[fiveminuteplan]

I love this! The picture is my wallpaper now. You have a sexy voice, sexy.

[the flamingo]

Originally Posted by fiveminuteplan

I love this! The picture is my wallpaper now. You have a sexy voice, sexy.

I <3 U

[fiveminuteplan]

I am a talentless hack. I pretend to be hilarious now. I think it was better to just plain rule.

[fiveminuteplan]

Ah, the crazy things you talk about on AIM:

visirale: Bah I'm not tired yet
visirale: Usually I'm falling asleep by now
visirale: but I'm buzzed tonight
Five Minute Plan: yeah?
Five Minute Plan: X?
Five Minute Plan: Speed?
Five Minute Plan: Meth?
Five Minute Plan: you take drugs, don't you?
visirale: MD
visirale: oh yeah, I like allegra!
visirale: Mountain Dew is my speed baby
visirale: I don't usually drink caffeine too often so when I do It's a pretty adverse effect
Five Minute Plan: that's cuz you're so HIGH all the time
visirale: I'm HIGH on LIFE
Five Minute Plan: i haven't tried life
Five Minute Plan: is it good?
visirale: oh yeah
visirale: you know the cereal Life?
Five Minute Plan: yeah
Five Minute Plan: he likes it
visirale: You grind it up and snort it
visirale: that's life
Five Minute Plan: hahaha
Five Minute Plan: can you shoot it between your fingers?
visirale: nah, unless you want it to block your veins
Five Minute Plan: well, maybe i do smart guy
visirale: don't kill yo self!
Five Minute Plan: no, i'm going to now
Five Minute Plan: just to spite you
visirale: :-(

[the flamingo]

Originally Posted by fiveminuteplan

I am a talentless hack. I pretend to be hilarious now. I think it was better to just plain rule.

Nice hills, baby, wanna make out?


*does the anti-thesis of dancing*

[fiveminuteplan]

Alot has happened this week. Someone I knew (my brother-in-law's father), drank himself into an early grave yesterday. I can't understand these kinds of things. Alcoholism sneaks up on you! So often, you don't know that you're an alcoholic until it's too late. Also, there are many people that die from it without ever acknowledging their problem. I thank God above that my Father never succumbed to something like that. It's such a sad state of affairs. When I'm a Dad, I'm going to make sure that I put my kids first. I have such a desire to have a good family when I get older. I want my kids to grow up in a good environment, and feel loved. I'm not going to let something like a bottle of liquor get in my way.

On another note, I was talking to a friend over dinner tonight; and she asked me what I was doing with my life. It's funny, but people STILL don't think that I'm really serious about this whole music thing. What will it take for them to get the hint? I've only been doing it for like 5 years! Music is my life, but people don't understand that. People think that everyone should conform to their way of thinking. I learned long ago that you've got to take care of yourself and not meddle in other people's affairs. Is it wrong for me to want to play music for a living? Of course not. When I was 17 years old, I was sitting in school. It was the beginning of my senior year, and I said to myself "What are you doing? Where are you going?" Everyone asks these questions, and most people ask them over and over again. I asked God for guidance in the matter, and He gave me an answer as clear as crystal. I knew that I was talented musically, and He let me know that if I surrendered my gift for His purposes that He would take care of the rest. It was really an epiphany. You can't explain something like that to people if they've never experienced it. I've never asked those questions again. I knew that I knew that I knew what I was supposed to do. It was seriously like the doors of Heaven opened and let me understand.

But...

Recently, I've been subjected to criticism. Really, I'm always criticized. I know it, but people are usually too intimidated to ever say anything to me. I'm an overbearing person when I want to be. I don't want to talk to everyone at church. I don't want to get into pointless conversations with friends that I haven't seen in years over the holidays when I know they'll be gone for years at a time. It's just the way I am...well... I should say that it's the way I've become because I am aware that people think I'm "throwing my life away," and that I'll never make it. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU THINK. I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! This is my life. I'm NOT throwing it away. I've abstained from everything: drinking, smoking, sex, women, money, etc. I feel like telling people that and then telling them this: YOU DON'T DO THAT. I'M BETTER THAN YOU!!! lol. I'm sorry, but I play it very close to the vest in every other aspect of my life. I don't even drive over the freaking speed limit for goodness' sake. Do you know why I don't? Because if I did and got caught, I'd have to pay a fine, and that fine would deduct from the money that I could put toward my band. This is how I feel about it. It makes me want to scream LEAVE ME ALONE!!!

