Since I'm good for about one song a year, whether it's needed or not, here goes. Feedback is welcome and appreciated - Scott
Near the Bayou Teche in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana there was a cafe known as the Joie de Vivre. One day a few years ago some friends and I wandered inside. I asked for the translation and eventually a song developed. And since our friends grew up in that area - one on his parents' farm nearby - they're all part of the story.
Upon a time in Lou'sian' Was a woman and a man She was fair and in her eyes he was everything
Love was born and it grew Wasn't long before they knew And when he offered her a ring he began to sing
Joie de Vivre, joie de vivre That is what you are to me You forever hold my heart Never will we part Till the stars no longer shine I am yours and you are mine We were always meant to be Joie de vivre
There beside the Bayou Teche Did the woman answer yes And they were married in a chapel in the spring
With the people crowded near He was fighting back the tears When the bells began to ring she began to sing
And so it was they settled down On some land not far from town And they were blessed with all the gifts that love can bring
Through the years they worked the farm Side by side arm in arm At every family gathering together they would sing
Vocals are Nectar 2 and me Ozone 8 for mastering
Style is M_SWWLZS.STY (Country Waltz Swing w/ MST Strin)
Scott, first of all you should really write more. This is a great write, performance and production. The harmony is also perfect. The story is cohesive and the minimalist backing is just the right treatment. An excellent offering! Loved it, Tom
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Scott, first of all you should really write more. This is a great write, performance and production. The harmony is also perfect. The story is cohesive and the minimalist backing is just the right treatment. An excellent offering! Loved it, Tom
I agree. You are to good of songwriter, singer, and producer to only do one song a year.
I think this song is absolutely fantastic.
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Terrific song and performance. The ban is pretty cool and your vocal is strong, assured and with a minimum of sibilant/mouthnoise etc. I THINK the vocal may be a tiny bit loud or strident in some freqs. but I'm not in a position to assess that properly. I listen again when I don't have a brain ache.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
Scott, Excellent vocals and production! Nothing sticking out. Listens very well. With such abilities, you should try more than a song-a-year deal. Thank you for sharing!
Scott, first of all you should really write more. This is a great write, performance and production. The harmony is also perfect. The story is cohesive and the minimalist backing is just the right treatment. An excellent offering! Loved it, Tom
Appreciate that, Tom.
I kept trying to work in an accordion to get that Cajun squeeze box vibe, but the even tempo RT just didn't fit. And I was hesitant about drums, but the kids of the friends I mentioned are planning to play this song at an anniversary celebration for their folks and a few other couples, if ever that's permitted, so that was my motivation for getting this recorded now. Anyway, I figured the steady beat wouldn't hurt if anyone decided to dance.
Thanks for that and for the previous listens and feedback. I ended up uploading the mp3 to SC also.
I would like to be here more often. I would like to retire one of these days and spend as much time in the studio as possible, but alas, stuff happens.
But hey, I have managed to get the new place set up and it's working out fairly well.
A lovely traditional sounding song!! Very nicely told story with the perfect delivery and musical backing!! Great to see you back around here Scott!! Don't be a stranger!! Take care. Greg
I had friend, now deceased, who lived in Houma, LA for many years. he then moved to France, his parents' home country. He spoke Cajun French more than English.
He was the drummer in a band I was in for about 15 years. He was a dear friend and I miss him so much. This took me back to those days. His name was Robert Loreau ... we always called him "Frenchy". He was like a brother to me. Thank you for the sweet, yet poignant, memory. It put a smile on my face and a tear in my eye.
A great song ... lyric, band, arrangement, and vocal. No way to go wrong with that! Would love to hear more original music from you.
Scott, first of all you should really write more. This is a great write, performance and production. The harmony is also perfect. The story is cohesive and the minimalist backing is just the right treatment. An excellent offering! Loved it, Tom
I agree. You are to good of songwriter, singer, and producer to only do one song a year.
Terrific song and performance. The ban is pretty cool and your vocal is strong, assured and with a minimum of sibilant/mouthnoise etc. I THINK the vocal may be a tiny bit loud or strident in some freqs. but I'm not in a position to assess that properly. I listen again when I don't have a brain ache.
I don't doubt it. Oh how I struggled to balance the mix. It's close, but like you noticed, there are still a few iffy spots. I had to go back several times and cut resonant freqs in the vocal. Then of course it was too harsh. My last move was a cut around 5k with a Pultec emulation.
My home studio is in a larger room now with some treatment and so I'm finally mixing on speakers - trying to learn the KRK Rokit 5's I've had for a few years.
I referenced David Ball's 'When the Thought of You Catches Up With Me,' Darius Rucker's 'Wagon Wheel' cover, Alan Jackson's 'Small Town Southern Man' and more:)
excellent vocal and backing tracks thanks for sharing Eric
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A lovely traditional sounding song!! Very nicely told story with the perfect delivery and musical backing!! Great to see you back around here Scott!! Don't be a stranger!! Take care. Greg
The people are happy with the way it turned out, which makes me happy, but it ain't over until the song gets a few critical listens here in the Showcase.
Thanks for giving it a spin and for that lovely review, Greg. Take care yourself.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
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.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
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And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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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
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
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
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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