Read In Bed!

I suggest you try some. He’s good.

Oh, and HE is giving it away free, because it’s his to give away. Don’t go downloading his stuff and then uploading it to file-sharing sites and giving it away for free, because that’s wrong and you suck.

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I got a makeover! Check it out at www.meganhart.com — which you can access at the links here on this pretty new blog! Woo hoo! Tell me you love me! Tell me I’m pretty!

LOOOOOOVE MMMEEEEEEE!

Oh, and in case you didn’t watch my video diary from yesterday, here’s a picture me and Secondhand Serenade — yes, I know I kept saying SECOND SERENADE. It was late, I was tired.

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Hi, Chris! Thank you so much for agreeing to become my minion. I mean…to answer my Music Monday interview questions. :)
-No Problem!!! Sorry this took so long, I’ve been swamped…

First, if you’d like to give a brief bit about your background, training, how you got into composing as a career (anything you’d like to share!)
- I studied composition at the University of Southern California with Elmer Bernstein. I was originally planning to be a professional guitarist, but fell in love with film scoring when I saw Henry Mancini conduct a score of his a Universal Studios.

I write short stories, novellas and novels. Aside from the length, I approach writing each type of fiction the same way. You compose for television, feature films and video games. Do you find the process for each different, do you approach each with a different mind-set, or is the creative process the same?
- The main difference is the schedule. TV must be done much faster and usually with fewer musicians. So it takes a lot of creativity and tons of coffee to make it happen! They are actually quite similar. They mostly differ in construction…how pieces fit together. But as far as the drama and action go, they are very similar. As long as the project is interesting, then I’m psyched!

How much time do you have to watch the piece before you have to compose the music?
Maybe a few days…

Do you find it easier or more difficult to create on shorter notice, or do you prefer to have longer deadlines?
Well, more time is better to a point, but the thrill of a quick turnaround sometime produces some very cool results!

Do you have a favorite type of work to compose for?
Actually, as long as it is an interesting subject matter, I love just about anything.

I came across your work because I LOOOOOVE Supernatural. Are you still scoring the show (now into Season Three and heading for Season Four)
Yes…just started episode 13!

I read you share the episodes with another composer.
_yes, Jay Gruska, who is amazing!

Do you have a favorite episode?
I loved What is and What shall never be…as well as All Hell Breaks Loose.

Do you have a favorite “genre” to work with?
I like all of them, but I really like anything where the music can play a major role in telling the story.

You’ve created scores for horror and comedy pieces - most recently Alvin and the Chipmunks. Does your current project affect your mood, ever?
-Absolutely, I certainly get in a happy state of mind for the kids stuff, while Supernatural usually makes me a bit more mischievious…

What’s your dream project?
An epic animated musical about the mafia and secret agents starring Pacino, DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, and Scarlett Johansen…co-directed by Speilberg and Scorsese where I write the score myself and co-compose all the songs with Bono.

I write when I have a contract or when I have inspiration, but I could write a book purely for my own pleasure and yet manage to sell it to someone. You write music to fit specific works — movies, games, tv shows. Do you ever just compose music for your own pleasure?
Very seldom…but mostly because I’m busy, although I’m currently writing my 12 week old daughter a lullaby.

Have you ever tried writing genre music — pop, rock, country?
Definitely, I started writing rock and pop tunes. I play guitar, so it was where I first developed my love of music.

Have you ever tried writing music with words?
Yes…most of my songwriting is with lyrics.

Your bio says you grew up in Easton, PA. So…the crayon factory. How many times have you been there?
Probably 5

What’s your favorite crayon color?
burgundy

Do you ever defect and use those cheap dollar store crayons that don’t smell half as good as the real thing?
Never!

…Ever eaten a crayon?
Mmmmmm…purple.

Left or right? left
Up or down? up
Sam or Dean? Dean (I’m the older brother)
Back or front? front
Vanilla or chocolate? coffee

You stand in front of three doors. What color are they, and which do you choose? What’s behind the one you pick?
Red, Green, Blue…I pick Red…behind it is a concert hall.

Thanks so very much for your time. I’ll add links to your official website and any place else you’d like — Facebook, Myspace, whatever. I’ll mention that people can find your music on iTunes - the video game scores are there! And anything else you’d like to mention.

So my site is www.christopherlennertz.com

I am also on Myspace and Facebook under ChristopherLennertz

Thanks Tons!

CL

Upcoming Minion interviews: Christopher Howell and an exclusive video interview with Luke Walsh, both Mr. Romance Contestants from 2008!

And remember, if you’d like to become a minion, drop me a line at readinbed AT gmail DOT com!

M

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Ok, so it’s true, I would never have called myself a fan before a few hours ago. But something has changed. Something that’s been creeping up on me over time.

