FAWM: Carley Baer (@carleybaer)

Carley Baer

@carleybaer

Songs

Joined

2008

PDX OR US
www.carleybaer.com

Hi, I'm Carley! Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, elementary music teacher, and benevolent overlord of Bad Song Club. I started out on the guitar (well—technically the violin was first) and then migrated to the ukulele because it was better suited to my traveling lifestyle, and now I just play a little bit of everything. Piano, accordion, clarinet, mandolin, percussion, and as many harmonies as can fit in a Logic session (haven't found the limit yet but I promise to keep trying).

This is my first FAWM since the Before Times where I'm not a student. Huzzah!

You can read my undergraduate thesis paper on how to overcome songwriting obstacles here (features a whole section on FAWM): https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/honorstheses/1343/

And you can join Bad Song Club here!
https://badsongclub.com

She/her

Songs

She's a Hack! by @carleybaer 2w #lofi #spokenword #innercritic

Should've Seen It Coming by @carleybaer 1d #lofi

I Love Horses by @carleybaer 1d #weird #funky #protest

Outward Bound by @beacon +4 more 2d #acapella4track

The True Tale of That Scalawag Roarin' Dan by @carleybaer 3d #seashanty #navalbattle

Comic Book Villain by @carleybaer 4d #acousticonetake #punk

For The Sake Of A Song by @carleybaer 4d #fuc #meditative #round

N + 1 by @carleybaer 6d #bossanova #fuc

Cold Enough For Ya? by @carleybaer 6d #acousticonetake #lofi

Applause, Applause (The Daring Spaceman) by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

Oh No by @carleybaer 1w #abcdefg #acousticonetake

I Want It Now by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

Antipode by @carleybaer 1w #lofi #moody

What Happened At The Zoo by @carleybaer 1w #badsongclub #acousticonetake #folk

Just Do It by @carleybaer 1w #acousticonetake #rough #guitar

Turn Off The Noise by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

Stormy Awhile by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

Forget Me Not by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

Taoic, Dharmic, Shamanistic by @carleybaer 1w #promptchain

Never Was A Cool Kid by @carleybaer 1w #pop

The Efficacy of a Toaster Oven on Various Breadlike Foodstuffs by @tcelliott + @carleybaer 1w #slackchat #slackconversation #slack

Suite: Cupcakes, Part III by @carleybaer 1w #girlwithguitar #acousticonetake

Suite: Cupcakes, Part II (Safeway Cupcakes) by @carleybaer 1w #girlwithguitar #acousticonetake

Suite: Cupcakes, Part I by @carleybaer 1w #girlwithguitar #acousticonetake

FAWM is PINK by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

S-N-O-W-D-A-Y by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #punk #acousticonetake

Magenta by @carleybaer 1w #acapella #doowop #answersong

Thirds & Sevenths by @carleybaer 1w #girlwithpiano #musictheory #nerdrock

I'm Pretty Sure We Didn't Want A King by @carleybaer 1w #girlwithmandolin #oldtime #folk

8CentGrape$ ft Raisin Heck by @aeye +3 more 1w #slackcollab #slackchat #silly

Better Than This by @zecoopMod + @carleybaer 1w #fuc #bigbuild #harmonies

Winter Mountain Woods by @carleybaer 1w #chill #ambient

Don't Take The Bait by @carleybaer 1w #fuc #acousticonetake

Narrow Shoulders by @carleybaer + @tcelliott 2w #garagerock

Rare Collection by @carleybaer 2w #fuc #acousticonetake #badsongclub

When Somebody Sees You by @carleybaer 2w #girlwithguitar #acousticonetake

48 Hours in Texas by @carleybaer 2w #honkytonk #ithink

In My Little Room by @carleybaer 2w #fuc #acousticonetake

Back Down To You by @carleybaer 2w #tinpanalley #notabigband

Je M'en Fous by @carleybaer 2w #garagerock #french #harmonica

Specialty Novelty Mystery by @catmisgivings +4 more 2w #fuc #acousticonetake #onetake

