It's been a long time since last I posted some music.
In 2020, because my part of Australia had an extended COVID lockdown, I spent around 5-6 months (all up) teaching my high school chemistry classes over the internet. This meant that I had to rewrite all my lessons as well as devise ways to monitor each student's academic progress as we worked towards final exams. It was an interesting challenge and, unfortunately, music had to take a back seat.
Now I can get back into songwriting.
Earlier this year, I came across a "seeking songs" request from a Filipino company that produces gay-romance TV dramas. Inspired by this, I set about working on something to submit (you've got to be in it to win it, so they say). As Tagalog and English are the official languages of the Philippines, an English submission had a chance.
I've noticed that many romance dramas often have a slow romantic waltz somewhere in their story-line. This seemed like a good place to start so I set about creating a song that was intimate and musically uncluttered.
This is where BIAB, Realband and Reaper took me. It's a rewrite of some of my music and lyrics from 2011.
Please feel free to critique any aspect of the song and its presentation.
It's a good feeling to post something again!
All the best, Noel
P.S. I have no idea whether my submission was (or will be) successful. That doesn't matter, though. This song got me back into making music and I'm really thankful for that.
= = = = = =
BIAB Realtracks ► Acoustic Bass: RT776:Bass, Acoustic, PopWaltz Ev 085 ► Electric Guitar: RT1498:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm PopWaltzClassic Ev 085
MIDI Plugins ► Rhythm: EZDrummer 2 ► Acoustic Guitar: Applied Acoustic Systems (AAS) GS-2 Strum with "Take 3 | Becky 3-4" ► Electric Piano: EZ Keys, Electric 200A
Noel, Excellent compisition. It has some flavor of old time romantic tunes, yet with modern outfit. Great vocals. Tasteful mix. Good one! Thank you for sharing.
Noel, Excellent compisition. It has some flavor of old time romantic tunes, yet with modern outfit. Great vocals. Tasteful mix. Good one! Thank you for sharing.
Misha.
Hi Misha.
Thanks for having a listen. I sincerely appreciate your thoughts.
I really like that it sounded "old time romantic". This is exactly what I was trying to capture and it's why I stayed with the AABA format of my original write back in 2011. In addition, because there are a couple of generation gaps between me and today's music, it's easier for me to work with stuff I'm familiar with. I'm lousy when it comes to trying to capture a modern sound
Very simple and beautiful lyrics permeate my mind. The gentle drumless waltz melody catches my heart. Your vocal fits this song perfectly. I really like the chord progression of the bridge. The modulation (Vm7- I7- IVmaj - IVm7 - bVII7 - bIIImaj - V7) is very beautiful. The mix is also great. Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Noel, I like the space you`ve given the hopeful romantic feel of the lyrics and melody to swirl around.Just the right amount of embellishing from a simple and well arranged blend of MIDI and Rt`s supporting your relaxed,gently emotive vocal. Welcome back!
Loved this Noel. I could not imagine learning chemistry remotely. I remember the labs from high school. Most experiments were group efforts. Bunson burners. Discovering the colors and odours and reactions taking place.
Your song was beautiful and so very well done. Your songs are alway so positive and upliftng. Thanks so much for sharing.
So very nice to hear some new music from you. Your absence from the forum does not go unnoticed.
So easy on the ears! A classic love song - constructed and performed such that it would never be out of date - perpetually fresh, in other words. Here's hoping your song gets selected. Based on the request, it's hard to imagine a more beautiful and fitting song could be composed/delivered. Wishing you the very best. Stay safe ...
An extra fine solid love song with a lyric that can be appreciated by everyone who loves. It is well delivered with voice and band. It's good to see you pop up here again and I hope this whole "situation" has turned to the ultimate good for you (and your students).
I appreciate your efforts during Covid Noel. I was lucky to have retired a little before the series of disaster hit the nation. ALL of my former colleagues, those still teaching, had to learn new skills and spend many extra hours each week to make the system work without any thanks or remuneration. THANK YOU! A lovely song, a lovely melody. You're always an excellent example of what MIDI can do for music.
