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In another lifetime I thought of becoming a priest and spent several years in a Catholic seminary. As part of the training, I spent a summer as a hospital chaplain. (Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.) I decided not to become a priest and am now a happily married man, but I often think back on that stint as a chaplain and always knew I would write a song about it. Everybody's Life Gets Tough (demo) by Mark Rhodes BiaB style: Campfire, 2 Medium (for the intro, bars 1-8, just using the acoustic guitar); Dreamy Soft Rock for the rest. Tempo: 145 Even 8s, 4/4 All the lead guitar parts are played on my Squier Affinity Telecaster plugged into a Scarlett 2i2. DAW: Reaper Plugins: WAVES GTR. (To be honest, I don't recall the setting for the guitar used here. It sounds like bagpipes in the intro and that seemed fitting for a hospital where a lot of somber things happen.)
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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A truly life-changing experience and a well-written song is obviously not the only reward. To answer Mr. Cohen's comment, it seems that you found that place where good songs come from Mark --the heart, the soul, the whole of life. Thanks for sharing this little tip of that experience.
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Excellent song and such true lyrics; we all can appreciate the fact that we all have tough times.
Interesting guitar tone, at times it sounds like a blues harp and other times, well I don't know what it sounds like! But it fits the song and that is all that matters.
You did a super job on the mix also.
Two thumbs up.
It takes courage for a man to admit his wife was wrong.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Excellent song and such true lyrics; we all can appreciate the fact that we all have tough times.
Interesting guitar tone, at times it sounds like a blues harp and other times, well I don't know what it sounds like! But it fits the song and that is all that matters.
You did a super job on the mix also.
Two thumbs up. Thanks, Mario! I really appreciate that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Hi Mark. I enjoyed this very much.
Great lyrics band and production.
All the best Rob
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Very nice light rock song that reminds me bit of Dire Straits. Good lyrics and vocals. Nice soft arrangement, enjoyed the guitar playing and its sound.
Janne
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Cool tune. I got the Dire Straits vibe as well. Well done
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Nicely done...dark stories of personal pasts.
The vocal seems to be triggering peripheral artefacts from the effect on it...from essing to a sort of cracking.
You may care little about those and most people won't.
I notice them so comment.
COOL song.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Life's experiences often provide grist for songs. Good job on this song.
Back in HS, a friend was considering going into one of those brotherhood monastery kinds of places. We used to call him Friar Bob.... which he took with a grain of salt so to speak. I wonder about him from time to time if he ever followed through and became a monk.
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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Life's experiences often provide grist for songs. Good job on this song.
Back in HS, a friend was considering going into one of those brotherhood monastery kinds of places. We used to call him Friar Bob.... which he took with a grain of salt so to speak. I wonder about him from time to time if he ever followed through and became a monk. Interesting story. I spent several years in a seminary in New Orleans. (Curiously, I left just before Katrina hit.) The backstories of the guys there varied dramatically. From guys who had escaped Vietnam as kids to lawyers and doctors who felt something missing in their careers, not nearly as many "literary types" as I had expected.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Very nice light rock song that reminds me bit of Dire Straits. Good lyrics and vocals. Nice soft arrangement, enjoyed the guitar playing and its sound.
Janne Thanks, Janne. I picked that BiaB backing track precisely because it reminded me of Dire Straits. I love Knopfler's guitar playing and think he's an excellent songwriter. Comes from that not-a-great-singer-but-an-effective-vocalist school that I've always been drawn too (Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman...) When I was a kid, I played with a lot of distortion. I liked the sound but I also think I used it to bury my vocals a bit. I was an insecure singer. I'm not a much better singer now than I was then but I'm more accepting of my limitations and try to write songs that will work with the voice I have to sing them with. ;o)
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Thanks, Ray.
I'll listen again for that.
Sometimes I hear clicks that result from power surges. (The lights flicker too.) I always hope it never sounds on a recording and sometimes it doesn't. But maybe there's some I failed to notice.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Cool tune. I got the Dire Straits vibe as well. Well done Thanks, Scott. I'm glad you liked it.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Hi Mark. I enjoyed this very much.
