What a blustery day. Pretty sure I'm going to fall over as soon as I go outside.
I wanted to share some exciting news with you. It's exciting for me, at least. Last night was spent laying down a scratch track for my newest song, "Don't Say". If you don't know what a scratch track is, it's the first base track you record so you can then record more polished tracks and begin the layering process. So last night scratch keys and drums were recorded.
My good friend, Brian, has been working with me on it and it's the first time I've experimented with additional instrumentation. I've never had the opportunity or reason to think about what else to add to my songs, so this is completely new to me. Luckily, between the two of us we probably have enough contacts to represent each instrument we'd ever want.
We brainstormed some ideas and I have to say, this is going to be an awesome process. I can't wait to show you guys the final recording. I'll try and do a few vlogs throughout the process so you can see what goes into it. Needless to say, I'm so excited!
Here's an inside look at part of the set up. Make sure you guys visit and like Brian's page, Brian Mirsch Designs. If you ever need a drummer/photographer/videographer/audio recording/friend, he can do the job.
I'm currently working on a new project which may require some outside help/contribution, so keep your eyes out over the next few days.
Welp, friends. I managed to write and record a new song this past weekend. If you've been following my posts, this is the song I started writing in my car to try and challenge myself.
This was pretty fun to write and record. I had first envisioned it to be more quirky and less gypsy, but when I picked up my violin to try a few parts, it ended up sounding more like Scene de Berio meets Zigeunerweisen (staple violin showpieces). There are actually 11 separate violin tracks, but it probably doesn't sound like it to you. The pizzicato at the beginning (plucking) is actually comprised of six different parts, mostly for harmony and texture. Throughout the song I have a few layers, but brought them down in the mix because again, they're mostly there for texture. Musically it's all based on A Harmonic Minor to give it that gypsy feel and I don't really abandon that. The violin solo after the second verse is purposefully supposed to be more flashy than any other solo I've done thus far. And it'll probably make more sense once I explain the lyrical inspiration.
I've been wanting to write a song about a feeling I've had for a while. I wasn't quite sure how to put it into a phrase of words until I remembered that book, "All I Really Need to Know I Learned In Kindergarten" and laughed because it was so utterly true.
If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all.
Kaaaa-blam. We have all said not-so-nice things to others and we have all had not-so-nice things said to us. So really this is a song dedicated to everyone, I guess. But here's the real story...
So you probably all know by this point that I'm a teacher. I really do enjoy it and I'm glad that it never really feels like a job. The kids are great (most of the time) and crack me up (most of the time) and it can be really gratifying (...most of the time). If you talk to any other private or public teacher for that matter, one of the complaints you probably hear is communicating with parents. Now don't get me wrong, most of the parents I do business with are absolutely wonderful. I have encountered the most caring and respectful people through teaching their kids. Every now and then, though, I get a few parents who like to tell me how I should teach. I get parents who talk down to me because of my age and assume I cannot play because I'm merely a teacher. This. Drives. Me. Crazy. I probably won't ever speak up for myself until I've dealt with this for many years (I'm a coward), but hells yes, you better believe I'm going to write a song about it!
I already feel small in this world and I don't like it when people make me feel smaller. So this is how I planned to retaliate: a passive, carnival-sounding song with a showy solo section to prove that I can play something other than Ode to Joy and The (freaking) Happy Farmer. I have great tactics, obviously.
Hope you enjoy it! As always, please share my music if you like it. Many of you follow me quietly which I appreciate and am flattered by, but if you want to be a part of this musical project and help...please share, share, share! :)
xo.
Don't Say
You think you know more than me
My dear won't you show me what I'm doing wrong?
You think you are better than me
Then please tell me what you've been holding inside.
I guess you never learned
The easiest rule of all
If you don't have anything nice to say
Then don't say anything at all.
Save me the lecture today
You're nice, but I don't think I'll take your advice
Quick to tell me your feelings
Over and over you drown me in them.
I guess you never learned
The easiest rule of all
If you don't have anything nice to say
Then don't say anything at all.
If you are not happy then why are you giving me countless opportunities?
If you are not pleased with me feel free to leave and spare me from your fake tragedies.
This is my most recent song...written only a few weeks
ago. It had been almost a year (yikes!) since the last song. I've
written a few in between, but nothing really of substance.
Blue Skies is a song that already exists and I'm sure you've heard it before. If not, listen to it here. I've found that I like to reference other songs in my songs and I don't know if it comes off as clever or cliche. Opinions? I like being original and creating new music, but I also like sewing it together with phrases or ideas people are already familiar with. If I could, I'd want to be present for every A ha! moment. The moment people realize that what they're hearing is actually from something else. Classical composers do it all the time. Why can't I?
One two three four five One two three four five One two three four five.
So
I learned that it was really difficult for me to play in five...on
piano...while singing. I've had my share of not-even-fair time
signature changes from varied orchestral experiences, but this was a
whole new playing field. I didn't want to stay in five the whole time, so I added an extra beat to make a happy, even six by the time the pre-chorus rolls around.
Musically, nothing too extravagant happens. I had some difficulties figuring out what I wanted to do during the solo section, so I opted to just quote the original blue skies to preface the vocal line and create a running scalar pattern underneath to give it some motion. The harmonies are pretty straightforward - the one you probably hear most clearly is a higher harmony...something I don't always do. Generally I like to sing harmonies that are lower than the melody, but the range of the song and the chord voicing made it more difficult to stack lower harmonies, so I built my snowman with the bottom on top instead.
As far as the content goes, I wrote this song as sort of a wake-up call to people. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a white picket fence kind of girl. At least not yet. Maybe down the road I'll be one, but definitely not now. The phrase blue skies is supposed to represent the American dream that everyone chases so desperately. And it's not a bad thing if you want that, but the song is supposed to address the concern of not thinking and/or pursuing what you really want. We have all been taught to crave blue skies, but what happens when you get it? What happens if you don't?
I spent last night in the company of some great musicians. I'm excited to be collaborating again and hearing other people's music. It's refreshing. Here's a little shot I took last night of our loved ones:
This wraps up my last "Behind" post...that is, until I write a new song :) I have an idea I've been working on in my car. I've been trying to challenge myself to write and think about harmony and chord changes while away from an instrument. Audiate, as they say. I have a general idea so I'm going to the piano today to give it some structure. It will be a different song for me...think Ingrid Michaelson and Elizabeth and the Catapult-esque (Thanks Steve - totally hooked on Eliz. now). Expect some video postings this weekend.
Stay warm! I have heat! I am no longer an eskimo. Just a regular Asian.
xo.
Blue Skies
Think you know the truth But all you know is what you're told Think you know the way But you don't know which way to go
Like a ship that's been wrecked at land A captain lost his sea
You say there's no better way Than counting numbers and figures And adding it all away Your life is at stake Will you abandon the calling of blue skies?
Trade your soul for gold Before you know it's all been sold Hope for something more But you build your fence around your home
Like a ship that's been wrecked at land A captain lost his sea
You say there's no better way Than counting numbers and figures And adding it all away Your life is at stake Will you abandon the calling of blue skies?
Blue skies smiling at me Blue skies calling to me You say there's no better way Than counting numbers and figures And adding it all away Your life is at stake Will you abandon the calling of blue skies?
Hello my friends. Yes, it's cold out. It's also cold inside. My house is currently at a pleasant 42 degrees. Never get oil heat.
Like You was written last December and it's blatantly obvious that it's a song about love, so there's not much to explain. It could use some reworking as there is a lot of musical/lyrical repetition. Listening to it now I realize that it's a bit on the slow side as well. I don't think it's the same style as my other songs and, really, the last two songs I wrote (Like You and Blue Skies) don't quite fit in with the same genre as my other ones. But I think that's just me trying to find my "sound" as they say.
Lyrics are below. I'll be posting a video soon for the question project.
Excited to be spending tonight collaborating with some talented musicians :)
Stay warm!
xo Like You I am scared by the things you say to me I am scared by the way you look at me Don't you see what you do to me? I have been here once before But I don't know what to expect anymore Can't you see what you do to me? There is no one like you That can make me feel the way I do There is no one like you Who can tell me that you love me The way you do. You have a way of turning silence into gold The most beautiful soul I have ever known, that I have ever had
There is no one like you That can make me feel the way I do There is no one like you Who can tell me that you love me The way you do. I can't help thinking about All the broken plans I had But then you hold me and it all goes away
There is no one like you That can make me feel the way I do There is no one like you Who can tell me that you love me The way you do.
"Forgotten Me" is a simple little diddly I wrote last October. I like referring to it as that: simple little diddly.
It's nothing extravagant, just acoustic guitar and a single vocal line. I don't think I'd want it to be much more, honestly. I like the thin nature of the song. It's meant to be raw and intimate.
There's not much to talk about musically, really. Like I said, it's simple. In regards to the form, it's just a verse, pre-chorus, chorus...and then it repeats. I could add a second verse, but I kind of like it essentially being two long stanzas; it just seems fitting. Maybe it could be one of those hidden tracks at the end of an album, ha.
Subject wise, I wrote it one day when I realized I was no longer a kid. You know, one of those moments when you realize that running out of Cinnamon Toast Crunch was no longer the biggest disappointment of your day. (Although, let's be real. That's still a travesty.) Ultimately though, I guess it's supposed to sum up the feeling of being overwhelmed with the realities of growing up and trying to find your way back to innocence and goodness. 'Cause we all know that growing up sucks and we would all much rather climb trees, build forts, and play in the dirt. Or is that just me?
If you're denying this, then you're all liars. And officially uninvited to all my future birthday parties.
Disclaimer: This post will contain some words you may not be familiar with. aka music theory terms. I'll try and keep it somewhat accessible for the general audience, though. I apologize if it's too jargon-y. Jargonistic. Jargonatuan. Jargonasauras Rex. ...what am I doing?!
Where to start...
Okay, my method of writing is fairly consistent; whether or not that's advantageous, I'm not sure. It's probably a disadvantage, actually. I need to learn to be more flexible when it comes to songwriting.
I first start by trying different chord progressions. I've been favoring seventh chords a lot lately just because I get tired of triads. I should practice more jazz or study it at the least to pick up some more exotic chords. I took Jazz Theory in college, but I don't remember anything but rhythm changes and drawing flowers in my comp book. Oops. I am jealous of my boyfriend's songwriting for this reason; he has so many more chords to choose from than I do. I need to expand my vocabulary. I also want to experiment more with range, inversions, and voicing.
I usually just try and work with 2-4 chords to begin with. I aim for an idea in the back of my mind so I know how to structure the song, but sometimes that doesn't always happen. What came first, the chicken or the egg? Instead of creating a dichotomy of major and minor keys, I try and think of dark vs. bright. Admittedly, if I'm going to write a darker song, I'll stick with minor chords or darker chords (with a lot of flats). Happier, uplifting songs (Do I have any happy songs?) will be more major or brighter chords like A Major or god forbid, E Major. (I hate E Major.) This is all just a generalization, though. I don't actively think about these things when I'm writing; this is merely looking back and conceptualizing my method so you can understand it.
I think the timbre of a song is definitely important to think about when
choosing a key. Even for those who don't have perfect pitch, I believe
that it subconsciously makes you feel certain emotions. Maybe not so
much that it's a noticeable difference, but it still makes a difference
in my book. And of course, personal preference will come into play.
Some of you may love the bright timbre of E Major, but I just don't.
So sometimes the chicken comes first and sometimes the egg. Sometimes I start with a lyrical idea and build my progression off of it, sometimes I start with a progression and build a lyrical idea off of it.
Once I have a general idea for a song, I experiment with meters and rhythm. This is actually my favorite part. I'll start in 4/4 and then switch to 3/4 or 6/8...just to see how it affects the overall sound. My latest song, Blue Skies, starts in 5/4 for no other reason than to challenge myself.
Once I agree on this (and usually it changes once or twice before I settle) I start figuring out the structure or form. Most of my songs are on the long side, I've noticed...4-5 minutes long. I've been trying to condense them lately as to not bore the audience, but wow...it's difficult. Some of my songs follow a typical V, C, V, C, B/solo, C, C, form, but others may exclude a bridge...or may have three verses. I can't say I always do that on purpose, but some of the songs are structured in a way to reflect the lyrics.
Lyrics. I tend to write the lyrics during each step of this process. I definitely need to spend more time crafting them and I want to try my next song by writing my lyrics without a musical instrument nearby. Just pen to paper. I figure out the lyrics when I'm writing the song, but I think it can become too hand-in-hand with the music. And don't get me wrong, there should be a relationship between them, but I think my lyrics should be able to stand on their own. And typically they don't. So that's a goal I have for my future songs.
At this point, I usually spend time tweaking things and playing through the song. Then I start recording to hear how it sounds as an outsider and you know the rest from here! (If you missed my post about how I record, check it out here.)
I wrote "Dawn Will Break" last August after getting tired of writing on piano. I've found that I can write songs fairly easily, but I have difficulty figuring out what to write a song about. This bothers me because I don't really like starting a song without having a vision. It's equatable to cooking. I know what ingredients are agreeable and which ones will complement each other, but I don't know which ones I'm going to use until I have something in mind to make. I'll touch a bit more on this for my next post, "Method of Writing"...
So I was having trouble feeling inspired emotionally when I decided to have some chocolate lying around. Upon opening it up, I realized it had a little quote on the inside of the wrapper.
It read, "However long the night, the dawn will break." - African Proverb
I thought it would be a good basis for a song and voila! "Dawn Will Break" came to be. Just like the proverb, the song is about hope, reassurance, and perseverance. It acts as a letter to someone close to me who had been struggling with the chaos of life.
So that's my song inspired by chocolate. Thank you, Dove! It's just acoustic guitar, violin, and vocals. Fairly thin texture all around. I haven't really thought about what other instrumentation I'd like to add quite yet, but I think that's far down the road.
Enjoy! I'm currently sick at home so I'll be working on the next post shortly while I have the time. Don't forget to keep posting questions for my upcoming video project. Find out more details here. Thanks to everyone who has already submitted one!
xo.
Dawn Will Break
Cast your fears aside and let them go They're weighing you down They're weighing you down And open up your eyes and see the world It's a beautiful place Not as scary as it seems Take my hand, come what may I understand Don't you worry baby Can't you see? The dawn will break, the dawn will break Don't you worry baby I'll be by your side To see tomorrow's sunrise I know you need some time for yourself But just so you know You don't have to face it alone So I'll pray for a little rain To flood these streets of yours and Wash it all away
Take my hand, come what may I understand Don't you worry baby Can't you see? The dawn will break, the dawn will break Don't you worry baby I'll be by your side To see tomorrow's sunrise
Wow, this song was a lot harder than I expected it to be. When I first attempted to play/sing at the same time, it was atrocious. I wish that was an exaggeration.
