Within three seconds of meeting Louis, I knew we would be in each other's lives somehow in the future. We first met at the 2019 CD Baby DIY conference in Austin, Texas. I discovered that we share a vision for supporting and lifting up fellow musicians. He provides a performance space called tinystageconcerts.com. Check it out if you are in the Charlotte, NC area. After about a year of slow-drip invitation, I finally talked him into doing a hundred days with us. This fall, he jumped in with fingers and pen blazing. Both his output and encouragement were incredible. It is truly a pleasure having this genuine and kind-hearted soul part of our community.
Meet Louis
Louis is from Charlotte, NC, USA.
What do you do during the day?
I am a copier technician/network specialist for an office equipment company.
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Do you have any guilty pleasures in music?
I love to listen to The Monkees - especially their deeper cut stuff that didn't get a lot of radio play. And the early BeeGees.
What inspired you to want to write songs?
Listening to The Beatles, Paul Simon and Jackson Browne inspired me to write from an early age. I was writing lyrics when I was about 12 or 13. I picked up the guitar when I was 15.
What does your songwriting habit look like?
100 Days of Songwriting has really focused my creativity. By setting up a daily writing routine, it has allowed me more freedom to write - I don't have to wait for inspiration to strike.
How has developing a songwriting practice affected your life?
It has opened up my creativity and allowed me to collaborate with others more easily. I am more open to ideas coming to me when I am not writing.
Who are your influences? How have they shaped you?
In addition to famous songwriters, there are a lot of local writers that inspire me. I started Tiny Stage Concerts (my web series of original music) to promote some of the local songwriters that inspired me. Whenever I hear a great song, it reminds me that we all have that music inside of us - waiting to come out.
What challenge are you facing with songwriting?
The biggest challenge we all face is overcoming that inner critic - or least getting him to be quieter! The more I write, the easier it is.
What Day of 100 is your piece from?
43-100
A Very COVID Christmas
We’ve been trying to hold it together
We’ve been hoping this all would get better.
Waiting for a hero in the dark of the night
Wishing for a cure that’s still out of sight
And we’ve been doing what we can do -
But this year, Santa – it’s all up to you –
No lords a-leaping, no golden rings
No swans a-swimming, don’t bring us these things.
We don’t need a partridge in a pear tree…
Please, Santa – Bring us a COVID vaccine!
Santa, if you bring us two turtle doves-
We might strangle you with our latex gloves.
We’ve been staying in our houses so much
If it wasn’t for "the cloud", we’d be losing touch.
But these walls are starting to close in I'm telling you
Santa, we could all use a win..
No lords a leaping, no golden rings
No swans a-swimming, don’t bring us these things.
We don’t need a partridge in a pear tree…
Please, Santa – Bring a COVID vaccine!
Oh Santa, we really hate to ask
But will you be wearing a mask?
No lords a leaping, no golden rings
No swans a-swimming, don’t bring us these things.
We don’t need a partridge in a pear tree…
Please, Santa –
Bring a COVID vaccine!
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me – A COVID-19 vaccine.
Check out Louis's work here: