Tag Archives: Music

Updated Song – I’m Still Here

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About three weeks ago I posted a new video. I hated my voice on it, so I decided to do an all instrumental version. Well, I’ve been thinking about it and decided to rerecord the vocals. The results are more in tune (good!), but I am not sure if my voice is better…. Of course, being in tune helps a lot ;)

Before we go on, here is the new version:

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

Lyrics are on video and also original post. Tech details on original post except the added organ is the Rev 2.

OK, a little info about the changes.

I practiced it a little, which I didn’t do before. Part of it is memorizing the words. I still held the lyrics in my hand (you can hear them rustling in a few places…), but I didn’t have to concentrate on the words as much. I also practiced hitting the right notes. Sounds obvious, but if it is brand new, you are reading the words, etc., well… I played around with interpretation, but when I recorded I found that if I didn’t put 100% into singing in tune, I was just as bad as the original version.

I also added a vocal harmony line on the chorus. It isn’t perfect, but I like it :)

I also added an organ part to the chorus the second and third time through, and another organ part just the third time – that makes the chorus grow each time. To me it makes the entire song less static.

One problem is that I didn’t spend a lot of time on the levels and mix, so there are a few mix issues with that fuller third chorus :( (Technical part – to avoid bad distortion, compressor and limiter change volume, which causes “pumping” in the volume.) But I noticed after I posted the video, so… There are a few places where the vocal was over-recorded, so a little distortion there. Overall, though, I think it is much better. (Singing in tune helps 😉 )

Anyway, I do hope this is better than the original vocal version and even better than the instrumental version.

Black-eyed Susan – Video

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The other day I posted a video of an orchestrated Art Song/Lieder from the period when I was composing contemporary classical music. I actually did two posts on this before (see here for the one with the most details). Don’t let “classical”, “art song” or Trent’s awful voice drive you away – take listen:

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

One year I saw far more Black-eyed Susans (flowers) than ever – they were everywhere. Until I went Northern Maine for a week. When I returned, there were no more flowers. A little later, when hiking, I saw some remnants. I wrote this song based on that.

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The GraveYard Strut – New Music (Instrumental…)

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I recorded a new song the other day and put up a video. I think the animation I made for it is pretty cool – watch for the animation! Anyway, it is only two minutes long and I do not sing. Yea, no awful voice! So here it is, just a quick ditty:

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

Now the story:

I was playing around with my music gear on Friday. At one point I decided to try to recreate a bass sound similar to the Arp Odyssey bass sounds that I like on my Prophet Rev 2. Listen to the beginning of the video in my review of the Korg version of the Odyssey to hear what I am talking about. Anyway, I came up with a sound I like, then changed it ;) Playing with my new sound, I soon had a little bass line that I liked. I decided to record it so I could figure out something to play with it.

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New Song – I’m Still Here

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I mentioned in my coffee share that I wrote and recorded a new song last week. So, here it is!

Well, in just a minute. First, I did a vocal version and hate my voice so I did an instrumental version as well. I left the lyrics up in the instrumental version, so you can see what should have been said. So I will post both before going and farther:

Version with my voice:

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

And here is the Instrumental Version:

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Another Night Without You (AKA Gm7 Jam) – New Video

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I just posted a new video. Yeah, after several months of nothing I am doing a new one every two weeks or so… This one is in ways an extended synth solo, similar to For Her Heartbreak (see blog post here). Anyway, here is the video so you can listen while I talk about it:

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

Similar to the recent The New Year’s Song *, I was playing with the acoustic percussion instruments, my new cajon, tambourine and cabasa. I also put in an electronic drum sound from my Prophet Rev 2. Most of the sounds on this are the Rev 2 except those percussion instruments I mentioned and the solo. I used the minimoog clone, the Behringer Poly-D for the solo.

(*Note about This compared to The New Year’s Song – TNYS is a real song with what I think is a catchy melody. This is a quick jam.)

Two of the photos of Tiberius on my mixer (one also used at top of page) are new and he is on my new mixer while the photo at the end is over a year old and he is on my old mixer. He does look more like a kitten in that old photo! And he no longer wears a collar.

I hope you enjoyed this little jam :)

Greensleeves – New Video

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Yesterday morning I was playing breakfast music for the dogs on the piano. Yes, I do that every day – Idina sometimes refuses to eat unless I play the piano for her! Anyway, I started to improvise an accompaniment for a waltz. I whistled along and discovered I was whistling Greensleeves! So I went up, turned on my music equipment and recorded it. OK, I had three meetings and wrote a report while I was recording (!) so it took several hours, but it was less than an hour on the keyboards from the idea to finished recording. i.e., no rehearsal, just picking a sound and recording.