I've been working on it for a week or so (and I guess that doesn't sound 'too' bad in the grand scheme of things, but it was frustrating nonetheless). I didn't feel like purchasing music for it because A) I wanted to exercise my ear, B) I am cheap, and C) I am cheap. So instead I sat down with some manuscript paper and a pencil and figured out the main gist of it...
Once I figured out the 'general' rhythm and chord changes, I scrapped the music and tried to work it out. It's not exactly like the recording, but I'm okay with that; that wasn't really my goal. After listening to the song over and over and over in my car, I realized there were a lot of layers I didn't hear the first hundred times I'd heard the song. So I felt obligated to add them. For example, there are horns at the beginning. (?!?!?!?!?!) I don't know how I didn't pick up on that. I guess I wasn't actively listening...
I have learned to appreciate that about doing covers. 'That' being all the layers of tracks that comprise the general sound which get hidden in the initial texture we hear. It's a good exercise for listening, fo' sho' (Don't judge me, I just spent the whole day doing this so I may be a little wacky). There were harmonies for almost the entire song and I never would've guessed it before actively listening. I also realized the "oohs" at the beginning were done in two separate tracks...so I followed suit!
In terms of my recording order:
-About 40 takes of the base keyboard/vocal track. Haha, you think I'm kidding...
-Another lead vocal line because the vox were too quiet on the main one. Since I couldn't increase the volume of the base track without increasing the piano to an annoying level, I just recorded on top of it. That's why you hear some discrepancies in syllable changes. Too impatient to fix those things...for now :) I also added the little improv vocal lines on this track because I was too focused on playing keys to worry about it then.
-Vocal harmony line
-"Ohs" and "Ohs"
-Clapping! I love to clap. I actually recorded two separate tracks and copied another to make it sound more full. My camera makes my clapping sound like nothing more than a weak snap.
-Violin (Beginning/choruses)
-Violin - Sustained pre-chorus and bridge
In all, it turned out to be 11 tracks making it one of the heftier songs I've worked on...
Trying to line up the video clips to the final audio was a nightmare. My next cover will probably be something simple and cutesy. For my own sanity...
So that's my experience covering SB's 'King of Anything'. It took 7-8 hours or so to record everything, edit, and export. Sunday productivity? Check.
If you haven't yet, please make sure you read the last post (click here) and submit a question for my next video! It's going to be a surprise :)
And as always, thank you thank you thank you for reading!
CLASS PARTICIPATION. Okay, I need you guys yet again. But I think this will be more fun than stalking me. I'm going to release a series of videos (covers, most likely) and I want you to be involved in some way. Each video will be a little different and I'll address what I need you to do beforehand, but I'd LOVE to see as much participation as possible. And if you'd like to extend this invitation to your own friends, please do so!
To ease our way into this "scary notion of class participation" (Can you tell that I was the kid in school who hated raising her hand? I mean, c'mon...being wrong in your head is one thing. Being wrong in a classroom of thirty kids waiting to make fun of you for just about anything...that's another. I'll keep my hand down, thank you.) I figured we could start with something easy, an ice-breaker if you will.
What I need you to do:
I want you to ask me a question. What I'm going to do on my end is collect all these questions and respond to them in a video. Don't worry - you're not going to have thirty kids laughing at you if you ask a silly question because you can remain anonymous if you choose to do so. Blogger has that lovely option. You don't need an account.
You can pose questions to me on any of the platforms, but the most convenient (and only way to remain anonymous) will be on here by commenting below.
Your questions can be related to my music, process of writing, etc., or they can be about my personal life (to an extent). They can be about silly things like whether I prefer dogs over cats (I choose cats, btw). Anything. I just want to see how many people I can get involved.
You can ask a question on any of my posts - I will get it. It does not have to be on this specific post, so feel free to roam about my blog if you have a specific question regarding a song.
And again, I will release a video of me answering your questions and perhaps I'll sing you a song at the end of it. Please take part in this, even if this is your first time checking out my blog. I am really excited to do this and I hope you guys are too :)
Thank you all for subscribing and liking and following! :) You all rock.
So I went to a dubstep show last night. My legs are so sore and my left ear is still ringing, but man...it was a lot of fun. I love experiencing different genres of music and seeing how people react to them. And it's also interesting to see what type of people are drawn to certain genres. It makes me wonder who will be drawn to my music. Probably not the dub-steppers, though. I can't say furry hats and neon clothing come to mind when I'm writing my music.
Time. Let me talk about the background first then I'll talk a bit about the song structure. This song is essentially a letter to someone who passed away; a person whom I knew my entire life, but didn't really know. It was one of those situations where you were granted time to say your farewells and make reconciliations. It was also a situation where time was nothing more than grains of sand in an hourglass leaving you to think about all the things that should have been. I guess it's difficult to really explain the song and exactly how it came to be, but ultimately it's about a relationship with somebody that should have been warm, kind, and loving...and instead it was poisoned by selfishness and resentment. And in the end none of it mattered because time defeated us all. Yay time! Okay, that wasn't an appropriate time to cheer. I know.
