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Maria Blue Video: All images from the actual aftermath of Maria in Puerto Rico Months after Hurricane Maria 675,000 Puerto Ricans are still without power. Kudos to the first responders, military men and women and charitable organizations for their service in Puerto Rico that often required them putting themselves in harm’s way. However, for many still suffering long after the storm it’s easy to understand their frustration and this song attempts to address their continuing plight. So…we’re late to the party but J&B finally gets into the “beats thing. ” But, hey, we did provide them ourselves with Janice on cajon and the two of us throwing in some handclaps. Special thanks to floyd for joining in for the write and for the fine harmony (singing above that girl he is!) Janice: lead vocal, melody, arrangement and percussion (cajon) floyd: harmony, lyrics, arrangement and mix counsel bud: lead vocal recording, arrangement, lyrics, mix, mastering and video stuff RT 2482:Bass, Acoustic, Bowed Held Ev 085 RT 2213:Bouzouki, Rhythm SlowPop Ev16 065 RT 2213:Bouzouki, Rhythm SlowPop Ev16 065 - held chords RT 1037:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065 RT 1037:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm NorthernRockBallad Ev 065 - held chords RT 679:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm RockBritDriving Ev 085 (B:heavy) RT 679:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm RockBritDriving Ev 085 (B:heavy) - held chords RT 2687: Guitar, Electric, Soloist BluesSlowEvenBrentSimple Ev 085 Cajon: three tracks - mic on sound hole and another ambient mic / “kick” sound isolated for separate processing handclaps: four tracks Track effects: Waves Bass Rider / Nectar 2 / Neutron 2 / Logic Pro Guitar Amp Sim / Ozone 8 modules / delay and reverb from Nectar 2 modules Mastering: Ozone 8 Adv Thanks, Peter for those three notes Maria Blue © 2018 j. merritt / f. jane / b. merritt Intro singing: mama used to sing maria about a girl so lovely but now mama’s gone and maria has turned ugly V1 the wind howled all through the night morning came i knew my life was gone water was rising and trees were falling better off had i never seen that dawn Ch oh Mother Nature won’t you tell me why did you send that storm was it only to make me wish wish that i’d never been born? V2 we wade through streets... turned to rivers hungry babies, ever crying medicine gone, a thirst none should know old man prays "Lord, I'm dyin'" Ch V3 we live in tents and cardboard huts children drink from dirty puddles seems the big folks forgot about us all wrapped up in their own troubles Ch Outro
Last edited by Andrew - PG Music; 08/24/20 10:38 AM.
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Yeah! I knew I was going to like this before I even pressed play Something a little different from you two! Nice groove on this one, the Cajon and handclaps work well IMHO. Janice sounds wonderful, and I dig the harmonies from Floyd. Off to watch the video now!
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Janice / Bud / Floyd,
This is an absolutely astounding piece of work... It completely captures the despair and overall feeling of helplessness - it never loses that reality throughout the song. Amazing focus.
I can't say enough about Janice and her vocal gifts - she always reminds me of a more cosmopolitan version of Gillian Welch. A tremendous performance.
Killer production and write as well - I'm not sure it could get any better.
Bob
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Yeah! I knew I was going to like this before I even pressed play Something a little different from you two! Nice groove on this one, the Cajon and handclaps work well IMHO. Janice sounds wonderful, and I dig the harmonies from Floyd. Off to watch the video now! Thank you Dave. At times venturing out from the music home base is a bit like stepping of a cliff... We are glad it worked for you! Really love your latest. J&B
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Nice collab guys! Sounds like you guys are getting better at working together. Loved this on all sides.
Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics. PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
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Janice / Bud / Floyd,
This is an absolutely astounding piece of work... It completely captures the despair and overall feeling of helplessness - it never loses that reality throughout the song. Amazing focus.
I can't say enough about Janice and her vocal gifts - she always reminds me of a more cosmopolitan version of Gillian Welch. A tremendous performance.
Killer production and write as well - I'm not sure it could get any better.