My friend's advice was to move away to California. That's great except for the fact that I don't know anyone there, I have no prospects or idea of the job market there, and um yeah, it's like over 3000 miles away! Hello? Maybe if I had a drummer who was committed, we could tour the Southeast, but you can't freaking motor out to the left coast without any backing. I'm sorry, but she's ignorant about life. She thinks that she knows everything because she's been going to college for the last three years, but what she forgets is that I've been in the REAL WORLD for almost four. College is not the real world. College is not running your own business. College is not house payments and budgets. College is eating pizza, partying, and calling the 'rents for some extra cash when you run out. She asked why I was having trouble finding a drummer and I told her that there just aren't that many talented Christians out there. Scratch that, there aren't many Christian musicians out there, let alone talented. I could easily get a drummer now if I wanted a non-Christian. The only problem then would be that we'd have three Christians and one non-Christian. Can you say tension? Plus, I'd have God against me. Everyone needs to be on the same page in a band to make good music. Her advice was to just get a non-Christian drummer. I'm not willing to pay that price for my dreams.

But...

People keep telling me that I'm going to have to compromise if I want to make it. Why? They don't have a good answer. Maybe I'll have to compromise something like money or fame to make it; but not morals and not art. You can still make it in this world without compromise. I believe that. Doesn't the Bible say that if God is for you, then no one can be against you? I still believe that. I still believe in Five Minute Plan. We make good, original music in a genre where those things are very difficult.

Anyway, all of this wouldn't matter if I was on the road, would it? That's what I need to do, get signed and get on the road. It's not to show people either, it's never been about that. It's about making something good and pure that can outlive me. It's about laying up treasure in heaven. I'm afraid that people don't live their life in that way, even people who say they do. Even people who really believe that they do, don't really. Who would sell everything they had and follow Him? I can honestly say that I would. I don't care at all about material possessions. I don't care about my car, my computer, my money, not even the roof over my head. If I got to step onto a stage every night and play Five Minute Plan songs, I wouldn't care if I had to sleep outside in the rain. I wouldn't care if I had to wear the same clothes everyday for the rest of my life, or eat Ramen Noodels. Everyone is so jaded, apethetic, passionless. This world is tearing us apart, people! WAKE UP!!! Everything that you want ends up as nothing in the end. It's easy to say that, but it's another thing to really believe it.

Don't be a slave to the voices in your head
You'll play it safe if it gets you into bed
And is it really lying if it gets you what you need?
I can't believe all the tightropes that you walk
You make believe that your angle's all you got
And leave me feeling sorry
Cause you can't see it's all inside your head
You dance the line and swallow all the lies that you've been fed
From time to time, you'll wake up feeling anxious in your bed
Your consciense screaming
"What will anyone care when I am dead?"
Your fine line life

Whippersnapper(RIP) - Fine Line Life

If you're reading this, please don't let it define you...

[fiveminuteplan]

Ok, well I meant to say more last night, but I got off onto that rant. First, I'm almost done mixing; I've only got two songs left. Oh happy day! Second, I'm going to a comedy club tonight; it should be fun. It's an improv club in downtown Orlando, and I've been there a few times before. I'm looking forward to it. Here's a song that I wrote this week. It is, as of yet, untitled:

The miles between you and I
Are driving me out of my mind
Am I still losing touch?
Can I miss you this much?
Am I wishing?
Wishing that frozen winter miles
Would melt like the horizon

I want to drive all day and night
I want to see the city lights
Fade far behind
But it's not like time ever stands still
Despite an unwavering will
You can't stop time
And I feel like I'm so misplaced
I wish I could just see your face

You know that I hate the unknown
And I know you're scared to be alone
Some things never change
But if you were here right now
I'd make you forget fear somehow
And turn doubt into abandon

Also, here are some pics that I took this week, after my haircut.

[the flamingo]

Originally Posted by fiveminuteplan

The miles between you and I
Are driving me out of my mind
Am I still losing touch?
Can I miss you this much?
Am I wishing?
Wishing that frozen winter miles
Would melt like the horizon

I want to drive all day and night
I want to see the city lights
Fade far behind
But it's not like time ever stands still
Despite an unwavering will
You can't stop time
And I feel like I'm so misplaced
I wish I could just see your face

You know that I hate the unknown
And I know you're scared to be alone
Some things never change
But if you were here right now
I'd make you forget fear somehow
And turn doubt into abandon

I can't wait to hear it.