(No singing, so no terrible voice in this one ;) )

Anyway, here it is.

(Click here if you don’t see the video below)

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New Song and Video – Silver Bells Played on the Radio

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Part of my ride home from Cape Cod on Saturday was in the cold pouring rain. There were Christmas songs by indie rock bands on the radio. I thought “I need to write a Christmas song!”

In the mean time, there were so many jerks on the road that evening, and one super huge jerk tailgating me for miles. At times I could see his ultra angry face. I really thought he was going to pull out a machine gun and start shooting at any moment.

By the time I got home I had all of the words and the melody for a new, dark, Christmas song.

I played around with it Sunday morning and then recorded all of the instrument parts Sunday afternoon and evening. I recorded the vocals after work on Monday and did the video Monday evening.

OK, a lot of issues – it was a rush job! Truthfully, I don’t know if I can sing any better – my voice is always bad, so… Anyway, here it is Tuesday and I am sharing it with you. (It is dark, but with hope at the end.)

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If We Were Havign Coffee on the 24th of September, 2022 #weekendcoffeeshare

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Hello and Welcome! Come on in and I’ll get you a nice large mug of super strong dark roast, a cuppa tea or some other beverage. It is a little chilly out there, but I think almost as warm as it ever got yesterday. I just got back from a long walk, and have to report that it is still as windy as yesterday! But today will be relatively warm and sunny, a perfect early autumn day. I plan on spending every free moment outside, though it is too windy to kayak. Oh, where am I? Some of you may recognize the photo at the top as being from Cape Cod.

I drove down to Cape Cod on Wednesday night, as I often do. I worked Thursday and Friday, which I can do from here. Thursday was rainy and I didn’t feel well, so it was a wash. Friday I felt much better and the weather was nice, if cold and super windy, but my work day was pretty insane. I did get a chance to exercise after work and took a few long walks in my neighborhood, but I did not get away from the house.

As stated above, this was a typical work week. I was able to exercise a few times and got out for a couple of runs. I had massage on Wednesday. I walked the dogs often while in New Hampshire (only the cats are with me on Cape Cod). Typical week.

Last week I said I had a surprise. OK, I need a little background.

Some of you know I write and play music, but you may not know that in the first decade of the century I was deeply involved in composing “contemporary series music”, that is, modern classical. Back in 2015 I released a CD for my Hamlet Symphony. I had planned on putting out other music from this time period to close it out, but I never did.

Until now.

I just released a (download only) CD of piano music. It has two piano sonatas and 24 Preludes, one in each key. Yeah, that is 32 tracks and about 90 minutes of music, but since it isn’t a physical CD, it can be done. I don’t have links, but if you search Spotify or Amazon or other places… Yeah, I will try to get some good links for you.

After I put out the CD, I also put up a recent instrumental pop song, For Her Heartbreak, as a downloadable single. I felt that this was the best fit of my recent music with the classical piano music from a decade back, a good transition. Again, no links, but you can search Spotify or whatever to find it. Oh, if you didn’t see the video back in the winter, here it is again.

(Click here if you are interested but don’t see the video below)

I plan on making pages on the blog for these releases soon. And hopefully I’ll get good links without having to pay…

Anyway, that was my week. As I said, I have a need to get outside and soak in some sun and nature.

Thanks for stopping in! If you have a coffee share I will try to stop by for a virtual drink. Hope you have a great weekend!

Natalie the Explorer is now the host of the weekend coffee share and she is doing a wonderful job. Stop in at this week’s main share page or go to the InLinkz-Linkup to see all of the other shares!

Scotland Trip 2022 Part 8: Military Tattoo

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When we were planning the trip, my dad had only two requests: to visit his land (2 square feet) and to see the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo. They had seen it before, but he wanted to see it again. He had other suggestions, but those were the only things that were “We Shall.”

I’ll be honest, I was not expecting much. OK, I knew it would be nice and worth seeing, but, you know, watching military marching bands? Right.

I’m glad I went…

First, the setting is just marvelous. There is something about Edinburgh Castle, it seems almost to be part of the hill, not man made. I am sure Tolkien was thinking of it when he created Minas Tirith.

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