Bob Thank you Bob. Your description is just what we were working for...so that means a lot to us. And thank you for mentioning both the vocal and production. Janice is very appreciative of your comment about her vocal. We have been Gillian Welch fans since her first album. Janice says it's humbling to be mentioned in the same sentence! J&B
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What a great effort!!! Wonderful song and production! What a great tragedy that is. So many terrible storms that I can't keep the names straight anymore. And now in California, we have 20 or more dead from flash floods and mud slides. Mother nature can be brutal. Great job by all you guys!! Take care. Greg
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Wow. Powerful lyrics that realy convey images of the storm and aftermath. Great production and beautiful vocals.
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Hi J&B,
Simply stunning.
The lyrics would be good anyway, but Janice's incredible vocal delivery wrings every ounce of emotion out of them, leaving the listener completely immersed in the futility of it all.
In addition to that, it's a fabulous backing track with a super mix.
And what about Floyd singing top register, in all senses of the word!
Congrats to all involved.
ROG.
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Nice collab guys! Sounds like you guys are getting better at working together. Loved this on all sides. I hope so...we've been at it for quite a while! Glad you liked it. Hey, waiting on your Paradox! J&B
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Hey, waiting on your Paradox! I know.... Vocals are a mess. Trying to finish.
Steve BIAB/RB 2022, Pro Tools 2020, Korg N5, JBL LSR 4328 Powered Monitors, AKG/Shure Mics. PC: Win11 PRO, 4 TB M2 SSD, 2 TB HD, 128 GB Memory
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Janice / Bud / Floyd,
I'm running out of superlatives. Stirring, brilliant, engaging, rousing.... The song sounds wonderful, the performances by all are world class. Great video, excellent percussion. Superb song writing.
Peter
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A lovely comment on a tragic situation. All very well done. Great backing band.
Cheers.
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Nice collab.
Maria sure was a storm that they will never forget in PR. Nice work on the song and the video.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both. The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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FJB. That combination seems to work SO well. I'm not kidding when I say I feel like I could almost write the comment THEN listen to the song. There is a standard that I, and I'm sure others have come to expect. Great job! Thank you or including the video. Many times I don't like the distraction of a video that takes you somewhere you wouldn't have gone just listening. In this case, it brought me to where I wouldn't have known to go. So again, thank you for including it. I'm always amazed at every aspect of your songs. You can hear everything. The old "you could hear a pin drop"...if it was in there, you would manage to have it heard. The other side of that coin is, you would do it in a way that wouldn't distract or beat us over the head with. I can't do that! This is one jealous dude typing right now. Great song, great video, great production, great performance. Ladies and gentlemen...FJB
Chad (Hope that makes it easier) TEMPO TANTRUM: What a lead singer has when they can't stay in time.
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B,J&F, This is a great write and a brilliant performance. The vocals convey the emotion of the tragedy. The mix is spot on and really comes to light with the cajon and handclaps. Nice call. I would be kicking myself if I didn’t say that I think we completely failed the island in the recovery efforts. I won’t get political and I know this year has decimated the resources available for help due to these devastating storms, but I still think we could have done more. Thanks to all three of you for your socially conscious decision to create this song, Tom
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What a great effort!!! Wonderful song and production! What a great tragedy that is. So many terrible storms that I can't keep the names straight anymore. And now in California, we have 20 or more dead from flash floods and mud slides. Mother nature can be brutal. Great job by all you guys!! Take care. Greg Thanks Greg. Yep Ma Nature can be so rough at times to such innocent and helpless folks. Glad you liked it!
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J&B, The first thing that struck me was: a great arrangement - how can there be so much space in there with all the tracks? Inspired percussion choices. There`s a heart to the social commentary of your lyrics Bud, which cuts through the politics... and Janice makes us feel that with another fine vocal. Love the sweet sound of Floyd`s high harmony too.
Robert
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Wow. Powerful lyrics that realy convey images of the storm and aftermath. Great production and beautiful vocals. Thanks for saying that. It’s much appreciated! J&B
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Serious but very good song J&B!! Once again you folks have produced totally pro sounding results! Janice just sounds great song after song! Floyd's parts work so well also! Final production is good enough for anyone considering this for any project! Thanks, Torrey
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Hi J&B,
Simply stunning.
