Jack Of Arts

April 10, 2012 – Tuesday 3pm – Ironstone, East Ouigab

*DING**DONG*DANG* I was brainstorming on my lyrics when suddenly, the doorbell rang. My room being the nearest to the front door, it's my job to check to open the door or the gate.

I walked towards front door and looked at the intercom. I saw what looks to be a delivery guy waiting by the house's gates. It must be another package for Tayaw. The guy's been doing a lot of online shopping lately. Although I see the convenience of online shopping, I still don't trust it. You just can't beat the expertise of the salespeople about the things one is intending to buy.

"Good afternoon! Package? Yeah? Speak closer to the thingy please." I asked through the intercom's microphone. "Can you hear me? Yes. It's a package for Tayaw Dagem." The delivery guy replied. "Wait a moment please." I said and ran up to Tayaw's room upstairs to call for him.

A minute or two later, Tayaw came back in the house carrying a microwave-sized box. The band always gets curious at whatever package arrives for Tayaw, but we never opened them. After all, we eventually see what's in them. One example is the vinyl records he ordered from abroad that he can't find in record stores in Ouigab. He also had a vinyl record made for his own album '18'.

"Inson, let's unpack it together. Looks like you wanna have a look." Tayaw suddenly said, to my embarrassment. I must have been eyeing the box. "Cool." I replied and he led the way down to the bas.e.m.e.nt. "Is it an instrument?" I could not help but ask. "No. But it's better to use it with the PC in the studio." Tayaw replied.

After opening all the box and ripping away the bubble wrap, the thing in the box was finally revealed to me. It confused me, however. "Is that… a printer? Don't we have one already?" I asked. "Oh. This one's special." Tayaw said as he booted up the studio's computer. He unplugged the old printer and plugged in the new one. He then installed the new printer's software and after a few minutes, Tayaw sighed.

Tayaw then opened the table drawer and pulled out a stack of what looks to be blank CD-Rs or DVD-Rs. Tayaw pressed next a button on the new printer and I saw what looks like a DVD drive pop out slowly from the printer. "What the hell is that?" I could not help but ask. "Watch." Tayaw said as he put one CD into the printer's DVD drive and closed it back. Tayaw then opened something on the computer and the next moment, the new printer buzzed.

*Nnnggggggg**clickclack* A few seconds, the DVD drive on the popped out again. This time though, the white blank CD that Tayaw inserted earlier now looks a lot different. It has a picture of the three-piece-suit-wearing Tayaw on it. There are also what looks like song lists printed on the cd. "OH. So that's how they're made!" I couldn't help but exclaim. I've been using CDs and DVDs all my life and it never occurred to me how the makers actually customize the look of their discs.

"Yep. I'm going to make my albums in these CDs and sel- well, give them away…." Tayaw said. This made me day dream. One day, when I become a competent songwriter, I'll sell my CDs too. "So. Do the best you can to write songs. If you, Bay-an, or Hoon will be able write good songs, then we can start making an album for the band." Tayaw said.

Tayaw's words made me excited. Me, Bay-an, and Hoon are all aspiring songwriters. The three of us, we surely can make an album. If we include the arranging skills of Jenna, Ike, and Ramil, then releasing an album is even more realistic.

"Hell. If you guys make songs that are enough to satisfy me, I'll even arrange them for you." Tayaw's extra remark pumped me up even more. It's Tayaw, the best musician I know. If he arranges our songs, that will improve the songs even further.

The band saw the DVD that Chala sent us. I realized then when we were watching that episode of that TV show that Tayaw has already become a star, in Nashville at least. Not only is he a famous singer, he also made a band very famous just by writing them songs or arranging that band's songs. I kind of got jealous at the stardom that Strawberry Front is enjoying but when I thought about it more, our Percussive Corrections cannot compare to them, even before they became famous.

They have experience, they have skills, and they can write their own songs. That made them deserve Tayaw's help in making and arranging songs. Our Percussive Corrections barely has any experience aside from a few gigs at ROH Factory and that one set we did at Monna Park. We don't deserve Tayaw's songs yet. The next best thing the band could do is to write good enough songs that Tayaw can arrange for us.

"How's the songwriting by the way?" Tayaw asked. This question made me anxious immediately. Even though Tayaw does not rush us in writing songs, I could not help but hurry and feel pressure because I'm basically learning and training on Tayaw's dime. Even though he said he's training us for free because we're friends, it's too burdensome to receive such generosity. I have to produce results immediately to show that he's not wasting his time and money on me.

"I've written two more songs since we finished with the soundtrack of your movie. I don't have lyrics yet though." I said. "Cool. Your first seven songs were alright, actually, but they're too… plain." Tayaw said. Ouch. But it's true. My first seven songs don't stand out compared to other songs.

"Can you play me your new songs? Just hum them." Tayaw asked. "Alright." I said and went to the practice room and picked up an acoustic guitar. From outside the soundproofed practice room, I saw Tayaw nod at me, signaling me to begin.

I started plucking some chords. The band has been training under Tayaw for a little over a year now. For the past year, I also learned to play the acoustic and electric guitar better thanks to Hoon. Aside from the bass guitar, the acoustic guitar is the only instrument I can play competently. The acoustic guitar is also my main instrument in writing songs.

"Hmmm…" I started humming my song. I don't have a great singing voice like Tayaw or Jenna, but I can carry a tune just fine. "Hmm…" Oops. That wasn't right. "It's fine. Start again." Tayaw encouraged me. That's what I like about Tayaw. He does not get mad when the band makes mistakes. He helps us instead to overcome them.

"Hmmm… Da da di da da.. Hmm." After I started the song over, I feel more comfortable. A few minutes later, I'm done playing. "Alright." Tayaw said and joined me in the practice room. He plugged in an electric guitar and started playing my song. It still blows my mind how Tayaw can copy tunes on the first try.

"Here… I like this part a lot. What were you thinking while writing the song?" Tayaw asked. "It's just the memories I have as a kid. The feeling I got when I remembered how me and other neighborhood kids would play tag at the hills, or play hide and seek in the forests." I explained. "That's better too. I like how this one feels free, happy, pure…" Tayaw started giving me feedback.

"Hmm. Hm…" Tayaw then started reproducing another part of the song. "This one. It's iffy a little. It gets tiresome at this point. Why don't you do this? You should want to make an impact at this part…" This time, I know, that Tayaw is finally starting his instruction. Since Tayaw started teaching me how to write songs, this part of his sermons I find the most valuable.

"You should either do a key change here, or make it simple like raising one octave. This will make the climax of the song even more powerful. No, it will not add any new emotion, but it will make the emotion of the song more… loaded…" Tayaw resumed his instructions. I'm also doing as he said and tried raising the key at the chorus after the instrumental break..

"WHOOOOOOoooOO.." Tayaw sang, and it shocked me how such a tiny key change enhanced my song, by a lot. "It sounds a lot better indeed." I nodded. "Yes. This is very common in writing songs, but you have to know where to put it. Also, key change after key change in every song you make is also not good. It depends on the melody and the feeling you're trying to communicate. Like your… third song for example. It didn't need any key change whatsoever but it still sounded good because of the story you're telling."

The next few hours are spent by Tayaw instructing me in this song and my other new song. It's a productive day for me.