|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618 |
I sadly have less and less time to write, let alone listen, these days. That said, I just wanted to share this little song here ... hope you like it. Hopefully, my schedule will lighten up soon, and inspiration and the mood to write will come back soon. Anyway, all feedback welcome - thanks for taking the time to listen. https://jamesdelsono.bandcamp.com/track/a-melody-for-our-soulsA MELODY FOR OUR SOULS See, every time I write a love song And picture you sat by my side, I feel that, somehow, something's wrong And it's as if you had died. And every time I try to write About something, someone else instead It is the dream of YOUR sight That reminds me our love is dead. ... and yet ... You are alive,
Somewhere, a place I'll never see ...
You are not mine,
In my arms, again, you'll never be.*** And so, each, every time I write a love song My pen stops here, uninspired By anything apart from our love, long gone ... It is so late, now, and I am tired ... And yet, rather than to an empty bed Retire, my quill hovers, over here ... Our love may long have been gone ... and yet, In writing, I can let flow one more tear ... For you are alive,
Somewhere, a place I'll never see
You are not mine, forever not mine ...
In my arms, again, you'll never be.*** Remembering, remembering The night you said "I'm ever yours", I cry and close my eyes, and write A melody for our souls. ****** Song Summary ************* Title: A Melody for Our Souls File:A Melody for Our Souls.SGU Key=C , Tempo 100, Length (m:s)=3:57 No intro. 128 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 128. Repeat x1 chorus No Melody No Soloist track. Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0, Song is saved with bar changes for Key Signature, Style is _WHIMSY.STY (Whimsical Piano Country Waltz) RealTracks in style: ~1122:Bass, Acoustic, CountryWaltz Sw 110 RealTracks in style: ~2049:Piano, Acoustic, Solo-Accompaniment CountryWaltzJohn Sw 085 RealTracks in style: 829:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Country Waltz Sw 110 (A:held) RealTracks in style: ~~689:Organ, B3, Background Pop Ev 085 RealDrums [in style:NashClassicWaltzSw^4-a:Snare, HiHat , b:Snare, Ride *******************
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,600
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,600 |
Hi James,
What a journey!
Bernie Taupin once wrote some lyrics for an Elton John melody that said, "Sad songs, they say so much." It was while I was listening to your words that this thought popped into my mind.
I love how verse 1 captures the emptiness and loneliness of a broken relationship. This leads perfectly into the next stage of the story where the song's writer/character is having a hard time finding words to express his feelings.
When the journey gets to the last line of verse 4—where you say, "In writing, I can let flow one more tear"—it seemed to me that this is the most important line of the song. It's as though every previous line leads to this moment. In this line, the song's character is crying through his crafting of a song. Even though his mind might be numbed and dazed, his heart is sobbing.
I know you like being inventive with your composing. This is no exception. Juxtaposing sad lyrics against a slightly buoyant backing created an interesting contrast. The combination of words, backing and your vocals kept me engaged for the whole length of the song.
I enjoyed listening and appreciate where your song took me.
I hope that life stops being so busy for you!
Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,742
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,742 |
James, you said that you were very busy these days so you had little time to both write and listen to songs. If you can keep writing masterpieces like this while you are very busy I hope you keep being very busy  Seriously this is an outstanding song. The backing tracks match those extremely sad lyrics perfectly, brilliant! This is your best to date IMHO!
I arrived early to a restaurant.
The manager asks, "do you mind waiting a bit?"
I said no.
"Good", he said. "Take these drinks to table 3"
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,749 |
Your poetry is always inspiring.
Well done!
moto
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2018
Posts: 2,060 |
James,
Nice one, nice write. That chorus is achingly sad. Well done! Here’s hoping things slow down for you and you can spend more time sharing your music.
All my best to you,
Deej
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,062
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 6,062 |
Hi James,
Good writing! And the spoken word delivery works well.
Good job on the backing track too, well done.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618 |
Noel: thanks so much for such a thoughtful and in-depth review. The reason I put a buoyant background track underneath sad lyrics is because I wanted to convey that the character in the song is keeping a brave face in front of adversity - it's all "major key" on the face of it, but the lyrics tell a different story. I don't know if I conveyed that, but that was the idea :-) . Again, thank you for your wonderful and kind review!
Mario: wow. I'm so glad you enjoyed the song. Don't know if it's my best so far, but yes, I think that the lyrics were "to the point" on this one, so perhaps that's a reason why you may have liked it? Who knows. but THANK YOU for listening and for such a wonderful reaction and review to it!
Captain Moto, Deej and BlueAttitude: thank you. I, too, hope to be less busy soon. In the meantime, it warms the heart to hear such nice reviews, honestly. Thanks so much for taking the time to listen and provide feedback :-)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 1,362
Expert
|
|
Expert
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 1,362 |
So, so beautiful... I don't have the words to explain how much I enjoyed this... it is a stunning piece of music!