The lyrics would be good anyway, but Janice's incredible vocal delivery wrings every ounce of emotion out of them, leaving the listener completely immersed in the futility of it all.
In addition to that, it's a fabulous backing track with a super mix.
And what about Floyd singing top register, in all senses of the word!
Congrats to all involved.
ROG. Rog, given your production experience and attention to detail we are much appreciative of your review. Janice’s vocal was to be a scratch placeholder but ended up staying in the mix. We are delighted that you liked it. And floyd did nail that part! J&B
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Incredible - this is astonishing Simply put, this is a beautiful song. The way the instruments and those vocals work together is flawless. It sounds sincere and heartfelt. And even though it is slightly unconventional, I love the drums you chose here! The stomping sort of groove help bring the whole thing together. You guys outdid yourself - thanks for sharing!
Cheers, Deryk
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This is great. Very powerful. Great job people. Makes me want to write a song called Captain Midnight now. Oh wait, already did that.
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Janice / Bud / Floyd,
I'm running out of superlatives. Stirring, brilliant, engaging, rousing.... The song sounds wonderful, the performances by all are world class. Great video, excellent percussion. Superb song writing.
Peter Thanks Peter and thanks again for those three notes! J&B
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Loved the emotion and the message of the song. Great imagery. Well done compilation.
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Wow, what an excellent delivery. The mix is absolutely perfect.
This tells the story just so well.
Another top effort to the collaboration team. Well done.
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This is just an awesome piece of music. I like to read the lyrics before I listen to the song. IT helps me relate to the music. What a beautiful tribute to such a horrible event. I was lucky enough to spend some time in Puerto Rico. The memory I took home was such a beautiful place and such beautiful people.. Was so sad to see what happened and how they were left in the dark.
Janice vocal was so clear and heartfelt. The new mix tools you got for Christmas :-) and you skill at mixing left a professionally lever master song. The sound was so pure. All the instruments and harmonies were blended so well and identifiable. You, Janice and Floyd set the bar high on this one. Well done
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Just stunning! Everything about this is so well done. Even the "beats". The video really works with the song. Such a devastating event. Prayers continue to go up for all the victims. Thanks so much for sharing this one. Great work by all involved in this very impressive collab! Steve
Steve Young Music"In order to compose, all you need to do is remember a tune that nobody else has thought of." - Robert Schumann
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Well, everything has already been said by now.
Not a "pretty" song, but definitely fitting the feel of the subject.
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Hello, Janice & Bud, floyd,
Regarding Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, it was reported in detail also in Japan at that time. Since Japan is also a natural disaster-rich country, we cannot think like a very different incident. Recently it has been reported that further misfortune may await the Puerto Ricans in the United States due to President Trump's policy. (Immigration policy is a very delicate matter, so I will withhold any opinion on this.) And the video at that time was also aired again. When you pick up such a miserable theme, you can express it extremely well by song. I can see well that the tradition of folk songs is stuck to the corners of your bodies and souls. Janice's vocal completely fits this tune. The cajon is very effective. Your performance and video were very impressive.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
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When two of the best performing acts on the forum team up - this is what happens. Powerful - poignant - a lesson in collaborative writing and producing. There are some amazing compositions and performances on the forum right now (as usual) - this one ranks right up there among the very best.
Alan
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A lovely comment on a tragic situation. All very well done. Great backing band.
Cheers.
Nice collab.
Maria sure was a storm that they will never forget in PR. Nice work on the song and the video.
Thanks y’all! Glad you liked it. Herb, appreciate you mentioning the video. J&B
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FJB. That combination seems to work SO well. I'm not kidding when I say I feel like I could almost write the comment THEN listen to the song. There is a standard that I, and I'm sure others have come to expect. Great job! Thank you or including the video. Many times I don't like the distraction of a video that takes you somewhere you wouldn't have gone just listening. In this case, it brought me to where I wouldn't have known to go. So again, thank you for including it. I'm always amazed at every aspect of your songs. You can hear everything. The old "you could hear a pin drop"...if it was in there, you would manage to have it heard. The other side of that coin is, you would do it in a way that wouldn't distract or beat us over the head with. I can't do that! This is one jealous dude typing right now. Great song, great video, great production, great performance. Ladies and gentlemen...FJB Thanks, a lot, for mentioning the video and the audio production. I was surprised at how few pictures of the aftermath were available in the public domain...and I never use copyrighted material so I felt a bit limited. I used the effects on them to try and reduce the distraction. Thanks for noting that! The mix was a challenge with that number of tracks - not used to that at all - but floyd was assuredly the right person to get feedback from and to offer suggestions...like the held chords. We appreciate your nice comments! J&B
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Always love working with you guys - from whatever angle.
