine)
Leonard Cohen
Paul Simon
Stevie Nicks
Ben Howard
Brandi Carlile
Hozier

User
Ok, now using all of the above information at your disposal, write for me the lyrics for the song “Whispers In Time” in the style of Sufjan Stevens

ChatGPT
Verse 1:
In the heart of a young dreamer’s quest,
Winds carried whispers from east to west,
Ancestors’ voices, their stories untold,
Of courage and battles, of hearts brave and bold.

Pre-Chorus:
Whispers in time, they call my name,
A journey unfolds, a destiny to claim,
Through the echoes of ages, I walk this path,
Guided by whispers, I’ll conquer my past.

Chorus:
Whispers in Time, carry me through,
Voices of old, a story so true,
Ancestors’ tales, eternally bound,
In every step, their wisdom is found.

Verse 2:
Voices of present, they speak to my soul,
Of love and of laughter, of pain that consoles,
Cherish the moments, they gently remind,
For life is a breath, and time’s river unwinds.

Bridge:
Oh, whispers of future, a vision I see,
A world full of promise, a life meant for me,
Through trials and triumphs, I’ll forge my own way,
With whispers to guide me, I’ll seize each new day.

Chorus:
Whispers in Time, carry me through,
Voices of old, a story so true,
Ancestors’ tales, eternally bound,
In every step, their wisdom is found.

Outro:
As whispers fade softly, their lessons remain,
The thread of existence, a tapestry’s frame,
In every heartbeat, in each breath I take,
Whispers in time, my journey to make.

Not bad for around ten minutes of work. 

Normally I would approach a ChatGPT lyrics session with a song title or phrase already in mind plus a strong concept of what the song is to be about. From there I try to use AI to flesh out the concepts so I can then rewrite the lyrics in my own words at the end of the process.

What this means for me is that I don’t have to worry about songwriters block anymore. For me, ChatGPT is just another songwriting tool that I can use in my process if I ever get stuck.

As for the validity of AI generated songwriting ideas, I wrote this in my last post about my fascination with the role of AI in songwriting…

“These AI generated songwriting ideas will still need (and will probably always need) the discernment filter of a human brain that’s been trained by years of experience to steer those song ideas to completion.”

Would I use it all the time… No, not at all, but it’s nice to know that it’s there just in case.

What do you think about all of this talk about AI, ChatGPT and other tools of this nature? Have you used any of them and if so, what are your thoughts? Let me know what you think.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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In my last post Moving Through The Dark Room Of Grief I described how it felt for me to be in the throes of profound and uncontrollable sadness likening it to walking into a dark and scary room and not finding your way out of it. 

The post was very hard to write but it was something I felt that I needed to write as this was what I was going through at the time and it was my hope that writing about it would allow me to find my way out.

Since then, I have been taking some small (but very important) steps to see myself clear of the darkness and it’s those steps that have enabled me to find the door that leads to the other side. I am now walking through the door and into the light.

The first step was to get professional help. Simple as that. 

Friends and family are wonderful to talk to because they will always listen and offer their advice, but there is nothing more powerful than dumping your emotional stuff onto someone who doesn’t know you from a bar of soap and in return, they offer fresh new perspectives, insights and objectivity on the very stuff that has been swimming around inside your head.

The second step was to re-establish some routines in my life.

I know I have written about it before but I’m always amazed how easy it is to let my guard down and allow myself to slip into bad habits again, like living on autopilot, not getting enough sleep, not exercising, not writing.

It’s like I have an internal map to the path of less resistance in my life and through not being careful and vigilant, I find myself back on that path time and time again, without me even realising it.

For me, routines are designed to stop the constant merry-go-round of being in and not being in the driver’s seat of my life that I find myself in. They act as an anchor that grounds me, that sets up my day right, that allows myself to “be” on purpose, not by accident.

My routines are still being developed and refined (as they will always be a work in progress) but over the last month I am sleeping better and feeling stronger mentally and physically.

The third step was to start writing about it again.

When I initially paused and reflected on my adventures in the dark room, I realised that I wasn’t writing anymore. 

I had stopped my daily journal, I had stopped my blogging, I had in fact stopped all forms of taking what is swimming around in my head and recreating it external from my person so I can have some distance and therefore a fresher perspective on what is going on.