Welcome back! What a comeback, such a sentimental love song - no clouds in the horizon. It is also very nice to hear again your excellent vocals. The chorus is especially strong with a beautiful melody and a interestingly enjoyable chording. The instrumentation is simple, but perfect, I really like the sound of the electric guitar.
"Together, we are music I’m rhythm and you are song When we dance Can you feel it? In your arms is where I belong"
This is so beautiful in every way and we are so happy that you have returned! I (Janice) absolutely love waltzes and this one has such a perfect melody for the lyric and I had tears in my eyes before the first verse was over. If I could write a song for Bud I would say just those words.
Your vocal and the band you assembled reminded us of how much we have missed your presence here. We hope that all is well with your teaching situation now and that you are here to stay!
I (Bud) totally agree with what my better half wrote above!
Very simple and beautiful lyrics permeate my mind. The gentle drumless waltz melody catches my heart. Your vocal fits this song perfectly. I really like the chord progression of the bridge. The modulation (Vm7- I7- IVmaj - IVm7 - bVII7 - bIIImaj - V7) is very beautiful. The mix is also great. Enjoyed my listen a lot.
Best regards.
Shigeki Adachi
Hi Shigeki Adachi,
Thank you for jumping into the thread and having a listen. I sincerely appreciate it. Also, thank you for your really nice words.
The following two lines need to be in a song.
"Very simple and beautiful lyrics permeate my mind. The gentle drumless waltz melody catches my heart."
To be honest, I think you've given me way too much credit when you use such beautiful language. I can't promise anything but I'm going to see if I can write something that was inspired by these words. If I manage to come up with some lyrics, I'll send them over to you to put to a melody
Also, thank you for writing the middle-eight chord progression out in that format. It's the first time I've looked at it that way and it has opened up a few ideas for the future. For me, I thought of this chord sequence in three parts...
SONG IN THE KEY OF D MAJOR
(1) Key G (subdominant of D major): IIm7—V7—I—I
(2) then Key F: IIm7—V7—I
(3) Pivot chord A7 (V7 in key D) since F and A share the same melody note of A. Using A7 gets me back into the key D very nicely.
Quote:
If anyone wants to see what chords Shigeki Adachi and I are talking about, try this...
Set BIAB's chordsheet to display Roman numerals.
Set BIAB's key to "D"
Enter the chords exactly as written by Adachi-san. (Note... bIII7 is entered as "letter B", three "letters I" and numeral "7")
Set BIAB's chord display back to normal. The Roman numerals will now display as standard chords in the key of D major.
The value in using Roman numerals is that chord progressions are easily transferred from key to key.
Thank you once again for visiting!
All the best. Noel
P.S. Japan's famous cherry trees must be coming into bloom soon! They always look incredible on TV.
Good to hear a new one from you. It's been an interesting year(and the NSW VIC border has remained open now for quite a few weeks!).
A very pretty classic sounding sentimental piece.
An engaging sincere delivery adds to the overall mood of the song.
Very nicely done.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Yes... travel is back again!
When I look around the world and see that damage that COVID has done, I'm very glad that here in Australia, State Governments have border control. That, and State Leaders who followed the Science, is what saved us (in my opinion). What I find interesting is that around Jun/Jul 2020, France and Australia were on similar "new cases per day" numbers (~700). We applied Science and Math and brought COVID under control. France followed a different path. They now have over 90,000 deaths while Australia has a little over 900.
Anyway.... I'd better get back to music...
Thank you for having a listen to my song. I really appreciate your comments. You know, when I listen to what you, Leon, Janice and Bud create, I'm left amazed by just how productive, how creative and how professional you all are!
A beautiful song. And a really nice treatment. Has the sound needed for such a request - good TV romance stuff...
Excellent vocal, well recorded and processed.
Excellent use of the addition tools (outside of BIAB)!! Good mix.
Great to see you posting again!
fj
Hi floyd!
It's really good to see you again. Thanks for dropping in. I seriously appreciate your comments.
In case you're interested, Asterisk Digital Entertainment is the company I sent my music to. Below is the opening theme for their show, "My Extraordinary". I used this for ideas. The show was on Filipino, mainstream TV. Kenji Exaltacion's singing is very, very easy on the ears. If I could have had him sing "I will Always Be There", it would have helped a lot, I reckon Alas! it wasn't meant to be.
