Saturday Night in the Studio
7:00pm cst / 8:00pm est
Since the world turned upside down on us, I’ve been doing shows from my studio, and it might be one of the actions that has kept me sane, positive, and looking forward.
It’s a chance for me to play songs that I usually don’t get to perform in what we used to call “regular shows.”
Most Saturday night shows are all request nights, so let me know what you want to hear.
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LEAF BLOWERS
The birds have been going crazy around here lately.
I woke up at the regular time today in my own
Natural migration,
And went out onto the porch to meditate,
Hoping to get lost in the bird sounds
And the colors of the trees against the grey sky.
But as it happened, all through the neighborhood
The great army of leaf blowers had once again descended
With their incessant whining and revving of agitation.
I sat there, listening, watching my mind get tossed about
By waves of tiny engines run by people I can’t see
For an end that may or may not affect me.
The dissonance put me on a familiar edge
I don’t like to admit lingers always
In my shadow.
But even then, when I least expected,
The great insect would mysteriously go quiet
And in the fleeting lull of engines
I could hear an ever so slight birdsong.
It was there, but in all the static
More like a flashlight in the foggy distance.
What a wake-up!
Because that’s where we all are in this time of
Viral tsunami,
Lost to the gravity of something we didn’t see coming
And have little real ability to control,
While our beauty and our simple nature is hard to locate
For all the chatter and noise
Aimed like a warrior’s ancient arrow
On all we love the most.
It’s hard not to inhale the very stress of it,
To sense that what was promised to us is now lost,
What we thought was our given, a right,
Has been snatched while we slept.
But as I sat there (of not very calm mind, as it turns out)
I noticed the engines growing quiet, slowly at first, then
In what must have been a rush of the loading trailers,
They were mostly gone.
Only across the valley was there a slight hum and buzz.
And then, the birds seemed to be all around me.
For they were never gone.
It was just my hearing that was temporarily overwhelmed.
No, they were always there,
As they’ve always been.
And once this time passes, the beauty and grace
Of the song that we call life will carry on.
So, my hope is that as the rumble of these days
May overwhelm your mind,
Know that the migrations are still in play
And that the birds are out there, waiting,
Singing their bloody hearts out.
3.16.20
Austin, TX
What started out as a one-off show in Luckenbach earlier this year has now grown into something of a problem. But we’re gonna make it through this without too much bodily harm.
Monte Warden and Walt Wilkins are two of my favorite people in the world (although it’s a very long list, so it’s not as amazing as it sounds) and I LOVE their songs. We’ll be on stage together, trading songs, jokes and insults (for Monte).
Come prepared to laugh, cry (again, Monte), and hear some damned good songs.
Ticket info TBA
What started out as a one-off show in Luckenbach earlier this year has now grown into something of a problem. But we’re gonna make it through this without too much bodily harm.
Monte Warden and Walt Wilkins are two of my favorite people in the world (although it’s a very long list, so it’s not as amazing as it sounds) and I LOVE their songs. We’ll be on stage together, trading songs, jokes and insults (for Monte).
Come prepared to laugh, cry (again, Monte), and hear some damned good songs.
For tickets and info
Six String Ranch and Austin Vintage Guitars Present:
“Singing Your Story / Writing the Truth” — One-day songwriting workshop at 6-String Ranch
Saturday November 9, 2019
9:00am – 5:00pm
Austin, TX
“Words make you think a thought. Music makes you feel a feeling. A song makes you feel a thought”
— Yip Harburg (“Somewhere Over the Rainbow”)
Everyone has a story. With a roadmap, a few tips and tricks, and practice, you can write songs that communicate, that tell the truth, both to yourself and to others.
And I want to help you make that happen.
All levels of writers are welcome at this one-day workshop.
If you’re there, I assume you are already writing songs and want to get better.
We will look at how you can improve one of your existing songs and each participant will write a new song by the end of the day.
The workshop will cover:
– The basics – Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Melody / Structure
– Clarity in lyric
– The importance of meter and rhyme scheme
– Starting a song / Finishing the song
– Writing from your life – the importance of telling your story
– Creating writing projects for yourself
– Habits of a successful writing life
– Recognizing and building on your strengths as a writer
Throughout the day, along with working with the group as a whole, I’ll spend one-on-one time with each participant to discuss your process and on how to improve and achieve your writing goals.
Any questions on the workshop? Please send me a note at dardensmithmusic@gmail.com
Price – $260
Limited to 15 participants.