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A beautiful tribute to a tragic event. Nobody can hold nature back.
Every level of this song and recording are top shelf! Heartfelt delivery of pensive and melancholy lyrics. All captured by a well crafted arrangement and spot on mix.
Well done all!
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B,J&F, This is a great write and a brilliant performance. The vocals convey the emotion of the tragedy. The mix is spot on and really comes to light with the cajon and handclaps. Nice call. I would be kicking myself if I didn’t say that I think we completely failed the island in the recovery efforts. I won’t get political and I know this year has decimated the resources available for help due to these devastating storms, but I still think we could have done more. Thanks to all three of you for your socially conscious decision to create this song, Tom Thanks Tom. Yes, it's easy to envision how many Puerto Ricans might wonder why as US citizens they are continuing to suffer months afterwards. As I mentioned it was it not our intent to disparage any of the folks who were early on the ground to help. But I think not so many kudos to some governmental entities in both Puerto Rico and the mainland. Glad you liked it and thanks for mentioning the percussion and the mix! J&B
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That is a beautiful song, you guys put the right touch to it, production, vocals all so good!!!
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J&B, The first thing that struck me was: a great arrangement - how can there be so much space in there with all the tracks? Inspired percussion choices. There`s a heart to the social commentary of your lyrics Bud, which cuts through the politics... and Janice makes us feel that with another fine vocal. Love the sweet sound of Floyd`s high harmony too.
Robert Thank you Robert. There are a lot of tracks but often they aren’t playing at the same time and the handclaps while 4 tracks take up little of the soundstage. Same with Janice’s doubled vocal. We appreciate you mentioning the commentary and the vocals both of which floyd greatly enhanced. floyd really surprised us with harmony part! J&B
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Serious but very good song J&B!! Once again you folks have produced totally pro sounding results! Janice just sounds great song after song! Floyd's parts work so well also! Final production is good enough for anyone considering this for any project! Thanks, Torrey That is much appreciated Torrey. And even more so as we are big fans of your productions. Thank you! J&B
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A quick "Thanks" to all who listened and commented... fj
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Incredible - this is astonishing Simply put, this is a beautiful song. The way the instruments and those vocals work together is flawless. It sounds sincere and heartfelt. And even though it is slightly unconventional, I love the drums you chose here! The stomping sort of groove help bring the whole thing together. You guys outdid yourself - thanks for sharing! Thanks man. We much appreciate every word of that! And extra thanks for mentioning the percussion - we had hoped that would work out. And, yep, floyd really polished the sound with his harmony. J&B
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This is great. Very powerful. Great job people. Makes me want to write a song called Captain Midnight now. Oh wait, already did that. Hahahaha! Yeah you did. Thanks! J&B
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Sorry guys, slow off the mark on this one. As always very thoughtful and powerful. Perfect vocals and a great story line. Production A+. Rob
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Loved the emotion and the message of the song. Great imagery. Well done compilation. Thank you! J&B
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Dramatic song about a dramatic event. There's a lot of emotion in this song which has perfect percussion in the arrangement. Great vocals by Janice as always and we also love Floyd's vocal contribution on this!
Rob and Anne-Marie
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great song, love the arrangement, hand claps etc.
nice job from everyone involved
enjoyed the listen,
Kenny
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Wow, what an excellent delivery. The mix is absolutely perfect.
This tells the story just so well.
Another top effort to the collaboration team. Well done. Thanks. Glad you felt it told the story well. We worked hard on that!
