Productivity, thy name is insomnia

Alright, so not really.
But when I can't sleep I tend to like....play things out in my head. Things that I wish would happen, things I think WILL happen, things I think SHOULD happen. Tonight it happened to be my career as a musician.  There's a lot to think about there.
 First, there's the fact that I haven't written NEARLY enough songs.
Then there's the fact that once I've got enough songs written, I'll actually have to record them. How do I do that? On my own or do I try to get a record deal? No, I'm not going to try to get a record deal. I'll record on my own, even though that'll get expensive. I'll get my stuff onto iTunes as soon as I can, and figure out how to get my songs on the radio.
And then I started thinking about how I can't actually write music. Like, notes on a staff, I mean. I write guitar chords and words, but you can't make an entire album using just a guitar and your voice and expect it to really go anywhere. No, I'd need bass and drums and probably back up vocals and piano, at the very least. So how do I write the music out for all of that if I don't even play bass or know how to notate for drums?
But then I got distracted from all the how's and started thinking about self promotion. I really do need to become the Salt Lake City troubadour. I could go by "Gateway Guitar Girl" and start a Twitter. I could get myself trending whenever it would be advantageous, or to get the attention of someone. Like, say Jason Mraz is coming to town for a show. If I get enough people to Tweet him about Gateway Guitar Girl who covers a bunch of his songs he would probably at least be tempted to check it out. And there's an opened door.
And I've decided almost for sure on a stage name: Sonya LaGrande. Sonya because I love the name and LaGrande because it's a family name. I'm not married to "LaGrande" but I'm really feeling Sonya.

And then I decided that I should probably get to writing. So...thus ends my nonsensical, rambling, mind garble for tonight.

Song for no one? 8/18/10

Or maybe someone. I’m not sure yet. I haven’t actually started writing it yet. I don’t even know what I’m going to write about. I just feel like writing because I’m on a plane. I’m 15,000 feet in the air and very very bored. So here I am. Typing away. But not really typing anything because I’m not actually saying anything. So now I’ve just gotta figure out what to write about. I’ve got a few vague ideas but nothing really concrete enough to go off of. But I’m going to. I’ll call it “15,000 in the air.” Not feet in the air. Just in the air. Because I like how that sounds. And I’ll record it and send it out and get a real record deal and ta da! I’m famous. Or something like that. I’m not sure I want to be famous. Not really. At least, not as Lauren Holmgren. Under a fake name I’d love to get famous. Then I could maybe keep my normal life at least some of the time. (The flight attendant just handed me peanuts. What?? I thought they couldn’t serve those on planes anymore. When did they start serving them again??) I’ve actually given some thought to what I’d go by. Reina something, maybe. Like, Loreina. But Reina means queen in Spanish, so Reina. Maybe Reina Voise. Why Voise? I have no idea. It just popped into my head. Or maybe Reina....Lockout? Reina Point? I don’t know. These are words I can see on the wing of the plane out my window. I actually kind of like Reina Lockout. It’s a little weird. But that would make a great story. “Reina Lockout isn’t your real name, is it?” “No, it’s not.” “How’d you come up with that?” “Well, Craig, it’s actually a pretty mundane story. I was on a plane to San Diego with my family and I was trying to write a song and I kept looking out the window. I had major writer’s block so I decided to try to come up with a stage name. I was staring out the window and I saw words on the wing. And I saw 'lockout position' and thought....hm....Reina Lockout...I like it.” Yes. I do plan interviews out in my head.
Anyway, I should probably get back to that song. I actually started writing in between typing this nonsense. I looked out a few minutes ago and saw this massive lake cradled between two mountains. I couldn’t tell at first if it was a frozen lake or low clouds. So I started writing. I have a problem, though. I have a hard time writing songs the way most songwriters do. Their songs tell a story. Mine are more like poems. Unless I write them while I have my guitar in my lap, for some reason. Then they’re like...poetic stories.
You know, Basshunter is not the most inspiring music. I’ve got my iTunes on shuffle. Yeah....the lyrics aren’t deep enough to inspire anything more than spaztic dancing. Ah, there we go. Bohemian Rhapsody. If I could write a song one tenth as incredible as this one I could die happy.
Anyway, back to what I was saying. My songs and their lack of a storyline. I need to work on that. I also need to have a really epic breakup so I can write a really epic breakup song. I don’t mean a whiny “WHY DID HE HURT ME, I LOVE HIM SOOOO” kind of song. I mean more like “WHEN YOU SEE MY FACE, HOPE IT GIVES YOU HELL HOPE IT GIVES YOU HELL!!!” which may be a really stupid song but it’s still excellent and no one can resist jamming to it. But I’ve never been dumped, so that’s kind of out the window. Maybe I need a...burst of strength and spirit song....you know, a la Bohemian Rhapsody (SO YOU THINK YOU CAN STOMP ME AND SPIT IN MY EYE?). Or maybe I need a triumph of the human soul song. Or something ridiculously cutesy, like Romance on a Rocketship (“I know I’m nothin’ but skin and bones, but I sure think you’re beautiful.” Which, for some reason, I feel should be followed by a winky face. Even when I hear it out loud. No, it doesn’t make sense. Don’t judge me.).
You know what, I’ve got ideas. I’ll be fine.
Anyway. I’m listening to We the Kings now. For some reason I just can’t get off of their music. I’m not as weirdly obsessed with them as I was a few months ago, but I still love them. I listen to them when I can’t fall asleep or when I’m trying to get into a creative mood. Maybe because their songs are the perfect balance of story and poetry, and I really like their lyrics (they wrote one of my favorite lines in any song: “I am not the kind that will hide beneath the lights and the lyrical one liners”). Or maybe just because I like them. They’re my pop punk guilty pleasure.
Hm...what to write now....I really do have massive writer’s block. I hate that. Also, I didn’t get to bring my guitar with me and I won’t be back until probably Saturday morning. Awesome, 3 days off. No. Not awesome. I’m running short enough on time as it is.
(I just discovered a new key on my Mac. Awesome. This thing will never cease to entertain me).

Alright, inspiration time. What to write...GAH. Hm, we’re already descending. Half an hour to go and I still only have 4  lines and I’m seriously reconsidering them.
You know, this reads more like a weird blog entry than random musings. Maybe I’ll start a blog and post this on it.
OK! I’m going to write now. For real, I am. BUT WHAT ABOUT! Hm...I should write about Salt Lake City. Has ANYONE ever done that EVER? (I just listened to "In-N-Out (Animal Style)" by We the Kings. It’s about LA. “I won’t miss you, Los Angeles.”)
You know what, I give up. I’ll write my song while I’m there. I just won’t call it “15,000 in the Air.”