This morning I went to Mareel, a music venue, cinema and educational facility, where I met ten students at thewho are studying on the HNC Music course. We chatted and played together for two hours and explored quite a few ideas for The Road, some of which will stick.

Everyone turned their own name and where they live into a melody with rhythm and we played it all together. I then directed it a bit and we added ‘The Road’ as a chorus.

What was interesting to me about this was that it started with all of them playing separate rhythms for The Road (which is FAE DAAD in pitches) but gradually a collective way of playing emerged which they felt really happy with. So we will use that as part of the piece.

Great energy from the group which had fiddle, 3 bass guitars, two electric guitars, sax, piano and two percussionists and at the end all but two said they’d love to be involved in the piece further. Five are meeting me on Saturday for a play together trying new stuff out.

We then wrote an instant song about the road.

Da Road

Long

Sheep lick it for salt

Road kill takes a tasty treat

Hitch-hikers

Hitch-hikers

Landslides

Tarmac

Rockfalls

Gravel Track

There were lots of interesting discussions about its value and interest, but also a lot of laughter and enjoyment at the process. We talked lots about how group songs, by necessity, have a completely different feel from solo songs, but also how shared songs do create a different kind of collective energy and narrative that is not present in solo material.  When their tutor Bryan returned at the end they insisted that we sing it to him.

Also really interesting that one of them suggested it be called Da Road. Ignition director, Wils has been suggesting that the final musical piece be called Da Road so maybe it should be.

Finally with the group I started a process with them for a solo song from each about their journey that morning. Had a good conversation about how personal things are better in songs than cliches or generalisations and they all got on with it. This was Gwyn’s end result (he probably got further than most of them)

 verse 1

Coffee, fags, drums in the car,

Wonder where the housekeys are

chorus

Must top up the squirty thing

Must top up the squirty thing

verse 2

Do I keen dee

Do I have time for one more ciggie?

chorus

Must top up the squirty thing

Must top up the squirty thing

bridge

Squinty, irritable

Locals driving like dicks

Sheep racing to their daily salt licks

verse 3

Drums on the floor

Don’t smoke indoors

Don’t be late for work love

chorus

Must top up the squirty thing

Must top up the squirty thing

Two final things Gwyn said

  • Road’s always the same it’s the scenery that changes
  • Why are we going north to south? Shouldn’t we go the other way as most people arriving in Shetland do that – they get off the plane and go as far north as they can…