I play instruments with strings, though not the guitar! (My main instrument is the harp, but you might also hear some piano, viola or cello, perhaps even a uke...)

This is now my fifth FAWM! Huzzah!

The first two years I did concept albums (2018 was based around family life, 2019 was based around death and dying). 2020 was the fawm I finally managed to write the musical I'd had in my head for the last few years... I was nervous about doing it, but FAWM was just the sort of push I needed to make me get on with it... and I did! Later that year, a group of performing arts students recorded it remotely in lockdown and I am working on producing the resulting film. (Just Act I)
Last year was my first year coming in with no plan, and I had possibly my most fun year of all, going with the flow, trying some of the games and doing more collabs.

Pronouns: She/Her

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• 

  @nancycunning  Mar 2022

  Hey, @emkaydeebee and @downburst - Did you get a report back from the reunion? Did they love the song? Did they give you material for a whole album? Still thinking about how much I like the song and the story.

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  @ayehahmur  Mar 2022

  Oh good try! He'll be mulling that over and at some point will either declare himself a true believer or an arch skeptic!

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  @actualjulian  Feb 2022

  Thank you so much for listening and commenting. May the FAWM be with you!

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  @ayehahmur  Feb 2022

  I did! Although the bulk of them have been added in the last few days, but I'm glad to have got there. (Might even have one more in me, but we'll see).
  
  I've got tons of listening to catch up on too. I've listened to about a third of my usual amount. This week I'll catch up - including LOADS of yours!

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  @gregwere Feb 2022

  Sorry about the duet - I have been racing to get it done and sorry I did not notice your comment about working on it - sincere apologies, I only had time to pump it out to the tow of you who indicated you were interested, Sincere apologies again, Greg

• 

  @sorby69  Feb 2022

  Thanks sis! Had so much fun stitching the Havana corpse.

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  @sorby69  Feb 2022

  Thanks sis! I've just added a bass line by my mate Kev. It sounds even better now!
  
  Catch-up later today maybe if you've got time?

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  @gregwere Feb 2022

  Hi there, I have flicked the duet piece through and put lyrics up on FAWM. IF you get the song done maybe flick it through am dI can put it up as a collab or vice versa, Cheers Greg

• 

  @davidtaro  Feb 2022

  Aw, thank you! I like to think that if I play it to him in 20 years time he’ll still be pretty embarrassed ;)

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  @bradbrubaker  Feb 2022

  Here it is! Thank you!
  https://fawm.org/songs/135887/

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  @nancycunning  Feb 2022

  As I was listening to you sing the verses, I was thinking maybe that last section wasn’t needed but then the way you delivered the sippy cup and all gone lines just made the song.

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  @nancycunning  Feb 2022

  Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. Your rendition of Gone had me sobbing at the kitchen table. Luckily my teenagers don’t get up before ten (no school this week).
  
  The words just came alive with the way you set and sang them. I especially love the ukelele for this one because it sounds a little like a toy guitar.
  
  I promise not to tag without asking again (though it’s hard to be sorry I did, because the song is so inspired).
  
  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

• 

  @nancycunning  Feb 2022

  Hey, I just tagged you as a collaborator on a song. So far it's a set of lyrics that bubbled up this morning out of your Toothpaste Stains song. I would absolutely love it if you found you were moved to make music for it this week or ever, and I totally understand if you would rather not.

• 

  @gregwere Feb 2022

  yep - can do and will do, should be sometime over weekend. Cheers Greg

• 

  @karlsburg25  Feb 2022

  woohoooo. just whacked ken's melody and your harmony into logic for a good old listen and its awesome. Massive well done you on a perfect harmony line. Oooo this may have to get inventive by the time it reaches me ;-)

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  @gregwere Feb 2022

  sounds good, re:duet. Do you use Garageband, ifI send the song with lyrics in a garageband file. I am recording in 2/3 days when I get to my studio so it will be a rush to finish before FAWM - sorry, but should be pretty quick your end if you can open and play with the file. Cheers Greg

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  @karlsburg25  Feb 2022

  Ha ha. Brilliant. Yeah i just located it in junk. My hotmail is oh so inefficient ;-) . Thank you x

• 

  @bradbrubaker  Feb 2022

  Finishing it up! I'll let you know when it's done. Thanks! :)

• 

  @ayehahmur  Feb 2022

  I'm not down! I really like the song, but I'm always open to things that can be improved, so I appreciate your confirmation on that moment.

