Rainy Day Dabblings in Music And My Not-So-Secret Love of "Bad" Weather

I'm such a bad weather person. I know that's not a popular thing to say. But, I love rain. Really heavy rain. Maybe, it's because my blue eyes are sensitive to high light. Maybe, it's because I grew up in Seward where learning to love the rain is practically a prerequisite for happiness. Maybe, I'm just wired backwards. Whatever the reason, rain has always excited me.

Some people run from rain like they're being chased by a bear. Me, I run to it. When I see rain, I want to dash through each drop. I want to play in it, dance in it, sing in it, get completely soaked by it. When it rains, the Earth takes a big collective swig and comes alive. And, so do I.

You have to admit. There's something really cozy about bad weather. Being warm is nice, but it's the cold contrast that makes snuggling up in your blanket so appealing. You can look outside and see the world wrapped in its own blanket, a quilt of clouds. You can press your nose to the window and look closer, taking it all in while sheets of rain cascade down the window, a see-through waterfall.

Today, is one of those days. It's raining. Hard. Less pitter-patter and more drum-solo-downpour.

This morning, with the rain dancing outside my window, I woke up with a song in my head. Not someone else's song, but a new song, a song yet to be created.

The creative process, the art of art, if you will, has always both perplexed and amazed me. What leads one to choose a certain note in a song, a certain word in a poem, a certain color or texture in a painting? There's an element of craft to it, drawing from the fundamental toolbox, but there's also an element of art, that almost subconscious intuition that steers you towards a particular idea.

Honestly, sometimes I feel like the ideas choose me more than I choose them. I don't know really know where this song came from. I just woke up with it in my head and tried to do it justice by getting it out of my head and onto my guitar. So, with the rain banging out a rooftop rhythm, I proceeded to craft this rainy day acoustic guitar duet.

Mark

P.S. You'll have to forgive a couple of the "buzzy" notes towards the end. One of the frets burnt out on my guitar.



P.P.S And just for fun, here's another oldie-but-a-goodie that also happens to feature some weather-based imagery.