An Artist's Statement About Artist Statements

and Freaking Out On A Tuesday

I have lately become fascinated with Artist Statements. You know, the card next to the painting, with the artist’s notes about their process or inspiration. A full confession here: I have long thought this to be a silly tradition. I mean, like, shouldn’t a work of art speak for itself? Must it be explained? And maybe if it needs that sort of introduction or context, then the art piece itself could be improved or completed such that it needs no preamble?

I’ll answer my own preposterous question with the natural answer: Sure, if the artist wants to do that. Artists can do whatever they want. And we do. Thank goodness.

As such, here is my Artist Statement about Freaking Out On A Tuesday, copied from my Bandcamp despatch of this morning:

The day after I finished In Another Life, and had written a few posts about that song and the process leading to it, I jotted a few thoughts and musings into the Voice Recorder app on my iThingy. This while out doing a few morning errands. I do crack myself up, it is true, and perhaps, sometimes, my self-up-cracking endeavors may lead to other hoomans’ and critters’ amusement as well. I know my cats think it’s funny.

My trick is, for this kind of stream-o’-consciousness vocal jotting, I set the Voice Recorder to Edit Mode after recording an initial blurt, then add a line when it comes to me, then press Pause, then Record again when ready to add another line, and etc., until satisfied. I first came upon this method in Germany a few years ago on what became Content, Content, Content.

For this latest freakout, I used the voice recording plus some effects on said vocal for added amusement, a smattering of kick and snare drum, also heavily effected, and a single electric guitar low string spasm of extreme vibrato twang. Pleased with the final result, I mixed and mastered it this morning, to the ongoing puzzlement of the aforementioned felines.

Oh! Final step: I played the original (not effect-laden) vocal note into a voice-to-text-memo appity app, which created a very decent first draft of the lyrics, so I didn’t have to transcribe all of it manually. Amazing technology, no? I think so. I copy-edited the result, and voila. Enjoy responsibly,

Test Pilot Din