All of this has shown me how important the act of writing is to me. Whether the outcome is songs, blogs, private journal entries or everything in between, writing everything down is essential to my existence. 

Writing helps me to make sense of it all. Most importantly, it helps me to examine what it means to be me.

Right now I feel like I’m on a path of rediscovery. I’m going over old ground but with a fresh set of eyes and ears which in turn changes my perspective towards the positive and as I now walk through the door and into the light on the other side of the darkness, I remind myself that the smallest of changes can make the biggest of differences.

All I’ve got to do is put one foot in front of the other (hmmm, I reckon there’s a song in that).

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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Where do I begin? 

The last couple of weeks have been particularly hard on me emotionally and it’s only now that I’m starting to come out the other side of it.

The reason for this was with everything that has happened over the past couple of years, the only thing that was left after distracting myself with selling the house in Adelaide, moving to Goolwa, putting stuff in storage, looking for a place, finding it, going through the process of buying it, initial renovations, moving in, setting everything up and getting back to work again… 

Was grief.

It was like one day I was doing ok and then the next day. BANG!

This wave of absolute sadness which seemed to come from deep inside me, from a bottomless pit, just wiped me out. It was a sadness so visceral I could almost carve it with a knife.

After the initial wave, I was presented with an open door in which I had no choice but to walk through into a dark room. 

That was my grief and I had to face it… Head on. 

I had been floundering around in this room for the last fortnight but it’s been only in the last couple of days where I have started to see the light peeking through the cracks in the walls signifying a way out.

I’m now feeling like I’m coming out the other side of this. Much to my relief.

Before I made the move down South, I went through some pretty intense grief counselling which addressed a lot of unresolved feelings and regrets.

This enabled me to develop a much healthier relationship with my grief but I wasn’t aware that this journey with my grief wasn’t to end there. But I thought it did. I thought I was good. How wrong I was.

So where to now? Well, I’m starting to write again, that’s a start. I’m starting to pay attention to the things that I do on a day to day basis, my routines and my rituals. 

I’m starting to re-examine my life again and this time, I’m doing what the cliches tell me to do… “Take it one day at a time.”

It’s been over two and a half months since I last posted here and I’m glad I’ve started again. I can feel the recovery with every stroke of the pen and every click of the keyboard I make.

And lastly, I thank you, dear reader, for being the very reason why I write.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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“If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no-one around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

Dr. George Berkley

Creativity is an essential part of the human experience, and it is something that is often deeply personal and meaningful to the creator. However, I believe that creativity is not just a private experience – it is something that can be shared and enjoyed by others. 

This is why I feel that creativity is an experience that needs to be shared. It’s because for creations to become truly real, they need to be experienced by an audience. 

I mean…

  • What is a painting without eyes to see it? 
  • What is a song without ears to hear it? 
  • What is a book without eyes to read it? 
  • What is a meal without a mouth to taste it?

The creator is compelled internally to create from nothing but it’s only until the creation is experienced by somebody that the creation really turns into something.

As a songwriter, I am compelled to write songs and those songs are of no use to me if there is no audience to hear them. There needs to be an audience for my songs to truly have a life of their own

This is also where I get the most joy from being a songwriter, having an audience to listen to them whether they be in a live situation or online through streaming or downloading.

This is why I do what I do. Sharing my songs, my creations with a wider audience allows me to do the following…

  • Connect with others on a more deeper level
  • Contribute to the world in a positive way
  • Grow as a human being
  • Touch, move and inspire others
  • Build a community around me and my music
  • Make a better life for myself
  • Leave my mark on the world

Anything that is created has its own intrinsic purpose for its existence so in my case, I’ll be honouring my creations by sharing them with an audience. No matter where they are in the world.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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Be yourself. Everyone else is taken

Oscar Wilde

Did you know that YOU are the only YOU that exists right now? Did you also know that YOU are the only YOU that has ever existed and will ever exist?

Think about that for just a moment…

This means that from the time the universe came into being 13.8 billion years ago until the last supermassive black hole has evaporated (in about 10^100 years) there will only ever be one of YOU.

