Scobiphonic Retrospective 2022
Looking back to see the path forward in 2023
Truth be told, 2022 was a recovery year.
The mental toll from two years of lockdown life wasn’t that easy to shake out of my system. It felt like finally being let out of a cage and not knowing what to do next. Those odd Covid-19 years altered part of our psychological DNA to form a human variant of our previous self. v
I spent the entirety of 2022 trying to figure out how to navigate the new pandemic world. The scenery remained the same, but the vision was different. I sensed an alien presence. I no longer desired the same things. My reality changed.
Here are some insights into the transformation as I try to take flight into the turbulent air.
The Real Good
Scobiphonic Birth - Starting in earnest in February, this new experiment is off to a bumpy beginning. The learning curve is steep up front. But the desire to forge ahead remains steadfast. This is a regenerative birth powered by music, old and new.
Substack Platform - The dilemma of the digital age is to find a platform that fits your style, capacity and desire to distribute beyond conventional gatekeepers. Substack ramps up my creative works, supports my cause and leaves me alone. It’s a beautiful relationship with far more potential than I realize.
Songwriting Odyssey - It began with an inkling to create and turned into a passion that flows and fills the soul. There is a deep reservoir to dip into. Each song imparts another lyrical piece of the puzzle, an insight into music theory and a way to follow alternative paths. It’s a process that is daunting and magical at the same time.
Protest Song Essays - History is told for narrative control and lessons of the past. Writing about the rich traditions of protest music allows songs to reveal other facets that speak the truth. The power and persistence of resistance movements reverberates our unflinching national character from the other side.
Instagram Gatecrasher - Social media is not my forte. But I am now using Instagram to offer songwriting advice as I document my own journey. It’s a simpler and speedier format that encapsulates growth into more digestible bits. If interested, please follow at Scobiphonic.
The Kinda Bad
Learning Curve - There are three main components to this creative endeavor: songwriting, singing and recording. The first skill taps into my natural abilities to write and devour music theory. The other two skills require lots of instruction and practice. That’s why I have a backlog of nearly two dozen songs in the hopper.
Song Output - Publishing one song per month sounds productive, but for me it is not. There was a lot to learn in 2022. As a new songwriter, I feel the need to push the work out and see what connects. A journal full of unfinished songs and ideas creates anxiety that conflicts with visitations by the muse. [Check here for a full list of original songs published in 2022.]
Singing and Performing - Playing guitar on your own in your house for decades does not set the stage for recording performances. Of course, there was no YouTube or TikTok to gain confidence from in the early days. Finding my voice and getting my fingers to play along just requires more output.
Publishing Mix - I’m trying to take advantage of the Substack platform to mix up the media content. Songs are the priority. However, I want to highlight the traditions of protest music and its vital role in American history. Audio versions of essays are easier to digest and allow for other content types.
Feedback Mechanism - This is an area where the old dog is uncomfortable with the new tricks. First, it’s nice to get recognized for your efforts, like the following:
Online engagement is one way to appreciate those who take the time to listen or read your content. I’m not a good practitioner yet, but I do try to respond in kind (for example):
The Always Ugly
The War Machine - This is a lousy theme for songwriting, but it occupies my thoughts more than other subjects. Protest songs have always followed the exploits of American warfare as a countermeasure.
War creates great profits for elitist globalists and defense industry warmongers, kills thousands of the working and soldier classes, decimates both urban and village communities, enables and empowers political careerists, steals riches and extracts resources from foreign countries, creates massive human displacement and civilian refugees, requires absurd funding from the national treasury, and divides the country into maniacal factions to control the narrative and agenda.
Yes, the global war machine weighs on my conscience. Any jolt to revive the anti-war movement and gum up the works is worth the energy.
Entropy and Negentropy - I’m a ‘Big Picture’ guy that likes to verify with ground-truthing. It’s been a helpful approach when working with natural resources - rainforests, conservation areas, plantations. Applying the same normative to society is a tougher test, but worth the amateur analysis.
Entropy increases randomness and disorder. Negentropy reverses the equation to gain more organisation, structure and function. The universe expands and tends toward entropy. Entropy spreads energy in a system; negentropy concentrates energy for more productive purposes in an orderly fashion.
Today, society seems to be reaching Peak Negentropy. Order is control. Order affirms monopolies. Order condenses power. Order abhors chaos, yet creates it in societal transitions. Entropy is uncertainty and unpredictability. Entropy is a natural process. Life is negentropic.
I prefer a degree of uncertainty over total control. Disorder is an adventure that emanates from multiple angles. Increased order leads to authoritarian obedience at the cost of personal freedoms.
Wishful Expectations for 2023
Step Up Song Production - With a solid year behind me, I anticipate a surplus of songs to hit the publication list. The creative juices spill over into a steady stream despite the hindrances of production output. My biggest surprise in 2022 is how the ideas never run dry.
Improve Scheduling Output - Randomness may be good for creatives, but it’s not so good for readers. So far the scheduling is whimsical at best. My intentions are to set a monthly output of at least 2 original songs, 2 written essays and an audio essay. 2022 was all about figuring out the process; 2023 is all about production.
Embrace Singing and Performing - The last year was a struggle since I have no experience as a singer or performer. Every kid who ever bought an album, went to a live concert or strummed a guitar dreams of being on stage. Writing songs only increases my desire to complete this mission and put in the work to find my voice.
Enhance Scobiphonic Experience - It’s a constant dilemma to hit the right tone with the audience (subscribers). I use the platform to showcase original songs, provide insights into songwriting, add some history about protest music and offer some old soul perspective in the post-pandemic world. If that’s enough to digest, then fine. If not, let me know what’s missing.
Coda
Retrospectives tend to sway to the negative side of the equation. Nonetheless, I am an optimistic person, a pragmatic dreamer. That’s because I’ve made it this far against normal odds.
For me, life is a series of adventures that you strive to make happen. The journey is a roadmap without highlighted directions. There are only main and alternative pathways that require hard decisions at various intersections.
If 2022 was a recovery year from the hardships and challenges of Covid-19, then 2023 is a rejuvenation year. It is time to find form and flourish again.
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If you like the songs and/or essays, please help me distribute them by sharing and following me on Twitter and Substack. I also use Instagram to document the work and offer songwriting insights.
I appreciate your time, support and aid in this endeavor.
Except in special cases, my original songs are free to the public. Please be mindful that alterations for racist intent is not permitted. Be critical, not hateful.
You have come far in 2022, good job, Rick. Wish that all your expectation for 2023 accomplished.
A bit puzzled by your indictment of the President 43 & 44. Was he able to accomplish everything that he and we wanted ? Clearly not, but 8 yrs with no scandal, a path to health insurance for 20+ million people and some Wall Street reform through passage of the Dodd Frank act were things all admirable. President 45 will most likely join M Mahathir and N Razak as politicians unparalleled at increasing familial wealth through abuse of power in democratically elected positions. I look forward to reading future Substack posts. I’ve not found a way to anything audible on the platform, so if you have hints for your technically challenged audience, please share.