How was the club?

[fiveminuteplan]

Yeah, I'm going to do a demo version of the song soon. Probably just with acoustic guitar, but you never know. I might get motivated and do fake drums, bass, etc. I have the time, it's not like I have a band or anything anymore . The comedy club was pretty fun. It wasn't the best time I've ever been there, but I had a few laughs. Our church group goes there alot, too much if you ask me; but they're really worried about going to "family friendly," environments. Still, I wish we would go to some different places; I've been there like 10 times! I'd complain if a steamroller ran over my foot.

[Visirale]

You're talking palmetto avenue baptist, correct? My mom siad when she went there they wouldn't let them go to the movie theater, and a host of other things that weren't "christian" related...

Mm... We should get together and have a cinamon toast cruncha thon!

[fiveminuteplan]

Originally Posted by Visirale

You're talking palmetto avenue baptist, correct? My mom siad when she went there they wouldn't let them go to the movie theater, and a host of other things that weren't "christian" related...

Mm... We should get together and have a cinamon toast cruncha thon!

Well, I don't know about all that. We used to go to the movies all the time when I was in the youth group. We went to the movies for an activity a couple times, too. It's probably alot different now then when your mom went there.

[the flamingo]

Originally Posted by fiveminuteplan

Yeah, I'm going to do a demo version of the song soon. Probably just with acoustic guitar, but you never know. I might get motivated and do fake drums, bass, etc. I have the time, it's not like I have a band or anything anymore . The comedy club was pretty fun. It wasn't the best time I've ever been there, but I had a few laughs. Our church group goes there alot, too much if you ask me; but they're really worried about going to "family friendly," environments. Still, I wish we would go to some different places; I've been there like 10 times! I'd complain if a steamroller ran over my foot.

OOOO... acoustic guitar.

Well, my church never does anything so there ya go. Well, they are starting up a bowling league, but I don't have enough money or time to do that every week until May... the youth group goes to cheesy christian concerts from time to time and sometimes retreats but they usually are too much money for the poor college student that I am.

[fiveminuteplan]

Hey everybody, Cheap Post Forum and rep are gone. Ha, am I the last person to realize this? I didn't even notice that until I read it in someone's journal. Sometimes, I'm so dense.

Well, our new CD is done. I finished it a few days ago; I'm not sure when exactly. I put one of the songs up on garageband.com for some reviews. It's always entertaining to see what negative things people have to say about your songs. One person will be like, this song is awesome, the singer is the best. And, then the next one will be like this song is weak and the singer sucks. You should go to http://www.garageband.com/artist/fiveminuteplan and go to the song The Cycle and read some of the reviews.

I've found that alot of people don't like my voice. I guess that I have a tendency to sound nasally and over-emotional. I don't know; I've always sung the same way. I know that I do sound like alot of the other singers in bands like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, New Found Glory, etc. Maybe I'll try a new vocal style; I don't know. I just got this one down, but I don't want to be un-original. I don't know what I can do to change, maybe I'll try to sound more like Robert Smith, he's cool. I could sound harsher like Hot Water Music or something, or scream the whole time. I can pretty much do anything I want with my voice, it's pretty elastic. I can hit really high notes, and scream my lungs out all in the same breath. I don't know, maybe I'll just try to sound less emotional. We'll see.

I'm putting some new songs up on our Soundclick site. I think it takes 24 hours for them to approve the songs, so be on the lookout. http://www.soundclick.com/fiveminuteplan Also, I just finished recording another song. I'm going to mix it tomorrow and put it up here in my journal. Hurray! Anyway, that's about all for now.

[fiveminuteplan]

Ok, so here's a song that I did over the past few days. The lyrics are in post #37.

The Getaway

[Jeffrey]

Hmm, your vocals sound different on the newer material.

Lord knows my voice isn't too cooperative for what I want to write...it's taken me years to accept that how I need to sing to make my voice sound good is not how I want to sing.

Seeing as how you're transistioning bands (or line-ups), but you still have a great set of music, why not ask a talented female friend to record vocals for these?