Hawk Streams and TV Dreams

"Achieve Your Dreams! Burger King!" - Priests

We are similar, you and I, dear reader.

Similar in that we are both a little surprised to be reading these words. But, the point is the writing. The pure adrenaline at your fingertips manifesting thoughts on the page. The wild hubris.

You were the proudest monkey (props DMB¹) but now you are just another cog in the monkey machine typing like that desperate teenager you’ve always been. It’s pathetically beautiful.

I thought I could write.

I can write moderately well in a professional context as long as I have a copy editor. I craft pithy emails when informing friends about my latest life event or music release. Why not increase the frequency of that communication and release songs more consistently?

I’ve learned much over the course of this newsletter venture. Maybe the most important thing that I’ve learned is that writing is not something to be taken flippantly.

Neither is creating music. Attempting to do both simultaneously at a high level is challenging.

I have but one power.

Perseverance is perhaps the most important trait of any artist or gambler. Just keep going. You’ll lose a lot, you’ll win some, but in the end it was about your belief. That small win or silly fantasy was likely worth it. What else were you wasting time on?

When I was a freshman in college, I wrote a “spec” episode of the Simpsons. One night, laying on the top bunk in a small room containing three other young men with whom I’ve completely lost touch—I thought of a premise involving Homer eating part of the house at 742 Evergreen Terrace. That episode would have required a guest appearance from Weird Al Yankovic and licensing his track “Eat it”. This was some of what was going on in Homer’s head when he ate part of the house. I can’t recall anything else about it. I read a book or two on how to be a screenwriter, sent some letters to agents, and never wrote another script or screenplay.

This was a quarter-century ago and by sheer longevity and coincidence, maybe my premise actually occurred in the nearly 20 years that I’ve rarely watched new episodes. Not even worth looking it up to see if it has.

All that I ever really wanted to be was a television comedy writer and a musician. But I don't actually want to do those things given how those professions currently exist in the world.

So let's make our own world.

SALON DU MONDE, FREMONT

We are releasing a new Music Television Program that veers in the direction of late night 90s MTV, i.e. 120 minutes, Liquid Television; and Adult Swim.

It features 100% writers, comedians, actors, filmmakers and musicians releasing content on Substack. These collaborations were 100% enabled by the Substack Network².

I’ll tag everyone contributing to the episode when sending. This will happen within the first two weeks of November.

I'm hoping to keep this going and work with…maybe you, dear reader?

Album

It is still up in the air about whether I will call the body of work that I’ve produced here on Washed Memoir in Real Time a Miter “album”, or not. But, if I do, below is my current preferred sequencing³. Also, my latest song, “Occasional Hawk Photographer” sits in at track 4. Will it even make an album? I’ll deliver 2 more songs and consider some alternates and bonus tracks, so the game is not over.

I’m definitely getting rid of Spotify. SORRY, it will take me a bit to figure out which other service I prefer. Apple Music, YouTube Music, Tidal, MP3.RU…Deezer? Does anybody use that? Why are there so many of these streaming services that can easily license and “sell” access to catalogs of basically all recorded and distributed music. Think…think…think…think…

Oh, bother.

Fly away pretties.

Your true friend,

RS

1. I was at this show in 1995, you might hear me screaming DAAAAAAAAVE. Yep, that is how lame I am. Little did I know that I would one day be playing on that stage. Even though I rejected The Dave Matthews Band, I may be more influenced by him than I’m willing to admit. As Dave says, “monkey see, monkey do.”

2. Trust me, I’ve been trying to convince my many talented FRL (for real life) friends to start doing this…right guys? Well, I think there is one very big announcement for a fellow Denverite starting an amazing publication soon!!

3. Would love to hear any thoughts on whether this seems it is shaping up like an album AND any thoughts on sequencing.