Fourteen in twenty-eight

If you’re musically-inclined and have wondered if there is a challenge like the (defunct) NaNoWriMo for musicians, there is February Album Writing Month, or “FAWM.” The goal is to write fourteen songs in four weeks. “Song” is broadly defined; it can be anything from an abrupt miniature like Melt-Banana to an inflated prog rock epic. Expertise doesn’t matter — much — and it is possible to get by with just your pocket moloch. How to do it and what to use are discussed here.

I haven’t decided yet if I will join in myself this year. I’ve been trying to get the hang of yet another DAW, Presonus Studio One Fender Studio Pro. While all digital audio workstations do essentially the same thing, each is just different enough that skill with one doesn’t transfer to another.¹ If I by the end of January I spend more time writing music than yelling at the computer, I might give it a shot.

1. Studio One Pro is the third I’ve used since I left the Apple walled garden. I need one with a good notation editor, since that is where I do most of my work. Reaper is cheap and allegedly powerful, but its notation editor is pathetic. Cubase is powerful but not so cheap. It used to have a well-regarded notation editor, but that editor was completely redesigned in the version I tested, and note entry didn’t work at all. So far Studio One looks like it will do what I need, but there is still a steep learning curve.