Leaving Home

I originally posted this in the forum a number of years ago, but always felt that the arrangement needed a little more attention. Finally got it where I want it. Comments/suggestions appreciated!

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I open doors and walk down halls
No more pictures on the walls
Just a cleared-out lonely place
Full of empty-echoing space

There's where all our children played
Here our toughest choices made
Up the stair our closest times
On the porch our summer wines.

You and I, we go back a long, long ways
You've been witness to our family's greatest days
And you helped me bear my hardest cross
Here, just you and I, in my deepest loss

With this final look around
I'm seeing memories, hearing sounds
...
So goodbye, good home, my friend
I don't think we'll ever meet again

Life is in its quick retreat
I've a new home now to meet
Farewell my good home, farewell.
Good-bye!
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Style..I didn't use a BIAB style, just relied on the RT's to set the style.
RT: 811 Piano, Acoustic, Vancouver Pop
Midi: strings, pad, glock
Soundeffect: children's laughter

VERY sentimental in a Bobby Goldsboro way & style.
The piano melody is sweet.

Thanks Ray, appreciate your feedback, and thanks for listening!

A nice poignant song - with nice sparse instrumentation (the piano shines) and a heartfelt delivery.

Peter

Very pretty song. Loved the piano. Such a nice toucb. Super vocal and lyric. Glad you reposted. Such a nice listen

Thanks Peter, I appreciate you taking a moment to listen!

What a lovely, but sad song! A clever choice of subject for a ballad, and a perfect choice of RTs.
We'll be moving home in the next few months, and this song will come to mind I'm sure!

John

Good Luck on that move, John! My song was meant to describe the feelings of an aged man leaving behind the home that knew all of his family's adventures. Appreciate you listening in!

Touched my heart. Lovely backing and progression with just the right light touch of production. Really a pretty piece.

Thanks Tangmo.. Very nice compliments!

Hi Tano Music,

It's a very good song - even if it is a bit sad I really enjoyed listening to it. Well done!


On the technical side:
I can hear some clicking from the piano track (at 0:13, 0:16, 0:19 and a few other places) - did you go 1 or 2 db up too loud in this mix, maybe? I tried listen to the song on 2 different sets of speakers and also on headphones and the clicking is still there.

Will

Will: the 'clicking' has been the major problem with this track for me...I'm sure that what happened is this: I pasted together various piano phrases, and also modified the gain. As a result, "clicks" appeared at points of change in the audio piano track, and I've tried everything to try to get them out of the mix, but I think I'm stuck with them.

Not sure if you have noticed this, but it seems like, when sometimes editing an audio track, the result is a slight "click" at the point where a deletion has been made, or when something is pasted in, or I've even noticed it when I try to modify the gain on the audio data. It's probably not noticable on louder tracks, but, on this track, its been the major problem.

Thanks for the feedback!

Tano,

Within my mind, your music and singing opened windows into the past. For a short while you took me back to my days growing up in country Australia. It was a wonderful journey. Thank you

All the best,
Noel

Dear "Tano Music"...

I'm going to assume that the subtext of the lyrics for "Leaving Home" is about the subject of your song reflecting on a life nearing the end of its life. IF I am correct about this, then "Leaving Home" is a revelatory (yes, I said "revelatory") example of how sensitively composed music and artful lyrics can illuminate areas of life that would be generally considered as too "downbeat", or un-romantic, to be attractive to everyday listeners.

The meditative, ruminative feel of your piano RealTrack selection is the perfect musical vehicle for expressing the deeply nostalgic emotions of your vivid lyrics. Your vocal performance combines a sense of resignation with acceptance of fate, with hope being the child of that union.

I think "Leaving Home" is a spiritual, inspirational listening experience, in my humble opinion.

LOREN

Noel, Loren, thanks for the comments.

Loren: My 'vision' or 'mental picture' when I wrote this was an elderly man leaving his home for the last time, probably headed for a retirement or nursing home. His son (maybe) is allowing him 'one last look around' before driving him off to his new abode. The man sees the home as his longest companion through life, sharing all the most important memories. Then he says good-bye. Maybe he looks back as they are driving off, for one final glance. I think you got the idea!

Touching with a bit of sadness. The clicking in the piano transitions sometimes can be alleviated by using the super midi piano tracks. I am not sure if the Vancouver pop piano is available but it might be something to think about for future productions. Also you can change the piano sound easily. I liked the progression and the vocal. I enjoyed my listen. Tom

Yes, I know that problem when editing audio. I sometimes manage to fix this by changing the grid in my daw to 1/64 notes and then zoom in to where the click is. Most often it is just occurring over 1 or 2 1/64 bars. I then draw a fade out over just this very small area and most often the click is gone without spoiling the music (because it is a very tiny fade out).

Will

Tom, thanks for the compliment!
Thanks, Will...I've done that as well. Appreciate the help from all!

A very touching write. Many nice lines. The vocal does it justice.

I've always liked that piano RT, but have always had trouble trying to use it because it doesn't "breathe" well - super nice phrases, but "busy" all the time. This is the best use of I have heard...

Nice.

Very pretty!! This is really well written and produced. Piano track is perfect and suits the lyric. Some wonderful lines in this. Very touching and very creative angle to write from. Fantastic job!! Take care. Greg

Greg and Floyd, thanks for the kind comments.

Floyd...I wound up getting 'hooked' after I listened to my track multiple times. I like the way the RT piano generated so much that I wasn't willing to substitute something else, or even re-gen it...decided I had to either 'fix' the clicks or just live with it. I must have gotten lucky that the 'busy-ness' played out for me. Thanks again.

Tom,

Very beautiful song!
The melody is so sentimental and sweet.
You are a really great melody-maker.
The chord progression trick before entering "You and I, we go back a long, long ways..." is wonderful.
The piano fits perfectly as if it was written purposely for this song.
The additional strings, pad, block are modest, but they exist just where they should be.
Children's laughter is very effective.
Enjoyed my listen a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Shigeki, thanks for your kind comments! I must have learned that "chord progression trick" by listening to the masters--thanks for noticing it!

The poignancy of this write is well supported by the vocal, instrumental tracks and mix.

It's all there and, man, does it ever deliver...

Very nice!

J&B

Thanks J&B, appreciate your comments on this one!

Dear "Tano Music"...

Looks as though as I read too much into your lyrics !!!

Regardless, "Leaving Home" has a profound emotional gravity that makes it memorable long after listening to it.

As a composer, and especially as a lyricist, you're an interesting songwriter, "Tano Music".

Sincerely,

LOREN

Thanks Loren, very nice comments.

Loren, I went back and read your initial comments on my song. Thanks for thinking it was much more spiritual, but I really wasn't thinking that deeply...and it is a kind of "end of life" story--but in a more material way; thanks for seeing that it might be an analogy into something deeper.

Dear "Tano Music"...

You're welcome...and thanks to you for composing a song so evocative that it could invite differing interpretations!

Sincerely,

LOREN