why

its ready. ive got the songs and album artwork loaded onto jacobfurr.bandcamp.com.

im pretty excited about giving this project to you.

its final title is "FINCHES".
its a 3 song exploration of the novel "To Kill a Mockingbird"
and i'm glad i did it.


why? because it made me realize i can set my mind intentionally to a creative task and come out with something that im extremely proud of. ive mentioned before how my songwriting in the past has felt haphazard and disjointed. it was a challenge to sit down and write songs around a specific idea this time, instead of just collecting songs that came up randomly through noodling on the guitar. and i liked it. i enjoyed keeping my mind on target, brainstorming, editing (more than i have ever done before), and working towards a clear goal. it was thrilling to see the final version.

this process brought up a lot of questions as well. mainly questions like:

"why do i even do this?"

i know why i write (sort of). i love words. i love the way they twist and turn on the tongue and in the mind. i love their ability, that only belongs to them, to create worlds and visions and feelings. and i want to be a part of that. i write because i want to participate in this swirl.

i also write because i, like most people i think, want to be heard. we all want someone to hear us. to take us seriously and listen to what we say, think or believe. our basic human operating motive, (besides survival) is communication with other humans. so i write because i want to connect to you. i need that inter-human relationship. i try to do this through story and song. i used to think i wrote just for myself and that others hearing my songs was no big deal to me. but i can't honestly say that anymore. i honestly want you to hear me. not because i think im the next big deal, or that you'll get so much from hearing my songs, but because i like interacting with you through this music.

and i want to hear you. if im singing into a void, so be it i guess. but i dont think i am. i dont think any of us are. whether we are writing poems, solving problems, building houses, or just making it through our day. we do not exist in a vacuum.

in trying to make sure that you heard about what i was doing, i started to wonder about how songwriters "promote" their music. and it made me a little uneasy. its very gimmicky a lot of times. even writing a blog to give me an "online presence" smacks a little of salesmanship. 

which isnt necessarily a bad thing.  if i think my project is good and im proud of it, i want you and as many other people as possible, to hear it. to download it. to spread it around and give it to your friends. ive been convinced recently of the fact that craftsmanship can come in many forms and that a craftsman should be as good as he or she possibly can be. if im working as hard as i can at my craft (whatever it is) i should take pride in it. i should be willing and want you to be a part of it as well.

that is why i write, record, and give away. because i want to be a craftsman of words who is connected with his friends and listeners.

so tomorrow, will you come and connect with me for 15 minutes of music?

-jacob