Because I'm well aware that I could not create something of comparable quality to the Youtube clip, I thought it was better to do something that was completely different, and much simpler, in the hope of reducing the likelihood of comparison.
Anyone who listens to the above Youtube clip, and then listens to "I will Always Be There", will most likely pick up a few things I did that were inspired by the video. (I was guided by the principle that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (so the proverbial "they" say) )
I'll keep the forum informed if any success rolls my way!
Wonderful tune! I had a chance to listen to this a few days back. I loved it then, and listening a second time, love it more now. Really sweat, endearing tune. From a production standpoint, I admire how clean your songs are—artful in the simplicity, everything ringing so clear, resonating. Lovely vocal as well. Outstanding work here!
Hi Noel Nice to have you back. This is a beautiful song and very well sung (I always enjoy your vocal style). I particularly like the chorus - both words and music. Fingers crossed your submission is successful. Regards, Leon
Date: 30/03/2021 System: good PC speakers (with sub) --------------------------------------------------
Hi there Noel, in time-honoured fashion ...
Song I Will Always Be There Mix / Production This is well put together with everything in place and the vocals nice and clear and prominent Instrumentation The solo guitar at 1:31 does sound slightly under-powered, even for the laid back feel of this track Vocals Pretty well sung, even when you get to the edge of your comfortable range (2:37) the semi-tone movements in the melody are well negotiated too. What I really liked Song structure – the ‘B’ section (Together, we are music) is especially well written What could be improved I’m hearing one or two lines with what I would consider as word-stress issues – forcing Noel to place the stress on an inappropriate syllable. Overall impression Successful project – maybe the laid-back card has been overplayed! Writing in 3 / 4 is not as easy as it appears (I also tried it recently) so well done.
I of course, add mine to all the voices welcoming you back Noel with some new music. With my very best regards, Marc
Noel, I like the space you`ve given the hopeful romantic feel of the lyrics and melody to swirl around.Just the right amount of embellishing from a simple and well arranged blend of MIDI and Rt`s supporting your relaxed,gently emotive vocal. Welcome back!
Robert
Hi Robert!
Thanks for passing through my thread. I appreciate it. I also appreciate your thoughts. You've helped re-enforce that I'm on the right path with what I've done. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
This is a beautiful, understated song! Very romantic and with so nice lyrics. Impressing!
I had to smile when hearing how you sang it. A bit laid back, but always sensitive. Very enjoyable and nothing to 'complain about';-)
Hans
G'day Hans.
It's great to see you again. Thank you for visiting
I sincerely appreciate your comments. These vocals were a challenge for me. Singing softly and intimately is not something that I have a lot of practise with and I don't think I'm all that good at it. I got there in the end, though. Next time, I'm hoping that it will be a little bit easier.
Loved this Noel. I could not imagine learning chemistry remotely. I remember the labs from high school. Most experiments were group efforts. Bunson burners. Discovering the colors and odours and reactions taking place.
Your song was beautiful and so very well done. Your songs are always so positive and uplifting. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Scott.
Thanks for dropping in. It's always excellent to have you visit.
Chemistry hasn't changed too much from what you describe. Fortunately for me, there are many fantastic experiments on Youtube. So while it was not possible to conduct experiments, we could all look at Youtube clips individually and then come back to "class" and discuss things.
Following that, I ran quizzes that I'd prepared on MS Teams. This re-enforced learning and assessed how successful my lesson(s) had been.
One good thing that came from remote learning was that parent-teacher interviews worked incredibly well over the internet. I much preferred doing them this way that meeting the parents in person.
Thank you for your positive comments about my song. I really appreciate them.
So very nice to hear some new music from you. Your absence from the forum does not go unnoticed.
So easy on the ears! A classic love song - constructed and performed such that it would never be out of date - perpetually fresh, in other words. Here's hoping your song gets selected. Based on the request, it's hard to imagine a more beautiful and fitting song could be composed/delivered. Wishing you the very best. Stay safe ...
Alan
Hi Alan,
I see you haven't changed! You still say nice things about my songs
Thank you for taking the time to have a listen. I sincerely appreciate it. I have to be honest, though, I'm not in your league. When it comes to songwriting and arranging, your expertise as a band leader shines!
An extra fine solid love song with a lyric that can be appreciated by everyone who loves. It is well delivered with voice and band. It's good to see you pop up here again and I hope this whole "situation" has turned to the ultimate good for you (and your students).
Hi Tangmo,
Thank you for visiting. And thanks for finding time to have a listen. I appreciate your comments.
Last year was definitely interesting from a teaching perspective. It took quite a bit of effort from everyone, I think. While lessons over the internet sound straightforward, they are demanding to prepare and cognitive fatigue sets in after a while, too. Looking at a computer screen and trying to learn is not always that motivating for students.
Still, there wasn't much choice in the matter and my boys and girls absolutely did the best they could!
I appreciate your efforts during Covid Noel. I was lucky to have retired a little before the series of disaster hit the nation. ALL of my former colleagues, those still teaching, had to learn new skills and spend many extra hours each week to make the system work without any thanks or remuneration. THANK YOU! A lovely song, a lovely melody. You're always an excellent example of what MIDI can do for music.
Hi Ray!
Thank you for the THANK YOU! You made my day I don't think many people fully appreciate just how hard teaching is as a profession and the impact that it has on a teacher's brain. Classroom management can take its toll from time to time. Remote learning added a whole new level of difficulty to just about everything!
I have to give my students credit, though. They were awesome.
Welcome back! What a comeback, such a sentimental love song - no clouds in the horizon. It is also very nice to hear again your excellent vocals. The chorus is especially strong with a beautiful melody and a interestingly enjoyable chording. The instrumentation is simple, but perfect, I really like the sound of the electric guitar.
Janne
Hello Janne!
Thank you for such inspiring words! I'm just wondering if you listened to my song or maybe accidentally listened to Birchwood's instead! When I listen to my song, I don't hear any of what you talk about I only hear all the things that I wish I'd done better. That said. Your fine words lifted me up to cloud nine. Now I have no idea how I'm going to get back down!
It's great to see you again :)And seriously, I sincerely appreciate that you had time to have a listen and to comment.
"Together, we are music I’m rhythm and you are song When we dance Can you feel it? In your arms is where I belong"
This is so beautiful in every way and we are so happy that you have returned! I (Janice) absolutely love waltzes and this one has such a perfect melody for the lyric and I had tears in my eyes before the first verse was over. If I could write a song for Bud I would say just those words.
Your vocal and the band you assembled reminded us of how much we have missed your presence here. We hope that all is well with your teaching situation now and that you are here to stay!
I (Bud) totally agree with what my better half wrote above!
Lovely...
J&B
Hi J&B,
It's good to be back. I didn't realise how much I missed making songs until I started creating some again.
Janice, thank you heaps for your really kind words I wanted to keep things simple and make the overall as effective as possible. You comments give me hope that I'm on the right track.
Thanks for noticing the bridge, too. Those few words came slowly and after I tried many different possibilities. As is often the case, once these words appeared in my mind, I wondered why it was so hard finding them!
Very romantic composition. The guitar is in perfect harmony with your voice. It is pleasant to listen to. The dosage of the instruments is well thought out. well done.
Oh, you definitely nailed their request, Noel. "As long as Earth keeps turning..." Man, this is a can't-miss hit.
Hi BabuMusic!
Thanks for your really kind words. I'm sitting here chuckling a bit now after having read them again. I think that I need to dispel the myth that "this is a can't-miss hit". Mind you, if Asterisk Digital thought like that it would be great.
As Hal David once wrote to a Burt Bacharach melody, I'll just keep on "Wishin' and Hopin'."
A beautiful song Noel. Vocals and backing/arrangement are first-class (the guitar is great). Is there anything more heart-warming one person can say to another than "I Will Always Be There"? Thanks for sharing, Noel. Mike
Noel, you're a treasure. You have a distinctive style that is so captivating. I loved the melody and progression on this. Vocals to die for. Way to go.
Hi Noel love the vocal really great job and great choice of tracks well done thanks Eric
Hi Eric!
Thank you for dropping in. I really appreciate that you had time to stop and listen.
Believe it or not, when I was trying to find Realtracks for this song, I came across RT1498, and the minute I heard it, you and your wonderful lyrical guitar playing sprang to mind. I knew that when this happened, this was the track I needed to use. So it seems that my years of listening to your work actually helped me with the production of this song.
This is really, really good. Nobody does sincere like you do.
Heartfelt vocal, great lyrics, and an rhythmically interesting melody that doesn't need a lot of chord changes or drumming to make it work.
Well recorded and good mix as well.
Did I mention that this is really good?
Welcome back!
Hi David,
It's good to be back. I'm feeling happy now that I can get into some more songwriting.
Thanks for having a listen. I'm grateful that you had a bit a time to spare. The day I recorded this, I had a bit of hay fever and I was feeling slightly stuffed up. My throat was also a bit sore. I think this might have helped my vocals in some strange way! The big test is to see if I can do it again some other time.
Wonderful tune! I had a chance to listen to this a few days back. I loved it then, and listening a second time, love it more now. Really sweat, endearing tune. From a production standpoint, I admire how clean your songs are—artful in the simplicity, everything ringing so clear, resonating. Lovely vocal as well. Outstanding work here!
All my best to you,
Deej
Hi Deej.
It's always good to read you. Whenever you stop by, listen and write a few comments, you always bring a smile to my face. Thank you so much for taking the time. I honestly appreciate it.
I can only work with "simplicity." Once I start trying to mix and arrange too many sounds, my brain doesn't know where to turn! So I discovered that if I try to work with a 3-to-5-piece group, I can usually come up with something.
In case you're interested, I spend a lot of time on YouTube, much of it in South Korea, listening to acoustic and acoustic-electric music like the song below. While I don't understand the words, the kind music in the clip below gives me arranging ideas.
I know I listen to this before, thought I left a comment but, DRAT, I guess I failed. I won't miss it this time....you've created a wonderful song! I think this one will have an expended life.
This sounds really good man! It has a classic sound to it, so it may be just what they were looking for.
Great to hear you again!!
Hi David,
Thanks for dropping by and having a listen. It's good to get back into a bit of songwriting. I didn't think that I was missing it. I was wrong. Now that I have completed this one, all of sudden I'm feeling enthusiastic about writing some more!
Hi Noel Nice to have you back. This is a beautiful song and very well sung (I always enjoy your vocal style). I particularly like the chorus - both words and music. Fingers crossed your submission is successful. Regards, Leon
Hey Leon!
I really appreciate your visit. I'm glad you found some time to have a listen and to pass on a few thoughts. It would be nice to be successful but, at the end of day, it doesn't matter to me. This song got me back into music-making and I'm thankful for that.
Thanks for noticing the "Together we are music..." section. As wrote in my reply to J&B, the words to this section came really slowly. It probably took around two weeks for those lines to settle into something that appealed to me. Because it took a while to find the right words, it was very satisfying when they eventually settled into place!
This is STUNNING writing. Really stunning. If I may be so bold as to dare to give a suggestion to the actual writer and performer of this song, it'd be just this: I wouldn't have the voice so "in front" of it all, in the mix. I would personally have it in mezzopiano or something (not so loud), somewhere more in the middle of the mix, perhaps more whispered, too? I honestly don't know, it's just a thought. I only dare voice it because the writing is SO beautiful, I thought I'd say what I personally would do differently. But, in short: don't mind me :-) It's stunning, stunning writing, and you should be proud of it! Really proud :-)
EDIT: on a second listen now, and warming up a little more to the sound levels, so it's probably just my ears. That said, I'll leave the suggestion above "as is" :-)
Date: 30/03/2021 System: good PC speakers (with sub) --------------------------------------------------
Hi there Noel, in time-honoured fashion ...
Song I Will Always Be There Mix / Production This is well put together with everything in place and the vocals nice and clear and prominent Instrumentation The solo guitar at 1:31 does sound slightly under-powered, even for the laid back feel of this track Vocals Pretty well sung, even when you get to the edge of your comfortable range (2:37) the semi-tone movements in the melody are well negotiated too. What I really liked Song structure – the ‘B’ section (Together, we are music) is especially well written What could be improved I’m hearing one or two lines with what I would consider as word-stress issues – forcing Noel to place the stress on an inappropriate syllable. Overall impression Successful project – maybe the laid-back card has been overplayed! Writing in 3 / 4 is not as easy as it appears (I also tried it recently) so well done.