• 

  @ayehahmur  Feb 2022

  Sorry to hear that. All my best to them. This part of life sucks, doesn't it?
  
  Ta for your comments. Re the gap after the the first chorus, I really wanted the break so I could introduce the bleeping blooping machine in an empty bar, but it came in very quiet initially so it feels like too much of a gap. The whole thing needs re-done to be honest. Ta!

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  @nancycunning  Feb 2022

  I enjoyed what you wrote on the FAWMLINGS board about your first experience. I'm also having a life changing time here. I'm interested in that intersection of motherhood and music. When my kids were little, I did a lot of them-centered songmaking. Now they're too old to listen, so it's felt like a good time to start making music with other grownups. Look forward to listening to more of your songs.

• 

  @downburst  Feb 2022

  Emailed you back... I love it.

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  @metalfoot  Feb 2022

  So, um, 10 days left in Feb -- I don't remember if we were planning on doing something this year (duet-wise) but let me know if you're interested!

• 

  @thedutchwidows  Feb 2022

  I wanted to say - excellent job on stitching the lo-fi acoustic corpse! It was really well done, and your final piece brought it home wonderfully.

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  @rwhosings  Feb 2022

  Thank you! I had to kind of purposely allow myself to go away from the standard pop song structure, but I'm.so.glad I did.

• 

  @hornesgiftshop  Feb 2022

  Thanks for the kind comment on Fine Hotel. I wish we had a bit more of that faded glamour on the east coast (not that I want to meet too many characters like the bloke in the song).

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  It was one of my personal favorite things I've heard of yours! I was grinning like an idiot...

• 

  @ayehahmur  Feb 2022

  Really cool to hear what you've been up to! I've not had any listening time for a few days, and there's loads of cool stuff to discover.

• 

  @lmr  Feb 2022

  Thanks so much, I think I got it figured out thanks for your help!

• 

  @downburst  Feb 2022

  It did sound nice, didn’t it? I’ll do anything. I loved your harp, by the way.

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  I see why you were happy with your part for that corpse! Rightfully so, that was splended and I'm actually glad I only heard the end, or I would of tried to match some of those eerie voilins with something, and I think the whole thing would of suffered.

• 

  @dragondreams  Feb 2022

  Foxtrot lives!
  https://fawm.org/songs/130779/

• 

  @berni1954  Feb 2022

  The link to your song for this morning's "Story" skirmish isn't working.

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  Thanks! I hadn't even noticed . So much I guess for one plan for fawm this year. I told someone maybe I'll try to only do 14 lol. Yeah the doggo was a one take, I can tell when I smelt the skunk, I hit the wrong chord lol. I've got plans to one with him, he's been itching to sing. I was trying to record my ocarina yesterday, and shut him out of the barn. He wasn't having it and stuck his snout in the kittie door and started howling at me :D

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  @thedutchwidows  Feb 2022

  Have sent my lo-fi corpse stuff to you! No complaints from the neighbours about my drumming yet, which is surprising given high volume and low competency. Enjoy!

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  @lennie  Feb 2022

  Hi there, thanks for your kind comment on my corpse lyrics. I look forward to hearing what you have done with them. Plus I'm really curious about the whole outcome. I see the last segment's done now so it won't be long :)

• 

  @srcoops  Feb 2022

  I would be pleased to have you do Early Morning

• 

  @lmr  Feb 2022

  Emkay,
  How are you! Just letting you know that I sent off your Exq corpse snippet via we transfer. Sent it to your email above.

• 

  @ayehahmur  Feb 2022

  Hey, thanks for listening to the Sandlot song. Funny story about the vocal recording. I spent three days trying and failing to get some settings that made it sound decent... until I remembered (as I do every bloody year) that the NT1 has a dot on it to show you which side is supposed to face front...

• 

  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  I'll gladly take the blame for that!

