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December 2025 Challenge Response – Mike W

Home › Forums › Active Melody Member Challenge Response Submissions › December 2025 Challenge Response – Mike W

  • This topic has 36 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 1 week, 3 days ago by Mike W.
Viewing 18 reply threads
  • Author
    Posts
    • January 10, 2026 at 4:28 pm #406980
      Mike W
      Participant

        Happy New Year to you all. This is my first challenge response for 8 months, after house moving, downsizing etc – all of which presented their own challenges. I would normally take several weeks to prepare a response but didn’t start until 3 days ago, with yesterday non-productive because of a power cut caused by the snow. Excuses over!
        Enough waffling – I’ve played a slow blues over Quist’s backing track for EP547. It’s mainly A major pentatonic, generally a call and response piece.
        Hope you like it here’s the link

        Really looking forward to checking out your responses.

      • January 10, 2026 at 4:33 pm #406983
        AndréM
        Participant

          Welcome back Mike.
          Very nice rendition.
          Well done.
          Never fun to move.

          AndréM

          AndréM

          • January 12, 2026 at 4:05 am #407410
            Mike W
            Participant

              Many thanks Andre, it’s nice to be back.

          • January 10, 2026 at 8:37 pm #407013
            Alan L
            Participant

              Smooth and very well played. Love the high register stuff, that guitar looks and sounds great. Nice to have you back!

              • January 12, 2026 at 4:07 am #407412
                Mike W
                Participant

                  Thanks Alan, I’m a bit of a fan of the Sire guitars. They stop me lusting after Fenders.

              • January 11, 2026 at 12:06 am #407042
                Dieter
                Participant

                  Very nice playing.

                  Dieter

                  • January 12, 2026 at 4:07 am #407413
                    Mike W
                    Participant

                      Many thanks Dieter.

                  • January 11, 2026 at 7:16 am #407153
                    JoeD1
                    Participant

                      Nice improv Mike. Liked it very much.

                      Joe

                      The sight of a touch, or the scent of a sound,
                      Or the strength of an Oak with roots deep in the ground.
                      --Graeme Edge

                      • January 12, 2026 at 4:08 am #407414
                        Mike W
                        Participant

                          Many thanks Joe.

                      • January 11, 2026 at 7:32 am #407166
                        Mark T
                        Participant

                          I found that very relaxing and an easy, calming listen, Mike – nicely done 👍🎶😎

                          • January 12, 2026 at 4:09 am #407415
                            Mike W
                            Participant

                              Thank you Mark, I’m glad you liked it.

                          • January 11, 2026 at 7:36 am #407170
                            Bill
                            Participant

                              Hey Mike, good to see you in the challenges again! Short of time is a recurring theme for this one. Nonetheless, your playing is fine and works well with the track.

                              • January 12, 2026 at 4:10 am #407416
                                Mike W
                                Participant

                                  Thanks Bill, it’s good to be back.

                              • January 11, 2026 at 8:38 am #407198
                                Tremelow
                                Participant

                                  Hey Mike, welcome back. Moving houses is an ordeal (aka challenge), I know. I hope you have settled in nicely by now. Extra kudos to you to contribute to the challenge with such a short prep time and so little practice over the previosu 8 months.

                                  • January 12, 2026 at 4:11 am #407417
                                    Mike W
                                    Participant

                                      Thanks Trem, it feels good to be back.

                                  • January 11, 2026 at 9:13 am #407226
                                    Lights
                                    Participant

                                      Great work Mike! Music flows like a river.
                                      lights.

                                      • January 12, 2026 at 4:12 am #407418
                                        Mike W
                                        Participant

                                          Thanks Lights, I’m glad you liked it.

                                      • January 11, 2026 at 10:07 am #407259
                                        Guido
                                        Participant

                                          Welcome back Mike! I always love when someone plays his own original composition/improvisation over the BT and yours is definitely very well crafted, melodic and enjoyable to listen to, other than very well played. Despite the short time to prepare it, great rendition!

                                          Guido

                                          • January 12, 2026 at 4:13 am #407419
                                            Mike W
                                            Participant

                                              Thanks Guido, it’s good to be back. I’m glad you liked it.

                                          • January 11, 2026 at 10:16 am #407266
                                            Manfred M
                                            Participant

                                              I’m glad you have time to participate in the challenges again, Mike. And you haven’t forgotten how to play the guitar.
                                              Nice improvisation on this Quist track. You’ve been wonderfully inspired.

