Nick - I Guess We Could Talk About Music

Am I a musician?

I play music, so, yeah.

Am I a good musician?

Ehhhhhhh. Ummmmm. Not really? Maybe. Kind of.

Here is the thing: I'm bad at writing music. I'm bad at writing melodies. I like writing words, though! I also like playing in funny time signatures, especially on drums. Those are a couple of things I'm kind of good at.

I'm in a band. Hahaha. I laugh after I say that because Robert and I always laugh after we say that. We like playing music together, but we've formed so late in the summer that it's only a matter of time before we have to disband, though maybe we could play together on breaks and stuff if we get some songs written. Anyway, I'm in a band that has no name and no finished songs, but our half-finished one has three time signatures, which I'm pretty proud of.

Here's the reason that I haven't been in any bands until now: if you know me, you probably also know Conor O'Brien and Tynan Shevlin. Actually, my musically talented friends aren't the real reason; the reason is that I have very little musical ambition, and just don't really spend much time playing piano or trying to write songs. And while drums are fun to play, you can't really write a song on them.

I like writing words. I believe I've stated that before, but it's kind of a big deal to me to be able to write words. I always wanted to be the singer in a band when I was a little kid (and didn't realize that wasn't really a viable career) and I don't have a super fantastic voice. (But I do like my voice. It's unusual.) So if I want to sing I have to either be able to play piano well while I sing, or write really good lyrics, or more probably both.

So here are some words. I like to call this song "Escutcheon" (look it up) but it is actually just a poem because I don't have any music for it:


What black frost of discontent
Has settled in my glade?
What heinous force could circumvent
My stalwart palisade?

Under the aegis of your placid seas
I assumed my fortress safe
If your waters churn from this ominous breeze
The first wave was only a taste

And if even you will turn on me
Where does sanctuary lie?
And if your word is no guarantee
How forsaken, then, am I?


Why did no one panic
When our paling fell to dust?
Our protectors became satanic
And the problem isn’t them; it’s us


Were we not supposed to watch?
Yet we let this go unchecked
Now these evils must be stopped
Will we fail to interject?

At what hour did our vigilance fail?
How did these demons flourish?
I fear we’ve fallen beyond the pale
Unless our zeal is nourished


Why did no one panic
When our escutcheon fell to dust?
Our island became volcanic
And the problem isn’t them; it’s us


So, there's that. I've been working on playing piano in styles that aren't classical, so hopefully I'll be able to write some actual song-y songs sometime.

Oh! Hey Robert, want to call our band "Practice Band?" It's so original and clever.

- Nick.