As far as my actual songwriting goes for this tune, I incorporated some more harmonics at the beginning. I don't know - I really love harmonics. I find them haunting. There's just enough air in the tone. The harmonies on this song are way too loud - sorry about that. It actually took me a few videos to figure out how to adjust the volume on tracks. I thought I was doing it, but really I was adjusting the playback volume, haha. Whoops! Clearly...I am an idiot.
I didn't write a bridge for this song. Mostly because I intentionally want it to feel somewhat unfinished. I also chose to change the last chord to major, but slipped in a flat 7 for the harmonic so it would done, but blemished, if you will. I think the voicing and instrumentation gives it more tension as well. I use 7 chords all the time, but they never sound that "tense" so it must just be the contrast of instruments and range difference.
I think I wrote this song as more of a therapeutic letter. I can't say I really 'like' this song or see it becoming a favorite, but it helped me formulate my ideas and feelings; it forced me to stop harboring them.
Anyhow, that is all for today! Hopefully going to finish my King of Anything cover tomorrow so be on the lookout for a post either tomorrow night or Monday morning! Now it's time to get my purple on. GO RAVENS! :)
I've only got a few minutes before I need to leave for work, but I wanted to do a quick post with all my links in case you want to stalk me on every platform possible. (This is actually encouraged. Give in to the temptation...you know you want to.)
One of the things I'm trying to achieve right now is to build some sort of following. So thanks for coming back and reading my blog posts, listening to my songs, and interacting with me whether it be via Facebook or YouTube. I appreciate all of it, really, and nothing goes unnoticed. Every time I get another subscriber or 'like' on my music page it gives me extra energy and confidence to keep sticking with this. What I'd like to see is more involvement from strangers...not that I don't love you all, because I do. (Even you, doubtful reader) But getting support from my friends and family is one thing, getting support from people who don't necessarily know me but have stumbled across my music is a whole other step in this process. So please help me out and spread the word! Help me paint the world wide web town :)
I have a list of women whom I admire. Sara Bareilles is pretty up there. There are so many reasons why, but I guess I first realized my love for her when I heard her second album, Kaleidoscope Heart. (Listen to it on Spotify here)
Yes, 'Love Song' was great. It was sassy and catchy and everybody sang it at the top of their lungs when it came on the radio. (The first hundred times.) But I think listening to her second album really hit home with me, probably because I felt like each song on that album was written for me or about me. My best friend, Ang, first told me about the album release and had me listen to a few songs from it. Immediately I had to buy it and admittedly, I still listen to that album in full for weeks at a time. In fact it's been playing non-stop in my car for the last week.
I mean, c'mon:
All the colors
Of the rainbow
Hidden 'neath my skin
Hearts have colors
Don't we all know?
Red runs through our veins
Feel the fire burning up
Inspire me with blood of
Blue and green
I have hope
Inside is not a heart
But a kaleidoscope
Sidenote: Just looked up youtube videos of her performing live and forgot about writing this post. Two hours later...oops. I actually stumbled across an online show she put on via stageit for Playing for Change. Watched the whole show. If you have an hour, you can watch it here The thing I loved about it is that she made a few mistakes. It was a nice reminder that my failed attempts to get through a song without messing up are okay.
I guess you always claim the music that speaks to you. It just happens that her music speaks to me and inspires me. She also has an attitude towards life that I'd like to adopt. She's not afraid to experience emotion, but she's developed a hard-enough shell that she can wage the war of life. She's a bull-dog with a potty mouth who can sing and play everything. That's how I perceive her. I'm going to go write a love song for Sara Bareilles now. Just kidding. I won't do that. I'm not gonna write her a love song. ...see what I did there? Har, har. Okay, in all seriousness...she is an inspiration. I'm currently working on a cover of King of Anything which will hopefully be posted on the world wide web in the next week or two. I've learned that playing syncopations on the keys and singing at the same time is mighty hard, but I'm hoping I'll get better at it from covering the song. Or maybe my self-confidence will just implode. Not sure yet. I'll let you know when I find out ;) Here are two SB covers I've done in the past. No stories behind them really. Besides, they're not my stories to tell. Which artists are inspiring you? Enjoy! xo.
A lot of people ask me how I go about recording my songs so I figured it'd be good to take some time to explain my process :)
Let me first say one thing: I'm a poor musician. I don't have equipment per se, but I make do with what I have.
