harmonium: you know what this is...

I want to be Violet Sanford, the Jersey nun. I want to be a nobody who went through all that hoopla - moving out of my folks' place to purse my dream in NY, working as a Coyote and hopefully, meeting a cute comic book-collecting, odd-job tending Aussie-Colombian along the way, and eventually end up writing a song for the likes of Leona Lewis and Whitney Houston. Sadly, Mariah is not among the options as she writes her own songs. I know it's highly improbably to happen but I'd settle even just for the part about meeting a cutie.

Being a passionate and meticulous music fan, it's a natural progression that I would want to be a song writer and a producer. After my second job, I was actually ready to start from scratch and take my chances in the music industry. I applied for an A&R position for a record company through JobStreet. I wanted to learn the ropes - from scouting talents, working on their material as well as their packaging, developing marketing strategies and of course, retaining their relevance in the music world. But after analyzing the current status of our local music industry, I withdrew my application. My dream is too big that the Philippine market won't be able to hold it in.

For now I have to put that goal on hold and try working on the more realistic ones. Like learning how to play the guitar for starters. It is one of my life's frustrations. But I included it on this year's must-do's, and I'm so eager to learn it that I'm ready and willing to get callouses on my fingers. I've had initial lessons from my self-taught cousin but I think I'd need a professional to speed things up.

I remember my friend Amber. She idolizes the likes of McLachlan and the whole lot of Lilith Fair musicians. She's pretty. We have the same star sign. Lol. There were times when we would just hang out in the CJ couch and jam, with her on the guitar. And the vocals. It was through her that I realized how Jennifer Paige's "Stranded" and Michelle Branch's "Everywhere" have strikingly similar chord structures. Aw. I miss her.

Anyway, I think I started being fascinated with guitars back in Junior High when The Moffatts was considered cool. Or I did anyway. There's a track from their album titled "Love" that is basically sung around an acoustic guitar and soft percussion. It's one of those songs whose simplicity made it so freaking beautiful. Immediately, I asked Mhanoy to buy me a guitar. And until now, I have never strummed a melody from that instrument. I think the strings are already either broken or rusty.

I don't know what's with guitars and pianos that people who know how to use them appear as authentic musicians. And most of the people from that group have a knack for excellent song writing. Talk about true talent!

Which brings me back to my "dream" collaboration with Striker. I want to write a song that tells a story minus the glitz of commercial music. Something like this:

Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see
That I want and I'm needing everything that we should be
I'll bet she's beautiful, that girl he talks about
And she's got everything that I have to live without

Drew talks to me, I laugh cause it's so damn funny
That I can't even see anyone when he's with me
He says he's so in love, he's finally got it right,
I wonder if he knows he's all I think about at night

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do

Drew walks by me, can he tell that I can't breathe?
And there he goes, so perfectly,
The kind of flawless I wish I could be
She'd better hold him tight, give him all her love
Look in those beautiful eyes and know she's lucky cause

So I drive home alone, as I turn out the light
I'll put his picture down and maybe
Get some sleep tonight

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only one who's got enough of me to break my heart
He's the song in the car I keep singing, don't know why I do
He's the time taken up, but there's never enough
And he's all that I need to fall into..

Drew looks at me, I fake a smile so he won't see.
- Taylor Swift | Teardrops On My Guitar

We can just work on a pop edit when it becomes a hit afterwards. And hopefully, I can accomplish this before I run out of original ideas. Then again what is original these days?