Prologue: "Please allow me to introduce myself..."

Welcome to my little woodshed.

"Woodshedding" is a term used by early American jazz, blues, and gospel musicians to describe the obsessive periods they’ve spent in solitude mastering the subtlety of the disciplines within their respective mediums.

Great musical endeavors which begin with a furious and terrible passion, then progress with a Spartan resolve; both give birth to an ionized visceral screaming, and tender, timeless melodies.

I have been woodshedding for roughly two years.  I decided to record at least one performance to close out each of these strenuous sessions.

I will be recording one arrangement a day for the next year.

These are my 10 pledges:

1. I intend to be ambitious.                        (Like James Brown)
2. I will try to avoid categorical self-indulgence.                        (Like Pink Floyd)
3. I will show off less and strum more.               .                 (Like Ben Harper)
4. ...........Or perhaps strum less and show off more.                   (Like Dire Straits) 
5. Maybe I'll just say "Fuck Strumming!” and expose myself!       (Like Jim Morrison)
6. I will sing the approximate lyrics to my best ability.                  (Like Bob Dylan)
7. I will not anesthetize the way that you feel.                             (Like Elvis Costello) 
8. I will listen to all who post video responses and discourse respectfully with all comments posted in a civilized and thoughtful tone.             (Like The Archies) 
9. I will subscribe to my subscribers.                                     (Exactly unlike Steely Dan)
10. I will take requests until the calendar is full.                            (Like Free Bird!)

(Note: You must "Subscribe" to make a request. This is either a very fair deal or a total swindle, depending on either the nature of your musical taste or the state of my musical patience.) 

Here are 10 shiny enticements:

1. You will expose yourself to new music.                                (Like Courtney Love)
2. You may look cool to your daughter.                                    (Like Peter Gabriel)
3. You may look cool to your MaMa.                                        (Like Wynona Judd)
4. You may sing along.                                                            (Like Dave Matthews)
5. You may laugh at my hiccups.                                             (Like I didn’t mean it! ;)   
6. You may turn it up.                                                              (Like Lynyrd Skynyrd) 
7. It may get you lucky.                                                            (Like Al Green)
8. You honestly might like my versions better.                        (Like Johnny's "Hurt")
9. You'll find unique guitar work, and rhythms that run wild.    (Like the VU)
10. Or something unexpected.                                                   (Just like this clue ;)  

Hope you all enjoy the coming year's highs and lows. 

I will end by officially apologizing for the quality of the first run of songs. I am limited for at least one more week to producing these low-grade videos with my IPod touch. I am aware that, in many of them, the video and audio are discordant. My support staff is still forming and we will be forever improving as the year advances.

Whistling Dixie in 2/4 time,

Ian Ste Croix