He Will Write a Song About You For $25

Meet Sean Padilla:

He's an indie rock musician based in Austin, TX via Brooklyn, NY. His band (which is really just him) is called The Cocker Spaniels. He's one of the coolest, most intelligent, thoughtful and most laid-back cats you'll ever meet - just don't call him Lenny Kravitz or he'll be forced to go upside yo' hed foo! Er, yeah...

But anyway, he's got a really cool project on deck that I think people should know about. He's planning to do his third C. Spaniels album based entirely on patronage from ordinary folks around the way (that would be YOU there, o' faithful reader).

Here's an insight to how it works from the Mr. Padilla himself via the patronage info page over @ the C. Spaniels website:

Anyone who makes a donation of $25 or more to me, along with a story or anecdote about themselves, will get a Cocker Spaniels song written about them. The pricing scheme will be as follows:

$25-$49 donation = I will write a song based on your story or anecdote, with as much of your original wording preserved in the lyrics of the song;

$50-$99 donation = You'll get the song, with your name incorporated prominently in the lyrics;

$100+ donation = You'll get the song with your name in it, as well as a percentage of the royalties from the first pressing of the album when it's available for sale.

You can donate in one of two ways:

1) Paypal it to lovesickrockstar@yahoo.com, and send a separate e-mail to that same address with your story or anecdote

OR

2) Mail a check or money order with your story or anecdote to Sean Padilla @ 3018 S 1st St #201, Austin TX 78704.

Once I receive your donation and your story, I'll write a set of lyrics for it within seven days, and send them to you. If you approve the lyrics, I'll write and record the music within 21 days of your approval. You'll receive a CDR of the song, and I'll post an mp3 of it on my website. Once I have compiled an hour's worth of songs, I'll release a tangible version of the portrait album!

Although my primary motivation for doing this is money, I also consider this patronage system an artistic challenge to myself. Until now, most Cocker Spaniels songs have been based on things that I've directly experienced. This portrait album will be an opportunity for me to put more empathy into my music, to capture other people's thoughts and experiences in the same manner that I do my own. I vow to make these songs as true to my patrons' experiences as possible, and to craft them at the same level of quality that I have the previous two Cocker Spaniels albums.

Just to give you an idea of what you're in for, here's the first completed patronage song "Soso & Lola (What Day)" - how badass is that?

For more about Sean and/or The Cocker Spaniels, visit www.cspaniels.com or check out his MySpace page. It's not every day you have the opportunity to have a song custom written for and/or about you - most of us are never given a chance to witness the songwriting process of an artist at all. I strongly suggest you get on deck with this artistic endeavor and support independent music and art in its purest form.

A Brief Reflection...

Finally. 2008 has kicked rocks.

Generally speaking and on a very personal note, 2008 was a God-awful, shitty year. I was very much ready to send it packing off into the sunset, never to be seen again. Good riddance!

Despite 2008 giving me so much hell, I do have a major accomplishment that I'm very proud of: officially being free of all outstanding debts (student loans notwithstanding of course) as of Dec. 19, 2008.

Having that weight lifted from my shoulders has been immense. Now that the massive burden has been removed, I feel like I can take on other challenges that I've been struggling with and not merely operate on Survival Mode. Not only do I feel like I can take on existing challenges, I feel like I can address new challenges and I feel like I can conquer them. I actually feel optimistic about the upcoming year, which is an accomplishment in itself for me because I don't have the greatest outlook on very much in general.

Kevin (a.k.a Damn Shuggy Woo Woo) was kind enough to give me an Amazon MP3 e-gift card for Christmas. One of the songs I downloaded is by a Japanese singer named Monday Michiru. It's called "The Right Time" and I've loved it for some time now because it is sheerly epic in its composition and delivery. In context with what's going on in my life right now and what the rest of the world is facing at the moment, I think it's an appropriate song to serve as an anthem for the new year. If nothing else, it's a great song to dance to:

Hope everyone had a good and safe New Year's. When the dust settles and the debris is cleared away, let's get it. Let's build empires. Settle for nothing short of excellence.