Hey ya'll,

Here's my latest song, a sing along toe tapper I wrote three months ago and my first ever video that I produced all by myself.

It Is What It Is - Video on Youtube.


Hope you all enjoy the song and video.


Here's a link for those who prefer to listen instead of watch...
It Is What It Is - Song only on Soundcloud.


RT's used are NashEv8 drums, bass 683,
guitars 405,703,1574,1945,
resonators 408,2040.
I edit my tracks some quite heavily.

Hey Josie:

I really like this song. It's a good idea and the video works well with it.

I'd like to know a bit more about how you produced all the BGV and how produced the video.

Good Job.

John

Josie,

Great song, and nice video.

I've said the phrase to my wife and kids all our lives.
"It is what it is". Great idea and hook.

Your lyrics add nicely to the story.

Thanks for sharing!

wow! that was one of my best friends favorite sayings, and I actually tried to write a song with that line, but you nailed it!
Loved you're song

WOW! A toe-tapper is an excellent description.
The stop on NAH! was EXCELLENT
I like the song a lot and can think of nothing clever to say 'cept that song is what it is!

Alyn

ps I also now add that I sang the chorus, in my head, for quite a considerable time until a friend mentioned "the things we do for love" by 10cc so I sang that for a while until your song eventually replaced it AGAIN
I have directed him to your song to see if it has the same effect on him!

Alyn

Josie, you hit the nail on the head with this one. Your vocal is perfect, and the harmonies are a nice touch. Thanks for sharing!

you've taken a highly identifiable concept here and presented it in a way that could allow listeners to reframe a bad situation into something more positive. There's a market for songs like that, IMO.

Are those tapping feet yours? Or is it downloaded public domain stuff? Very clever, either way.

I like the line:

Hi Josie,

very clever lyrics and nice production.
I love your background vocals.
The video is very enjoyable. The bubbles and
tapping feet are a good idea and perfectly
visualize the song.
Only nit pick: I would remove that stencil effect
that appears twice. For me it doesn't fit to the
rest. But that's just my opinion.

Guenter

Hey Josie.

I love EVERYTHING about this song. It's just such a completely professional package.

Like Alyn, I can't stop singing the chorus!

Definitely one of your best. Beautiful vocal, excellent production and a spot-on mix. Well done.

ROG.

Josie, what you use to master this? It sounds really professional. Great everything. occ

Josie,

Very nice easy going groove here, and I love the hook. Here comes a (but), but I think you have the hook for your next song in the first line of this one . . . "There's no good in Goodbye".

Later,

John,

Thank you. I'm so glad you like it.

The BGV are a combo of me singing harmony and my TCH Voicetone pedal.

The video was made with Media Suite 10 which came with my computer.

Frank,

Thank you. It's one of my fav songs I've written.


Gruverider,

Thank you. The idea had been rolling around in my head for a while. When the chorus came out I knew I had something - you know that "feeling" you get as a writer on some songs - it wasn't many drafts later the verses followed.

Alyn,

I love that it got stuck in your head - my goal as a songwriter is to be an earworm - it's true. LOL

Thank you.


Robert,

Thank you. I appreciate that.


Pat,

Thank you.

My husband really likes that line too. I shot the feet in my "studio" - the ones with the socks are me. The bubbles were shot on a sunny breezy day in my back yard.

Guenter,

Thank you.

I went back and forth on keeping that effect. Finally decided to keep it to add a little spice and break things up. But I get your POV.


ROG,

Thank you for making my day.


OCC,

Thank you. I'm glad you thought so. I use Ozone 4 on the final mix.


Danny,

Thank you.
I'll keep that in mind. Probably not my next song 'cause I'm already working on some others but later - who knows.

+2 on everything that's been said. Nothing about that doesn't work from vocals, lyrics, instruments to the video production. Makes us wanna get back to some video production. Very nice!

Janice/Bud

Josie,

I learned that from an old friend many years ago who would never say goodbye, he just closed with "see you later".

Later,

Josie,

A very catchy chorus (as has been said)!
Super harmonies!
Great idea - kudos for recognizing that...

floyd

Janice and Bud,

Thank you for the +2. I think the video making could be as addictive as editing tracks - Janice might never see you again except to bring in food. LOL!


Floyd,

Thank you. Glad you liked it.

Hi Josie
Absolutely love it. Love the song, the arrangement and of course the video.
Well done!

Hi Josie,

I say "It is what it is" at least 6 times EVERY day and NEVER ONCE has it occurred to me that it could become the hook for a great set of lyrics! You've certainly shown me how it can be done. I'm really impressed with what you've accomplished lyrically and musically. Everything fits perfectly. I love the chorus. It's infectiously catchy and really stamps itself into the listener's brain.

My favourite lines were

Kudos on the video too! I loved the tapping toes and thought that the concept of having a bubble floating around was excellent. I smiled when it burst just before the chorus! What a great touch

Best regards,
Noel

Very clever and addictive tune, Josie. I'll have it rattling around, unhindered in the vacuum of me wee Irish cranial cavity, all day now. I guess that's the objective of great songwriting, after all.

I've come to expect such great songwriting from you so I am not surprised. It's what you do, and do so well.

I also enjoyed the video. Very well done throughout. Thanks for posting. Guess I should visit the Users' Showcase more often. That's my bad.

More please?

Josie,
Great song. The chorus is very catchy. I also agree with all the others about the BGVs. Nice production. Thanks for sharing.
SD

Josie:
The combination of your harmonies and those from the Voicetone pedal are works very well. I've been considering getting one of the TCH voicetone or voiceworks units.

I've also been looking at a harmony VSTi from zplane, which is the company from which pg music licenses technology to pitch shift the real tracks. The zplane vsti is called Vielklang, which I understand is a clever play on words in German. Vielklang 2 can to up to 4-part harmony and sells for $149

Here is some info and a couple of YouTube videos:
http://www.zplane.de/products/plugins/vielklang
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0OC-K42z-E#at=26
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u41N3G2FzsA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgFOZ1AAzn8

Keep up the good work.

John

Joanne,

Appreciate that very much.


Noel,

I'm thrilled to have stamped your brain. LOL! Seriously, thank you. I thought the bursting bubble was a good visual metaphor of how high hopes and dreams can go kaput - glad you caught that.


Don,

Me Irish eyes are shining. Thank you.


SD,

Thank you.


John,

So far I've not been overly impressed with software harmonizers I've demo'd compared to the sound I can get from my hardware. Plus I enjoy singing harmonies myself so don't really want/need to spend any more bucks there. I'll give it a look though. Thanks for the links.

Josie:

Yes, I agree that some of the software harmonizers are less than perfect. Which voicetone unit do you use?

John

John,

I use Harmony M.

Here's just one of many discussion in OT on the subject of harmonizers you may be interested in reading.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=146832&page=1

Josie:

Thanks for the thread link. Good info.

John

Hey Josie, Bud and I just watched your video again this evening and I just wanted to personally weigh in and say "great production!" Love the video, lyrics and melody.

Janice

Hey Janice,

Thank you very much.