I've taken on many "different" projects over the years: playing an obscure U2 song at the alter during a Methodist/Japanese wedding (bridal party in white face and kimonos), jingle for a sports store, Santa Claus, intro music for a radio show, a Christmas CD, etc., etc. I've written music for someone else's lyrics ("Mona Lisa Marie"), lyrics for someone else's music. My thinking has always been that the challenge of giving the person hiring me what they want would make me a stronger performer and writer. The most recent was very interesting: a dark comedic acoustic tune for an independent film. The character in the song is a "nice" guy who kills people. He's a serial killer who wants his victims to hang on until he's ready to kill them. He wants them to be good sports. Sick stuff but a challenge. Also, funny in a dark way. I was given the title and told to roll. "Don't Die On Me" wrote itself. It came to me so quickly. Five to ten minutes tops. I find myself drawing on my days as an English major in college more and more. I realize now I was given the use of many tools to work with. All those sleepy days of lectures, sleepless nights of writing, and years of making sense of it all have come in handy. Who would've thunk it. Stay in school kids. Take care. Later, Butch