An Unexpected Excess of Kazoos (a formal poll and 2 informal polls)

[gurdonark]

I need to jump-start myself on LJ projects. You see, I've been slowly writing real, live letters to folks on a list for months, from a past LJ post in which I undertook that task and found, to my delight, that lots of people wanted to receive them. I also have a nervousness project that I finished in December, after setting myself a goal of October, but still have not put into a binder and mailed though it is now January.

I also have photos of a hike that I need to send to the other half of a mailing list. In short, I seem to have now taken my "mailing things" projects to a new level of "need to get this done". I am not worried about that, too much, as I have an imminent free weekend and a determined will.

Under the circumstances, one would imagine that I need to slow down, retrench and not take on any new projects until all old projects were done. But in fact, I find that sometimes I need to take on something new to energize myself to do something already on my plate.

As I've posted to the ad absurdem point, I ran that small chess tournament in which the prize was a kazoo. I always keep a stock of kazoos on hand, because I believe in the kazoo as the great American instrument, the instrument that levels playing fields and takes life a little less seriously.

I have now many more kazoos than usual, having stocked up for this chess tournament, which required, as it turned out, only a handful of kazoos, because chess players like cash prizes more than kazoo prizes. Please pardon me if I omit the standard critique of our mercantile society.

So now I have kazoos, I have mailing envelopes, and I have a song in my heart, hummed through a kazoo. I now embark on my Second Annual Great Kazoo Give-away. Last year numerous kind LJ folks volunteered to receive kazoos and spread the gospel of hummed melody. I invite them, and anyone else, who wishes a kazoo, to fill out this poll and join me in humming the universe off its off-kilter axis and into true kazoo harmony.

[Poll #239999]

Also, I have a question for those of you who are geniunely musical. I got an electric kazoo some months ago, but I have never gotten an amp. I am into inexpensive for this, because I am only going to use the amp for recording, and, as the dBs song said "an amplifier's just wood and wire, and wire and wood won't do any good when your heart starts racing....". Besides, a little cheap rawness in the sound actually fits with my rockist instincts. Well, you get the idea. So if you were going to go on eBay or to a website for the cheapest new or used amp imaginable, what would you buy?

Finally, I'm starting to wrap my mind around this folkie music album I intend to record. First I've got to write the lyrics that my friend and collaborator Scott will put into song form. As anyone who reads this weblog knows, verbosity is not difficult for me. But I dislike anything I write that rhymes. My inner maudlin always comes out in my rhymed poetry. I know I could write blank--with meter, but not rhymes--but I'm pondering how to write sing-able lyrics that can be put in your basic 4/4 downbeat rock-type song.
My second informal poll question, for musician and non-musician alike, is "what should I write about, and in what format?".

Kazoo on!

Comments

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

musician and non-musician alike, is "what should I write about, and in what format?".

hoping to be considered in both categories, thinking of your
organizational abilities:
Do you think musical training is helpful to the average person?
(waiting for my kazoo)~~~~~~~<))))><~~~~~~~~~paul

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I am glad I took enough piano to read music, but I think, really, that what's important is a love for music, not a formal training in it. But maybe that's a "typical" non-musician response.

Re:

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

possibly. i wish i had taken enought piano to
be able to read music. i could read drum music by the
end of the year of band i took, but that's very different.
~paul

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

ps: format--poetry

[solitarywalker.livejournal.com]

Since you mention nervousness, i wonder if you're familiar with postcardx (http://www.postcardx.net)...

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Yes, really like it! I'm also gurdonark on that service.

Re: Amplifier Suggestion

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! Exactly the rinky-dink style I had in mind! Bid placed. Thanks!

[cosmolinguist]

I would totally ask for one of your kazoos, except I already have one. It's sitting on my shelf. All thanks to this idea ... one of those girls, Allison, bought me five kazoos for my birthday last year, one eadch for the four girls who purport to be my kazooing bridesmaids, and one for me. Mine sits on my shelf above my desk, and a couple of others have told me that they still know where theirs are, more than a year later. (Considering that a year means probably at least two moves for a college student, I think that's pretty cool.) Of course, my mom would shoot me if I tried to implement such a thing into my wedding ... but she probably won't like my other ideas much more. :-)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

new billy idol re write...it's a nice day for kazoo weddinggggggg.....

[typenik.livejournal.com]

I had no idea there was such a creature as an electric kazoo. ;)

I had my eye on this amp when I was seriously thinking about amplifying my playing. I bet it would work nicely for a kazoo. ;)

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

That is one rockin' lookin' amp. Thanks!