You’re pretty much impossible to ignore — what with the whole celebrity thing going on and all. So I always knew who you were. Add to that you have one of the single most lovely lines in any song I’ve ever heard — “I’ll never let your head hit the bed without my hand behind it” — and so, yeah, I know who you are. Plus, dude, your songs are unavoidable all over the radio.

But I dunno, lately…the Borat bathing suit pics found their way onto my browser one day, and then I just…well, my dear John Mayer, I think I love you.

Not because you’re a great musician, though there’s no doubt you are. But because you seem like a great GUY. Actually, you seem like a fun and normal sort of dude, and frankly, my future BIL started sending me your videos on Youtube and…well…

I love you.

So now I guess I have to go to iTunes and buy all your music because I have to show my love with financial support.

Oh. And you’re awfully cute.

I might have to make my next hero a dark-haired mop top who wears velvet coats. Well. Actually, I think I already have written a couple like that.

DUDE!

I think I love you!

M

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So, right now I’m a little sad.

Did you ever really love something, a whole, whole lot, and then…something happens, something stupid, and you don’t love it so much any more but you’re still LOYAL to it and you still want to love it but then something else REALLY stupid happens and no matter how stupid you know it is, you still discover you  might not love what you loved any more.

That happened to me this weekend.

And I won’t even say what made it happen because it’s super stupid and really, really lame, and it’s sort of that kind of thing that is based entirely on conjecture and circumstance and you have no idea if what you think about it is the truth but it just sort of keeps on feeling that way.

Needless to say (though I said it anyway) I feel sad because something I loved a lot, really, really a LOT, like…loyally and passionately and something I really got a lot of inspiration and joy from…no longer makes me feel that way.

And I’m sad because it’s been a few years now, that I’ve loved it. And to not love it any more is disappointing.

M

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Author Julie K. Rose is doing a nifty thing! She’s doing interviews with authors about their musical choices. And you all know how much I love music. Check out the podcast she did from an interview with moi…HERE.

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I first “met” Thom Lyons via Myspace…2 years ago, I think. I don’t recall how we ended up being friends there, but I think he friended me (before I banned band requests.) Anyway, I fell head over heels in love, love, love with his song Talking About the Weather. At the time he allowed downloads from his Myspace page, as I recall, and I listened to it over and over. And then, BONUS! He re-recorded it and added CELLOS! WHEEEEE!

I still love that song. ;)

I bought his CD when it came out, had him sign it and send it from England and he did, the sweetheart. So I kept up with him via the ’space and when I was writing what was originally called Catch and Release but now is called Stranger, I asked Thom some questions about being a musician, and he totally came through for me.

Then I got sucked into Facebook and he was there, too, and when I decided to do this Music Monday thing, of course I thought of Thom Lyons and the Thom Lyons Band. I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing him perform live but if he ever comes here or I go over there, I would love to!

While my favorite song is still Talking About the Weather, all the songs on his album Make It Up As We Go are good. I haven’t had the new EP This Is How It Goes as long, so I haven’t picked a favorite song yet, but I think it might be Something I Can Do.

So. Yeah. I dig Thom Lyons AND his band. :)

You can find him on Facebook and Myspace and his website. You can also find his music on iTunes and a bunch of other places I can’t figure out how to link to, but if you hit his website you can find out how.

However — ONE lucky winner will receive a copy of the Thom Lyons/Thom Lyons Band CD Make it Up As We Go…AND a copy of the EP This Is How It Goes. I’m not cross-posting this stuff any more because let’s face it, I’m too lazy. So one commenter to THIS entry will get both CDs for your very own.

And while I’m on it, Amy from the Chris Winters blog entry…I have a copy of Dirty for you per your request, but I can’t get in touch with you. Email me!

And without further adooooooooo…..

Here’s Thom Lyons.

1. Could you please tell us a bit about yourself? How you got started, how long you’ve been playing, anything you’d like the world to know about Thom Lyons (and the band)…here’s your chance. :)

Singer/songwriter Thom Lyons hails from London, England, and first picked up the guitar in 1995. Cue years of playing along to every record he owned, teaching himself to sing and play one CD at a time.

While Thom had been playing and writing songs for years, it wasn’t until 2003 that he started playing in public, venturing out to open mike nights and acoustic showcases.

It was at such a show in 2006 that Thom met Thomas Quillfeldt (bass, cello, vocals) and forged an instant connection. After playing together for a couple of months, and countless requests from audiences desperate for a record they could take home, the time came to expand the line-up and create the filled-out sound that Thom was looking for with his music. So in came Oli Felton (guitar, vocals) and Andrew Shannon (drums), old school friends of Thomas and remarkably talented musicians, to help record their debut CD, “Make It Up As We Go”. It was a diverse and assured debut, with songs ranging from the epic to the fragile, upbeat grooves to string-laden anthems.

