Disquiet Junto Project 0656: Soothing Sounds II RMX
I misunderstood the assignment sometime between reading the Junto instructions and recording a track today.
The instructions said to "Make music for babies’ parents" and I read them on my way to Canberra on Thursday, then this morning spoke with my partner about a song idea that I'd been meaning to develop.
It was on an earlier trip to Canberra that I was driving past Lake George and had a lyric and melody pop into my head, so I recorded a short video using my phone.
This musical snippet suited a message I have for new parents.
When you become a parent there are various ways that your life changes and it's important to remain focused on your relationship with the person with whom you had a child.
There are stresses like sleep and bodily changes and also the shift to becoming a parent can trigger things, so you have to make a conscious effort to support each other.
It was this idea of presenting a united front to the world that I wanted to put into the song.
The lyrics go:
This beautiful life that we’ve embroidered
you be a needle to carry my thread
so tightly the patterns intertwined
it is tempting to see it as divine
Weaving together our new family
tentative plans clothe our bed
on life’s loom a fabric known
we work with what our hearts have grown
And I know our family grows
a new world, a new world
and I know our love will show
to the world, to the world
Inside our home we commit our time
choosing to bring each other a shine
take change in circumstance in our stride
I follow your moonlight like the tide
Each day is a season in our lives
we plant words with care so they may thrive
in consultation we share our pride
to present a prime they can’t divide
Then they know our family grows
a new world, a new world
Then they know a love we show
to the world, to the world
Disquiet Junto 0655 Soothing Sounds II
The Disquiet Junto project this week asks for music for babies.
I'd begun thinking through different ideas and then spoke with my oldest son, who's home from uni for the holidays.
As I explained the Junto project I remembered my attempts to soothe him as an infant.
First-time fathers learn a number of lessons, from how hospitals view them as a liability to feeling inadequate when a baby wants to be fed.
I can't remember how I arrived at this technique but it sometimes worked.
I would hold my baby close and sing while turning on the spot.
The key lesson I would impart to first-time fathers is the importance of skin-to-skin contact at every opportunity.
With my first child I was too worried to hold him, but subsequent kids got stuck to my chest at the first opportunity and it seemed as though they knew who I was much earlier.
It's not easy being a father and working through the changing dynamic from being a couple to becoming a family.
The best thing is to be ready to provide comfort, ensure your partner has a glass of water during breastfeeding and let go of expectations.
That last point is one that becomes obvious as soon as you enter the hospital and the birth plan is forgotten as the staff do what they think needs to be done to cure the pregnancy.
As you become accustomed to being the least important person in the room, you begin a journey that's different for everyone but entirely your own opportunity to revisit your own upbringing with a new perspective.
It's no wonder that many relationships don't survive this shift, so be ready to play a new role and marvel at the little joys as they arrive.
The smell of the newborn; the moment you feel they see you; that first smile; and then the months of teething,
And shit -- so much shit.
Literal, metaphorical and it's a fertiliser that makes life grow.
Disquiet Junto 0653 Break a Rule
The Disquiet Junto project this week asks participants "Stop doing something you always do."
As a longtime contributor to the Junto, I have shared so much of my life in various recordings.
If you were to go through previous projects you'd find everything from making my favourite dish (kimchi) through to having a bath and also making love.
There really isn't much that I haven't already tried and shared with the Disquiet community!
I arrived at the idea of not contributing to the Junto this week, however it seemed as though that would go without notice if I didn't record something for the prompt.
So I've arrived at the idea of sharing an update on a recent activity that's taken me in a different direction and have decided that I won't publish it on the forum where contributors are encouraged to share.
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