As of Feb. 15, more than 2,300 participants had signed up for the 2009 RPM Challenge. Musicians from around the globe hvae reached the mid-month hump. Some are well on their way to completing their RPM albums, while others are experiencing the onset of panic. What follows is a sampling of unedited statements posted on the RPM discussion board at www.rpmchallenge.com.

That 15 day counter on the page might strike fear into the heart of some.. especially someone that is yet to complete a song.. but I am not worried! —I Have Read Other Books Besides Catcher in the Rye, Athens, GA

Big weekend ahead! It’s not a make or break situation or anything like that, but it will decide if this will be a nice, relaxing end of the month ... or a hectic pulling out the hair, gnashing of teeth type of ending. —Cville Ramblings, Crozet, VA

My inner critic is getting louder, and so is that feeling suggesting I quit and try again some other time, which is an all too familiar feeling. I’m working on forcing myself back into the space I was at at the beginning of the month, when I was believing I could do it. I can’t stand this feeling......... —The Here Goes, Pottstown, PA

I’ve uploaded a few of the tracks we’ve recorded... I’m pretty proud of them. We all are—if for no other reason than it’s the most any of us has written in a long time. And we are all very thankful for the RPM challenge because we know full well that were it not for this rallying flag, we’d all just be flipping channels on the tube or skullin’ pints at the pub instead of becoming gods in our own rights and creating something of our image out of nothing. Thank you RPM! —3Skinks, Stevensville, MD

16 days left. Have 10 songs maybe halfway done. Which is decent, I suppose, but I don’t think they’ll be what I want them to be at the end of the month. The first time in 2007, I considered my album done at the end of the month. This time, I think Im going to be one of those RPMers who goes back and polishes the album after it’s turned in. I feel a little dirty about that. But I feel dirtier calling songs done when I think they could be better. —Absinthe and the Dirty Floors, Chicago, IL

I might need a padded room and a 4-track recorder soon. —girl named Sam, TX

For some reason I kinda want to piece together tracks for a rap album. I don’t want to perform over them. I just want to make the beats and production. Even I’m confused by this. —Catholic Kids Gone Bad, Covina, CA

I just got official word. Hand Surgery on the 24th of February. Great. An RPM “CHALLENGE” indeed. Screw it, I’m going to burn through tunes like fire tonight. —Nate Laban, Portsmouth, NH

There is no sleep. Only more RPM. It’s only 28 days a year. Then everything can go back to normal. —Kristen Miller, Georgetown, MA

I’ve completed three songs and have all the instrumentation done for a fourth. Vocals for #4 will be done tomorrow. Phew! Apparently I work fast when I set my mind to it. Only thing is, I just have amorphous ideas for the remaining 6 tracks—nothing concrete at all, and certainly no structure. Just a couple of riffs, and titles. This is about to get tricky.... —Idiot Bear, London, UK

but have you ever got that feeling you’re in over your head? Not like drowning though..that’s too quick. More like when you agreed to house uncle Ernie and aunt Gen for a month and it’s only day three and they’re already driving you crazy. And to have done it to yourself? You know? —Michelangelo, Plano, TX

Anybody want to swap muses? I’ll trade you a singing/lyrics muse for a ‘writing the goddamn music’ muse. I seem to have an endless supply of really good lyrics, but no motivation to write the underlying music. Act now, and I’ll throw in a Steve Allen pog, a nuclear-powered nose harmonica, and a seven-eighths eaten donut. —Alternate Modes of Underwater Conciousness, Worcester, MA

I have not done a DAMN THING since Feb. 1st. Jesus. —Chris Howcroft, Portland, OR

R..eaching for the P...erfect M...oment... —Jim Anderson, Madison, WI

So I have 1 song finished, and 2 songs with most of the music written (the basic skeleton is done for them anyway, just need to add all the instruments and make them sound awesome. The 2 songs also need lyrics, but those will come to me soon, possily when im on the train to uni. Today is made of win, and dressed in awesome. —Major Shake, Melbourne, Australia

As for the recording: It all went pretty well—a couple of tracks are a tad sloppy here and there, but with bass and keys/guitar/bowed guitar overlayed, it won’t matter in the big picture. This will not sound like two kids laying down demos. This will be an album, and hopefully a damn good one. —et tu brute, Orlando, FL

I really wanna do this RPM thing, but with so damn much schoolwork to do, it feels like a noose is tightening around my neck. The worst part of all is that the few snippets I have done sound pretty cool, so I feel not only like I’m missing out on RPM but on making good music in general. I wonder how much sleep I can survive without... —Rob Bishop, St. John’s, Newfoundland

WHY AM I SNEEZING? AND WHY’S MY THROAT SORE?! hmm maybe i’ll do raspy rpm? sniffly rpm? fever-hallucination rpm? I’m stocking up on ginger, garlic, honey and lemons. No one’s gonna smell me anyway, I’ll be stuck inside recording! —SiameseDrummers, Turku, Finland

We are starting our first RPM Challenge off with a bang! Ideas roam the skies just waiting to be plucked by the wings and things are moving along. With 3 songs entering the polish phase and others in rough draft, excitment is brewing! —Scrag, New Haven, CT