Turn by @carleybaer + @stephenwordsmith 2w #acousticonetake #girlwithguitar #fingerpicking

#CommentsFirst by @carleybaer 2w #commentsfirst

She Don't Know by @carleybaer 2w #lofi #90s #garagerock

Dried-Out Specialty Bread (Hell Raisin) by @carleybaer +6 more 2w #fuc #acousticonetake #slackconversation

It's Everywhere by @carleybaer 2w #cello #lofi #beats

Boy In The Well (of Inspiration) by @carleybaer + @stephenwordsmith 2w

Fresh Ears by @beacon +4 more 2w #slackconversation #ukulele #fuc

The Weight of the World (A Little Lullaby) by @carleybaer 2w #fuc #acousticonetake #lullaby

The Great Cupcake Debate by @tcelliott +4 more 3w #collab #slack #singersongwriter

How Lucky Am I by @carleybaer 3w #fuc #acousticonetake

Something About This Winter by @carleybaer 3w #acousticonetake

Carry Me Across by @carleybaer 3w #cello #meditation #prayer

Everything's Better With You by @carleybaer 3w #acousticonetake #folkpunk

So Convenient by @carleybaer 3w #acousticonetake #girlwithguitar

Perfect by @carleybaer 3w #fuc #acousticonetake

Keep On Looking Up by @carleybaer 3w #cello #loops #lofi

Chicken For Dinner by @carleybaer 3w #mandolinjazz #junkyardfolk #celloasbass

Would We Do It All Again? by @carleybaer 3w #fuc #pachelbel

The Closer To Heaven by @carleybaer 3w #bluegrass #oldtime

Salty Biscuit by @carleybaer 3w #lofi #cello #hiphop

Hyperion by @carleybaer 3w #fuc #acousticonetake

Just So Ordinary by @carleybaer 3w #girlwithpiano #badsongclub

Tigerlike by @carleybaer 3w #cello #badsongclub

Soundboard

@leslie 1d

Do you have time for a collab before the end?

@tcelliott 1d

re: Needs more murder ballad - And the award for the most creepy inside joke goes to Carley!!! It'd worry my wife to no end if she wasn't used to the mayhem. Luckily... Thanks for the comments.

@jgale 4d

Came here from the Internal Dialogue of plants skirmish (thanks for hosting!) and your comments on The Green Lady and the Hoya. Buuuuuuut, I followed you because you used Huzzah. XD Glad you enjoyed the song and felt seen with that big cedar energy. Western Red Cedar ftw! Also--true story about the skiis. I think he wanted me to follow him and his wife home to see them, and I was 99% certain we would be traveling there via a magic portal.

@wcentennial 1w

Hello, thank you for your comment on my inconvenient lyrics. Indeed maybe the next one could be positive, but i guess there's room for both in the wild world of songs. 😌 Cheers

@celineellis 1w

Hey Carley - would you mind me sending you an email about a potential collaboration? It’s quite long winded and would be easier to explain in an email - and its not for FAWM its for later in the year

@kosch 1w

Bad Song Club, baby! Hahaha - thanks for listening to "The Zoo (BSC)" - I gotta say, I decided this would be the one I was *absolutely* going to make time for...and when I saw the prompt (after about 20 seconds of riffing on hippo, for some reason). my mind wandered back into the mists of time..
Both the band, and club are gone now, but I guess they also live on!

@john_p 1w

@carleybaer Thank you for hosting the “The internal dialogue of houseplants” skirmish. I really enjoyed participating. And thank you for your kind words about my “Monstera” song. I’ve been mistaken, for a tree (-;

@cblack 1w

Only sometimes a squirrel because that's wildshape as a druid, maximum 2 hours per day at her level. 😉

I doubt it'll get recorded during FAWM, but if it does, I'll ping you.

@tseaver 1w

@carlybear Just wanted to say I enjoyed reading your thesis while procrastinating about finding my way out of a songwriting "blind canyon."

