day1ners-blog

[day1ners-blog]

Day 30!!!!!!(Guitar Challenge)

Taryn

What I did:

Practiced paramore, sleeping sickness, some other stuff

How I Feel After: 

Tired. Long day of work. I hate everything I recorded singing. Happy I got through it after the disaster that was last months challenge.

Day 30 Notes: 

This has been a wonderful challenge. I really really like playing guitar. It's such a nice outlet. I was not doing particularly great work today and I didn't want to keep feeling shitty about it so after 1.5 hrs of practice I sat the guitar down.

This month I did learn to play dancing on my own, i secretly hated Let it Go and didn't do it, and I learned wagon wheel! Plus I learned a few other songs along the way that I enjoyed. Ok, I'm going to either go watch VEEP again, do more work or rent "Her." I think I'm getting my period or something because everything feels like a chore. That seems like the right note to wrap up this post with :)

[day1ners-blog]

Day 29: Busy Bird(Guitar Challenge)

Taryn

What I did:

Practiced a bunch o songs

How I Feel After: 

Tired. I did a lot of chores before practicing and by the time i was playing i felt less motivated than I should be. 

Day 29 Notes: 

I'm sad that tomorrow is day 30. I hope i hold myself accountable for practicing! My Dad couldn't get to guitar practice so we cancelled our Tuesday session and I basically spent the night writing papers and half watching TV. I watched a movie "some girl(s)" starring Adam Brody. He played a real dickhole. And you guys.. it hit way too close to home. It seems I've made some STELLAR dating choices. Anyway guitars.

[day1ners-blog]

Day 28: Liza's Home(Guitar Challenge)

Taryn: What I did: practiced sleeping sickness, crazy girls, November blue, dancing on my own How I feel after: surprised that dancing on my own wasn't nearly as hard as when I practiced it a while ago. Progress! That song is very challenging for me regarding changing to F chords from basically anything. So good-I'm glad the song I was trying used F so heavily. I have a hard time singing honestly with Liza home. She says she can't hear me but I feel self conscious and I imagine it's very annoying for her. In those situations I watch my recordings back and they don't have much heart so I don't post them. And it's just like don't be a douchie self-conscious person! Sing, Fucker, SAAANG

[day1ners-blog]

Day 27: I played some stuff (guitar challenge)

Taryn: What I did: sleeping sickness, crazy girls, fchord, bchords How I feel after: like I should have done more Day 27 Notes: I was sluggish because I was updating my work portfolio and I had an okc date I wasn’t looking forward to. I think I’m having trouble finding a song lately that I’m capable of playing and that I’m also very passionate about. Working on it. In more interesting news, my okc date WORKED FOR OKC. And he said the following unprompted comment:”the number one question I get on dates is.. Can you hack my profile?. And no of course not.. I don’t need to hack anything I have full access. Plus the majority of random okc convos are pretty boring to read anyway.”

WHAT THE FUCK.

[day1ners-blog]

Day 26: Prostates (guitar challenge) Taryn: What I did: jammed a LITTLE just to fit in practice How I feel after: tired Notes: My friend Matt had a Beard Crawl(bar crawl) to raise money for prostate cancer! It started at 1 and when I got home I was too tired to practice more. While my lack of practice in no way contributes to this positive outcome…. Over $1,000 was raised! And Jamie came!

So like maybe it wasn’t great guitar practice, but prostates you guys

[day1ners-blog]

Day 25: The Civil Wars(Guitar Challenge

Taryn

What I did: Practiced this song

How I'm feeling after: funny because apparently I'm a swayer. I sway a LOT when I'm playing guitar in this video

Day 25 Notes: I dunno man. It's Friday. I decided to stay in and work on my website/portfolio and got distracted by Dan coming over with candy. Plus guitar! I'm having a hard time with the strumming, but I'll keep working at it yo. 

[day1ners-blog]

Day 24: I practiced (Guitar Challenge)

(my R,L pointers. Guitar makes your tips flat even the next day! Weird, yo)

Taryn

What I did:

Practiced Civil Wars and November Blue

How I Feel After: 

Good! I didn't do the song well, but I strummed more like I should be strumming. 

Day 24 Notes: 

Singing and pacing guitar properly is like rubbing my head and stomach in opposite directions. Anyway, I was pretty tired from work + improv + bar, but I had already missed yesterday so I got to it. 

I don't have anything exciting to add except I can't believe no one in my building/ Liza has cursed me out yet.

[day1ners-blog]

Day 23: I went to Temple. Dropped the ball. (Guitar Challenge)

Taryn: What I did: looked up chords on my phone before bed

How I feel after: temples are nice

Notes:I went from therapy to work to bar to book signing and crashed hard when I got home. The event was for a book Liza is working on called “I can hear you whisper.” It’s about a mother’s journey with her son’s deafness and colloquial implant. The book is very scientific but threaded with her personal experiences. She did a lot of research because she’s a professor and former journalist so her POV is super unique. Anyway the signing was at a BEAUTIFUL temple in park slope and she was so engaging, engaged and well spoken. It was moving.

Then I went to bed and did nothing guitar related except look up chords to songs I want to learn.

BTW GUSTER FAVORITED MY COVER OF THEIR SONG ON TWITTER(Liza told me to play it cool but fuuuuuck that)

[day1ners-blog]

Day 22: strumming (guitar challenge)

Well you guys, Jamie wrote a really sincere engaging letter about her experience with this challenge. Shit happens and we learn more about ourselves along the way. Last month I learned that bronchitis can last for close to three weeks and exercise is the enemy. Jamie conquered 30 DAYS of 90 minute hot yoga sessions. We’re both having very different experiences with the same challenges and that’s what I like about this blog. Hopefully we find something fitting for both of us to try. Jamie is great

Taryn:

What I did: Practiced november blue, civil wars 

How I feel after: yo I stuck at strumming

Day 22 Notes: I played these songs not well. Dan ripped me apart because my guitar was so bad in the last post so I'm trying to be better with the basics. I have no rhythm. I also forgot to sleep this week.

[day1ners-blog]

An Open Letter, Apology, Confession, Excuse

Dear Day1ners Veiwers and Friends, 

Well guys- I've dropped the ball. Through a series of excuses that either are or are not valid depending on your personal opinions on commitment and life happenings, I haven't found the focus and/or energy to commit to this challenge. Days 1-11 proved to be tricky, and the guitar itself didn't stick with me or my heart. It's a language I couldn't crack, became frustrated with, and let sink to the bottom of my life inbox with a star on it reminding me to get to it when I could. 

Here is what I have learned so far working on this blog:

1. Commitments are hard. They are called commitments because it's something you must choose to do- not something that happens regularly and naturally. This means it is on you (cough me cough) to see it through and not the universes job to make it happen for you.

2. Time management is everything. There is simultaneously not enough and definitely enough time in the day for everything you need. Stop procrastinating. Get enough sleep. Don't waste your lunch break watching Mad Men. Don't use cleaning your apartment as an excuse to not do the things you said you would because it's not that dirty and you're not really doing a good job anyway. Find the things that matter and do them first. Make lists. Do the things on the list. See #1 for more information on sticking with commitments.  

3. I'm kind of lazy. Apparently, if the task at hand isn't something I love to do or is necessary to make money or career advancements, I put it in a special place in by brain I like to call "the back burner." 

4. Writing a blog daily doesn't mean you write well daily. The point of the blog is to create engaging and interesting material to shine light on a specific experience, opinion or theory- and writing something right before bed half conscious just to complete your blog "homework" leaves you prone to typos, fragmented thoughts and rambling info. It also makes you look like the crap partner in your partner blog. 

I'm not in love with myself over all of this. I'm not aiming to justify not being able to complete this months challenge, but I am hoping to explain myself some and let you guys know that I KNOW YOU'RE HERE and I'm AWARE I'M BLOWING IT and also to support Taryn and her personal journey in the Guitar Challenge because she is KILLING IT. I believe having my half baked posts next to her shining progress is doing the blog and her commitment a disservice. I also believe I will not be able to turn this challenge around for myself in any meaningful way in the next 8 days. Unfortunately, my new plan is to quietly and awkwardly moon walk out the back door and bow out of the guitar challenge, tuck my tail between my legs and regroup for May.

I love you guys and I love Taryn's singing voice and, for whatever it's worth, will emotionally eat over this whole thing. 

Clear eyes, full heats, can't lose. - Jamie (or Friday Night Lights) 

[day1ners-blog]

Day 21: Guster (GUITAR CHALLENGE)

Taryn

What I did:

Had class with my dad

How I’m feeling after:

Good except for my broken heart over Emilio

Day 20 Notes:

So I showed up at the studio and some chick named "Amy," introduced herself and said she'll be working all Monday's going forward. I didn't ask about her shifts as secretary for the studio. I can only assume Emilio found this blog and then took out a restraining order and changed shifts. Shortly after he advised "Amy" to crush my spirits. I MISS YOU SO MUCH EMILIO. 

My Dad and I learned some sweet jams and some new chords: C, D7, Em. It was fun :)

Then I went home and rocked out to some Guster. I suck pretty hard at playing the song. But I'm posting because I haven't had a progress report since the Bon Iver "Blood Bank: incident  video:

http://day1ners.tumblr.com/post/82452827507/taryn-what-i-did-practiced-wagon-wheel#.U1YJyuZdV7w

There are some serious pacing, general playing super problems with it. But I guess that's a challenge or whatever! I don't hate it for 21 days. 

You can all blame this slaughter of a good guster song on Dan Canders since he had me listen to their album last weekend and it's been stuck in my head since.

[day1ners-blog]

Day 20: Easter Jam(Guitar Challenge)

Taryn

What I did:

Practiced with my Dad on LI.

How I’m feeling after:

Ok! I didn't spend that much time playing but it was fun

Day 20 Notes:

We practiced basic chords in the living room. The TV was playing so it was basically my siblings and mom's favorite thing because neither of us know what we're doing and we picked the only room we shouldn't be playing in :). 

But I got to see my dog Murphy and make everyone watch the season premiere of VEEP. I have watched that premiere 4 times now. No one enjoyed it as much as me. Also it's not great when you're howling at ball sack jokes in front of your whole family.

[day1ners-blog]

Day 19: Guitar is hard when you're puking a lot (Guitar Challenge)

Jamie is still rocking water damage to her hardware, will post soon!

Taryn

What I did:

PIcked up Liza's Uke for 3 minutes and did nothing helpful except feel adorable.

How I’m feeling after:

Great in the sense that my hangover is getting better. Very sad that this challenge is more than half way done because I love it so much.

Day 19 Notes:

Woke up at 1, chugged water, puked, shower that progressed into me taking a nap in my tub while the shower was still running. Hid from light and noise by going back to sleep until 4. Attempted food between hours of 5pm to 7pm while watching Grey's Anatomy. Almost puked because of food and graphic grey's scenes.

Then Dan drove me home to my parents house because our families live near eachother on LI. (We went to HS together). During the drive we had a great time and listened to some throw back Guster. He drove me to my old home in Syosset before dropping me off at my newer house. I felt emotions and while I was outside taking a picture he drove away in his Prius to see if I would get scared. I did. I'm also impressed with how quiet that fucking car is.

So i guess the closest I came to playing guitar was feeling really emotional and realizing I want to learn some fucking guster. 

I really dropped the ball on practice. 

[day1ners-blog]

Day 18: Parenthood [THE SHOWDUH] Really ruins practice (Guitar Challenge)

Taryn

What I did:

Tried Chris Thime's "How to Grow a Woman from the ground," Ingrid Michaelson's "You and I"

How I’m feeling after:

Relief that I found a video that was actually any help at all for a song.

Day 18 Notes:

I watched Parenthood with Liza after work. I cried so inappropriately and excessively that it turned into sobs and Liza video taped me crying because that's what friends are for. I mean that sincerely.

Anyway between that and the impromptu religious parade [video to come] that happened outside my window I was in a weird place for practicing. I tried for about 30 minutes but then Dan came over and he and Liza taunted me through my bedroom door with offers of whiskey wine and beer.

So I guess I did accomplish some stuff, the realization that I'm not learning the solid basics I'm just trying to play things I like and that's not always productive, ie: Chris Thime songs. I also realized that my next chord to master is the B in it's variations. It's very difficult for me. I also need to really sit down and practice basic strumming patterns so i can teach myself stuff more easily.

 Afterward I drank with my friends and then I threw up. whoops and happy Friday

[day1ners-blog]

Day 17: guitar is hard sometimes(Guitar Challenge)

*apologies on the template messiness of the last two posts they were done on mobile

Taryn:
 -How I feel after: pretty frustrated 


-What I did:
Practiced November blue for two+ hrs. Softer pick. Robyn cover

-Notes: I feel like I’m better but still not where I want to be with this song and that makes me annoyed because it’s making me mad at the song. Why is the internet so fucking uninformative regarding strumming patterns?

[day1ners-blog]

Day 16: whiskey wine jam(Guitar Challenge)

Taryn: -How I feel after: good about guitar -What I did: Played on my couch while Amy, Liza, Dan and I hung out. I practiced November Blue chord progression a bunch while we discussed the following: -amounts of makeup(dan’s preference, Lady feelings on it) -my old high school(where dan and I went) having a racist incident happen that made national news this week. As it should. I feel ashamed. It was horrible and embarrassing and upsetting. -orgasms -pedophelia on npr’s this American life -therapist legal accountability for self harm(Amy is a therapist) -dates -alcohol.

[day1ners-blog]

April 15th: HALF WAY (Guitar Challenge)

Jamie

What I did:

Wagon Wheel and then threw a glass of water all over my computer. 

How I’m feeling after:

Like maybe I should be blasted off the earth for the betterment of society. 

Day 15 Notes:

So like I was having a day that ended with my potentially ruining my computer and therefor life, probably. Expect delays on posts and general self loathing for a few until I learn how bad the damage really is. 

Taryn

What I did:

Avett Brother's November Blue and Robyn Dancing on my own. 

 How I’m feeling after:

That I wish this November Blue mission was getting better

Day 15 Notes:

I'm getting much faster at changing chords but I recorded myself playing "November blue" and it was the stuff of nightmares. I think I need to hone in on some basics, but this song is really amping up my callouses.

....The kind of callouses I hope will make people cringe from my gentle touch. That is the dream.

On that note I'm done writing this post.