Every year I’ve done this I had a different agenda. At one time - I never covered any songs. It went back (as to why so), way back to guitar learning days, decades ago when didn’t know how to ask, “how” to play guitar - the answer was always to “teach you a song”, or a whole lot of piano for guitar work? : ) lol!, omg! But never “how” to play the “guitar”, and not someone elses song - if get the different. However, it/that lead to an almost early career in music, at a time prior to “how to corporate rock” make money, hair bands, disco, etc. (almost, almost famous : ) lol!). Then, doing a 180 w/disgust for that era of music industry (sex, drug’s and RnR)… I even at one time, for a decade or so - sold all, and never played again, until I got married (tltr for here other story track).
So, one year I decided to do songs I never in a kazillion years would do and try to understand that artist. So, I picked, what I called/labled, “squishy chick songs”. Some here may remember : ) Some others I think saw that value in that and gave it a try. So, 180 degrees and came out - “well”. And, I learned allot. I then sort of finally “got” the “Capo” and other.
So, now, I’ll round the number since don’t remember exactly, for about a decade I do at least one song for October and sometimes it expands on it’s own into an “agenda” for the month.
Many tracks get deleted too - mostly since in time, years go by and want to be sure I don’t take my not-Licensed version as “mine” and do something even accidentally unethical if even nothing would ever be a problem - it’s someone else’s stuff.
But it’s kept my public domain rewrites - lyric, melody, etc. going too as a by product. I’ve developed, in my mind a “better”, critical ear when listening to someone else’s work since have tried hard to walk in their shoes, if even a “squishy chick” love, angst song, or a pub dom Cowboy, or even like the just for fun “Showdown” song by ELO, first one done this year - I think. A fun song I’ll likely never sing again. The Bands that I deal with are so full of “almost famous” folks that function at so many levels above me - I’m lucky they even associate with me - lol! : ) Like last night a buddy was lamenting have to learn (well) “Rising Force” by Y Malmsteen and I asked if the guitar player was doing note for note - yes, and his feet had to reproduce the drum kit track as well as the original : )
These folks work nearly every night of the year and typically at no less then $250 each to get them to take it on. It’s shocking that there is a market like that - and it is a very small world, once “in” if want that kind of work - one has to navigate so carefully. Anyway -
There are less and less folks “doing” Rocktober anywhere online any more for some reason. LIke BandLab has a tag, #rocktober, but the place is so “big” and most are into “Beat” composition, it just does not come up. But, everything *cycles, to be sure! : ) One just never knows when - it seems.