• 

  @berni1954  Feb 2022

  Glad you could forgive me for the Scots accent... Well some of my ancestors were from Langholm (fled to Ireland after Border reivers' break up) I've written a suite of songs about the Highland Clearances and we got married in Gretna Green, so maybe I wasn't stepping too far across the red line :-)

• 

  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  Thanks! That could be done with a 3piece, or poor solo me with three passes. The acoustic was mic'd and plugged in through a reverse reverb pedal, and periodically it got reversed as well. I have a pedal that will do live reverse up to 10 seconds with a momentary or on all the time switch(the best pedal investment I've ever made other than cheap loopers, which this also loops). Lap slide(a telecaster with no frets) was through that same pedal and just momentarily reversed in real short bits. There's some stereo shennanigans going on as well, but I'm always running a split signal through at least two different amps/cabinets. One side of it was delayed just a touch, just from the mic on the speaker being farther away(a few feet back). It's really not noticeable, but it is... if that makes sense. Then a sloppily laid down drum track LOL.

• 

  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  Indeed! and will be the perfect excuse for me not to turn on any pedals. I've already used my ocarina as well, but its so modulated its unrecognizable and that's probably for the best LOL. Hmmm I somehow didn't have you on my watchlist and you've snuck some new ones in :)

• 

  @kenmattsson  Feb 2022

  Croeso! (Mae Google Translate yn helpu!)

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  @jorh  Feb 2022

  Haha yeah sorry I don’t know what’s going on with my potty mouth this year!! The only saving grace is I’m purely a lyricist, so my profanities are kept contained with the page lol

• 

  @sorby69  Feb 2022

  Thanks for your comments about our corpse, sis! I think this heavy head-cold I have must take the credit for my spoken-word ending. :)

• 

  @jtsteam  Feb 2022

  Thanks for the comment! Yes, I feel like I'm a naturalised Scot now - or perhaps dual nationality Northumbrian and Scottish :). I was looking for a Cumbrian landmark or two but there isn't so much of that north of the wall and I couldn't find anything appropriate.

• 

  @thedutchwidows  Feb 2022

  Thanks so much - it is much appreciated! I guess I kinda knew that was problem, and sometimes someone pointing out the obvious flaw is the push I needed to do something about it... Thanks again, happy to return the favour if you ever need a second opinion on something! Cheers.

• 

  @thedutchwidows  Feb 2022

  Hey - if you have a minute, would you be able to listen to a remix of this (https://fawm.org/songs/127100/) to see if it's better? Your comment nagged at me, so I had another crack before the 4-track controls get reset. No problem if you can't, I appreciate that there's a lot to listen to, but thought I'd ask, just in case you could!

• 

  @sorby69  Feb 2022

  Thanks sis! Yeah, it was fun letting rip with my vocals (and guitar!) on my first FAWM track. Think I'll do a lot less production on the rest of my FAWM creations :)

• 

  @darcistrutt  Feb 2022

  I forgot to reply to your question about the cowbell. I use audacity and it has the ability to turn down the mic so it picks up less. I also played it a little away from the mic and on it's own track so I could adjust the balance. More cowbell players would be wonderful! Join in!

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  @tukayandryan  Feb 2022

  Thank you so much for your lovely comments

• 

  @dragondreams  Feb 2022

  I'm with you on both Hobgoblin and EMS. I've only ever been into the Leeds store of Hobgoblin once. And left because they made me uncomfortable. Bought some decent recorder cases from EMS though. But I agree, I'd have to try one (for a few days) at a couple of grand a pop.

• 

  @dragondreams  Feb 2022

  I'd love to get my hands on one of these electric recorders... I keep looking, then telling myself that two grand buys a lot of heating and groceries...
  https://earlymusicshop.com/products/mollenhauer-elody-special-recorder

• 

  @dragondreams  Feb 2022

  Thanks for the great feedback. :-)
  It "could" be performed live, but I'd have to fit a pickup system to the recorder. Running a mic into a high gain amp works in the studio. Live I'd have all sorts of feedback issues.

• 

  @dzdandcunfsd  Feb 2022

  I'm jealous! I've only done one so far, that I started, and I think I'm signed up for 5-6+ corpses! I'll look forward to it!

• 

  @w1n  Feb 2022

  Sent my last 10 sec's of my start for the Florida exquisite corpse to you via mail, have fun

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  @jessi14 Feb 2022

  Thank you for listing to my Song "in Deutsch"! Viel Spaß bei FAWM!

