Liner Notes the Funky Introvert

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"The Funky Introvert"

Mister Tim: the Funky Introvert

all songs copyright © 2014 Mister Tim Music

Produced, recorded*, edited, mixed, composed, arranged, explained, proclaimed, conspired about, anguished over, procrastinated upon, and art designed by Mister Tim.

*tracks 7 and 11 recorded by Angel Angelov, Las Vegas, NV

Every sound on this album originated from Mister Tim's FACE except for a little bit of clapping, door banging, chair slapping, bucket thumping, and a special appearance by Becca and a toddler.

Dedicated to:

Rebecca Sue, for years of patience, reams of dreams, and trust and love.

It's all for you.

Caleb, Anda, Daniel, Benji, Nathy, Elijah, Jack: for being.

Tim and Laura Staggs: literally, physically, logistically this would not exist without you. Your faith has changed our lives. Thanks are not enough for what you've given us.

Bruce, Andrew, Laura, Doug, Shaw, Brandon, Matt, Schenk, Bryant & Heather: for believing in the music.

A brief history of Mister Tim's music

The music on The Funky Introvert is a collection and culmination of approx. 7 years of musical development, exploration, and LABOR, with roots that stretch back decades. The songs on this album are, with one exception, loop songs: songs that Mister Tim can (and does) perform in his solo live-looping performances. The songs represent a curious, multi-path intersecting concurrent progression: a path moving from comedic music to serious music; a path moving from complex classical symphonic forms, to simplistic forms, to pop/rock forms, to a hybrid of all of them; a path of increasing structural complexity afforded by acquisitions of more capable equipment (ie. better loop pedals); and a path of a developing lyrical voice.

For quite some time, Mister Tim was known as 'that guy from moosebutter.' Very early in the moosebutter era (2004/2005) Tim was composing very un-moosebutterey music (that is to say, 'real' music) influenced by his background in band, orchestral, and choral music and by University studies in classical music. Large choral works, hymns, symphonic movements, grand progressive multi-movement pop/rock operas, jazz suites, and contemporary vocal art songs were developing at the same time as songs about screaming vegetables and possibly involuntary consumption of toupees. Unfortunately there was, at that time, no venue to perform this serious music. Just as damning, however, was the harsh reality learned by many an Oscar-lusting comedic actor: the last thing the world wants to see is a comedian be serious.

So it was comedy: YouTube trailblazers moosebutter (multi-box a cappella songs!), heavy metal kazoo (paved the way for all the modern YouTube kazoo celebrities!) eventual Harmony Sweepstakes Champions Plumbers of Rome (the Harmony Sweepstakes is a VERY BIG DEAL for about 100 people on the earth who care about it), and countless a cappella conferences, school workshops, assemblies, and low-level performances where he hammed and mugged and cavorted for the public and that featured his newest parlour trick: live-looping.

Mister Tim started looping for one basic reason: he wanted to gig. His groups were gigging, some frequently, but were always limited by the schedules and willingness of the other singers. After witnessing some great loopers (Andrew Chaikin, aka Kid Beyond, chief among them), Tim realized that looping could give him the freedom that guitar players and pianists have: they can accompany themselves and can gig out as much as they want.

When Mister Tim started looping (2007) it was on a tiny delay pedal that could loop for THREE SECONDS. The loops had to be short, repetitive, basic. It was an ideal way to start. The very first day of looping, hours of sweaty experimentation in the choral rehearsal room of Mackie Auditorium on the University of Colorado-Boulder campus, saw the creation of several songs that he still performs virtually unchanged from the form they first appeared in on that day. Two of those songs represent the omnipresent, and to Tim, frustrating, dichotomy of his music.

The first, "Cupcakes (Can Kill You)" is a goofball satirical comedy song that has been Tim's quickest and most effective weapon for winning over an audience.

(every track on "The Funky Introvert" was adopted by a Mister Tim fan or supporter. The songs are listed below as 'for' those people)

Beatnick (2:10) for the Muses, for courage and the future

Bang on the Door (3:25) for the Smiths, fiery faces of joy

Are You Satisfied? (pt. 1) (0:49) for Ben Wilson & the pursuit of right

Momma, Poppa (3:26) for the Shirts, for pushing me out doors with sincere "?"s

Monument (4:22) for Bruce and Marnae for the quest

The Fire That Consumes Your Eyes (1:58) for Becca, your eyes still stop me in my tracks and kindle my mind, my heart, my soul. It's all for you.

I Have Become (4:11) for Matt Murphy, teacher, friend, inspiration, guileless light

There Must Be Something More (2:17) for Karen Lauffer, for health and struggle!

Fly (3:51) for Jared Allen, for good times and family

Intermission / Introduction (1:28) for J.S.Slagowski, for a mind and heart unlike any other

Full Set of Heartbreaks (3:47) for Heather Lacy, for teaching an old dog new tricks

Fine, Fine Line (4:06) for the Osborns, for vitality and the miracle truck

Outdated (4:21) for John Tilbury YOU are the future of music

Fire Can (5:39) for the Paul Jones family, for teaching me of fire in all it's varieties

A Question, A Tiger (0:37) For Laura Craner, for Poetry, for Real, for Hope

Tango (4:40) for Jason Winder, who dances with the world

Are You Satisfied? (pt. 2) (0:47) for her; for she; for you

Bubbles (2:53) for Grammer, comfortable with the darkness

Stick Around (3:09) for the Yorgasons and a life of unbridled surprises . . . . . . .

. . . to be continued . . .