Join me for a 30-day Music Challenge

30 Day Challenge

What is it about 30-day challenges that we love to participate in them?

• Most likely, we see “30 day” and figure, “30 days. I can do that!” That’s one reason I enjoy doing a 30-day challenge – it is narrow in scope.
• The challenge is usually fairly easy, too. And no one is judging your entries, except maybe the gal in the mirror.
• They are fun! Gather a group of friends to do the challenge with you and riff off of each other’s daily contributions.

There are written word challenges and photo challenges and the popular Gratitude challenge. And if you want to join me for a fun, easy, time-limited game, I’ve got a new 30-day challenge for you: Music!

30-Day Music Challenge

Now, don’t let the word ‘challenge’ scare you off. It will be fun. Promise!

For each of the 30 days is listed the name of a composer or songwriter, a musical genre, or a musical term. It will be your challenge to find a piece of music either written by the songwriter or that exemplifies the genre or term. You can list the song title and artist or for extra credit 😉 add a link to a performance of that song. (YouTube, anyone?)

• Important! You don’t need to be a musician to participate. All you need is an appreciation of music and perhaps a willingness to learn about music previously unfamiliar to you.
• Think of this not so much as a challenge but as an inspiration for finding new music and remembering old musical friends.
• Start anytime, any month. I’m sharing this now in December 2013 and I will be starting day 1 on January 1, 2014 by posting my daily songs here.
• Skip a day if you want. It’s just for fun. 😀
• You can post your song titles on here or on my Facebook page with or without a link to a performance. Twitter, too!
• Privacy is fine, too. You can do the daily entries just for yourself. Keep a scrapbook of your songs and performances in Evernote or Yojimbo.
• If you do share your postings online whether on my blog, Facebook, or Twitter; use the hashtag #30dayMusic.

You may notice that day 12 says “By me”. And by me I mean each participant. Yes, You Can write music without knowing a stitch about notation or harmony or instruments. I’ve compiled a list a some free and fun music-making tools online.

Free online music creators

• http://ujam.com Select “For Music Lovers” button, sing your melody into the mic, then set it with a style. Choose from Hollywood soundtrack to Jazz combo, and many more.
• http://www.buttonbass.com/RecordingStudio.html Sing into your computer’s mic and record your song over a large library of pre-recorded rhythms in the style of Rock, RnB, Pop, and 2 types of Rap.
• http://www.jamstudio.com/Studio/index.htm You’ll need to create a free trial account in order to try this out.
• http://tonematrix.audiotool.com/ Flashing light music! Click on a square, and another and another. Pitch is represented from low to high by the bottom squares to the top squares. Rhythm is calculated left to right. Don’t worry about how it works. Just click and create!
• Here’s an example of a repeating rhyhtmic pattern I made in lights using the previous tool. Tonematrix example

If you do participate with me in January 2014, the 12th falls on a Sunday, giving you a whole weekend to play with the music-making tools.

Have fun with it! And if you find a tool that you really like, go ahead and create more music for some of the other terms or genres.

Alright! Who’s With Me?

I’ll be posting at Meggrace.com, Grace Notes Music FB page, and my Twitter account @musicmegga, all using hashtag #30dayMusic.

Comment below if you want to join me. We’ll start Wednesday, January 1, 2014. Happy New Year!