Last night, at a dinner party, I was approached by a local musician and songwriter who asked me if I would be willing to help him collaborate on a few new songs.  Because I knew he was a very good guitarist, I accepted without hesitation.  Fast-forward twenty-four hours later, and now I’m wondering if I did the right thing.  It’s not so much that I do not want to collaborate with him (indeed, music is most often a collaborative experience) it is more the fact that I don’t know if my skill level is adequate for the demand.  Here’s the problem.

While I love to listen to hard rock and heavy metal at times, I don’t usually write songs that are of this genre.  My music is mostly softer, slower, and my lyrics more emotional, almost spiritual in quality.  My vocal chords, though quite strong and can handle high energy music, is not shouting, screaming rock and meta quality.  My musician friend, on the other hand, is a rocker.  He does nothing but dark raging howling, guitar-screaming music.

I suppose I could write that type of music.  After all, I am first and foremost a writer of words, and it is an oxymoronic and uncomfortable truth that we can simplify our words to suit the occasion if we are capable of a more elevated level of communication, but we cannot elevate our communication style for a higher audience if we have not yet reached the necessary mastery of the language.  (Shit, that sounds so snobby, but I can’t state it any other way that would be less than truthful).

But that’s not my only problem.

I haven’t written a damn thing in almost ten years.  I wonder if it would be like getting back up on a bike and riding again, after such a long hiatus.  I am really hesitant at the moment, but I guess I should take my guitar out of its case, give it a good tune, run through the pentatonic scales a few thousand times to reintroduce my calluses again, and get back on that bitch of a horse.  (sigh).  I am so not feeling it at the moment.  Perhaps if I go get a cup of coffee, take the dog for a walk, and run a few errands, I might find the desire to do so.  What a slog it is going to be….