Great lyrics band and production.
All the best Rob Thanks, Bob. I appreciate that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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"Probably die the same way you live" That says it all.
Nice story, good song.
moto
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"Probably die the same way you live" That says it all.
Nice story, good song.
moto I knew a priest in his 80s who was one day asked what he thought about deathbed conversions. He said he didn't doubt the possibility but he had not seen one in his almost 60 years as a priest. "People die the way they live," he said. I never forgot that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Interesting song... especially because of the lyrics. Good write!
thanks for sharing,
Will
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Good song, well sung and played. I wasn't too crazy about the amp sim setting. I use waves guitar sometimes and there are a bunch of others you might try, or not. I like 'when doves cry' preset.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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Good song, well sung and played. I wasn't too crazy about the amp sim setting. I use waves guitar sometimes and there are a bunch of others you might try, or not. I like 'when doves cry' preset. I'll have to try other amp sim settings. Mostly I use a clean tone (in Waves CLA Guitar it's the "Cleantone" setting). But I need to find a few other settings for piercing leads (and also for a bit of rhythmic crunch.) Waves GTR3 has so many options it's hard to know where to start!
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Interesting song... especially because of the lyrics. Good write!
thanks for sharing,
Will Thanks, Will. I appreciate that. My songs seem to fall into two categories: those with a focus on the lyric and those with a focus on funky guitar parts where I have a hard time figuring out where to put lyrics at all.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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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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Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
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We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) with 100 brand new RealStyles, plus 28 RealTracks and RealDrums!
Few things are certain in life: death, taxes, and a brand spankin’ new XPro Styles PAK! In this, the 10th edition of our XPro Styles PAK series, we’ve got 100 styles coming your way! We have the classic 25 styles each from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, and rounding out this volume's wildcard slot is 25 styles in the Praise & Worship genre! A wide spanning genre, you can find everything from rock, folk, country, and more underneath its umbrella. The included 28 RealTracks and RealDrums can be used with any Band-in-a-Box® 2026 (and higher) package.
Here’s just a small sampling of what you can look forward to in XPro Styles PAK 10: Soft indie folk worship songs, bumpin’ country boogies, gospel praise breaks, hard rockin’ pop, funky disco grooves, smooth Latin jazz pop, bossa nova fusion, western swing, alternative hip-hop, cool country funk, and much more!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the XPro Styles PAKs 1 - 10 are on sale for only $29 ea (Reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of XPro Styles PAKs.
Video: XPro Styles PAK 10 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
XPro Styles PAKs require Band-in-a-Box® 2025 or higher and are compatible with ANY package, including the Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, and Audiophile Edition.
Introducing Xtra Styles PAK 21 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Mac & Windows Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher) is here with 200 brand new RealStyles!
We're excited to bring you our latest Xtra Styles PAK installment—the all new Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box version 2025 (and higher)!
Rejoice, one and all, for Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Band-in-a-Box® is here! We’re serving up 200 brand spankin’ new styles to delight your musical taste buds! The first three courses are the classics you’ve come to know and love, including offerings from the rock & pop, jazz, and country genres, but, not to be outdone, this year’s fourth course is bro country! A wide ranging genre, you can find everything from hip-hop, uptempo outlaw country, hard hitting rock, funk, and even electronica, all with that familiar bro country flair. The dinner bell has been rung, pickup up Xtra Styles PAK 21 today!
In this PAK you’ll discover: Energetic folk rock, raucous train beats, fast country boogies, acid jazz grooves, laid-back funky jams, a bevy of breezy jazz waltzes, calm electro funk, indie synth pop, industrial synth metal, and more bro country than could possibly fit in the back of a pickup truck!
Special offers until December 31st, 2025!
All the Xtra Styles PAKs 1 - 21 are on special for only $29 each (reg $49), or get all 21 PAKs for $199 (reg $399)! Order now!
Learn more and listen to demos of the Xtra Styles PAK 21.
Video: Xtra Styles PAK 21 Overview & Styles Demos: Watch now!
Note: The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 21 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version because they need the RealTracks from the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
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