@seb 1w

Thank you for the tips, much appreciated! :)

@seb 1w

Hey! For songwriting please :). Just wondering how you "attack" it: melody, chords, lyrics.

I have studied a bit have tried a few techniques/approach but I have never been in a room with other writers. At FAWM I have approached it different ways and I know that repetition and lots of duds eventually yields good ones but that doesnt mean I should not seek to improve my approach and shed old bad habits including starting on I/Tonic too often.

@seb 1w

Carly!

If you have time and you dont mind me asking...what is your process or processes? :)

TY

@dr_griff 2w

Thank you for your kind comment on "Hold the Line"! As a public servant myself, yes, you got the point. Seriously appreciate you.

@newukenewyork 2w

Hiya! Thanks for your comment on "The Moon Saw Everything" -- I think this was my second moon song of the month. How many more to come, I wonder...? ;)

@geercom 2w

Thanks for the nice feedback re "I love this! I can definitely hear some Appalachian harmonies in here. "We do it all again until it all gets done" flows really nicely, which is fitting."

@paulotteson 2w

Fun to see another Elementary Music teacher on FAWM! I've taught 3-5 music for the past 9 years, and K-5 for 9 years before that. Ever find yourself pausing class to capture a lyric or melody? My students love it when I do.. I even have a song count on the board in my classroom so they can follow the progress. Happy FAWM!

@eamarant 2w

Thanks for the thoughtful comment on “Fault Lines.” So very appreciated!

@catetaylor 2w

Hi Carley, I’ve emailed you my address for our postcard challenge. Can you send through yours? Thanks 😊

@excessivemachine 2w

Thanks for listening and commenting on "God Saw I Was a Dog!" I'm glad you liked it.

@stephenwordsmith 2w

You would be most welcome, should you be so inspired.

@andygetch 2w

Congratulations on the first weekend win! I knew no matter how many I write I would still be seeing yours and @metalfoot tail lights ;)

@erbaer 3w

Congratulations on the WIN!!

@iamcatelliott 3w

Hey! So glad I stumbled upon your page, I'm loving what I'm hearing so far! Really funky clever stuff....and by the way, 8 songs already?! EIGHT?! That's AMAZING!! 😃🙌🌟

@mikeskliar 3w

welcome back! did i read it right that you actually wrote 14 songs already?

@erbaer 3w

It's after midnight and I'm already working!

@jwhanberry 3w

Carley,
Once more into the breach! Y'all have a bunch of fun now.
JW

@jacobeverettwallace 3w

Hey Carley! Happy FAWMing!

@teebyrd 3w

CMFB!!!

@skyezor 3w

Hey Carley! Can’t wait to hear your (bad) fantastic songs this FAWM! 💕

@tamsnumber4 3w

Happy FAWMing!

@cloudboy 3w

Hey hey! Happy fawming!

@markfulwider 3w

Went and checked out your tune Life Goes On After All! Are those layered kazoos I am hearing in there? Love all the layered vocals and minimalist production….would be a fun one to remix! Blessings!

@ericalbert 3w

I know what you mean about time running away! How about if I send you some lyrics at some point and you can either work with them or hand them back and I'll find them another home?

@stevenwesleyguiles 3w

OMG I JUST JOINED BAD SONG CLUB

@stevenwesleyguiles 3w

LOL. I think our awesome teacher-instincts-working-with-kids-don't-do-cusses kicked in. 🤣 It was fun to watch that in unison! :)

@nadine 3w

Welcome back! Have a great FAWM!
So sorry that I couldn't participate on the bad song club regularly. My brain has been in production and promotion mode the last couple of months... I look forward to what you guys cook!

@audrey 3w

Have yourself a wonderful FAWM 2025! Isn't it good to be back? I love it here. 😀

@andygetch 3w

Go go Bad Song Club go!

@ericalbert 3w

Great to see you back for FAWM! I'm still humming your frog song. And thanks for the Bad Song Club -- it's inspirational.

I love your way with a melody (and a harmony), and I'd be happy to collaborate if you've got the time and inclination. I look forward to hearing the songs you come up with this year.