Plein Air 04: Pin It Down

As she weaves clever wordplay, agile vocal melodies, and intricate guitar counterpoint together, Madison Cunningham succeeds in creating songs that feels both cutting-edge and timeless. Pin it Down has been a piece I've battled with as much as I have enjoyed playing it. The multitasking of singing an offbeat melody while playing a syncopated guitar line almost always overwhelms my brain. You'll notice a few of these glitches in my performance above. This makes me appreciate the apparent ease with which Madison Cunningham tackles this superhuman feat.

One month in, Plein Air has proved to be a worthy challenge. Songs that feel easy to play at home or on stage turn into hour-long battles with ants, airplanes, and police sirens. Some locations are easily accessible, while others require mile hikes with a tripod and a guitar weighing me down. But even through the failures of this series, I feel my connections with these songs deepen, my playing sharpen, and my obsession with perfection wane. This is a worthy endeavor, and it's one I intend to make a permanent part of my creative practice.