I of course, add mine to all the voices welcoming you back Noel with some new music. With my very best regards, Marc
Hi Marc,
Thank you for the welcome back. Also, I sincerely thank you for taking so much time to jot down your thoughts. They are AWESOME!!! Truly
A long time ago, I learnt that to get my songs to sound the best I possibly can, paying attention to feedback from others is very valuable. That's why I always ask for it. I hold no illusions at all about my limitations.
After reading your analysis, I went through each point while playing the song multiple times. When I was first assembling this song, I actually found the guitar a challenge to work with and I agree with your comment about it. Hopefully, I've smoothed it out a little. Also, in relation to the syllables, I wonder if there is a accent difference between your and my versions of English that might account for this. I know that there were a couple of syllables that I sang with excessive volume. Following your comment, I've now tamed those.
All in all, I want you to know that I'm very grateful for all the time you spent in listening and commenting. It was valuable to me.
Thank you! Noel
P.S. It's good to say "Hi" again. It's been a longtime! Do you still work largely in MIDI? Your work was inspiring.
Thanks for getting back to me Noel and well done again on this song!
I review few contributions, but when I do I try to so thoroughly! Thanks for your kind comment – my workflow is pretty much unchanged. I use b-i-a-b to help me structure the original idea and I produce an SMF which acts as a guide. I invariably re-record all the parts to get them how I want them to sound (all due respect to the crack musicians who have produced the MIDI styles and audio loops for PGMusic!). I’ve just upgraded my music studio PC so I hope to be producing more new music very soon. (my last composition was the early 80’s themed [url=[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/dZNpDKVEMCI[/video] ]For now and forever[/url] in case you missed it)
I agree entirely with the points you make about listening to others and understanding shortfalls and limitations. That is why taking part in this forum is such an important process of the process. There are some writers on this forum whose work I always look forward to hearing. You – of course – are one of them! Take care
Music from the 1980s slipped past me. It's a period in time that I have no understanding of. Nor do I know how to go about creating the sound. That said, when I hear a song like yours, I immediately think 1980s. I'm no sure why that is.
You've done a great job writing this and creating the video. I'm impressed!
You write some of the most beautiful music on this forum. This one is no exception - great stuff.
I particularly like your voice in this song - very emotive.
Loved it.
Bob
Hi Bob,
Thanks for passing through the thread. It's always excellent to see you. Thank you also for the uplifting comments. You made me smile! I always appreciate that.
Very romantic composition. The guitar is in perfect harmony with your voice. It is pleasant to listen to. The dosage of the instruments is well thought out. well done.
Kindly regard Derochette alias JaniJackFlash
Hi Derochette,
I'm glad you found some time to pop into my thread and have a listen to my song. I sincerely appreciate it. Thank you for your comments, too.
Noel, you've written and performed a beautiful piece. Your song could fit in well in a live performance playlist of Michael Bublé or Barry Gibb.
Hi Charlie,
Thank you! You made my day. I'm pretty sure that the likelihood of Bublé or Gibb ever wanting one of my songs in their playlist is zero. Still, for a brief second there...
I appreciate your visit and that you had time to listen and comment.
A beautiful song Noel. Vocals and backing/arrangement are first-class (the guitar is great). Is there anything more heart-warming one person can say to another than "I Will Always Be There"? Thanks for sharing, Noel. Mike
Hi Mike,
Thank you so much for visiting! I'm grateful for your listen and comments. I always appreciate reading about how others hear my songs. By the time I get to posting, I would have heard a song a thousand or so times and, as a consequence, my objectivity is long gone.
Noel, you're a treasure. You have a distinctive style that is so captivating. I loved the melody and progression on this. Vocals to die for. Way to go.
Hi Tunemonger,
Thanks for dropping in!
