About The Music & Lyrics

Someone asked: I enjoy your poetry. Do you have melodies in your head that go with your words?

i reply:

thanx! that means a lot comin' from you

as for the melodies, harmonies, etc.

well... it is mostly like a prayer session... except instead of me blabbin', wining, and pleading... i attempt to shutup

kinda like... if i have a question... or see a situation... i say, "what do you think about this?"

then, listen

the tough part is in translation... turning what i hear... into a recording... a recorded message (in any number of mediums... sound, text, pictures, moving pictures, etc.)

this process varies... but might best be described as extemporaneous music

all the poetry... has been sung in song... so sometimes i call the lyrics "psalms"

it use to all be recorded as a live 1-track stereo recording ... for a couple main reasons
1) i believed it to be "purer"
2) i ain't got enough money for expensive multitrack equipment
3) it was an easy way to "get the message down"

however, it was limiting... people said they couldn't make out what i was singing... and others wanted to read the lyrics, etc. plus... though i like to play guitar, keyboards and sing at the same time... i physically couldn't hold and play all the other instruments i wanted... while singing lead and backing vocals, etc... all at the same time (heehe... people do seem to get a kick out of watching me try.)

soooo... when the price of multitrack equipment was as cheap as a walkman... i got a digital 8track

now-a-days... i still record the old way... and use other methods, but often it goes something more like this:

i find it important enough to type in all the lyrics as text... usually i do this while listening to the extemporaneous music track that "goes with it" (drums, bass, keyboards, etc are first recorded as midi... because midi allows me to cheaply record many instruments at the same time. my 8track only allows 1 stereo track to be recorded at a time. i can save hours of time by playing all the instruments at the same time.) ... next, the midi is recorded as a wav file for "the main music tracks"... then i sing a separate track(s)... and record electric guitar (or other hard to record/need to be separated instruments... like flute) as a separate track. this allows me to crank up the vocals and turn down the guitar... for a more traditional/acceptable mix.

heehe... the short answer to your question is... i guess singing all the words helps my poetry

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