The first thing I do (typically) is record a base track with keyboard and lead vocals. The reason why I don't record on our upright is because it tends to be too loud on recordings and I'm not skilled enough to control the dynamic level manually, so instead I use the Clavinova keyboard. It has weighted keys and a million settings, but I usually just opt for a Live Pop Piano sound. It sounds different on the recording anyway, so I don't sweat over the settings too much. The first track takes some time. And by that I mean it's really frustrating. I don't do any punch-ins, so if I make a mistake on keyboard or vocally...I start all over. The worst is when my voice cracks on the very last note or I flub up a chord at the end. I've also noticed that I tend to start recording before I've figured out how I'm going to end a song...why do I do that?! While I could record each track individually, I think it's good practice for me at this stage to try and play/sing together as much as possible. It's still pretty difficult at times, but if I ever want to perform in public...I'll have to do that anyway, so it makes more sense to just suck it up and do it.
Plus it looks cool.
You'll probably be shocked to know that I record everything on my digital slr, Canon Rebel T3i. Er, at least most of it. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll use my other slr which is a crappy Fujifilm and perhaps my Kodak zi8 for extra angles. Most of the time it's too annoying to have to get up and hit "record" on three cameras...play a few bars, make a mistake and have to stop/delete/re-record again. So lately I've only been using two cameras. Once I get a decent take, I upload it into iPhoto and then transfer the audio over to Audacity. Then I start layering. Usually I'll start with harmonies. I'll put on some headphones and try singing along with the lead vocal I already recorded. I'll typically add at least two harmony lines for choruses and some harmony fillers during the verses. I use my T3i for this as well (The advantage of using my camera is that I never have to worry about lining up audio with video. Once the audio track is finished, I just take pieces of all the video I recorded and splice it together). Depending on the song, I usually add a few violin lines using the same method of recording and layering. Then perhaps a solo part if necessary.
I try to think outside the box a little bit, especially when it comes to my violin. Eventually I'd like to incorporate some more complex lines and such, lending inspiration from my classical studies, but I just haven't yet. If you watched "Fool of Me" I used something that are called false harmonics at the beginning. Not extravagant by any means, but not something you typically hear in pop music.
I don't know much about the logistics of Audacity. I know how to make certain tracks quieter, but I don't really do anything to change the tone...at least intentionally. Every now and then I mess around with something and type a few numbers into some settings and I suddenly get a cool sound, but I don't actually know what I'm doing. Ha. Once I finish the song...I import it into iMovie and start splicing the video parts together. It takes some time trying to find the exact moments I'm playing certain things, but having done it so many times I've been able to speed up this process. Then I sit back, watch it to make sure everything lines up, export it, and upload it to the world wide web for your enjoyment.
So yeah. It's a little west coast, but for not having a mic or legitimate recording equipment...it's sufficient enough for now.
Do any of you have special ways you record? I mean, other than going into a studio and doing it the right way :)
Carousels make me sick. Metaphorically and literally. I don't like the idea of going around and around and not getting anywhere. I equate them to those awful dreams you have when you're being chased by something horrific and your legs are suddenly attached to buckets of water. Running through quick sand. Yeah...game over, son.
Also...I just don't really like going in circles. That's not normal.
Oh hello, btw, dear dedicated reader of my blog. How are you? :)
I've decided to label these postings as "Behind: ___(insert song name here)____". Don't worry, I won't spend every post talking about what my songs are about or how they came to be. I know you're not all idiots. I realize you are perfectly capable of figuring out what my songs are about. This is just to warm you up. I promise I will have other posts. But since we're still just getting to know each other, I figure this is the best way to become acquainted. (I take that back. You're learning a lot about me, but I have no idea who you are, or maybe I do. Either way this seems unfair. I'll have to brainstorm about fixing that issue...)
Carousel. I wrote Carousel in July, probably about a week after The Seams. Alert, alert! This song is NOT about a boy. Phew. Broke that streak, finally. For those of you who do not know, I teach violin privately. I currently have around thirty students in my studio. I've worked hard to build up my studio the past two years and I've honestly wanted to teach for as long as I can remember. Maybe one day I'll have a post dedicated to all my past teachers, but for now...just realize that my teachers were/are very dear to me. Now that I am a teacher, myself, I realize how fast children grow. One of my favorite things about teaching is seeing kids mature and watching them understand and discover and crave greatness. It's a really satisfying feeling to know that you're a part of that process as a teacher. On the other hand, sometimes my job is to act more like a counselor. I have kids who come into my studio and tell me how their fellow students say he/she is stupid and treat them "like dirt". I have kids who deal with really difficult and painful home situations. It can be heartbreaking at times to know that you can't change their situation and you can't necessarily 'fix' them. The most you can do is show them love and hopefully give them the capability of creating something they can be proud of, something they can pursue that is good and beautiful and rewarding. Kids grow so fast, but what's more troubling is how early some kids have to grow up. That's really what my song is about. The dizzy feeling I get when I hear stories about kids having to defeat impossible and invisible monsters, climbing mountains that never seem to peak.
There's my emotional contribution of Behind: Carousel.
