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When I was a teen, my Shop teacher, Mr. Jerry Molstad, invited me to spend a couple of weeks on his parents' farm in eastern South Dakota. They were all salt of the earth, and so good to me, well it's a time in my life I'll always treasure. Sadly, Mr. Molstad passed away some twenty years later, and it was probably twenty years after that I stopped by the farm while home on a visit, which was probably when the song idea formed. I'm happy to report that the farm remains in the family. I've been in contact with them and shared an acoustic version of the song. I needed to know they were okay with it. They were/are, and so here's a full production of Summer On The Molstad Farm , a song inspired by real events. It's also on YouTube. Lyrics and notes are below. Thanks for the listens and any feedback:) He taught school to us city kids but his family farmed Folks were third generation there was a house and a barn And a couple thousand acres of prime South Dakota land When he asked if anybody wanted a job for the summer I raised my hand Now this was back in the day when the boys took Shop and all the girls Home-Ec There’s a lot that I don’t remember, some things you don’t forget Like the new Pontiac Grand Prix he was driving when he picked me up Flax fields turning into an ocean of blue when the Sun came up Chorus: That summer on the Molstad farm Had a hot red neck and an ache in my arm From working all day Baling that hay Digging down deep Earning my keep I remember how cool I felt The time they let me have a cold Grain Belt Nah, it never did me no harm That summer, summer on the Molstad farm After all this time gone by, after so much has changed Standing here on the family farm feels a little strange Like it did that first morning looking over God’s green earth I was just a teenage kid hoping I would prove my worth I often come here in my mind retracing steps I often wonder if they knew how much it meant All the trust they placed in me, all those lessons learned They're with me here right now and whenever I return To that summer…. Mixed and Mastered in Studio One Processed with outboard gear and plugins by Izotope, Waves, IK Multimedia Lead Vocal is me. BGV's are me and a combination of vocal tracks created with Nectar 3 / Melodyne Style is _HINTER.STY (Hinterland Rocking Country) 1254:Bass, Electric, PopShiningSync Ev 120 Held (Verse) 1254:Bass, Electric, PopShiningSync Ev 120 (Chorus) 2934:Guitar, Acoustic, Rhythm FolkySync8thsFintan Ev 140 2494:Piano, Acoustic, HeldChords 120 Held 2499:Guitar, Baritone Electric, Rhythm PopCountryBrent Ev 120 2535:Guitar, Electric, HeldChords Gritty 852:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm NashvillePopClean Ev 120 (B:arp) 844:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryRockPopping Ev 120 RealDrums NashvilleEven8^8-a:Snare, HiHat Open , b:Snare, Ride
Last edited by Scott H. Olson; 03/17/26 05:56 AM.
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Good song, good vox, good production. Just plain good.
Windows 11, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 2i2, Sony Acid Music Studio 10, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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Super song, Scott. Love the arrangement of the BiaB backing track: It's subtle but engaging. Super backing vocals, too. Perfect mix.
Resonates with me, too. Spent summers on my grandfather's one-farmer farm when I was a teen. Character building experience for sure...
DC Ron
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Too many guitars (is that a thing?)
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Scott,
Love this! The story, lyrics, vocals - everything just works so well. And an awesome mix to wrap it all up!
Bob
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Scott,
Salt of the earth start to finish.
Good write.
Excellent arrangement/production.
Excellent vocals.
Nice mix. Crisp, clean, clear.
Well done.
fj
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Hi Scott,
Great vocals and really well written. I like your arrangement, the bit with just the piano and vocal works really well.
Excellent song, enjoyed!
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Good to keep those memories in a song. I do it often.
Your production, vocal and arrangement is fitting too. Great lyrics.
I love it. Well done.
Vic
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Scott, this is a masterpiece
Great vocal and arrangement
Super mix
Loved it
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
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A great song and tribute. The use of BiaB instrumentation is excellent, as are the arrangement and production. Really enjoyed the listen.
Some favourite Waoist Adages:
#1: Play on the Way.
#13: Ask not for whom the flower blooms, it blooms for you.
#58: Bring consciousness to it.
#63: On the road to effortlessness, effort must be made.
#92: Be Love Now, the rest will come on its own.
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Very well written Country classic, Scott! The lilting and hooky energetic melody fits the personal conversational story line to a T.
John
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What a great experience that started this outstanding song. Love it, Scott. Man, happy you had the experience and now share it with us all. Such a good write, and a fine production. I like the breakdown and how it comes back out --very dynamic. Excellent vocals and harmonies.
