Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread
Print Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Be My Medicine Man

I recently wrote a lyric built roughly around the age old theme of lost love with a twist as the lady is influenced by Native American spirituality. Janice and I wanted the arrangement to reflect the NA feeling but I was stuck trying to develop it. I had first thought about a blues feel (home turf) but I contacted Tom to see what he thought about suggesting an arrangement (of course I was hoping he might be interested in playing guitar on it).

Well, in short order he sent us an idea for the rhythmic groove and melody. One thing lead to another and Tom suggested a much better second verse along with some other tweaks and the cool idea of using a flute sample -- just can't say flute loop smile Janice riffed off his melody and this is what came out. I mostly sat back and watched and listened.

Janice: vocal
Tom: acoustic guitar, lead guitar, flute sample, RT/RD selection, mixing and mastering

RealTracks in style: ~388:Bass, Electric, Metal Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 694:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockArp Ev 120
RealTracks in style: 697:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm ElecRockDirty Ev 120
RealDrums: RealDrums in Song: UrbanPopEv8UrbaFolk^3-a,b:cycling

Thanks for taking time to listen and, on behalf of the three of us, comments are most welcome.


Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,270
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 8,270
Wow another awesome song. Lyrics, singing and playing were excellent. Love the tone of the guitar...


Scott Collingwood
https://soundcloud.com/scottt709
https://soundcloud.com/spiritlevel-ca
https://www.youtube.com/@SpiritLevel-ge3hm/
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958
Expert
Offline
Expert
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 958
Bartender, whadeve' med'cine Janice and Bud be drinkin', yeah, gimme some o' that.

In walks Clint Eastwood.

Place goes dead quiet.

Except for the noise of me and my bar stool collapsing to the floor after taking a sip. Sure was a fine taste, tho'

Dean

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,803
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 8,803
Janice / Bud / Tom,

Excellent! Loved it! Great song and vocal. I also think the guitar & arrangement is outstanding.

Bob

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,052
G
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
G
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 7,052
Very cool song! Love the native American musical vibe, and the echoing sound of the guitar after the chorus lines. Very beautiful and hypnotic. You guys never cease to impress. Keep it up. Take care. Greg

User Showcase
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 13
Newbie
Offline
Newbie
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 13
Beautiful song and great mix/production.

This is the first song I've heard from you guys & won't be the last!

Jools


Music is the universal language of mankind
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Originally Posted By: Scottt709
Wow another awesome song. Lyrics, singing and playing were excellent. Love the tone of the guitar...


We appreciate that Scott and, yep, Tom found a great tone for the mood.

Originally Posted By: aleck rand
Bartender, whadeve' med'cine Janice and Bud be drinkin', yeah, gimme some o' that.

In walks Clint Eastwood.

Place goes dead quiet.

Except for the noise of me and my bar stool collapsing to the floor after taking a sip. Sure was a fine taste, tho'

Dean


Thanks Dean!! Your spaghetti western vignette is, well, dead on smile


Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos
User Showcase
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 2,888
Hi Janice, Bud and Tom,

outstanding production.
Love the NA musical vibe, the sound of the flute and the guitar and of course Janice's voice.

Guenter

User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,774
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,774
I like it.... not one of my favorites from you guys but still a respectably decent song and recording.

Good job.


You can find my music at:
www.herbhartley.com
Add 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.
User Showcase
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,497
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 4,497
Hi, Bud & Janice and Tommy !:))


This is just superb music superbly
performed !:)) You have really
got the right feel for "Medicine Man"
at least to me it sounds a bit
indian ? :))

I have to say WOW !! :))

Cheers
Dani

User Showcase
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 169
Apprentice
Offline
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 169
Ah yes! Sit back and take a swig in the ears of some good old fashion music scoring.


When's the movie coming out!


Anytime you can sit back and have a Bud just watching and listening, you ought get the Dr. over and check for a pulse:)


DA...


Hp Z Workstation - Akai MPK 49 - Intimate Headphone Listening http://soundcloud.com/digital-angel
User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Originally Posted By: rsdean
Janice / Bud / Tom,

Excellent! Loved it! Great song and vocal. I also think the guitar & arrangement is outstanding.

Bob


Thanks Bob, yep, Tom did a heckuva job playing on and arranging the tune.


Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
Very cool song! Love the native American musical vibe, and the echoing sound of the guitar after the chorus lines. Very beautiful and hypnotic. You guys never cease to impress. Keep it up. Take care. Greg


Thank you so much Greg. That's exactly the sound we were looking for!


Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos
User Showcase
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,838
C
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
C
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 8,838
Good song and quite unique. This is a good collaborative effort with Tom.


BIAB 2025:RB 2025, Latest builds: Dell Optiplex 7040 Desktop; Windows-10-64 bit, Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz CPU and 16 GB Ram Memory.
User Showcase
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,109
wow, I liked this one quite a bit!

Here's what I liked:

1) the overall flow of the song just worked for me in a mysterious way that's hard to pin down> Maybe it was the way the mix flowed so smoothly and fused with Janice's voice so tightly that it didn't sound like separate entities at all, but rather as one cohesive unit.

2) I liked the recurring guitar riff... to me that sort of thing really goes a long way toward making a song recognizable and unique

3) the native flute was good call.. IMO, it totally worked (and usually I don't like that sort of thing... all too often it sounds contrived to me)

4) The beat was consistent with a tribal dance, but I kept expecting native drums rather than the more electric hand-clap kit. Maybe the introduction of such drums would have pushed the native theme into "contrived" territory, but my gut feeling is that it wouldn't have.

5) If you are familiar with the book/movie WHALE RIDER, this song took my mind there. Although that story is not about native Americans, it is about New Zealand Maori, which would be their equivalent. The line "Grandfather said I was a chosen one " is what stirred the association.

Very nice in every way! Hats off to all the participants in this project!

User Showcase
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Veteran
OP Offline
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,033
Originally Posted By: Jools B
Beautiful song and great mix/production.

This is the first song I've heard from you guys & won't be the last!

Jools


Thanks! We appreciate that.


Originally Posted By: boehm
Hi Janice, Bud and Tom,

outstanding production.
Love the NA musical vibe, the sound of the flute and the guitar and of course Janice's voice.

Guenter


Thank you Guenter. This was definitely on the experimental side for us!


Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more.
If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks!
Our Videos
User Showcase
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,086
This is really cool. I like it.

Great job Tom, Janice and Bud.

Two thumbs up!


Josie

User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Scott and Bob, thanks for checking in and commenting. We appreciate it.

Aleck and Greg, we were looking for that Clint Eastwood spaghetti western feel. We're glad you two liked it. Thanks for listening.

Jools, Guenter, Herb and Dani, thanks for listening and the kind words. Your comments are appreciated.

Tom

User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
DA, thank you for taking the time to listen and comment.

Pat, your comments are always enlightening. We are very glad that you took the time to listen and to be be very specific in your comments. I actually deleted a few guitar riffs as I felt they were too repetitious. The flute had to be pitch corrected but it seemed to fit. I was lucky to find that. Oddly enough there aren't that many NA loops out there. The drums were a little tricky to get sounding right because the low end was muddying up the whole track. But I think it is pretty close. This was an unusual project for all of us but we work well together as a team. Thanks again, glad you checked in.

Josie, We're happy you liked it. If we get 2 thumbs up from you, I feel we did pretty good. Thanks, Tom

User Showcase
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 4,335
Sorry Charlie, I almost missed thanking you. Thanks for stopping by. Tom

User Showcase
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,079
Veteran
Offline
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,079
Janice, Bud and Tommy,

That was a lovely song, great spiritual, native american vibe. Well according to my Welsh ears!!
Quote:
Love the NA musical vibe, the sound of the flute and the guitar and of course Janice's voice.
I echo that quote from Guenter.

enjoyed

Alyn

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Go To
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Link Copied to Clipboard
ChatPG

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.

PG Music News
PowerTracks Pro 2026 for Windows is Here!

PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.

The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.

The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.

Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!

Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.

Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!

Order now!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!

Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!

We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!

Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.

Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!

Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.

If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!

Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!

Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!

We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!

There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.

When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.

Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.

Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!

Season's Greetings!

Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!

The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.

Team PG

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window

In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe

This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.

Watch the video.

You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!

Forum Statistics
Forums57
Topics85,977
Posts798,546
Members40,003
Most Online44,367
Mar 4th, 2026
Newest Members
brendcrns01, JOHNSON01, Jacko192, Punam, Caminerin
40,003 Registered Users
Top Posters(30 Days)
MarioD 163
DC Ron 120
rsdean 105
Noel96 104
DrDan 78
Today's Birthdays
Cygni_61, LisaHaywood
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5