I glad my "style" works. It's all I know how to do and I'd be up "that" proverbial creek if I had to try and change. On this song, I tried to sing softer than usual and that was quite a challenge for me. For some reason, though, the microphone helped soothe the sound! I'm now emboldened to try it again
I like this one and happily echo all other comments. You have a very special, soothing style in your songs that you have developed very well. Kind of reminds me of the big band era....which I do love. You are able to (for lack of better descriptions) croon in a way that's pleasing to the ears.
I know I listen to this before, thought I left a comment but, DRAT, I guess I failed. I won't miss it this time....you've created a wonderful song! I think this one will have an expended life.
moto
Hi Moto.
Thank you for having a listen I really appreciate your thoughts.
I totally understand about how "listening" and "commenting" don't always fit together like a hand and a glove. Just this morning I discovered that I listened to David Cuny's song ten days ago and forgot to comment on it (even though I had every intention on writing a few words).
This is STUNNING writing. Really stunning. If I may be so bold as to dare to give a suggestion to the actual writer and performer of this song, it'd be just this: I wouldn't have the voice so "in front" of it all, in the mix. I would personally have it in mezzopiano or something (not so loud), somewhere more in the middle of the mix, perhaps more whispered, too? I honestly don't know, it's just a thought. I only dare voice it because the writing is SO beautiful, I thought I'd say what I personally would do differently. But, in short: don't mind me :-) It's stunning, stunning writing, and you should be proud of it! Really proud :-)
EDIT: on a second listen now, and warming up a little more to the sound levels, so it's probably just my ears. That said, I'll leave the suggestion above "as is" :-)
BRAVO.
Hi James,
It's great to have you visit! Thank you for passing through the thread.
I sincerely appreciate your comments. Please, never feel hesitant about being critical of any aspect of my writing or presentation. I am honestly grateful for all feedback that helps be create a better mix. I'm well aware of my limitations!
After reading your thoughts, I went back and listened to my song and tried various volume settings. In other words, your comments were very valuable to me
I like this one and happily echo all other comments. You have a very special, soothing style in your songs that you have developed very well. Kind of reminds me of the big band era....which I do love. You are able to (for lack of better descriptions) croon in a way that's pleasing to the ears.
Well done.....keep up the good work!
Have a great day...
Hi Chulaivet,
I really appreciate your visit and comments. As I'm re-reading them now, they made me smile once again. I can't remember ever reading "croon" being used to describe my singing. My partner usually just shouts out to shut the door
After reading your thoughts, it seems that, without any intention of mimicry on my part, I am indeed affected by what I listen to!
I love the Big Band and Tin Pan Alley era (1920'ish to 1960'ish). Some really fine songs were written in this period of time. Lyricists really shone and there was an understanding of lyric writing that seems to have become lost over the years. It's not an accident that so many incredible songs from this period have become "golden oldies" and "evergreens".
In other words, your comments made my day, month and probably even year!
I love the Big Band and Tin Pan Alley era (1920'ish to 1960'ish). Some really fine songs were written in this period of time. Lyricists really shone and there was an understanding of lyric writing that seems to have become lost over the years. In other words, your comments made my day, month and probably even year! Thank you for taking the time. All the best, Noel
G'day mate....
I'm very pleased that my comments were received as intended.
You have obviously become very comfortable with your vocal style. Include a tool like BIAB....what could be better for us song writers? Something else I perceive about the 'era' we're discussing. It was not only the lyrics of the time but how the songs were performed by those artists of the time. A great live or recording performance can out weight other distasteful aspects of a song. (IE: dare I say....'his head was squirming like a toad')
As I stated regarding my last one, (Stanger Stange Land) I felt way out of my league with the lead vox....like I had to micro-croon....terrifying thought. A slower vocal pace, phrasing requires better breathing, emoting...you get the idea. But...the song evolved as they tend to do and I liked it enough to throw against the forum wall.
You're absolutely right. The singers were quite incredible.
I have often wondered how people like Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Judy Garland, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra (just to name a few of many) managed to get such a good vocal sound when technology was practically nothing compared to what's possible today. You had to be good in those days and you had to have a voice that was microphone friendly.
By the way, if ever you want a good read on Tin Pan Alley lyrics and their history, the below book by Philip Furia is excellent.
I only hear all the things that I wish I'd done better. That said. Your fine words lifted me up to cloud nine. Now I have no idea how I'm going to get back down!