Outhouse Studios

Weaving Meaning

Hillside Spin - digital art - Dan Beck 2007

I thought it was time to bring out another of the tracks from the Red Eye Recordings last spring - the unconscious mind is a fascinating thing.

The original song is called  “Global Warming” - a joke really - cause there really isn’t a whole lot the song has to do with the topic - just “How come we are sitting in the shade?”  - but as I quickly browsed an image file - looking only at titles - no dates - I thought that the above digital painting rather captures the song - not even sure exactly why - but as it turns out - it was created just about the same time as the song was written - I knew without remembering.

Also interesting - was my own personal quote in the article - something I thought about just yesterday out of the blue -

the dots often connect in conjunction with my life - there is always meaning in the timing - things don’t happen at the speed I expect them to - but when they do - it is always amazing how many things fit together to build a richer meaning.

Writing music works in this same way - a song’s lyrics and music develop like these hills - building until the ending kind of folds into the beginning - spinning back upon itself…

Listen or View

• Global Warming - a song about life - these spinning connections - dog/me/past/future/expectations/potential/timing/ - partner having cigarette withdrawals - me needing to withdraw - and played with a flourish - just one guitar and vocals - and an extra pass for backup vocals - Dan Beck 2007 - Alone and Contagious - written during the recording sessions
•  Price of meaning - every bit as ridiculous as the conceptual creation of an artwork and article entitled “Meaning” - because of the comical implications of doing such an internet search - prices for original art prints of the above referenced work of art

same and new reaction

Salinas Valley 4 - digital painting - image for a song - “Reaction to the Sun”

I believe I wrote this song in the Spring of 2006 - we had weeks and weeks of overcast and winter rain - and the sun came out for a glorious few days - maybe even a week - and everyone seemed so much happier - whether inside or out -

I know I celebrated with an unplanned and impromptu sunburn - and heat rash - which I thought - a “reaction to the sun” and proceeded to write the song.

In truth, I think it is my own version of George Harrison’s / Beatles - “Here Comes the Sun” - because it is the same concept were it not for the new play on words and a completely different melody and chord structure - but this undoubtedlly is borrowed as well -

because we know there is nothing completely new under the sun.

Listen or View

• Reaction to the Sun - recorded Spring 2007 - from  Red Eye Recordings - music, lyrics, performance, recording - Dan Beck | 1danband - Alone & Contageous
• Here Comes the Sun - video of George Harrison performance of (just slightly more famous) song

My dog symbolically pushing me around.

It has been too blogging long since I have last contributed anything to the blogosphere - the unwritten rule I hold is to write at least once a week - once it was more - and may well be again.

Not too long ago - I wrote I would only write when I had something to say - something new.

So today I say - rules are often meant to be broken - meant to be changed - meant to be pushed against - meant to be rewritten and revitalized - until they need adjusting again.

Complacency is not a good thing - as my dog keeps reminding me.

Listen or View

• Red Eye 2 - introduction to part 2 of the Red Eye Recordings - original music, lyrics, and all performance - Dan Beck @ Outhouse Studios
• Unwritten Rules Fun - and the oxymoron of having them written down
• Other Music Projects - listen to tracks and clips of previous Outhouse Studios’ cd’s not found in Innovative Music channel of blog

music with digital art accompaniment or digital art with musical accompaniment

music and digital art project

(Tip: select “watch in high quality” link)

Slowly I have been releasing tracks from a cd of music I created last Spring -
Previous articles have included tracks 1, 2, 3 and 4 and one out of order track to be written about again I suspect.This particular track (#5) seemed very conducive to having a visual accompaniment from my art. I have wanted to take on a music and art slide-show movie project for a few years but never gave myself the time or perhaps the permission to try.

I don’t quite understand timing in life - one can contemplate doing something for years and then one day you do and wonder why you waited. Although having said that - I don’t wonder - my life has other priorities and I always have more projects and ideas than I have time to carry out.

Listen or View

Quadbliss.com - thoughts on life - incredibly detailed paintings and partial inspiration for the song

Nothing Is Equal - music track by itself - neither music quality or video quality is particularly good with youtube - will post again after I can figure out the best alternative

originality requires rethinking

Sun Blowin Bye - Dan Beck 2003 - digital painting

As an artist and musician and the person that I am - I always want to do things differently - do it my way - lay down my own tracks, as it were, and be a pioneer.

What I know as a teacher both of others and even myself - repetition is a necessity for being able to improve on the execution of the same subject matter or even new subject matter.

My goal for a new piece of music or artwork is to create something to live inside - but even then, I must keep playing the new work of music - keep painting some of the same old things - keep exploring the same ole medium - keep revisiting the same old works …

I need to see how I view or hear them from where I am today. There are never enough hours to be new and be revisiting - so though I am in a time where I have plenty of new work - though not recorded - plenty of old work - not yet shared - I am revisiting a song I have offered and a digital painting that I have had on my website…

because it is the way I am feeling today - and it is worth it for me to revisit it.

Listen or View

• Can’t Stand Still - original song - Dan Beck / 1danband - 2005 - music is a refuge and can take over - no matter what else is going on
• Original Print Options - for above digital painting - Sun Blowin Bye
• On Repetition - Supercharging Your Affirmations - perhaps even more necessary to repeat when what is learning requires some unlearning as well

out of time

Learning a newly written song, getting lost inside the world of a new painting, reading an excellent book are all a bit like falling in love…

I suppose anything which demands the attention such that the world stands still - that time doesn’t feel like it exists, that puts us completely in the moment and doesn’t want to let us go - has that quality.