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Loved your vocal. Excellent country tune. Production was top notch. Well done
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Super song, a great story, fantastic vocals, and perfectly produced. My new favorite song of yours, Scott. Excellent ![[Linked Image - Only viewable when logged in]](https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/images/icons/default/thumbs_up.gif)
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Good song, good vox, good production. Just plain good. Thanks! Super song, Scott. Love the arrangement of the BiaB backing track: It's subtle but engaging. Super backing vocals, too. Perfect mix.
Resonates with me, too. Spent summers on my grandfather's one-farmer farm when I was a teen. Character building experience for sure... Thanks for all of that. I had settled on the band and the music arrangement early on I guess, but I went back to the backing vocals several times trying to add depth and interest. I get impatient or lazy I suppose and I just want to release a song...now. So I'm glad you noticed the BGV's:)
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“I often wonder if they knew how much it meant
All the trust they placed in me, all those lessons learned”
The above lines are so relatable.
Bud also has similar memories and Janice has heard him and her brothers reminiscing about the same.
This is a winning package full of excellent visuals in the lyric, great vocals, band and arrangement.
The piano accompaniment with the vocal after the first chorus shows just how well the “less is more” adds to the contemplative feel of those lines.
Loved it!
J&B
PS We posted a song about a barn recently. It’s so cool to hear another farm narrative here. They are rare.
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
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Really nice. Clean mix and a great story song
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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Scott,
Love this! The story, lyrics, vocals - everything just works so well. And an awesome mix to wrap it all up!
Bob Gosh, thanks, Bob:) Scott,
Salt of the earth start to finish.
Good write.
Excellent arrangement/production.
Excellent vocals.
Nice mix. Crisp, clean, clear.
Well done.
fj That all means a lot, Floyd! Thanks so much. Hi Scott,
Great vocals and really well written. I like your arrangement, the bit with just the piano and vocal works really well.
Excellent song, enjoyed! I needed some contrast, and I tried and failed at various options along the way, so I'm glad it works okay. Thanks for listening and for mentioning that. Good to keep those memories in a song. I do it often.
Your production, vocal and arrangement is fitting too. Great lyrics.
I love it. Well done.
Vic Thanks for the spin and taking the time to comment. Scott, this is a masterpiece
Great vocal and arrangement
Super mix
Loved it What lovely things to say, Mario! Thank you!!
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Hi Scott,
A wonderful childhood experience wrapped in a fine song.
Its structure and especially the lyrics are very beautiful.
Your voice sounds really pleasant to listen to.
This is how you share your memories in a pleasant way with everyone who hears this song.
And it is nice to hear that there is still a bond with Jerry Molstad's family!
Hans
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Interesting backstory, nice to hear how it inspired you to write this unique song about your treasure. I enjoyed the vivid images in the lyrics, I can really feel your summer and the smell of the farm, nostalgic real life experiences, learning and appreciation, all wrapped in a beautiful package. Good upbeat tempo with very catchy melody. Great vocals and the band fits perfectly with the story. And the mix is especially strong.
Janne
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A great song and tribute. The use of BiaB instrumentation is excellent, as are the arrangement and production. Really enjoyed the listen. Thanks so much! Very well written Country classic, Scott! The lilting and hooky energetic melody fits the personal conversational story line to a T.
John For the longest time I wasn't sure what the story should be. So glad you found it fitting, and thanks for those heart warming comments! What a great experience that started this outstanding song. Love it, Scott. Man, happy you had the experience and now share it with us all. Such a good write, and a fine production. I like the breakdown and how it comes back out --very dynamic. Excellent vocals and harmonies. Oh my gosh. Thanks! I was comfortable with the first half of the song, but the second half was harder to come by, which is often the case for me. Once I felt fairly good about those later verses, I wasn't sure about the music or the instruments. I appreciate you mentioning that:) Loved your vocal. Excellent country tune. Production was top notch. Well done Thanks for the spin the kind review! Super song, a great story, fantastic vocals, and perfectly produced. My new favorite song of yours, Scott. Excellent Thank you!! “I often wonder if they knew how much it meant
All the trust they placed in me, all those lessons learned”
The above lines are so relatable.
Bud also has similar memories and Janice has heard him and her brothers reminiscing about the same.
This is a winning package full of excellent visuals in the lyric, great vocals, band and arrangement.
The piano accompaniment with the vocal after the first chorus shows just how well the “less is more” adds to the contemplative feel of those lines.
Loved it!
J&B
PS We posted a song about a barn recently. It’s so cool to hear another farm narrative here. They are rare. You two always say the kindest things and so eloquently at that. What you highlighted are aspects of the song I worried most about. Can't tell how happy it makes me to know that you and others found those aspects to be appropriate or even pleasing. Thank you!! When you posted 'The Barn' I was knee deep in this song and it was like 'No way! Janice & Bud just shared a song about Bud's teenage memories of working on a farm. What are the odds of that?'
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