Bill Small's Blog

I love technology. I’m a closet computer geek. I love the tools man. However, there are some drawbacks. Beyond the “falling down the rabbit hole” trouble with surfing the web and losing hours of your life, there is also the danger of losing your life’s work. No, this isn’t going to be a tirade about backing up your hard drive, though you might want to think about that if you’re not already doing it. It’s just that last August, the hard drive in my macbook decided, and I do think it decided, to stop being available. Oh it was still spinning, but you can’t access it. No how, no way. Don’t worry, I’ve consulted the experts and at least for right now it’s a no go. The crazy part is that it’s been almost a year and I’m still finding out exactly what I lost.

I’ve been working to kickstart my songwriting engine lately. Which is no mean feat for me. When I go for awhile without writing, and I do, it get’s difficult to engage in the process again. My mind goes blank. Everything I’ve learned about it the craft goes out the window. But, one thing I’ve always done, even back in the days before my macbook,  (remember paper?) was to go back through my various fits and song starts to look for inspiration or something to work on. It can be a great way to get me writing, even if all I do is go through a bunch of stuff that seems like crap to me.

Over the past few years, I’ve been in the habit of recording little snigglets of songs. Musical ideas, lyrical starts, etc. The mac has this wonderful thing called Garage Band and it’s so easy to just launch the software and throw down an idea. Can you see what’s coming here? I lost 3 or 4 years worth of songs and song ideas on that freaking hard drive!!! Mostly I’ve been very zen about the whole thing. It’s good to clean out and not hold on to stuff, but damn it! There was some good stuff in there!!! Or maybe it was all crap. I don’t know. But I want the option to check it out and decide. As my New England friends would say, “It’s a pisser”.

Every now and then I run across some vestige of my lost files. I found this video on the Boundless Living Challenge website this week. I forgot it was there. It’s just a verse and a chorus of a song I started writing at my friend and Boundless Living creator Bob Doyle’s house in Atlanta in 2008. I may finish it. I may not. Mostly it just reminded me of all the other recordings and videos I lost. So the least I can do is share it with you. It feels a bit like I’m hanging my ass out in the breeze ‘cause I don’t like to put unfinished work out in the world, but what the heck.

Is there a point to this? A moral to the story? That’s for you to decide. (back up your drive) I’m just venting my frustration. (back up your drive)Thanks for listening. (back up your drive) I’m not here to preach. (back up your drive) I’m just sharing my personal experience. (back up your drive)
Enjoy the video…….

and p.s. Back Up Your Drive

Find more videos like this on The Boundless Living Challenge