Dec/Jan Music Challenge: Do The Thing That Scares You

Lets step out of our comfort zones for something completely different.

Google it and you will find a bazillion articles on why it's good for us to do things every day that are out of our comfort zone. I'm not talking "play a slightly tricky cover of a song you like". This needs to be something like:

- sing a song in a language that isn't your first language
- collaborate with someone if you have never done this before
- perform solo if you have never done this before
- record something in a genre you have never worked with before
- go acoustic if you're an electric person, or vice versa

TAKE THE PLUNGE - try something you've never done and don't know if you can. If there's anywhere you can experiment with stuff and not be judged it's here. This is starting to sound a bit too sexy so I'm gonna stop talking about it.

This will be a two-monther in case some of us need time to gear ourselves up for it emotionally/physically/eating for strength.

Remember to tag your entries: #MeFiMusicChallenge and #DoWhatScaresYou

posted by greenish (15 comments total)

It's up on the challenge page!
posted by cortex at 7:41 AM on December 2, 2016 [1 favorite]

Great idea!
posted by Corduroy at 12:34 PM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm definitely going to do this one! I have a song in mind and a bottle of gin (for the nerves, like) and coursework that I want to procrastinate over. It's the perfect storm!
posted by billiebee at 3:28 AM on December 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hmmmm...difficult choices are ahead. Djent? Gabba? Snakefinger? Barbra Streisand covers? Slowed down chipmunks tunes?
posted by umbú at 9:16 AM on December 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

I've narrowed it down to either yacht rock or an Ashford & Simpson cover.
posted by umbú at 1:03 PM on December 5, 2016 [1 favorite]

damn I was really hoping you'd go for the slowed down chipmunks tunes...
posted by billiebee at 3:00 AM on December 6, 2016 [1 favorite]

Ok, I'm just gonna put this here so that I won't chicken out. The thing that scares me more than anything in the world, even more than centipedes*, is performing music in front of people and/or singing. I can't even play a guitar while sitting in Guitar Center.

Two years ago I made a New Years resolution to boost my competence and confidence and set a goal for Jan. 1st 2016 to post something to Metafilter Music. Sadly, even after a year of guitar lessons, it didn't take. My competence increased a small bit but my confidence did not. Not even a tiny little bit. I never made my goal and it's been bugging me all year.

I'm gonna do this challenge. I'm gonna do the thing that scares me the most. Now I've even put it in writing. God help me.

*and oh boy do I have a phobia of centipedes.
posted by bondcliff at 8:30 AM on December 7, 2016 [8 favorites]

Yay! bondCLIFF! bondCLIFF! I'm rooting for you, you'll do great.
posted by billiebee at 9:44 AM on December 7, 2016 [2 favorites]

YES. BONDCLIFF. DO THAT THING.

Post whatever you have, and if you don't feel like it's finished, say so, so that people can take that into account when commenting. Although then you might get a load of semi-sensical ramblings from me about what to do in the next mix/with the reverb/etc/whatever. I can't help myself.

Someone posting for the first time and yacht rock - this is already shaping up to be my favourite challenge of the year.
posted by greenish at 11:28 AM on December 7, 2016 [1 favorite]

This will be an interesting challenge for me. I'll have to record something that scares me. This could get nightmarish! I'M IN.
posted by not_on_display at 11:14 PM on December 9, 2016

Again, great accessible challenge idea! Three thumbs up (yeah, you heard me!).

Collaboration probably scares me the most (due to [absolutely not modesty] actual lack of talent in most/all music and music-adjacent fields). If anyone wants to be the Anna Karenina horse I ride to freedom then do MeMail me though. Else, it's a likely a super-long wait for a 3-channel 8-bit cover of ... well, whatever I can google.

Two-monther means all entries in by/around start of Feb, yes?
posted by comealongpole at 3:19 PM on December 20, 2016

bondcliff, I have the same thing: I've never even liked to practice where people I know love me can hear. I've been recording myself singing, though, which totally scares me, and I might just post some of it at some point, as alluded to in the MetaTalk podcast thread.

Be kind. Do well.
posted by limeonaire at 11:47 AM on January 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

So I was planning to sing unaccompanied but I'm hating how it sounds, so this is just a call for anyone who might be up for a collaboration. Feel free to drop me a memail.
posted by billiebee at 11:51 AM on January 7, 2017 [1 favorite]

Wanted to high-five everyone who submitted for this challenge! You all rock.

I left my "do what scares you" recording idea pretty late, then got sick with a cold and am finally feeling well enough to hear clearly for the first time in 10 days (yay). If I get the chance I hope to record my earlier idea. Looking forward to future challenges!
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 9:01 PM on February 1, 2017 [1 favorite]

Well you all have a bit longer to submit cause I'm not gonna do the next challenge til later this month, so face your fears my dear comrades.

Loving everything that's gone up so far.
posted by greenish at 7:03 AM on February 2, 2017 [1 favorite]