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To Make You Smile

My daughter Sarah wrote a poem for me when she was 10 years old and gave it to me for Father's Day. The poem looks at herself through my eyes and imagines moving together into the future. What amazing insight for a 10-year-old. The incredible thing is the foreshadowing in the stanza "As time goes by, you'll grow and you'll leave. As time goes by your own goals you'll achieve." She is now 22 and living in Stockholm.

I wrote music for her poem, recorded it with BIAB, and gave it back to her for Christmas 2014. This is the video version.

****** Song Summary *************
Title: To make you smile
File:To make you smile.SGU
Key=G , Tempo 80, Length (m:s)=3:36
No intro. 68 bar chorus, from bar 1 to bar 68. Repeat x1 chorus
No Melody
Soloist track has 716 notes, Soloist harmony is < no harmony >(0)
Song is saved with Volume, Pan, Reverb, Chorus, Bank0,
Song is saved with bar changes for Tempo , Time signature,Volume Changes,
Style is _PBALMNS.STY

RealTracks in style: ~701:Bass, Electric, PopHalfNotesSync Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 1728:Piano, Acoustic, Rhythm PopBalladJohn Ev 085
RealTracks in style: 1764:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm Pop16thsA-B Ev16 085
RealTracks in song: 1856:Cello, Background PopCountry Ev 085
RealTracks in song: 1875:Mandolin, Soloist CountryAndy Ev 085
RealDrums: RealDrums in Style: NashvilleEven8^3-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat Open
Excellent work and the video just brings it even more life; thanks for sharing!
Wow.... another heart tugging song.... that makes 2 on the forum this morning...

I write this with a slight lump in my throat and just the slightest trace of a tear in the corner of my eye....

This is good. The music and lyric is good.... the recording well done..

It touches the heart. Nothing else need be said.
Joe,
A beautiful story, and a beautiful song. Lyrics incredibly well forged for a 10 year old. You put the same naivety in the melody and instrumentation. Good voice to!
Thanks for posting!
Fred
Joe, hard to believe a ten year old wrote these lyrics. You need to get her to write some more. Nice job with the real tracks and very well sung. I look forward to hearing more from you. Tom
It is amazingly insightful for a 10 year-old (or even and 18 year-old). It also reflects the fact that you're a wonderful father. The vocal performance and the arrangement (particularly the strings) strike the perfect emotional chord. Wonderful!! Take care. Greg
Hi Joe,
Originally Posted By: tommyad
hard to believe a ten year old wrote these lyrics. You need to get her to write some more. Nice job with the real tracks and very well sung.


Very enjoyable listen.

Guenter
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Sarah is now 22 and living in Stockholm, Sweden, which is why the line "As time goes by, you'll grow and you'll leave" seems so prophetic. Not all children move far away, but somehow in her soul she knew that such an adventure was ahead of her. I still choke up at the plane video clip.
AS a father of girls, I am happy for you, to have such a great reward for life. You are very fortunate to have such great videos to enjoy. Thank you for sharing
A beautiful write and beautifully presented.

J&B
Originally Posted By: Greg Johnson
It is amazingly insightful for a 10 year-old (or even and 18 year-old). It also reflects the fact that you're a wonderful father. The vocal performance and the arrangement (particularly the strings) strike the perfect emotional chord. Wonderful!! Take care. Greg


Greg put that nicely.

This is SO very cool.

Good arrangement, vocal, and mix. And such a precious gift!

floyd
Joe, I sure hope your daughter is as pleased receiving the tribute you've made her as you were for the tribute she paid you. Just wonderful.
Clearly this was a song meant to be written and amazing that 12 years would pass before the words and music finally came together. Outstanding work by Sarah and you. This is a treasure.


Charlie
Originally Posted By: c_fogle
Clearly this was a song meant to be written and amazing that 12 years would pass before the words and music finally came together. Outstanding work by Sarah and you. This is a treasure.


Charlie


"For everything there is a season..."

Thanks for the kind words everyone.
It's amazing what comes from the minds of little children.....


And you can be sure they are watching and listening to everything you do and say.

I was setting in my studio one night, the girls were in their bedrooms in the next room.... I happened to be working on a new song.... The girls were running back and forth between their rooms talking and just being little girls....and it was becoming a bit bothersome as I was trying to work on the music.... then they both came out of one room and each handed me a piece of paper..... with words on the pages. They proudly exclaimed that they "had written a song" for me..... talk about getting slammed by reality......

They were perhaps 5 & 7 or so at the time.... but they were watching me.... without me really being aware of what they were doing...reality check!!!

I ended up using some of the words to write a song. You should have seen their eyes when they heard that song. To them, it was the most amazing and best song ever.
Hi Joe,

What an amazing story and a perfect composition to give back to your daughter as a gift.
We were "in floods" here watching the video, lol, so I can only imagine what it must have been like for you composing it and when your daughter played it for the first time.

It has also inspired me to do something similar in years to come (my daughter is only 3).

Thank you for sharing.
Rec
What great insight your daughter had at the age of 10! WOW!

Your putting the words to a song was top notch alone but adding the video - another WOW!

This is great!
Beautiful song. Well done
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