Passing the mic. Time to do it.

This is the microphone from a kids karaoke machine. And when I say passing the mic, I'm really meaning that the mic has passed me by. I have performed karaoke once, in a small bar on the west coast of Scotland. I was on an outward-bound course for entrepreneurs, shortly after setting up my business. After a week of rafting and orienteering, high-wiring and assault-courses, it was pub-time. The mic was passed to me and the next song up was 'House of the rising sun' and although there was whooping and cheering, it came at the end, more through relief at no-more than celebration.

Years later, two guitar-playing pals mentioned that they wanted to get into a studio and get performing. I don't play an instrument, so volunteered to sing. We did two evenings in a studio, and while those were great, nothing came of them. The one night only karaoke was doubled by the studio sessions, and that has been that. But this blip is more confessional and 'dear diary' resolution.

As a student, I wrote a bundle of songs, lyric-based poppy songs, love songs I guess. I don't write music, just have the singalong melody in my mind. I summoned the courage at uni to place an ad looking for a musician, in the Music Dept. I met up with a guy and tried to put my ideas to him, with him transferring them to sheet-music via piano. It kinda worked, but nothing came of it again. I went back to writing the lyrics. I think they're more than teen-angst poems, more than casual meanderings.

Call it procrastination, call it close to fear, I haven't done anything properly with the 25 songs. I'm kinda thinking that by committing this to writing that I will be forced to do something and quite frankly get my musical finger out. I have a guitar and it's going to be played (I'm a right-handed writer and a left-handed guitar-owner). I am going to put my words to music. I said it. I'd love to play a gig, just one, and just once have a viable record (not actual record), via tape or youtube. I have no musical ambition beyond having a tape of my songs. I could do with some help, someone with patience to co-write, help me with melody and building the songs - I have all of that in my head. It needs out. That simple.

I'm giving myself til Christmas this year. Come back and ask me on Christmas Eve (there's even a Christmas song). Then or never? Sure.