What's behind the actual music? I guess the song is technically in 12/8. I just spent the last five minutes debating whether it was 6/8 or 12/8, but I'm going to go with 12/8. Not like it really matters from my end. What matters most is the consistent subdivision of eighths. Sorry, some of you have no idea what I'm talking about. For those of you who are nodding your head thinking 'yes, that's me!'...try this:
Say "piz-za" four times in a row:Piz-za, Piz-za, Piz-za, Piz-za
Now say "pine-ap-ple" four times: Pine-ap-ple, Pine-ap-ple, Pine-ap-ple, Pine-ap-ple
That's the difference. Two vs. Three. Syllables = Subdivisions of beats. I basically chose to accentuate three rather than two because it naturally has a circular feel. It's just hidden underneath bigger, stronger beats. I hope that makes sense to you and I hope you can hear it now that I explained it. I would've used numbers to represent the rhythm, but most likely you would've added space after the third beat without realizing it which would have defeated the whole purpose of this exercise. My students always laugh at me when I tell them that I love food so much that I just have to incorporate it into music somehow.
I guess the only other interesting thing musically is that at the end of the bridge, I used some suspensions in the harmonies to create that tension-release feeling we are all so familiar with. Eventually I'd like it to be a thicker texture, but I'm only one person and after doing three or four sets of harmonies I get tired. And bored. Mostly impatient. But I do proudly admit that I love suspensions. I don't care how cheesy they may be...I love them. (Thank you, Barber.Do any of you get this reference? Name that piece!) My boyfriend laughs at me whenever I talk about suspensions... "I love suspensions." "I know you do." "Oh."
That's usually how that conversation goes. Oh yeah, and in case you don't know...my boyfriend is a musician as well. He plays circles around me on the piano and has his own songwriting project that he's pursuing. I'll have to post about his music at some point...
Eventually I'd like the last chorus to be more...busy. Chaotic. But a pleasant chaotic. Have you guys ever seen a film where (the only example I can think of is at the end of The Illusionist) there's a big twist and while you and the character are simultaneously figuring out just how that twist came to be, the music is swirling, and many times the camera angle moves in a circular fashion so that you literally feel like you're spinning? I'd like to replicate that feeling, but in my music. I think I need many more string/key/vocal tracks to accomplish it, but that's my vision for the song. Ultimately, I'd like listeners to feel like they are in a bubble and everything around them is moving freely but constantly, like the eye of a mini tornado. My analogies are getting out of hand. Now all I can think about is the movie Forces of Nature.So many references for one post.
Anyhow. There's some background about Carousel. I hope you like it :) As always, I will post the lyrics below. Happy Tuesday!
xo
"Carousel"
Little boy said to me,
"Will you hold my hand?
I am lost, I am scared
They tell me to be a man."
And the world turns
And around the carousel spins
Nobody sees the boy in the corner
Who tries hard to fit in
'Till there's nothing left
Nothing left of him.
Little girl said to me,
"Will you braid my hair?
I am not as pretty
As the girls I see everywhere."
And the world turns
And around the carousel spins.
Nobody sees the girl in the mirror
Who tries hard to fit in
'Till there's nothing left
Nothing left of her.
Will there ever come a day when we just see?
And around the carousel spins
Nobody sees the boy in the corner
Who tries hard to fit in
'Till there's nothing left
There's nothing left...
And around the carousel spins
Nobody sees the girl in the mirror
Who tries hard to fit in
'Till there's nothing left
There's nothing left of her.
Today I'd like to talk to you about the third song I wrote and presented on the book. I'm going to skip the second song (Idle Barricade) because I don't see it as a greatgood decent song. It's long and repetitive and could use some work, so I'll *86 the discussion on that for now.
As you already know, my first public song was written in April. The song I'm about to talk to you about today was written in June...about a month after I found myself in a new relationship.
"The Seams"
If you are a friend/fan/follower/subscriber/liker/etc., you've probably heard this song. I tried to blast it out as obnoxiously as possible about two months ago because I submitted it for a competition and needed some more exposure. This is probably my favorite song that I've written. I think. I tend to treat my songs like my books; I always favor the last one I've read. Similarly, I tend to favor my most recent songs. This one, however, tends to stay close to my heart.
(I'm realizing how much you will all learn about my love life because of these songs. That's not intimidating or embarrassing at all...)
So again. I wrote this song about a boy. (My first album should be called, "About a Boy". Too bad that's already a movie title.) In this case, however, maybe the subject or theme is not so much about a boy, but rather my insecurities of being in a new relationship. I think the phrase, "Say you'll never leave," sums up the amount of insecurity I felt. My lyrics are straight-forward and simple. Sadly, I don't take enough time to craft them or refine them, really, but I must admit that I don't necessarily want my lyrics to be anything more than what they have to be. I support simplicity and I'd like to present my lyrics in the same way. I love Coldplay for this reason. Their music is atmospheric, simple, but emotional. I guess I try to use the same ingredients in my own. For now, at least. Maybe that will change in the future.
I've re-worked this song a little bit since I first wrote it, mostly just giving it more structure and a better solo section. I also need to spend more time on my solo writing. I literally just play whatever until something sounds decent and so I keep it. (I'm an impatient songwriter.) Again, I need to learn the art of experimentation and purpose, not just convenience and mediocrity. Getting off topic...
