The Origins of Michael Morse and his "Single-A-Week Challenge"!

Hello boys and girls, my name is Michael Morse and I am 22 years old. I am an actor, writer, cartoonist, and probably most importantly (at least for this project) a multi-instrumentalist / musician / singer / songwriter. I started playing a guitar at age 13 at the urging of my mother and have never looked back (I don't really know what that means but it sounds cool, right?).  In high school, I started writing songs, performing them in front of audiences with various other musicians under the name MJ & The Heretics and acquiring new instruments (my collection now includes a crap-load of electric and acoustic guitars, a few bass guitars, a banjo, several harmonicas in a variety of keys, a lap steel, a couple ukuleles, drums and other percussive devices, an old electric organ, a few crappy keyboards, and most recently a mandolin and a violin).  One Christmas a few years ago (or was it my birthday?) my father gave me the money to buy a Fostex Digital 8-Track Recorder (as in 8 separate instrument tracks, not like an 8-track tape) which for whatever reason I've only used a handful of times.

While in high school my musical tastes and interests began to rapidly expand and mature. During my freshman year, my mother took me to see Chuck Berry and B.B. King live (an event I would not realize until a few years later how extremely important and significant it was to me). After hearing the raunchy crunch of their guitars, the blandness and soullessness of most of the "modern" music I was listening to at the time became readily apparent.  The pop-punk and nu-metal that dominated most of my carry-along CD wallet ceased to satisfy me. Punk rock was still important to me but I figured out how to identify which bands were genuinely creative and rebellious. I began my musical journey back in time. Me and my Buddy started rockin' around the clock. I got in a car with Lead Belly and the Lomaxes in a quest for the real blues and other folk music. My early childhood love of those wacky Liverpudlians The Beatles re-invaded my life and ears with a vengeance. I also unearthed and subsequently started devouring the music of Hibbing, Minnesota native Robert Allen Zimmerman (some people call him Bob Dylan).


from the first MJ & The Heretics show at CBGB's Lounge

 In late 2009, I finally got my hands on a copy of Bob Dylan & The Band's odd collection of lo-fidelity recordings called The Basement Tapes. Like most people who get this album, I immediately  fell in love with its bizarre tales of catching a bus with a comic book, hanging clothes out to dry, and going down the road to see Bessie. I became mesmerized by the idea that, for the most part, these songs were written and recorded with seemingly no commercial aspirations. They were written and recorded for the sake of being written and recorded and probably would not have been officially released if the bootlegs hadn't been selling so well.

Hell, I've been writing songs for years but can count the number of songs I've written on just 4 or 5 hands. I have recording equipment but rarely use it. I can play enough instruments to give the illusion of being a full band, why should I have to worry about finding other people to play them for me? Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl have both released albums where they play all the parts, why can't I? I recently took a musical improv class and made up several actually decent songs that immediately dissipated into the air, why should I let them dissipate? I've recently moved into a house that has a full basement that would make a great makeshift "studio", hmmm. Why don't I just start writing and recording for the sake of writing and recording! But why should I keep the results to myself? I have access to the world wide web, why not use it!? Thus my grand recording project is born! 

NYC Marathon Official Entertainment


I'm a huge procrastinator and get overwhelmed easily but I need to focus and be productive. I have abilities I need to use. With the new year here, I decided to make my project a sort of resolution. A challenge. One song a week is too easy. One a day is too hard and quality would be difficult to maintain. A 45 rpm "single" record has 2 sides, with a different song on each side. That's what I'll do! One single (2 songs and cover artwork) a week for a year. I hope I can keep it up. This is Michael Morse's "Single-A-Week Challenge"! A new single will appear every Tuesday at http://michaelmorse.bandcamp.com/

I will be using this blog to discuss my process and to post the results. I'll provide you, "the people", with different ways of hearing and/or downloading the results. All I need from you is your encouragement and more importantly your honest (but constructive) feedback so that I keep going and stay on track.

MJM