The first half of 2007 saw Thom Lyons Band playing all over London employing a combination of amazingly crafted songs, a beautiful voice, and great band dynamics, winning over both audiences and promoters alike. In May, Thom headed to the US to play his first shows on foreign soil with dates in New York City and Chicago. On his return, the line up expanded again with the addition of Emily Rice on Cello, and the end of the year saw the band back in the studio to record the next EP, “This Is How It Goes”.

2. Do you write your all your own songs? Music and lyrics?

Everything we have released is written by us. At the live shows we very occasionally break into a random cover during a song (“I Will Survive” seemed to surprise a few people!) but at the moment the showcase type shows we’ve been playing mean the time we get on stage can be a little constricted, so we tend to concentrate on our own material.

When I play solo shows covers come up a little more often. I tend not to write a set list if I’m playing a show by myself so I might throw something in if I feel like it. When I first started playing I didn’t have that many songs of my own I felt comfortable playing so the sets would be much more cover-heavy while I taught myself how to play in front of people and find my own voice.

3. Do you have a process you follow for each song, or is each a different journey?

Most of the time it is a solitary process to begin with, in that I don’t usually present any material to the band until it’s at least partially written, so they all start with me and a guitar, and then once I have the majority of my part written I’ll play it to them and we’ll throw ideas around. Sometimes I’ll have a very clear idea of what I want them to play, other times I won’t have a clue so I’ll bring it in and we’ll experiment until something sticks.

One thing I’ve learned is that songs are never really finished. A song like “Time To Make A Change” sounds so different live compared to the recorded version, because we constantly look for ways to improve them. Each show you ask yourself what worked and what didn’t.

4. Do you often take your inspiration from outside sources, or are most of your songs based on what’s happened in your life?

The vast majority of the earlier songs are very much based in situations or emotions I was going through. But what I’ve come to realise is that can be quite limiting. Right now my life (luckily I suppose in some ways) is not that dramatic, in that I’m not having to deal with any great tragedies or massive life changing situations, and I loathe returning to subjects I’ve already covered too much because I figure I’ve already written that song. In that respect, I’ve tried to write more about outside situations. I find one way that seems to work is using the song as a conversation, whether with one person in particular or with a group. In a way they still remain personal and about things that have happened in my life because they are about my reaction to something in my world, to a situation or a person’s behaviour.

5. Do you set aside specific writing time, or do you scribble on the backs of napkins when the mood hits?

The initial germ of a song quite often comes from a line or an concept, so quite often I’ll jot that down (normally by writing myself a text message on my phone since I never seem to have a notebook handy!) but I tend to let those sit for a little while until I have a clearer idea of what it is I want to write lyrically. At the same time I’ll constantly be trying to come up with new melodies or chords and save all those up until I find a lyrical idea and a musical one that will mesh and then I put the two together. I don’t like to labour over songs too long, I won’t really draft much. The problem with lyrics is that they are supposed to be heard rather than read, and sometimes you’ll look at a line on the page which works fine but it doesn’t read all that well. So I find that if I try as much as possible to write the whole thing in one go because it stops me editing myself too much. Then once it’s pretty much done I’ll take it to the band and we’ll all arrange all our parts and finish off anything that needed tinkering.

6. Is there anything else you’d like my readers to know about any specific songs, your music, or you?

It’s difficult to talk about the meaning of songs because unless it’s obvious what the song is about, people can bring their own ideas to them and I love that. I’m a strong believer in this idea of authorship where meaning is made by the consumer rather than the creator. You can’t really dictate what a song means to somebody so you just have to put it out there and see what happens.

Thanks so much to Thom for the answers AND the generous donation of the CDs…seriously people. Go buy his music. Buy it, I command thee!

And when I go over to London to promote Taking Care of Business I will totally have to meet you, Thom!

M

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1. Could you please tell us a bit about yourself? How you got started, how long you’ve been playing, anything you’d like the world to know about you…here’s your chance. :)
—My name is Laura Cheadle and I am 21 years old (22 this Wednesday). I have been performing since I was about five years old and grew up in an extremely musical family. My biggest influences are my father, James S. Cheadle and brother Jimmy Lee Cheadle (who are now in my band). I taught myself the guitar at sixteen years old and then started performing with my full band at age 18. My music style is a mix between soul, funk and pop and there’s nothing better to me than singing and performing.

2. Do you write your all your own songs? Music and lyrics?
–I sure do :)

3. Do you have a process you follow for each song, or is each a different journey?
–Lyrics usually pop into my head when I wake up in the morning and then the music will come a bit later. It’s always so random and comes out so quickly.

4. Do you set aside specific writing time, or do you scribble on the backs of napkins when the mood hits?
–I can never plan the mood. When creativity is there, you know it.

5. Is there anything else you’d like my readers to know about any specific songs, your music, or you…
–I would just say to check out my music/pics and full bio on www.myspace.com/lauracheadle, watch my videos, read my blogs and add me as a friend. I am always on here and would love to get to know you. :)

Thanks to Laura for the interview!

M

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