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A song for my old writing teacher. Always Better to Make a Mistake by Mark Rhodes Always Better To Make A Mistake Words and Music by Mark Rhodes (c) March 2021 My old writing teacher Taught wearing a black gown To show his commitment He never let me down He said nothing useful Comes to those who wait And those who seek perfection Will die outside the gate. Son, it's always better to make a mistake Than sit on your [*****] and do nothing For fear you'll make a mistake--- That's the one mistake you can't unmake... [Make] a mistake Make it early in the day Make another right after lunch And pretty soon you'll be on your way [Interlude] Stop giving yourself credit For the things that you despise God lies in the edit A blank page can't be revised [Chorus]
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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It's a good song and narrative Mark.
You could blend your guitar into the backing a little more and treat the sibilance but they aren't mistakes so much as things that may or may not be.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Very cool tune.. I like your singing voice. neet guitar licks too...
well done.
Bandcamp Win-11; BiaB-2026 Audiophile (latest version)
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It's a good song and narrative Mark.
You could blend your guitar into the backing a little more and treat the sibilance but they aren't mistakes so much as things that may or may not be. Thanks, Ray. This is one that has been around for months and but the chorus wasn't quite right. I had to drop a word to get the flow right. That idea just came to me the other morning and I did this. Next year, I'll refine the whole thing. (Adding more guitars, no doubt. Maybe a solo section.) I always appreciate your comments. The past few months have been a real challenge in other areas (-had to move mom, 92, from one assisted living facility to another and help her adjust, which is a real challenge. Mom's motto is, "I hate change!") I'm hoping to spend next year focusing more on the finer points of recording and mixing and actually submit some songs to publishers.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Very cool tune.. I like your singing voice. neet guitar licks too...
well done. Thank you! I always hated my voice. Can't say I love it now but I've come to terms with what it can and cannot do.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Nice tribute! Plus, darned writing good advice. 
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
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Hi Mark,
liked that one very much - fine lyrics.
And the whole thing has a nice Tom Petty feel, I think.
Take care,
Stefan
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Very cool song!! I really like your voice and your vocal delivery!! Mix sounds really good to me! Nice work!!! Take care. Greg
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Very cool song!! I really like your voice and your vocal delivery!! Mix sounds really good to me! Nice work!!! Take care. Greg Thanks, Greg. That means a lot to me.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Hi Mark,
liked that one very much - fine lyrics.
And the whole thing has a nice Tom Petty feel, I think.
Take care,
Stefan
Thank you. Funny you should mention Tom Petty. I hadn't thought of this song having a Tom Petty feel but another one I'm working on==="You Can't Put Down Roots In Sand"===has a strong Tom Petty feel. To me, anyway. I like a lot of Petty's songs.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Cool tune. Nice tribute to your teacher. Well done.
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Your old writing teacher would be proud of your lyric writing.
What a wonderful tribute! Teachers like to know that have had an impact on their students.
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Dear Mr. Rhodes...
A slow-tempo song, especially if it's bluesy, usually captures my attention right away, because it promises music and lyrics that will take their time to reveal their pleasures. Your lyrics are intriguing and imaginative, and if that was your singing voice I heard, to my ears it was clear and declarative, in-tune and in-time, as though you were the writing teacher delivering a lesson to your listeners. For a moment I thought I heard the optimistic, yet melancholy tone of John Lennon's singing voice, filtered through your unique vocal stylings. The Real Tracks were 'on the money', too.
Last thing: did you perform on an electric guitar in this production? What I heard didn't sound like a Real Track. It was too spontaneous and expressive in its phrasing, too casual and comfortable in its feeling.
"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
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Hello Mark
Very good singing
The voice fits the song very well
Good mix
Thanks for sharing
Many greetings
Andi ;-)
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Dear Mr. Rhodes...
A slow-tempo song, especially if it's bluesy, usually captures my attention right away, because it promises music and lyrics that will take their time to reveal their pleasures. Your lyrics are intriguing and imaginative, and if that was your singing voice I heard, to my ears it was clear and declarative, in-tune and in-time, as though you were the writing teacher delivering a lesson to your listeners. For a moment I thought I heard the optimistic, yet melancholy tone of John Lennon's singing voice, filtered through your unique vocal stylings. The Real Tracks were 'on the money', too.
Last thing: did you perform on an electric guitar in this production? What I heard didn't sound like a Real Track. It was too spontaneous and expressive in its phrasing, too casual and comfortable in its feeling.
Thank you, bluage. I'm always surprised to hear anything positive about my voice. Years ago I was told point blank years ago by a noted producer, "No one will ever listen to a demo with your voice on it." It's always nice to know someone can tolerate it. ;o) Yes, I played an electric guitar here, my Squier Affinity Tele. It's what I play on almost everything these days.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Your old writing teacher would be proud of your lyric writing.
What a wonderful tribute! Teachers like to know that have had an impact on their students. Thank you. I have known a few teachers and they have said the same thing: they like knowing they've had a positive impact on a student's life.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Cool tune. Nice tribute to your teacher. Well done. Thanks, Scott. I appreciate that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Liked what you've done here. Especially like the line "God lies in the edit." Good work!
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Stephen Lee Pearce seems like a very influential, inspiring, and memorable fellow. I like the song, Mark, and your use of the BiaB gals. The chorus is very catchy. No mistake about it.
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I'm always surprised to hear anything positive about my voice. Years ago I was told point blank years ago by a noted producer, "No one will ever listen to a demo with your voice on it." It's always nice to know someone can tolerate it. ;o)
Mr. Rhodes... I gotta comment on what that producer told you about your vocal talents. I feel VERY strongly that when certain people offer their opinions about the quality of someone else's singing voice, they speak as though they had declared themselves to be absolute experts in that area. To my mind, they are only being mean-spirited because they know how anxious a performer is about pleasing their audience, and they take advantage of that to ruin that performer's day. As far as I'm concerned, if a person can sing with a reasonable amount of pitch control, and has an ability to phrase lyrics with just enough of a sense of drama to set the mood, then, dammit, that performer can 'sing'. It's the feeling that matters most.
"Music is what feelings sound like."-- borrowed from a Cakewalk Music Creator forum member, "Mamabear".
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