Twelve long weeks ago my son Connor McGuire began an online experiment to see if he could write and record a new song every week. As an additional challenge, as if the song writing wasn’t enough, he also documented the process on video and posted the combined results on YouTube.

There were some hairy weeks along the way. One week in particular (number five, one of my favourites), he totally scrapped the song he’d worked on for six days and wrote an entirely new one on the deadline day. In other weekly episodes, it’s obvious from his appearance that he hasn’t slept – or that the stress of coming up with something good is taking it’s toll. Often though, there’s the unmistakeable hint of pride of accomplishment, and maybe a bit of wonder at how such a good song managed to materialize so quickly under less than ideal circumstances.

Connor knocked the Song-a-Week Project on the head this past week with episode twelve – a complex and emotional song called “Symphony”. You can hear the relief in his voice as he brings the series to a close, but if you’ve been watching from the beginning, you can also see an accomplished songwriter at the top of his game – who has now documented his ability to confidently pull the magic out of his hat week after challenging week, for three months.

Check out “Symphony” here and, if you haven’t already, subscribe to Connor’s YouTube channel to see other episodes of the series.

Also, check out Connor’s North By East West: Acid House Interview which is now posted here.

For his second from last week of the the 12-week Song a Week Project, Connor puts on his Pack Mentality hat and reveals his musical alter-ego. Week 11 is a full-out dance track featuring the kind of beats he will be performing next Saturday at the Waterstone Lounge in White Rock with The Forn and The Joy of Cooking (and at a show in Vancouver *this* weekend that I can’t find a link to!). No lyrics, just a pounding dance groove with great hooks. Connor told his Grandma that she probably wouldn’t like it.

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

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!

This week was a close call. What he eventually created came from a deep and honest place. I doubt if he’d have written this song if he wasn’t so backed against the wall. It’s beautiful and true.

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

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.

Connor’s seventh song is a radical departure. It blends his usual writing style with his Pack Mentality mash-up sensibilities. The song, propelled by a beat he played on a floor tom with a tambourine laid on the skin, soars like classic Peter Gabriel, but more likely references Bat for Lashes or Animal Collective. Once again Connor succeeds and surprises. Check it here, and please subscribe to the Connor McGuire YouTube channel.

More and more I see that growing up with the Beatles was a privilege that other generations may never experience. Their unparalleled creative growth – which paralleled my growth as a singer and songwriter – was an endless inspiration to me, and countless other music makers, in the sixties. A friend sent this link, as friends do, thinking I might enjoy it. Turns out, watching it brought the occasional tear to my eye. Like me, these guys know every single nuance of this performance. If they got one wrong, I didn’t notice – but I may have been blinded by the sheer joy of seeing this music played live.

So, for my fellow Beatle fans:

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.

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.

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: