More than a week deep into the 2011 RPM Challenge, well over 1,700 participants from around the globe are hard at work on their CDs. Some have found a wealth of inspiration for brand new songs, while others are laboring through sleepless nights and technological glitches. It’s all part of the emotional creative whirlwind that is the month of February for our diligent RPMers. What follows is a sampling of unedited excerpts from comments posted on the RPM blog at www.rpmchallenge.com. And remember—it’s not too late to sign up.

Panic you’re so funny: Day 4 and panic has already peeked in. Funny what a rollercoaster ride this month can be. If i had a song done I’d probably not be getting such unwelcome visits from the anti-muse. —Thomas F, Des Plaines, Ill.

Blurred...: After a marathon, nearly all night session, track 2 has gone as far as my brain can allow it to go. I’ve been up and about for a couple of hours and I still cant focus my poor eyes... and yet duty calls and track 3 must be gotten underway. By the time this project is finished I expect to be blind, deaf, constipated, emaciated and wracked with aches and pains. At least I hope I’ll still have a faint, if not maniacal, grin on my pallid face. NEXT!!!!!!! —Mac McIntyre – Pzychotropic, Bath, U.K.

Song 12 In Progress: True story. We’ve been working like a heard of christmas elves, It is going to be AWESOME. —Kill You For A Dollar, Nashua, N.H.

Day Free: Got the bones and sinew of two songs. I am on the trail. —Meadowlark, Methuen, Mass.

I Can’t Wait, I Can’t Wait: I am tired. I am cranky. But that’s because I can’t wait until tonight to get back to recording! —Electrik Emily, Seattle, Wash.

What Did I Get Myself Into?: So yesterday I decided to give this a go. I am not sure if I will be able to finish it in time but I am going to try. I already have a crazy month ahead of me with DJing in Ottawa and trying to wrap up an EP and a couple of remixes, but I am excited to see how a concept I came up for an album with would turn out if I just crank it out rather than getting lost in details. —Deeflash, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Oh crap...: Well, The RPM Challenge isn’t starting off very well for me. My laptop crashed in October and my wife said her computer should be able to handle all the software. Nope. Not even close. It choked after loading 2 VSTs’. I should be getting an Imac mid month, so I guess it’s crunch time from there. I’m already starting to keep track of some music in my head. Hopefully I’ll remember enough of it to get it recorded quickly once the new computer gets here. Life goes on. —Clarence Mayhew, Orange City, Fla. 

1st day of work for the 2011 edition: Spent 8 hours non stop on the album today. Got 6 songs done (and 4 more or less mixed) The album will be called “Philippe & Catherine” and will be sung in French. The style will be Pop I’ll keep you all in touch if I put anything online in the next days. Anyway, I’m pleased to do this challenge again this year (can’t believe I skipped so may years) —Matthew Tyas, Pau, Francesnow day; snow jay.: this snow has shutdown the city and it is wonderful. it is so refreshing to see that the earth can still keep us at her mercy and there was a sense of calm and joy as the people and children we in the street enjoying themselves for the first time in, I can only guess, years. I made most of an album. people enjoy things in different ways. —Brian Griffith, Chicago, Ill. 

Day 2 and I still haven’t done anything!: Day one was the perfect day to start—did nothing. Day two I just played Goldeneye Wii with my pals on the other coast. Why, RPM, Why! I need to kickstart myself somehow! —Jahn, New York, N.Y.

The Start: So now all I have to do is get all these parts that are in my head out into the world... sounds easy, right? God, I’m already in over my head! —Chad Bishop, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland

Doing it: I’ve got free time and I need to get inspired. In Tel Aviv, in Israel, in occupied Palestine inspiration is all around me. And so, I declare my intention to produce 10 songs or 35 minutes of music by the end of this month. —Aaron Rotenberg, Tel Aviv, Israel

hell yea guys!: just went through all the tracks in the demo player, WOW, if those are indeed first day recorded tracks, AMAZING. We are so awesome. I’m so proud to be a part of such an awesome thing. —angie fights crimes, Kansas City, Mo.

Save Early, Save Often: I just lost five tracks of guitar and hours of minute tweaks to a MIDI rhythm track due to not saving often enough. :( I had the beginnings of something that was shaping up into a song—now I’m back to 12 bars of bare drum beat. —David Simpson, Sacramento, Calif.

Day 2: Aiming for one more-or-less finished instrumental every 2 days, leaving the remaining time of the challenge for vocals and fine tuning. Currently have two demos in the pipeline. —3redlights, London, UK

Up and Running: Day Two and I have two demos of tracks recorded. Basic plan is keep working like this for the first week, writing, recording and programming MIDI. Then fine tune and add better takes in the second week and start mixing and editing in the third. —Fernando Gros, Hong Kong, China
Day 1.: so one day down, one song done. off again today, and i got the basic reaper tech figured out so i’m going to try to record a few songs i’ve been writing some words for. this is fun. —Billy Alpha, Jersey City, N.J.

Snow Day Collab: Well, since it’s snowy and I’ve opted out of work for today, I’m working with Mr. E. Christopher Clark on his Pop Bubblegum Trash RPM album. Dropbox, Twitter, Gmail, all in full effect. Must channel some vestiges of Chinchilla Party-esque pop. —winterstar, Dover, N.H.

I have an idea: Instead of jarring my skull to just sit here and write, why don’t I just sit back and jam for a bit, see what comes to me, see what direction my guitar wants to take me? Plus, I’ve been sitting in front of a computer for the past two days, I need a break. Today will be focusing on what I wanna write, then after that, the actual writing. —Jesse Hiatt, Winston-Salem, N.C.