Will
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618 |
Thanks so much, Will - wow. I'm so grateful for such a wonderful reaction to any song of mine, and for such words. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,665
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 5,665 |
James,
I can truly relate to what you said about not having the time to work on music! It's such a shame to not be able to do what we love but it makes us appreciate the valuable time we do have and make it count!
You did an excellent job putting this one together! Your mix sounds good and your words paint a lovely picture once again!
Hopefully you'll soon find more time to devote to your music! Take care, Torrey
Last edited by Torrey Bliss; 09/02/21 03:48 PM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 3,007
PG Music Staff
|
|
PG Music Staff
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 3,007 |
This is a stunning piece! You may not have much time to write, listen, or play right now, but I think this shows that when you do get the time to do so, you'll knock it out of the park. Well done, and thanks for taking the time, as always, to share what you make with us! We love hearing what you guys make. It's definitely one of the major highlights of my day getting to listen to what everyone here on the forum creates.
Cheers,
Ember
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,922
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 12,922 |
James,
A solid write. Mix is good.
fj
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618 |
My word. So much positive reaction - thank you, each and every one of you, for such nice words.
Torrey: time is always a challenge, but ... we HAVE to make time. Simply MUST.
Ember: thank you for such kind words. So happy you enjoyed this little effort of mine. Without Band-in-a-Box, none of my songs would exist today, so a special thanks to all of the staff at PG Music for making this happen and for listening to the results of what you have helped create.
fj: thanks for a fair appraisal of this work :-) I've done better, I've done worse, I think ... so yes, "solid write" is more than fair, I think, haha. Thanks for listening!!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 294
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 294 |
Hi James, Whenever I hear your songs, they always remind me of back in the 70's when Telly Savalas used to sing songs. You use a lot of the same inflections in your voice and evoke so much emotions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J94-_w9ARX0It's always a nice listen. Thanks for posting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,276
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,276 |
The juxtaposition is cool...it works well and the result leaves me hoping for a melodic rendition to come.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,148
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 16,148 |
A Noel said the contrast of the lyric and the backing tracks adds a different
(and effective) dimension to your song.
Also the Victorian aspects of some word choices enriches the imagery.
The build of the story from V1 is great.
Nice mix too!
Kudos,
J&B
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: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,784
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 2,784 |
Hi James,
Your song was very pleasant to listen to, in spite of the sad story.
While listening my attention drifted away from your words and replace them with images of my own.
Still your spoken words sounded through all of this and brought me back to your lyrics. It is beautiful to experience how spoken words and your voice can charm one's mind.
You've made a lot of progress,
Hans
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
User Showcase
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,618 |
Thanks all. Dunno about a melodic version right now, Ray, but who knows, if I get the time! Thanks, everyone, for listening and for your very kind comments, once more!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- 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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
XPro & Xtra Styles PAK Sets On Sale Now - Until May 15, 2026!
All of our XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAKs are on sale until May 15th, 2026!
It's the perfect time to expand your Band-in-a-Box® style library with XPro and Xtra Styles PAKs. These additional styles for Band-in-a-Box® offer a wide range of genres designed to fit seamlessly into your projects. Each style is professionally arranged and mixed, helping enhance your songs while saving you time.
What are XPro Styles and Xtra Styles PAKs?
XPro Styles PAKs are styles that work with any version (Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition) of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). XPro Styles PAKS 1-10 includes 1,000 styles!
Xtra Styles PAKs are styles that work with the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box® 2025 (or higher). Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 includes 3,700 styles (and 35 MIDI styles)!
The XPro & Xtra Styles PAKs are not included in any Band-in-a-Box® package.
The XPro Styles PAKs 1-10 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the XPro Styles PAK Bundle for only $149 (reg. $299)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
The Xtra Styles PAKs 1-21 are available for only $29 ea (reg. $49 ea), or get them all in the Xtra Styles PAK Bundle for only $199 (reg. $349)! Listen to demos and order now! For Mac or for Windows.
Note: 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.
The Xtra Styles require the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition of Band-in-a-Box®. (Xtra Styles PAK 19 requires the 2025 or higher UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition. They will not work with the Pro or MegaPAK version as they require the RealTracks included in the UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, or Audiophile Edition.
Supercharge your Band-in-a-Box today with XPro Styles PAKs and Xtra Styles PAK Sets!
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.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Check out this forum post for "One Stop Shopping" of our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Videos!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Mac is Here!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Holiday Weekend Hours
As we hop into the Easter weekend, here are our holiday hours:
April 3 (Good Friday): 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM PDT
April 4 (Saturday): Closed
April 5 (Easter Sunday): Closed
April 6 (Easter Monday): Open regular hours
Wishing you an egg-cellent weekend!
— Team PG
Update to Build 10 of RealBand® 2026 for Windows®!
If you're already using RealBand 2026 for Windows, download build 10 to get all the latest additions and enhancements.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics86,274
Posts802,572
Members40,079
| |
Most Online64,515
Apr 8th, 2026
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are no members with birthdays on this day. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean