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Feliz Viernes a todos.... Regarding a 'concept' music venture....is there anyone else here that has: 1) written one by themselves as their own project? 2) co-written one? 3) currently working on one? 4) pondering a subject matter to tackle one? Just to start things off....I've been involved with (3): 1) The Medieval Man: my solo project began in 1974 (7 songs) 2) Full Circle: co-write with band mate in 1984 (6 songs) 3) Voyager: Travels of Quazelar in 1990 (10 songs) Discussing the creativity process on something of this nature, the frustrations, mental hurdles to overcome, the diversity of lyrics/music needed to fit each song, to tell a good story, the tenacity to actually finish the project, etc. I do know this, to decide on a subject and write several songs about it as a conceptual journey is not an easy task.  Thought this could be an interesting, involved topic. If not, it will be on page (2) pretty quickly. OK....I'm done....need more coffee. Carry on....
Last edited by chulaivet1966; 05/26/17 04:27 AM.
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I'm not sure if this qualifies for the subject you asked, but here's a project I worked on back in the 1980 - just before CDs became the main conduit of music. It was a vinyl record at that time.
One side of the album was "his" version of what went wrong in the relationship and the other side of the album was "her" point of view. It was pretty interesting and challenging because they had to be in the same or a related genre. There were six songs on each side of the album. The respective sides started with the beginning of the problems and the sixth song was the final outcome and how each they felt about it as they reflected back on the final outcome. The songs between the first and last song chronologically told the story of what happened along the way. The really challenging part was that the respective songs (#1 on "his" side and #1 on "her" side had to be about the same subject. The subsequent songs on each side had to follow in a like manner. The title of the album was "Perceptions".
We pressed only 500 copies of the album but sold almost all of them at our gigs as we toured.
I've not had a copy of the album in over 30 years but it was a nice accomplishment. I hope this kind of fits in with what you were asking.
It might be interesting to work on another one!
Alan
Last edited by Al-David; 05/29/17 09:45 AM.
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Songwriting
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I'm not sure if this qualifies for the subject you asked, but here's a project I worked on back in the 1980 - just before CDs became the main conduit of music. It was a vinyl record at that time. One side of the album was "his" version of what went wrong in the relationship and the other side of the album was "her" point of view. It was pretty interesting and challenging because they had to be in the same or a related genre. Alan Howdy Alan.... Yes...to me, your project does cater to my general idea of a 'concept' album. All songs (in this case A side/B side) are connected and tell a cohesive and/or chronological story line. To take on a 'concept' project does force a more creative, disciplined writing approach. All projects I took on were total time vampires. On you doing another one....I'd encourage it. Me...I could find a subject to interest me but not sure I'd live long enough to finish it to my satisfaction. Thanks for chiming in....at least I'm not the only one who's dived in to the 'concept project' approach. See you on page 2.....:) (EDIT: my #3 in my first post was a co-write also....forgot to qualify that)
Last edited by chulaivet1966; 05/31/17 01:45 PM.
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I fully agree ... discipline, dedication, creativity and way too much time are vital for such an undertaking. It took me about a year to complete the project. But the satisfaction was tremendous!
Should I start another one, I'll keep you up to date. Time is my biggest issue. My wife is significantly disabled and I do all the domestic chores plus i write novels and they have hard deadlines. I also write original music for local schools and performance groups.
Best to ya ...
Alan
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Should I start another one, I'll keep you up to date. Time is my biggest issue. My wife is significantly disabled and I do all the domestic chores plus i write novels and they have hard deadlines. I also write original music for local schools and performance groups. Best to ya ...Alan Well.... It appears you have plenty of creative expectations already on your daily plate. You're already busier than a mosquito in a nudist colony. Best to you and your wife. Thanks for chiming in....
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I wonder if branding an artist in the commercial (and other) senses is not a standard practice. Cynics might call it "image projection." Do we expect a certain thing from an artist?
Paradoxically, the biggest in country music in our time was George Strait. We never really knew what to expect from George, honky tonk, ballad, or bawdy drinking song. On the other hand, George Jones pretty much gave us pathos,
All this is to pose the question, "Is the firtst thing I need to know, what is it I want to say?
Last edited by edshaw; 05/31/17 10:32 AM.
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
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Holiday Weekend Hours
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Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
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Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
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- MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
- Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
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- MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
- MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
- Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
- Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
- RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
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Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac Videos
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
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