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In another lifetime I thought of becoming a priest and spent several years in a Catholic seminary. As part of the training, I spent a summer as a hospital chaplain. (Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.) I decided not to become a priest and am now a happily married man, but I often think back on that stint as a chaplain and always knew I would write a song about it. Everybody's Life Gets Tough (demo) by Mark Rhodes BiaB style: Campfire, 2 Medium (for the intro, bars 1-8, just using the acoustic guitar); Dreamy Soft Rock for the rest. Tempo: 145 Even 8s, 4/4 All the lead guitar parts are played on my Squier Affinity Telecaster plugged into a Scarlett 2i2. DAW: Reaper Plugins: WAVES GTR. (To be honest, I don't recall the setting for the guitar used here. It sounds like bagpipes in the intro and that seemed fitting for a hospital where a lot of somber things happen.)
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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A truly life-changing experience and a well-written song is obviously not the only reward. To answer Mr. Cohen's comment, it seems that you found that place where good songs come from Mark --the heart, the soul, the whole of life. Thanks for sharing this little tip of that experience.
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Joined: Dec 2003
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Excellent song and such true lyrics; we all can appreciate the fact that we all have tough times.
Interesting guitar tone, at times it sounds like a blues harp and other times, well I don't know what it sounds like! But it fits the song and that is all that matters.
You did a super job on the mix also.
Two thumbs up.
Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up. Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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Joined: Jun 2020
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Excellent song and such true lyrics; we all can appreciate the fact that we all have tough times.
Interesting guitar tone, at times it sounds like a blues harp and other times, well I don't know what it sounds like! But it fits the song and that is all that matters.
You did a super job on the mix also.
Two thumbs up. Thanks, Mario! I really appreciate that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Joined: Jan 2012
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Hi Mark. I enjoyed this very much. Great lyrics band and production. All the best Rob
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Very nice light rock song that reminds me bit of Dire Straits. Good lyrics and vocals. Nice soft arrangement, enjoyed the guitar playing and its sound.
Janne
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Cool tune. I got the Dire Straits vibe as well. Well done
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Nicely done...dark stories of personal pasts. The vocal seems to be triggering peripheral artefacts from the effect on it...from essing to a sort of cracking. You may care little about those and most people won't. I notice them so comment. COOL song.
Cheers rayc "What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Life's experiences often provide grist for songs. Good job on this song.
Back in HS, a friend was considering going into one of those brotherhood monastery kinds of places. We used to call him Friar Bob.... which he took with a grain of salt so to speak. I wonder about him from time to time if he ever followed through and became a monk.
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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Life's experiences often provide grist for songs. Good job on this song.
Back in HS, a friend was considering going into one of those brotherhood monastery kinds of places. We used to call him Friar Bob.... which he took with a grain of salt so to speak. I wonder about him from time to time if he ever followed through and became a monk. Interesting story. I spent several years in a seminary in New Orleans. (Curiously, I left just before Katrina hit.) The backstories of the guys there varied dramatically. From guys who had escaped Vietnam as kids to lawyers and doctors who felt something missing in their careers, not nearly as many "literary types" as I had expected.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Very nice light rock song that reminds me bit of Dire Straits. Good lyrics and vocals. Nice soft arrangement, enjoyed the guitar playing and its sound.
Janne Thanks, Janne. I picked that BiaB backing track precisely because it reminded me of Dire Straits. I love Knopfler's guitar playing and think he's an excellent songwriter. Comes from that not-a-great-singer-but-an-effective-vocalist school that I've always been drawn too (Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman...) When I was a kid, I played with a lot of distortion. I liked the sound but I also think I used it to bury my vocals a bit. I was an insecure singer. I'm not a much better singer now than I was then but I'm more accepting of my limitations and try to write songs that will work with the voice I have to sing them with. ;o)
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Thanks, Ray. I'll listen again for that. Sometimes I hear clicks that result from power surges. (The lights flicker too.) I always hope it never sounds on a recording and sometimes it doesn't. But maybe there's some I failed to notice.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Cool tune. I got the Dire Straits vibe as well. Well done Thanks, Scott. I'm glad you liked it.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Hi Mark. I enjoyed this very much. Great lyrics band and production. All the best Rob Thanks, Bob. I appreciate that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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"Probably die the same way you live" That says it all.
Nice story, good song.
moto
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"Probably die the same way you live" That says it all.
Nice story, good song.
moto I knew a priest in his 80s who was one day asked what he thought about deathbed conversions. He said he didn't doubt the possibility but he had not seen one in his almost 60 years as a priest. "People die the way they live," he said. I never forgot that.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Interesting song... especially because of the lyrics. Good write!
thanks for sharing, Will
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Good song, well sung and played. I wasn't too crazy about the amp sim setting. I use waves guitar sometimes and there are a bunch of others you might try, or not. I like 'when doves cry' preset.
Windows 10, Intel Core I5 10400, 16 gig ram, Scarlett 6i6, Komplete keyboard, Sony Acid Music Studio 11, BIAB 2020 UltraPlus Pak
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Good song, well sung and played. I wasn't too crazy about the amp sim setting. I use waves guitar sometimes and there are a bunch of others you might try, or not. I like 'when doves cry' preset. I'll have to try other amp sim settings. Mostly I use a clean tone (in Waves CLA Guitar it's the "Cleantone" setting). But I need to find a few other settings for piercing leads (and also for a bit of rhythmic crunch.) Waves GTR3 has so many options it's hard to know where to start!
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Interesting song... especially because of the lyrics. Good write!
thanks for sharing, Will Thanks, Will. I appreciate that. My songs seem to fall into two categories: those with a focus on the lyric and those with a focus on funky guitar parts where I have a hard time figuring out where to put lyrics at all.
"If I knew where the good songs came from, I'd go there more often." Leonard Cohen
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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Update Your PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 Today!
The Newest RealBand 2024 Update is Here!
The newest RealBand 2024 Build 5 update is now available!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
This free update is available to all RealBand 2024 users. To learn more about this update and download it, head to www.pgmusic.com/support.realband.htm#20245
The Band-in-a-Box® Flash Drive Backup Option
Today (April 5) is National Flash Drive Day!
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
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Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
Learn more about this free update for Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows at www.pgmusic.com/support_windowsupdates.htm#1111
Band-in-a-Box® 2024 Review: 4.75 out of 5 Stars!
If you're looking for a in-depth review of the newest Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows version, you'll definitely find it with Sound-Guy's latest review, Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows Review: Incredible new capabilities to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs.
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Congratulations to the 2023 User Showcase Award Winners!
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There are 45 winners, each receiving a Band-in-a-Box 2024 UltraPAK! Read the official announcement to see if you've won.
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed!
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