The 2009 RPM Challenge is underway. What follows is a sampling of unedited statements posted on the RPM discussion board at www.rpmchallenge.com on Feb. 1. Remember, it’s not too late to sign up.

Midnight! Right. I’m off to write songs. Later! —Colin Garvey,  Liverpool, UK

I set up my gear today and made sure everything works. Tomorrow will be the first day of Feb 2009! I’ve never done the challenge before, but always wanted to. Here we go... —wisteriax, Lowell, MA

Shit!  I just forgot everything I ever knew about music! My guitar has these 6 long ... “stringy” ... things, running down the length of it. What am I supposed to do with those? It does has something to do with music, right? Oh, and about minor chords ... They’re the same as “major” chords, just not as loud, right? Oh shit I’m screwed. —The Checkers Speech, The Colony, TX

damnit, chronology. 2 more hours? I feel like we west-coast-north-america folks are getting the short end of the stick. Or maybe karma put us here because we need to refine our patience. Yes, that must be it. Patience... —Poiesis, San Francisco, CA

When the clock strikes midnight I’m going to embark on this crazy ass journey. I still don’t know where my heads at. I can’t tell if I’m overly confident or completely unsure of myself. I think i’m mostly set up. My studio is clean, I got some new toys ready to go (which I haven’t learnt yet), and enough beer to kill someone with alcohol poisoning. —carrier signal, Scottsdale, AZ

hey, how are you? i’m good, i’m good. a little hungry. anyway, i’m gonna do this here album thang, which i’m excited about! and a little intimidated! but we won’t talk about that last part. good luck everybody! good luck me. —Andrew Jackson Reynolds, Hattieburg, MS

Okay. So where the Hell are all my ideas? —Sister Savage, Bristol, UK


2009, Now Featuring Enthusiasm. —The Isemann Conjecture, Ise, Japan

Song topics so far include: the genius rabbits of the future who take over the world, another one about prostitutes, another one about the stories that you’ve heard- well you know they’re not true. —Gliftor Draken, Twin Cities, MN

I really should have done all this shit yesterday but day one has thus far consisted of tidying my room enough so I can see the floor and setting up my gear. I took a break though and wrote a song so recording shall commence (just as soon as I finish this beer). —Sketches For Silence, Glasgow, Scotland

Holy Challenge, Batman, look at all the people tuned into this site! You’re right, Robin, time to fire up the Batrecorder and doowop our way to fame and fortune! Well, fame anyway. Sort of. Kind of. After a fashion. —Endicott Road, Columbus, OH

At 9 am this morning I was laying my first track, a rhythm acoustic guitar. Amazingly, I was nearing the end of the song without messing the track up even once, when all of a sudden my phone rang. So the track ended up sounding something like “strum strum strum strum *ring ring ring ring* OH GODDAM IT WHAT THE @#(!@ DO YOU WANT AT THIS TIME OF THE MORNING YOU @%^&*!!!!!” —Nair, Swarthmore, PA

Ok, I secretly signed up for the RPM challenge this year. I haven’t told anyone, nor do I intend to do so until I submit the album. I haven’t written a full album of smooth jazz material in 4 years. I’ve been writing 80s New Wave stuff for the past two years. My creative juices have hit the skids for a long time and I need a new challenge to get back on track. This is that challenge. —Thought Pyramid, Burbank, CA

The RPM Jukebox is playing in the background and I like what I hear, I hope my music reaches some of you as well. —Vigilantes, Fredericksburg, VA