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Very thought provoking and well written song, nice one guys
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Truth is always stranger than fiction and songs of truth more powerful than lies. Cool.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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This is just an awesome piece of music. I like to read the lyrics before I listen to the song. IT helps me relate to the music. What a beautiful tribute to such a horrible event. I was lucky enough to spend some time in Puerto Rico. The memory I took home was such a beautiful place and such beautiful people.. Was so sad to see what happened and how they were left in the dark.
Janice vocal was so clear and heartfelt. The new mix tools you got for Christmas :-) and you skill at mixing left a professionally lever master song. The sound was so pure. All the instruments and harmonies were blended so well and identifiable. You, Janice and Floyd set the bar high on this one. Well done Thank you Scott. I wish while writing this that we had the benefit your perspective of having visited there. Thanks for mentioning the mix. This one was a challenge and i do feel like my new Izotope toys helped the process a lot. We most appreciate all of your comments! J&B
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Just stunning! Everything about this is so well done. Even the "beats". The video really works with the song. Such a devastating event. Prayers continue to go up for all the victims. Thanks so much for sharing this one. Great work by all involved in this very impressive collab! Steve Steve, we all appreciate your positive and supportive comments. Glad you liked the beats and the vid! Thanks for listening and watching. J&B Well, everything has already been said by now.
Not a "pretty" song, but definitely fitting the feel of the subject. Thanks! We’re happy that it worked for you. J&B
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hi really excellent work vocal mix instruments arrangement just awesome thanks eric
AMD (TM) 5950 4.9 GHz 16Core Processor 64 bit 32 bits of ram windows 10 pro 64 bit os. sound card Antelope ZenQ guitars Ibanez 2202a 1968 les Paul Custom and Cavin ae 185 Guitar boss Gt-100,GT1000 pedal Yamaha HS8 studio monitors
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Hello, Janice & Bud, floyd,
Regarding Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, it was reported in detail also in Japan at that time. Since Japan is also a natural disaster-rich country, we cannot think like a very different incident. Recently it has been reported that further misfortune may await the Puerto Ricans in the United States due to President Trump's policy. (Immigration policy is a very delicate matter, so I will withhold any opinion on this.) And the video at that time was also aired again. When you pick up such a miserable theme, you can express it extremely well by song. I can see well that the tradition of folk songs is stuck to the corners of your bodies and souls. Janice's vocal completely fits this tune. The cajon is very effective. Your performance and video were very impressive.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi Thank you Shigeki. And yes we did feel deeply about this song. Also we are glad you liked the vocal, the percussion and the video. We appreciate it! J&B
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Joined: Mar 2013
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Really good tune guys. I generally avoid tunes from the news cause it's hard to separate the emotion and sympathy from the politics. I like that you kept the story mostly 'small'. I don't really like line 3 of V3 lyrically because it preaches and that's always the temptation with these sorts of songs.
I really like the arrangement and feel. You kept me interested thru the whole song.
One thing I'd like to hear more of is that bowed bass. It seems kind of buried. Maybe take just a hair of the very low end of off that sound so you can bump the overall volume up a bit.
Overall though, I really like this tune. Very nice job.
Peace,
Ian
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When two of the best performing acts on the forum team up - this is what happens. Powerful - poignant - a lesson in collaborative writing and producing. There are some amazing compositions and performances on the forum right now (as usual) - this one ranks right up there among the very best.
Alan Thanks Al. When we read something like this it makes the time and effort all worthwhile. We appreciate your support. J&B
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A beautiful tribute to a tragic event. Nobody can hold nature back.
Every level of this song and recording are top shelf! Heartfelt delivery of pensive and melancholy lyrics. All captured by a well crafted arrangement and spot on mix.
Well done all! Lawrence, that means so much to us. We are your biggest fans and to have you say that is very special. Thank you. J&B
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That is a beautiful song, you guys put the right touch to it, production, vocals all so good!!!
Thanks for the kind remarks. They are appreciated! J&B Sorry guys, slow off the mark on this one. As always very thoughtful and powerful. Perfect vocals and a great story line. Production A+. Rob Thanks Rob. Appreciate you mentioning the production! Dramatic song about a dramatic event. There's a lot of emotion in this song which has perfect percussion in the arrangement. Great vocals by Janice as always and we also love Floyd's vocal contribution on this!
