The RPM Challenge: Make An Album In A Month

It's February again, which means it's time to write and record another album. This has become a annual ritual for me and Bob Boilen (and thousands of others around the world), all of us taking part in what's called the RPM Challenge. The Wire, a weekly music magazine in Portsmouth, N.H., started the RPM Challenge in 2006 as an open invitation to musicians everywhere to stop procrastinating and make a full album from scratch in just 28 days. The first year, 165 bands participated. This year, more than 2,000 are doing it.

When everyone's finished, listening parties are held around the world. Bob spoke to some of the participants via Skype after the 2007 challenge:

You can hear some of the music Bob has recorded for the challenge at his Web site. I've got some of the music I've recorded online, too.

We'd love to know if you're participating in the RPM Challenge this year, and we'd love to hear your music. So pass it along in the comments section below.

In April, we'll feature some of our favorite songs from this year's RPM Challenge here in the blog.