#crowdsource inspiration

Send an email to [email protected] if you're interested. The first thing I'll do is email the group all at once and we'll introduce ourselves. Create a throw away email account if you'd like and know that you can bail whenever you want. (But I know you won't want to.)

    Giving Up On Dreams When I was small, I had dreams to grow as tall as the sun. When I hit the glass ceiling, a normal life broke my fall. And now I see dreams are for those who get to sleep, but I’ve been awake, eyes wide open, since you left me. Giving up on dreams. Fairytales teach us to believe in true love. But Princes do not come from kissed frogs. And now I see stories are for those who can hear, but I’ve been deaf since you left, fingers in my ears. Giving up on dreams.

Kavalier Calm is a pseudonym. I find out why KC keeps his identity hidden.

I started CI because I love songwriting but need motivation to consistently work at it. Why on Tumblr, though? My kid sister showed me Tumblr one day, and I was instantly intrigued by the idea of micro-blogging. I decided it would be fun to focus a blog on songwriting because I noticed the Tumblrverse was very 2D (all photos and text), and it would be original to bring music to it. I also appreciated the Ask/Answer and messaging features. There’s a natural, collaborative community on Tumblr that makes it a good fit for CI. When I started the blog, I used to just post open asks about song concepts, and I relied on input from you lovely strangers to shape the songwriting process. In general not enough people responded, though, so I started just browsing through blogs until I was inspired. And then I’d surprise people with a song for them. Who doesn’t like surprises? By total accident, I dedicated a song to someone on Tumblr’s staff, and in response I was given the opportunity to spotlight my blog under /musicians. It was an honor, and I like to think I haven’t wasted it. I’m still eagerly bringing audio to Tumblr’s 2D environment (even if Tumblr doesn’t make audio posts very friendly for the user or consumer). Some days I don’t know if it is the best medium for my project, but I’m not sure where else I’d go. Plus, I like everyone here too much! — KC

Indie Futuristic Metal Shoegaze Jazz Fusion...Ok. I made that genre up. But musical genres do have ridiculous names like that. As I describe on my Artists page, I am resistant to fitting myself into a genre mold. I respect the idea of genres and that people prefer to listen to one over another, but I am all over the place creatively. I enjoy too many styles right now to choose one. I realize that probably makes me unapproachable to listeners who'd like me to do one thing, but I can't help it. With all this said, I am an avid minimalist. My favorite music tends to be one voice and one instrument, so that's how I tend to write. Music like this is raw, emotional, and cuts to the chase. I am also a poet first. I taught myself guitar merely to add something to my poetry. I've only taken one, semester-long music theory course. Surprisingly, a simple foundation like that is all it takes to understand every song on the radio and write songs of your own. I revel in the simple, existing structures of music and just breaking the rules in tiny ways here and there. I don't intend to study jazz or more complicated music theory. When I push the envelope, it is with my storytelling. I like songs that tell stories. And one way I'm pushing the envelope is by telling your stories instead of mine. Musicians are an egotistical lot, and we listeners encourage the behavior by calling it "genuine." But I thought it would be different to focus on others' experiences when I write, and just use myself as a filter. It has worked better than I expected so far. Partly this is because I've lived similar enough experiences to the people that reach out to me to empathize, so I can convert my liquid emotional fuel into a flame that reflects their light. But mainly this is because my followers submit such wonderful stories. Thank you, followers, and please continue. -- KC

     Midnight The night is no nightmare. The dark hides our scars. Time slows til only the now fills our arms. What happens at midnight? A secret for the young. Alive and laughing, free to run. The rush in neon lights, the peace in the moon; we scream against the wind til the night is through. CHORUS The sun rises, makes a new day. We children of the night will have to wait to make new secrets.