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 Furlough Rock II 
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Post Furlough Rock II
Well, the U.S. government has shut down and I am to be furloughed tomorrow. This is the 3rd time in my 14-year career as a Federal Worker. The last time in 2013, I was off for about 10 days and I spent all that time in the studio. i spent each day working on tunes, regardless if the Muse had struck, or if I felt in the mood. I just treated it as a job--an awesome job that I love--and I ended making some of my very best--and best produced--stuff.

I wrote and produced this, "Furlough Rock," the title song of the album:

And then I later added some vocals to it and it became a real "song."

And I made a love song for the wife:


And a few other tunes that altogether became a 12-song CD called Furlough Rock, which was the creative musical thing that I was most proud of at that time in my life.

Then I found Stick in late 2015 and y'all know most of the rest of the story. Now I'm rocking it out with Stick and all the tools that I had during the last Furlough.

My next studio-time project, Furlough Rock II, will involve putting vocals to the backlog of "instrumentals" I've accumulated the last couple of years that really should be songs.

In reverse order, from latest instrumental to oldest, these are the tunes to become songs.

Breaking of Nations


Snow Day in Hell


Whampa Chunk


And maybe (non-embedded):
https://soundcloud.com/stephen-sink-1/zhad-dhum

https://soundcloud.com/stephen-sink-1/sol-invictus-1

https://soundcloud.com/stephen-sink-1/m ... nks-flutes

And my NS/Stick & Chapman Stick tune, "The Purpling"


I have a good 5-10 more I can throw on the pile, but I'd be happy to get vocals to even one of these tunes. If the shutdown is resolved quickly, then Furlough Rock II: Electric Boogaloo, will go back to being Weekend and Holidays Rock and will still get done.

Wish me luck! (I don't wish for the unfortunate side effects of a gov shutdown on those that won't get paid in the meantime--like me!--but I DO plan to take full advantage of it if I'm to be furloughed tomorrow)! The furlough could last a day, a couple of weeks like last time, or a month. I could get called back to work, as well, before it's resolved (which happened last time).

--Stevie Wants to Sing if You're Gonna (Eventually) Pay Me to Sit on My Federal-Worker Ass

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Sun Jan 21, 2018 7:21 am
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
Very cool, Steve! I think that it's awesome that you're pursuing vocal music and songwriting! I really do think there's enough people doing instrumental covers of their favourite pop songs to keep that particular musical area covered indefinitely...

I have always found it easier to arrange for a vocal idea rather than impose a vocal idea over a preconceived, already created riff. That's just me though, everyone is different.

I look forward to hearing what you do!

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Sun Jan 21, 2018 10:37 am
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
That sucks about you not working due to shut down. That’s something I don’t understand what it really means as it doesn’t seem to affect us Canadians.at least I don’t think so. I’m glad you will have time to be creative and add to your existing repertoire. Looking forward to hearing you rock out my good sir.
Rob

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Sun Jan 21, 2018 9:57 pm
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
I had to come into work this morning to be sent home on official furlough. I had to draw up furlough letters in triplicate for all my people to sign, send them home, and then my boss did the same for me, and it's done.

Checking the Googley for "Furlough Rock," I seem to have gotten to the phrase first. Not enough Government Employees who are also rock musicians apparently.

I'm going to install a bathroom ceiling fan for the wife as my first official duty as a furloughed employee. We'll see if I get to actually get into the studio before this thing's done.

Thanks, Scott and Rob, for the encouragement!

Furlough Rock II, Electric Boogaloo, is on!
--Steve Sink, Paigan Productions

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Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:23 am
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
paigan0 wrote:
I had to come into work this morning to be sent home on official furlough. I had to draw up furlough letters in triplicate for all my people to sign, send them home, and then my boss did the same for me, and it's done.

Checking the Googley for "Furlough Rock," I seem to have gotten to the phrase first. Not enough Government Employees who are also rock musicians apparently.

I'm going to install a bathroom ceiling fan for the wife as my first official duty as a furloughed employee. We'll see if I get to actually get into the studio before this thing's done.

Thanks, Scott and Rob, for the encouragement!

Furlough Rock II, Electric Boogaloo, is on!
--Steve Sink, Paigan Productions


Kinda sucks, but kinda cool in the short term maybe? - I love not having to do real work; sadly though there are no dental and health benefits to being "guitar sideman". I usually do an "on for a couple of years, then take a couple off" kind of deal...

Bathroom ceiling fans, I have installed a few of those in my life :D

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Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:36 am
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
Looks like you better hurry, the Senate voted 81-19 to break the filibuster and pass a budget.

Get that "honey-do" list done post haste.

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Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:19 pm
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
Godsmonkey wrote:
Looks like you better hurry, the Senate voted 81-19 to break the filibuster and pass a budget.

Get that "honey-do" list done post haste.
Worse than getting shut down at all is being shut down for half a day. And then a 3-week kick-the-can down the road and maybe it'll be back on. Or off, as the case would be.

Still gotta go back to the House and then to the President, but it looks likely we'll be back to work tomorrow.

And I spent the day watching TV news and listening to rough takes of the Stickist 2017 collab from Scott instead of installing that bathroom ceiling fan. But I'll only lose half a day's pay and probably not even that. Some mixed emotions, there! :| :D :o :? :roll:

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Wenge-on-Wenge NS/Stick, #170130, Bass 4ths
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Mon Jan 22, 2018 12:26 pm
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Post Re: Furlough Rock II
I tore apart the bathroom light switch and finally fixed a loose wire, in lieu of actually installing the bathroom fan. A nice feeling of accomplishment and nobody got electricuted. I've been meaning to fix that light for a month now!

Bathroom fan was going to be tomorrow, but it looks like I'll be back to work tomorrow, and a mountain of admin paperwork to figure out with the half-day furlough. The President is signing a 3-week Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend the funding and the arguments about it. So, chances are I'll get another shot at Furlough Rock II on 8 February!

But now I can work on lyrics and feel like I've accomplished something, besides electrical work, and maybe have more to work on if we do get another shutdown.

Jayesskerr wrote:
I have always found it easier to arrange for a vocal idea rather than impose a vocal idea over a preconceived, already created riff. That's just me though, everyone is different.

I've never had the pleasure in a band of ever having vocals and having to put music to them. I'd welcome the challenge. Inevitably, the riffmeisters are usually more productive and creative than the vocalists, or at least we get there first. I'd love to work with a vocalist who needed music. It's usually the other way around for me.

I know that Van Halen and several bands that are built around one prominent gunslinger/songwriter write the music first and then bring in Dave or Sammy to sing about Cabo and tequila, or girls and cars. I think that happens a lot.

Adds: Speaking of writing duos, Two Rooms, with Bernie Taupin and Elton John. Usually, EJ writes the music and then BT makes the lyrics and then EJ sings it. Rarely, they start with the lyrics and then build music. Usually it's the other way around. But people have different methods, for sure.

And I've always had the music first and then went to make vocals with it. Maybe I'll try the other way around one of these days.

I'd be happy just to get some songs sung. But back to work in the meantime!

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Steve Sink, Laser Fractals
Rosewood 10-string, #5989, M4s
Sapphire Railboard, #6763, MR
Wenge-on-Wenge NS/Stick, #170130, Bass 4ths
http://soundcloud.com/stephen-sink-1
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-RDlN ... Ez0hN49_Qg


Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:55 pm
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