River Spring Fauna - digital art painting - Dan Beck 2008

The art above is about the view from above - looking out on the valley - seeing the Salinas river - seeing the incredible texture and color of Spring below - that tapestry of color that pulls and mesmerizes - yes nature can pull off the effect of timelessness as well.

In the nature of out of time - and not in the fashion of deadlines - it seemed somehow appropriate on this first day (it was when I wrote this) of Spring to share a song of joy, love, and being lost or perhaps found in the world of timelessness.

Not part of the Red Eye Recordings - it is a track from 2005 CD: 1danband | dansingnew

Listen or View

• Out of Time - as described above - living in the timeless moment - in love, in life - music, words, performance, production - dan beck | outhouse studios | 1danband |dansingnew - 2005
• Keats, “Bright Star”, timelessness addressed - a very nicely done poem analysis - addressing the same kind of issues - and looking at multiple meanings rather than just one
• Digital Painting - a look at the special nature of art at outhouse studios and discussion of terms

ahead of myself

Self Portrait - Dan Beck - digital painting 2007

Multiple meanings are to me as much fun as multiple solutions - and generally more obvious than all the different ways to get to a solution to a problem…

and yes I believe there is almost always more than one way to solve any problem.

In most cases, I find myself thinking through all the things that need to be done in a project and try to foresee the obstacles. Somewhere along the line, I got the idea that the most efficient way was the best way.

I am no longer certain that either that is true or that there even is such a thing as the best way. Sometimes the longer route is the better - and most of the time we can not see our way around all the obstacles anyway.

In art and music - I seem to know this. I start and work around the problems as they come up; but in life - I sometimes think I can no more teach myself than I can anyone else …

such is life.

Listen or View

• Don’t Get Ahead of Yourself - track 4 of the Red Eye Recordings | Dan Beck | 1danband - they say “you can’t see the forest through the trees” but if one is only focused on the forest one can’t see the trees either
• Listening - outhouse studios commentary on what this means and the recording process- although it does not touch on my recent assertion that listening is one of the most important things separating music from noise
• Where teaching oneself and listening coincide - this sounds like some young question and answer session - but a good answer and pertinent I think

priceless necessity

Horizon 4 - Digital Painting 2006

Having posted the first two tracks of the “Red Eye Recordings” - a music project that is intended to be listened to in order (for the most part) because there is a story to be told; it is time to introduce the third track with some explanation.

The song - “Money is too important” is about the necessity and the change it brings about - the nature of seeking satisfaction from things or consumerism - How much is enough? - always more than one has - and my observations on how often having money changes people.

And of course, having said that - it is my need as well, to have money to live on and continue to produce my art and music.

I am offering these tracks free - and will continue to - but eventually plan on making it possible to contribute to the outhouse studio fund -

The songs are about my observations - about life - about capitalism - about equality - about sickness - about letting go -

It is both too personal and somehow improper to put a price on -

Listen or View

• Money Is Too Important - Dan Beck  2006- to quote the song “I’d like less worrying, though I am not at all bad off, I’d like less worrying, like everyone I’ve known”
  
• Credit to Johnny Mandel and Mike Altman - for MASH melody and lyrical reference - nothing is created in a vacuum and I kept hearing their lyrics and melody in the music
• Horizon 4 - current art print availability for above digital art and its original prints

where is the hair?

Digital Artist & Musician - Dan Beck

digital photo - dan wearing digital painting self-portrait on t-shirt - the spirit of caricature

As of today - if there is one thing I would like to pass on - it would be the joy and flow of life

when we are not bogged down in our mire of obstacles, self-doubts, disappointment, envy, anger, jealousy, resentments, or simply self absorption

_________

To develop as an artist or maybe just the person that I am - I have isolated myself from many people I both love and care about

I don’t think this was a conscious decision; but like most people, I don’t know how to do everything I want to do - let alone what I feel like I have to do

I didn’t think through the place I am at - I have lived my life and find myself here - going with the flow and not always living consciously

____________

I submit a song - written and recorded last spring - in the context of being sick - alone and contagious - feeling my fragileness - writing about the love in my life - but really all the love in my life

Listen or View

• So Much of Life We Do Unconscious - SONG - Dan Beck | 1danband - the lyrics pertinent to the above article - the melody or at least part sounds like a James Taylor song, but not one I can identify - please let me know, if you listen to music and recognize … and yet we always borrow unconsciously …
• James Taylor - November release entitled One Man Band
  
• 1danband - really I’ve been using the term for my recordings as early as 2002

slow release

Red Eye Recordings - cover art - digital art (painting) - Dan Beck 2007

There is no right moment and yet I find myself waiting.

If we find ourselves sick - we wonder what we were waiting for -

We can understand life is a gift - that the amount of time is limited - but none of us - including me - embrace it until we really feel the fear of death - we see ourselves immortal

we put off until tomorrow - how can we not?

I don’t know why it is time today to release - the music from last Spring - but I believe it is.

Free to listen, free to download - free to donate - I doubt that I will be able to put all the pieces in place today - but I have to start somewhere - and to quote … well Hillel as it turns out “If not now, when?”

proving once again - that one of the most innovative things about music is that melody helps us remember content.

Listen or View

• Red Eye Recordings - alone & contageous - Dan Beck | 1danband
  • Track 1 - Red Eye 1
    
  • Track 2 - Do What You Believe In
• If Not Now - acoustic guitar and vocals - video - Tracy Chapman - a beautiful melody and partly why I remember the phrase