ra mcguire dot com » Creativity http://ramcguire.com Random dispatches from the fish and chips capitol of the world, and elsewhere Sat, 04 Sep 2010 21:01:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Connor McGuire’s Photography Featured on UK Blog http://ramcguire.com/2010/07/26/connor-mcguires-photography-featured-on-uk-blog/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/07/26/connor-mcguires-photography-featured-on-uk-blog/#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:59:00 +0000 admin http://ramcguire.com/?p=1123 Connor’s photography has been featured on the UK Blog ‘G Squared‘ in a post called “and we Give You Connor McGuire”. Check it there and also stop by his Flickr page to see some more of his work.

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/07/26/connor-mcguires-photography-featured-on-uk-blog/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 10 - Ten Weeks! Two More to Go ... http://ramcguire.com/2010/05/31/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-10/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/05/31/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-10/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 19:30:34 +0000 admin http://ramcguire.com/?p=1093 Full band arrangement. Beautiful. And some pretty candid thoughts on the process.

Check it here, and, as always, please spread the word and subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

Ten weeks!! Ten!

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/05/31/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-10/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 8 - Amazing http://ramcguire.com/2010/05/14/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-8/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/05/14/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-8/#comments Fri, 14 May 2010 20:35:36 +0000 admin http://ramcguire.com/?p=1085 I don’t think Connor expected his ‘Song a Week Project’ to develop into the creative journey it’s become. The process is taking him places he otherwise never would have ventured. Once again the new song has brain-bombed me and I can’t stop singing it …

Check it here, and please subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/05/14/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-8/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 6 - How *Does* He Do It?? http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/27/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-6/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/27/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-6/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:13:36 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1059 Six weeks, six new songs! I can’t say he makes it look easy – as you’ve seen, it hasn’t been – but I can marvel at the fact that he continues to create a brand new, and amazingly good, new song every week! This week’s song is a hard-rockin’ full-band-style arrangement, leaving behind the acoustic vibe from weeks four and five. Check out “House of Cards” here or on the YouTubes. Send your friends. And if you haven’t yet, subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/27/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-6/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 5 - Epic Fail Narrowly Averted http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/21/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-5/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/21/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-5/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:47:34 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1056 Connor’s Week 5 song for his ‘Song a Week Project’ could be his best yet, despite the fact that it ended up being a ‘Song a Day Project’. The suspense is killing me! Please support Connor’s work by subscribing to his YouTube channel and leaving encouraging comments.

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/21/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-5/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 4 http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/13/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-4/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/13/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-4/#comments Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:47:51 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1054 Every week of Connor’s ‘Song a Week Project’ has had it’s challenges. Week four was no exception. His plan to simplify the process by eliminating a full band arrangement and writing on an acoustic guitar just created a higher expectation for the lyrics – which became a struggle. I’m proud to say that Connor won that battle, and that “Getting Over It” (or whatever the official title will be) is a truly beautiful, thoughtful and damned catchy song. I’ve been singing it all morning!

If you know anyone who would take the time to view and comment on Connor’s ‘SWP’ vids (or, better yet, subscribe to the series), please direct them either to this site or to the YouTube page where it’s hosted.

What Connor is doing with his ‘Song a Week Project’ is brutally difficult work. Making something from nothing – the delicate alchemy of songwriting – can be a gut-wrenching endeavour at the best of times, and doing it on a schedule like this is something I don’t think I could do. I watch his progress with a mixture of fear and loathing … and pride.

Check this out to see a great song being created:

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/13/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-4/feed/ 2 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 3 http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/07/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-3/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/07/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-3/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:22:58 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1041 Best yet! This was a really good idea.

PART TWO:

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/07/connor-mcguire%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98song-a-week%e2%80%99-project-%e2%80%93-week-3/feed/ 0 An Insightful Thought on Creativity http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/07/an-insightful-thought-on-creativity/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/07/an-insightful-thought-on-creativity/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:55:02 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1037 “Very few people do anything creative after the age of thirty-five. The reason is that very few people do anything creative before the age of thirty-five.” – Joel Hildebrand

With thanks to Colin Marshall

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/04/07/an-insightful-thought-on-creativity/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 2 http://ramcguire.com/2010/03/31/connor-mcguires-song-a-week-project-week-2/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/03/31/connor-mcguires-song-a-week-project-week-2/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:44:50 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1020 It was touch-and-go, but Connor has managed to complete his second song in time for week two of his “Song a Week Project”. As a not-uninterested witness to the unfolding events that he chronicles on the making-of video, I can confirm for you that there was a significant amount of dramatic tension and excitement involved.

This instalment features Jim “I like my coffee” Black, dropping some mind-bending guitar, a visit to the best studio in Vancouver, Connor’s alter-ego “Pack Mentality” rocking the house and, of course, the finished recording of the song. Honestly though, the best (and funniest) ten-seconds opens the clip, with Connor attempting to remember the date.

So once again I ask you all to click on this link to his YouTube page to watch the two short videos and *leave a high rating and a positive comment*. If you don’t have a YouTube account, which I think you might need to leave a comment, PLEASE take a minute to sign up so you can offer your support to Connor on this excellent project. (SPOILER: This week’s song is just as amazing as last week’s AND it’s in 5/4 time!)

]]> http://ramcguire.com/2010/03/31/connor-mcguires-song-a-week-project-week-2/feed/ 0 Connor McGuire’s ‘Song a Week’ Project – Week 1 http://ramcguire.com/2010/03/23/1014/ http://ramcguire.com/2010/03/23/1014/#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 04:34:20 +0000 Ra http://ramcguire.com/?p=1014 Connor decided a week ago that he would try to write a song a week. Then, in a moment of what I would characterize as foolhardy overconfidence, he added a video camera into the mix – recording the emotional peaks and valleys of his pressurized songwriting process.

As most parents probably would, I gritted my teeth, far more concerned about the outcome than he seemed to be. And, although he started out strong he had ground to a halt by the middle of the week.

In the hopes that I’ve built both your interest and suspense, I ask you all to click on this link to his YouTube page, watch the two short videos and, if you feel it appropriate, leave a high rating and a positive comment. (SPOILER: The resulting song is amazing and more-so after you’ve watched him piece it together)

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