Very recently the Earth’s population surpassed 8 billion people and out of all those people, only one of them is YOU.

Did you know that the number of people that have ever existed on this planet since the dawn of human history is estimated to be around 117 billion but still, out of all those people, only one of them is YOU.

To put things into a greater perspective, it is said that the odds of YOU being created as uniquely YOU (and not your siblings, if you have any) via your parents’ egg and sperm joining together is a staggering 1 in 400 quadrillion (that’s 400,000,000,000,000,000,000).

To expand this even further, as YOU represent an unbroken lineage of around 150K generations that go all the way back to single celled organisms, the odds of 150K generations of successful fertilisation to ensure that YOU exist right now is a staggering 1 in 10^2,685,000 (10 followed by 2,685,000 zeros)

That’s not bad considering that the estimated number of atoms in the universe is around 10^80 atoms. When you think about it… YOU are the greatest miracle that exists today.

So, what does this all mean? 

Well, it means that if YOU are the only YOU that exists, has ever existed and will ever exist then, everything that makes up YOU, being your experiences, your childhood, the different environments you’ve lived in and the choices that you’ve made, will be completely and uniquely YOU.

This also means that your perspectives on life, your thoughts and feelings, your values and judgements, your views of the world and what you create from all of that will also be completely and uniquely YOU.

So think about that the next time you stare at the blank piece of paper before you start writing or, the blank canvas before you start painting or, a random lump of clay before you start sculpting or, an empty DAW before you start recording because YOU are the originality of your songs, painting, writing, sculpture or anything that you create and don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Peace,

Corey 🙂

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Now that today is the first day of 2023, I thought I’d start off the year on a positive note and list five things in 2022 that I’m thankful for.

I’m sure that if I thought about it a bit more I’d come up with a bigger list than the five things below but, I reckon it’s a good start.

The Great Move Of 2022

Every day I am thankful for the fact that I had the courage to sell up and move down to the Fleurieu eventually ending up at Yankalilla.

It would’ve been easy to have the thoughts of moving but not act on them but thankfully I didn’t listen to my fear.

I also had Mara’s voice in my head egging me on and for anyone who knew Mara, she was a very persuasive individual and for that alone, I am thankful.

My Family

I wouldn’t be where I am now if I wasn’t able to stay with Mum and Dad for all that time I was looking for a house.

It gave me an opportunity to not worry about the rental transition between one house to another and it gave my dog Charlie a lot of room to move around as our old place had no real yard to speak of.

My sister and her tribe plus my extended family have all made sure that I know they have my back with everything that has happened to me plus the choices I have made over the last 3 years or so.

For their unconditional love and support, I am truly thankful.

Charlie The Groodle

Speaking about Charlie, I am so thankful that I have him around to remind me that life is not all about the self, it’s also about looking after others.

Being a fur-parent has taught me a lot of lessons about responsibility and mindfulness that I would otherwise have missed out on as I don’t have children of my own.

For that I’m also thankful.

He makes me laugh and at the same time frustrates the hell out of me. He is the perfect way for me to learn more about myself.

My Friends

As well as my family, my friends are the people that makes life worth living and are one of the reasons that I get out of bed in the morning.

As a songwriter and musician, most of my friends are in the music industry but there are other friends who aren’t musicians and they really give me well rounded perspective on the world through the lives that they lead and the conversations that we have.

I am thankful for each and every one of my friends (you all know who you are).

My Music

Where would I be without music? I ask myself this question from time to time and I can’t really come up with an answer.

Or, maybe I don’t want to come with an answer at all. It’s just too scary to think about as music is what I am, not what I do.

Very soon I’ll be treading the boards again either as a solo artist or in a duo and this time around I will not be taking the opportunities presented to me or the audiences that I’ll find myself playing in front of for granted.

I am thankful that I have the ability to either work from home either in a recording or web development capacity or work as a professional gigging musician performing my own music or a hybrid between my songs and covers.

2023 is the year that I truly back myself and my abilities to ensure that I create the life that I want to live by doing the things that are necessary for this creative life to happen.

What things have happened to you in 2022 that you are thankful for? Let me know, I’d love to have a chat about it with you.

Peace,

Corey 🙂