An acoustic waltz festooned with electropop arpeggios.
This is a small instrumental I wrote a very long time ago, at the time of my graduation from the religious school I attended for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. It had words, but due to their teenage quality I am suppressing them in favor of this executive summary:
“Well, here we are, you and I. For years we were taught there was a god to protect us, but we know all we’ve really got is one another and now we can stop pretending. We are all that there is. I’ll believe in you if you believe in me.”
Laid out in Band-in-a-Box and finished up in Logic Pro. In the end we wind up with:
~364:Guitar, Acoustic, Fingerpicking Ev 065 ~368:Guitar, Acoustic, Strumming Ev 065
electric piano horn section recorder trumpet organ violin
EXCELLENT song Its nice to hear more instrumentals Super mix Great dynamics Two thumbs up
Thanks, Mario. And a hearty yo ho ho for more instrumentals.
Sometimes I feel like I'm at a starting disadvantage, being (with rare exceptions) a maker of instrumental music.
But then I think: "Hey, a singer is stuck with the voice they have, all the time, on everything they do, which places a huge burden on the lyrical and emotional content of their music. Plus they have to carve out a space in the mix and make sure their voice stands out against everything else, no matter how interesting the other stuff is. With an instrumental, however, you can go nutz and play with the whole range of tone colors available and 'sing' with a different voice in every verse."
So, again, yo ho ho for instrumentals and thanks for hear + speak. =8^)
You sure know how to surprise me with your creations! It's a wonderful melody, with a climbing harshness towards the end. Don't know if it was the electric piano and the guitar together, but that gave the song a nice twist.
You sure know how to surprise me with your creations! It's a wonderful melody, with a climbing harshness towards the end. Don't know if it was the electric piano and the guitar together, but that gave the song a nice twist. Enjoyed it!
Thanks, Hans, very glad you liked. I'm an old dog learning new tricks, working with ancient sheet music I carefully wrote out in 197* (the corner of the page is missing, I think it was 1974 but it could have been even earlier). I see that even back then I was intrigued by diminished chords, which are very audible here with all the arpeggiated hokey-pokey. Again, thank you.
It starts out sounding like something from medieval times and then with the arpeggios moves into a a time far, far into the future.
For me (Janice) this is a very visual song and I imagined I was on a merry-go-round inside of a kaleidoscope.
We don't have a clue as to how you produced all those tracks other than the RT's but let a big ole "well done" suffice.
We enjoyed this!
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 are here on our website.
Very cool! It starts out sounding like something from medieval times and then with the arpeggios moves into a a time far, far into the future. For me (Janice) this is a very visual song and I imagined I was on a merry-go-round inside of a kaleidoscope. We don't have a clue as to how you produced all those tracks other than the RT's but let a big ole "well done" suffice. We enjoyed this!
Thanks, folks.
By no coincidence the lead virtual instrument here is actually called "Medieval Recorder" in Logic, which is odd since recorders are still around today in the exact same form. I guess they want to distinguish the musical instrument from the kind of recorder that records.
Janice, your description of the merry-go-round / kaledioscope sounds like a fairy trap out of a Thomas Disch novel (he wrote about a world in which fairies fly around making nuisances of themselves, so people build fancy visual machines as defenses; the fairies stop to look and can never look away.) I'm happy to conjure an image like that! =8^)
PS – Attached is a picture of my arpegiattor (his name is "Arpegiattor"). Put two of these together and that's all that there is to it!
Really well done and a very creative arrangement . . . had me listening to the end, wondering where it might go next . . . it didn’t disappoint. Good stuff!
I love waltzes and I love waltzes that travel along with the feel of 6/8. So from bar 1, you had me (with two boxes of likeability ticked). This is a greatly inventive arrangement. It's mesmerizing how you move from and older sound into the world of distorted guitars. My right foot didn't stop tapping from start to end. A terrific listen.
So glad you dug it, thank you for listening!
Believe it or not, a version I recorded in 1986 sounds almost identical, except here I'm playing actual guitars and recorders, the arpeggio being supplied by an MC-202 MicroComposer:
Beautiful folk melody and very nice chord progression. I like the doubled recorder. Those arpeggios work really well, somehow reminds me of music in the computer games I used to play in the 80's with my Commodore 64 or those songs I made with it You should work on the lyrics, the summary is very promising
it's a very melodic and soft instrumental composition. I appreciated.
Originally Posted By: Scott C
Very pretty tune. Loved the melody. Got a Celtic vibe.
Originally Posted By: jannesan
Beautiful folk melody and very nice chord progression. I like the doubled recorder. Those arpeggios work really well, somehow reminds me of music in the computer games I used to play in the 80's with my Commodore 64 or those songs I made with it You should work on the lyrics, the summary is very promising
Thanks, all. It's really nice to see people liking this old thing after all this time.
FYI, here's the MicroComposer that did those arps back in the day.
Back in the day I desperately wanted an arpeggiator, as I was - and still am - a fairly mediocre keyboard player, and they seemed like a whole lot of fun.
Which is exactly the sort of sound it lends here.
Plus, waltzes are fun to listen to.
I can commiserate with you about instrumentals. I always feel a bit guilty when I write one, thinking I really should be working on lyrics. But I don't really feel that way when I listen to other people's instrumentals, oddly enough.
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.
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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:
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-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)
Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
Join Tobin as he takes you on a tour of the new user interface in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®! This modern GUI redesign offers a sleek new look with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, and a smoother workflow. The brand-new side toolbar puts track selection, the MultiPicker Library, and other essential tools right at your fingertips. Plus, our upgraded Multi-View lets you layer multiple windows without overlap, giving you a highly flexible workspace. Many windows—including Tracks, Piano Roll, and more—have been redesigned for improved usability and a cleaner, more intuitive interface, and more!
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
We've just released XPro Styles PAK 10 for Windows & Mac 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.
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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 Windows Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
Xtra Styles PAK 21 for Windows & Mac 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!
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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!
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.
Introducing XPro Styles PAK 10 – Now Available for Mac Band-in-a-Box 2025 and Higher!
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!
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!
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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