• 

  @ayehahmur  Feb 2022

  Ah, I'm officially "starting slowly". Got a few things going on here over the next week or so that're making it more difficult than I'd hoped to find time to sit down and be creative. Hopeful I'll manage to squeak a few things out but I suspect most of my output is going to be in the final fortnight. So it goes. I'm not going to stress about it.

• 

  @thefuneralcrasher  Feb 2022

  Thank you!

• 

  @rwhosings  Feb 2022

  Thanks for the comment, it made me smile all the way to my insides.
  When I was younger and had grander visions for myself I often thought of writing a musical...who knows?

• 

  @w1n  Feb 2022

  Hi I’ve just been busy with some work but finally got time tonight and tomorrow to do some FAWMing, so I’ll send over my corpse part to you tomorrow

• 

  @mikeb  Feb 2022

  Thanks so much for the listen and comments on my uke song!

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  @porrectus  Feb 2022

  Thanks for the comment on Groundhog's day.

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  @yarimurray  Feb 2022

  Hello and happy FAWM 2020. I'm looking forward to listening.

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  @logrinn  Feb 2022

  Thanks for the welcome!

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  @bradbrubaker  Feb 2022

  Awesome. Thanks!

• 

  @gregthehero Jan 2022

  good to see you back! :)

• 

  @judypie  Jan 2022

  I hope you have a fabby one :)

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  @tan482  Jan 2022

  Hello!! Yes I'm really going to try to do more FAWMing this year and would LOVE to collab :-) Hope you're well xo

• 

  @thedutchwidows  Jan 2022

  Me too - 2am is not an ideal time for listening to music, not these days anyway.
  
  As an aside, there were two things in ST18 that were new and really enhanced it (for me anyway) - the guys from Jerkatorium were judges and produced a podcast for each round, where they discussed all of the songs with a special guest. It was an excellent way to get feedback and a really interesting listen; not sure it will be repeated unless they judge again. The second was a bonus covers round where you could cover someone else's entry. That was the most fun - I enjoyed it much more than doing my own songs! I think they'll keep that for future STs, as people seemed to like it.

• 

  @thedutchwidows  Jan 2022

  Had a crack at SpinTunes 18 in the autumn, with much the same result as ST17! I've not quite figured out what kind of songs go down well at ST, other than they seem to have more of a story to them than mine tend to...

• 

  @rwhosings  Jan 2022

  Hi again! Excited to see what wonders come!

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  @terroratspacecamp  Jan 2022

  Thanks @emkaydeebee for the kind words. You're right, there isn't a proper word for the feeling. Losing my dad to the great global bastard has been rough and hopefully music will help.

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  @thedutchwidows  Jan 2022

  Hey @emkaydeebee - looking forward to your FAWM22 output! Your Light of Night song last year with @zecoop was one of my favourites!

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  @quork  Jan 2022

  Thanks for your offer of harp, much appreciated. I’ll see if I get any inspiration with the avatar challenge and if I do I’ll let you know. Happy FAWMing!

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  @nadine Jan 2022

  Thanks for your kind words and for listening! :)

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  @auditasum  Jan 2022

  Hi, I saw your response on the thread about grief and songwriting. Helping in hospice in some kind of musical context is my dream! (Since watching two of my loved ones die in hospice.) Is it ok if I ask how you got into doing that? I'm super interested in your experience.

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Jan 2022

  :) Just going for it is one of the few things I rarely have a problem with!

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Jan 2022

  Sounds like a really great combo! I've got an ocarina I will probably play around with(one of the board challenges made me remember I even have such a thing) That and some slide guitar might make an interesting combination. Few new ultra loud fuzzy pedals, but I'm always aquiring those its a bit of an addiction :)

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  @standup  Jan 2022

  Hello again!

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  @dragondreams  Jan 2022

  Yay! It was foretold! ;-)

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Jan 2022

  Big plans? or just gonna see what happens?

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  @dzdandcunfsd  Jan 2022

  *waves*

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  @zecoop  Jan 2022

  Back at it and I can’t wait, as you well know. I am very excited to see what comes out of your creative mind. Let’s do this!!

• 

  @ayehahmur  Jan 2022

  And hey!!! Grand to see you back. Really excited to hear what your brilliant musical mind brings us this year!

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  @metalfoot  Jan 2022

  Yes, if it works out, would love to collab again!