                                              Take the chance to meet your AM friends on Zoom
                                              The next Meetup will be on January 31, 2026

                                              For more information click here

                                              I look forward to meet you.
                                              Manfred

                                              • January 12, 2026 at 4:14 am #407420
                                                Mike W
                                                Participant

                                                  That’s very kind Manfred, thankyou.

                                              • January 11, 2026 at 10:43 am #407283
                                                charjo
                                                Moderator

                                                  Nice to have you back,Mike, I enjoyed your submission. I dread the thought of downsizing, hope you are well setttled.
                                                  John

                                                  • January 12, 2026 at 4:26 am #407421
                                                    Mike W
                                                    Participant

                                                      Thanks John, it’s good to be back. Downsizing requires a lot of adjustments – I had to get rid of four guitars!

                                                  • January 11, 2026 at 10:56 am #407292
                                                    sciencefiction
                                                    Participant

                                                      Cool laid-back composition, Mike, and very well-played. I liked how your first two motif licks set the stage for what followed. Made me think of cowboys sitting around the campfire after a hard days work on the range. (or maybe after moving furniture-Ha!).
                                                      Larry

                                                      • January 12, 2026 at 4:27 am #407422
                                                        Mike W
                                                        Participant

                                                          Thanks Larry, I’m glad you liked it.

                                                      • January 11, 2026 at 11:03 am #407297
                                                        James B
                                                        Participant

                                                          Welcome back, Mike. You’ll have some guitar time now that you’re settled in. Nice job on this track.

                                                          James

                                                          • January 12, 2026 at 4:28 am #407423
                                                            Mike W
                                                            Participant

                                                              Thanks James, I’m pleased to be back. Glad you liked it.

                                                          • January 11, 2026 at 11:44 am #407310
                                                            Martin W
                                                            Participant

                                                              Hi Mike , nice to see you back in the challenges now that you’ve settled in after your house move .
                                                              Considering only a short study you created some nice melodic phrasing that went well with the track .
                                                              I see you’ve still got a few guitars in the rack , I guess there’s certain things you can’t downsize!

                                                              Martin

                                                              • January 12, 2026 at 5:09 am #407433
                                                                Mike W
                                                                Participant

                                                                  Thanks Martin, I’m glad to be back – it’s good to have something to focus on. In fact I did take 4 guitars to my local shop but they don’t buy outright – they allow against new purchase. So I had to come home with a Taylor GS Mini!

                                                              • January 11, 2026 at 10:17 pm #407399
                                                                JoLa
                                                                Participant

                                                                  That’s the way to get back on the saddle, just jump right into it! Glad to see you back, Mike, and hopefully you’ll settle in soon. Your playing seems to be relaxed and well composed, glad you managed to record something despite the challenges!

                                                                  🎸JoLa

                                                                  • January 12, 2026 at 5:12 am #407434
                                                                    Mike W
                                                                    Participant

                                                                      Thanks Jola, I’m glad to be back and to have a new focus every month. I’m glad you liked the piece.

                                                                  • January 12, 2026 at 10:12 am #407466
                                                                    Andy N
                                                                    Participant

                                                                      Great to see you back after your move Mike. We’re poised to follow the downsizing path this year though there’s still some debate as to what size to go down too. Good to see your’s still included a studio room ✅
                                                                      It’s put to good use here too. I enjoyed that bluesy solo with plenty of melodic phrasing to sit back and listen too.

                                                                      • January 12, 2026 at 11:06 am #407470
                                                                        Mike W
                                                                        Participant

                                                                          Thanks Andy – it feels good to be back and have a monthly focus. Down-sizing requires serious planning and a mindset to let go of possessions that you’ve had for a while. The charity shops did very well out of us. We’d decided on a minimum size but then disregarded it when we saw this property which we wanted even though it didn’t meet our minimum requirements. Good luck!

                                                                      • January 12, 2026 at 7:50 pm #407533
                                                                        Michael L
                                                                        Participant

                                                                          Hi Mike, what a great country blues sound you created here… the tone, the phrasing… I loved it! Congrats on the downsizing. We did that about a decade ago… just give everything away, save a fork and a plate, and it all works out in the end!! Great to have you back in the challenges again.

                                                                          • January 13, 2026 at 11:06 am #407569
                                                                            Mike W
                                                                            Participant

                                                                              Thanks very much for your kind words Michael. Glad you liked it.

                                                                          • January 14, 2026 at 12:44 pm #407634
                                                                            David H
                                                                            Participant

                                                                              Has it been that long? Welcome back. Pretty dang good improve for just 3 days! Nice mix of notes and timing.

                                                                              • January 14, 2026 at 4:22 pm #407647
                                                                                Mike W
                                                                                Participant

                                                                                  Many thanks David, it’s good to be back..

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