I've often been criticized for wearing my heart on my sleeve. I have to confess that I've always been the first to drop the I love You bomb, so maybe that's why. Anyhow...here are my lyrics:
I decided to create this blog with the intention of sharing my music and explaining how I go about writing, recording, etc. I plan to talk about the inspiration for my songs, post lyrics (I know it's hard to hear them on my videos), and hopefully inspire you to create something beautiful too.
I figured I'd spend the first post talking about the very first song I shared with the general public (...still remember the feeling of panic as I hit the 'Post' button on Facebook...). But before I go into too much detail, I guess I should explain my pre-Facebook music.
I began writing songs on the piano back in high school (This is a lie. I once wrote a song on my violin when I was a kid because I was too poor and didn't have money to buy my brother a birthday gift. So instead I wrote and recorded a birthday song for him. Innovation or desperation?) My first few songs were about my friends, songs about love, songs about my insecurities. In that realm, I guess nothing has really changed, although I'd like to believe that my songs don't suck anymore. Hopefully. The first 5-10 songs I wrote were pretty terrible, but I had to start somewhere. If you don't believe me, I literally had a song where I referenced the lyrics from "Twinkle, Twinkle" (cue laughing now). I made a poor attempt to elegantly turn it into a lullaby of sorts, but I failed miserably. I'll probably just leave that behind and pretend it never happened. Once I got to college I got a guitar for Christmas and began writing songs on that. For any fellow musicians out there, you'll probably relate to this: One challenge I have when writing songs on piano is that I fall into patterns: musical patterns, finger patterns, chord patterns, rhythmic patterns, so much that I don't feel like I'm actively writing. I found that when I picked up a guitar, I had no idea what the hell I was doing and therefore the idea of experimentation was finally unveiled. I was free of ruts and had to rely on my ear and personal taste as opposed to years of being told, "this chord goes to this chord and you use this inversion and this set of fingers and if you don't do it this way the world will blow up and everyone will die". Okay, yeah...that's an exaggeration, but you get my point.
I probably wrote about 5-6 songs on the guitar that actually began to sound like songs. I had built up a little bit of confidence and began sharing them with close friends via AIM (throwback!) to get some feedback. (Thank you Angela Gan, Kristen LaPorte, Steve Scher, Geoff Geis, Annmarie Beacham Warner, and Dan Gempesaw). A few of these can be found on 'the book' and eventually I'll post a few of these early songs on here. One of them includes a setting of e.e. cumming's I Carry Your Heart With Me. Alas, another day.
I think that's enough history for now.
My first song.
"Fool of Me" written April 28th, 2011.
The next sentence I'm about to say is going to be riveting and mind-blowing:
So I wrote this song about a boy. Ah, the shock you must feel. In a nutshell, I think we have all experienced the feeling of being led on in some manner. It sucks. It really sucks. Coming out of a four-year-long failed relationship, I had the misconception that I was ready to dive into another one right away. I'm thankful I didn't...for many reasons, but for the sake of this story...let me just say that it sparked my first interest in not only writing, but sharing...with you know, a lot of people...aka Facebook. My parents had recently received a Mac from their friends and I was eager to try out garage band because I'd seen so many of my friends use it. Well, that was a disaster. To this day, I have no freaking idea how to navigate garage band - I do not understand. So instead I downloaded Audacity and have been using that ever since.
In another post, I'll explain my method of writing, but I guess it's pretty obvious that I start with a base and then layer tracks on top of tracks. So I just started writing a song on the piano, added a vocal line and lyrics, added harmonies, violin, and bam! I suddenly had a song that incorporated everything I was too scared to say or too afraid to feel. I remember talking to my best friend, Ang, about the song before I posted it. She shared some words of encouragement and urged me to post it...so I mustered up some courage and finally did. And then people started liking it and commenting on it, calling my music "beautiful" and "gorgeous" and I think that's when I realized that my music could mean something, not only to me, but to others as well.
So to end this first post, I'll include the video of my original song, "Fool of Me", along with the lyrics. Thanks so much for reading and being a part of this. All of you are an inspiration to me. I hope my music can inspire you in return.
xo.
Nikia
"Fool of Me" - Nikia Sayre
I know you want more recognition
And I know someday you will find it.
But I can't wait here any longer
I'm no stronger anyway.
I know you never asked me to stay
But I kept hoping things were gonna' change
Now I know for good, I take it back
Cause it hurts so bad.
I gave you everything and I got nothing
You stole a piece of me and now I'm empty
You really made a fool of me.
Of all the things I wanna' say to you
I'll keep my thoughts to myself this time
I gave you all my words, my truths, my fears.
I gave you everything and I got nothing
You stole a piece of me and now I'm empty
You really made a fool of me.
I don't need you, need you anymore
You can't have me, have me anymore
You can't hurt me, hurt me anymore.