Rob and Anne-Marie Thanks to both of you. Glad you noticed the emotion that went into it and a big thanks for mentioning the percussion! J&B
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great song, love the arrangement, hand claps etc.
nice job from everyone involved
enjoyed the listen,
Kenny Thanks for listening Kenny! J&B
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Very thought provoking and well written song, nice one guys Truth is always stranger than fiction and songs of truth more powerful than lies. Cool. Thanks y’all for listen and commenting. We appreciate your support! J&B
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hi really excellent work vocal mix instruments arrangement just awesome thanks eric Thanks Eric!
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Hey Ian Thanks for taking your time to listen and offer the very thoughtful comments. I’m glad that you liked the song overall. I would like to respond more specifically to a couple of your comments. You mentioned: “I don't really like line 3 of V3 lyrically because it preaches and that's always the temptation with these sorts of songs.” We sincerely do not feel that the song preaches via that line; rather, it simply expresses the frustration and sense of lack of control of the protagonist - a rural Puerto Rican lady. I grew up in rural and small town Georgia. Often I heard family/friends referring to the “big folks.” There was no specificity to it. It was not a political divide. But it was a feeling that one had no say or control in events that greatly influenced one’s life. Surely a mother with young children who had gone without power, clean water and other essentials for an extended period would feel that the “big folks” didn’t care. She would not be concerned with parsing out all of the reasons for her situation. So, that line was not a result of yielding to temptation - it was the result of contemplation about the storm’s aftermath. All this ramble means is that We didn't consider the line to be divisive. You mentioned: “One thing I'd like to hear more of is that bowed bass. It seems kind of buried. Maybe take just a hair of the very low end off of that sound so you can bump the overall volume up a bit.” The bass was problematic. As an upright bass player I likely spend too much time mixing bass RT’s I’d hoped to not have a buried sound as I tried, using Neutron’s masking feature, to get the cajon and bass to cooperate with one another as they occupy a very similar eq range. So much of this had to do with hearing acuity and my 72 year old ears ain’t particularly acute nowadays! Again, thanks for the thoughts and for listening. Good to see you around again! Cheers J&B
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Janice, Bud and floyd,
I first listened to this on Soundcloud a couple of weeks ago. At that time, I couldn't find any words to say that could convey how your creation impacted on me. Even now I'm not sure that I can find the right words. It such a very powerful work.
Since Soundcloud, I've listened to the song and watched the video on Youtube. Each time I've visited, I cannot stop myself from imagining the desolation, despair and horror that those who are caught up in the aftermath must be feeling. That such misery should become part of a game of politics really saddens me.
You've done a truly amazing thing in writing, arranging and producing "Maria". Janice's outstanding vocals are absolutely the perfect vehicle to carry such an important message.
With all my heart, I hope that your song helps bring a better tomorrow to those who still so desperately need it.
Regards, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2024
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Janice, Bud and floyd,
I first listened to this on Soundcloud a couple of weeks ago. At that time, I couldn't find any words to say that could convey how your creation impacted on me. Even now I'm not sure that I can find the right words. It such a very powerful work.
Since Soundcloud, I've listened to the song and watched the video on Youtube. Each time I've visited, I cannot stop myself from imagining the desolation, despair and horror that those who are caught up in the aftermath must be feeling. That such misery should become part of a game of politics really saddens me.
You've done a truly amazing thing in writing, arranging and producing "Maria". Janice's outstanding vocals are absolutely the perfect vehicle to carry such an important message.
With all my heart, I hope that your song helps bring a better tomorrow to those who still so desperately need it.
Regards, Noel Noel, your comments are exceptionally meaningful to us. We live in such a transient world nowadays. Today’s headlines are buried tomorrow. Information overload often leaves us little time it seems to reflect on the simple humanity of events like this. What you’ve expressed makes us feel perhaps for a moment we were able to hit the pause button and offer a time of reflection - at least that’s what we hoped for. Thanks you so much. J&B
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
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Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
We've just announced the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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