Author: admin

Posted on

Landscapes Update: June 1st, 2019

Well, summer semester is clearly here.  Not only have I completed my May goal, I’m already two-thirds of the way through my June goal of composing Landscape 7: Mountains, which means I’m officially halfway finished with the composition for the project. I have also found time to record a little bit. I recorded some harmonica parts for Landscape 4, as well as the bass part for Landscape 3. At the end of the month I have a booking with Musiversal to record the orchestral part for Landscape 4.

But for now, the musical example I’ll leave you with is Landscape 3: Pond. This largely synthesized / sampled version contains a guitar track played and recorded by Carl Bugbee of the prominent Rhode Island cover band Take it to the Bridge, as well as my bass track.

Posted on

Landscapes Update: May 11th, 2019

I’m a little behind on my Landscapes update for May, but I am pretty much on schedule for my composing. In April I finished work on Landscape 5: Marsh. I am more than a third of the way through my May goal of composing Landscape 6: Beach.

Carl Bugbee, guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist for Rhode Island cover band Take it to the Bridge, has recorded the guitar parts for the first four Landscapes. This month I’ll share with you a synthesized realization of Landscape 2: Snow featuring Carl’s guitar tracks . . .

Now that my semester grades have been submitted I hope to find the time to record some parts myself, and I hope to have something to share in that regard next month.

Posted on

Landscapes Update: April 12th, 2019

I’m a bit behind schedule with my April update on the Landscapes project. However, I’m glad to say I’m not not behind with the project itself. I am currently halfway through the fifth piece in the series, Marsh. Last month not only did I finish writing Landscapes 4: Sand Dunes, but I wrote an orchestral part for the movement, which will be recorded on June 2nd. While the orchestral part is heavily syncopated, I rewrote the orchestral score in a different meter and tempo to make the piece easier to sight read, but more on that in June.

I mixed and edited the orchestral overdub for phrases eight and nine of Landscape 1. I also received guitar tracks for the first four pieces in the series that were played and recorded by Carl Bugbee. Bugbee is a keyboardist, guitarist, and vocalist for the prominent Rhode Island cover band Take it to the Bridge. While I have incorporated Carl’s guitar recordings into the first two Landscapes, I still have to add his tracks to Landscapes 3 & 4.

Listening wise I have included a largely synthesized realization of Landscape 1: Forest that incorporates the mixed and edited orchestral tracks as well as Carl’s guitar tracks. Enjoy!

Posted on

Song a Day: “Birdhouse in Your Soul” (John Flansburgh / John Linnell)

When demonstrating metaphors in lyrics, I used to cover “Candle in the Water” from the 1977 film Pete’s Dragon.  While the metaphors in this song work very well, I found that the song did not speak to students.  So, I have moved on to covering the They Might Be Giants classic “Birdhouse in Your Soul.”

John Flansburgh and John Linnell from They Might Be Giants are known for their clever lyrics, and “Birdhouse in Your Soul” is no exception.  The premise of the song is quirky, clever, and sweet.  The singer personifies a nightlight in the form of a blue canary, who is singing to the person (probably a child) who the nightlight protects (“who watches over you”).  The message this object conveys, through metaphor, is to keep a spot for it in your heart.

The beginning starts very playfully, with the nightlight continuously backpedalling on its relationship to the audience . . .
I’m your only friend,
I’m not your only friend,
but I’m a little glowing friend,
but really I’m not actually your friend,
But I am

While this is playful, it also establishes the affection that the nightlight has for his protectee, and starts to set up the desire of the nightlight to have this affection reciprocated. This hope is expressed in chorus with the line, “say I’m the only bee in your bonnet,” which is charmingly rhymed with the previous line, “not to put to fine a point on it.”

Part of Flansburgh and Linnell’s gift for lyrics comes from their use of obscure sayings, vocabulary and references. One such example of an antiquated saying is the previously mentioned “bee in your bonnet.” In terms of vocabulary, the first verse includes the line, “filibuster vigilantly.” Perhaps the most obscure reference of the song is the “Longines Symphonette,” which is a brand of luxury, high quality wristwatches. This reference adds a bit of humor, as a cheap night light compares itself to a thousand dollar wristwatch. The second verse humorously invokes the legend of Jason and the Argonauts as well.

Another feature of the lyrics to “Birdhouse” is the use of multiple syllable rhymes.  In the chorus we hear “bonnet” rhymed with “on it,” while the first verse rhymes “listen to me” with “vigilantly” and “l-i-t-e,” as well as “infinte” and “Symphonette.” This last rhyme is softened by appending the line with the non-rhyming phrase “it doesn’t rest.” In the second verse we have three multi-syllable rhymes in a row: “opposite me,” “ancestry,” and “shipwreck free.” These rhymes echo those from the first verse (“listen to me,” “vigilantly,” “l-i-t-e”). While these multiple syllable rhymes make the verse very rhyming, Flansburgh and Linnell clear our palette by having the final lyric of each verse not rhyme, which leaves the verse open, leading into the chorus.

Finally, the lyrics also feature some remote rhymes.  One such instance happens in the second verse. While “a lot” and “Argonauts” are additive rhymes, “job” is an assonance rhyme with both of these. This passage is even more effective as the nightlight humbly compares itself to lighthouses, which despite the deprecating humor does make the connection between nightlights and lighthouses in terms of protection and guidance. Clearly the protagonist views its function as important and meaningful, later comparing itself to a guardian angel.

However, we’ve lost sight of why we came here, the metaphor.  The title line, “birdhouse in your soul,” works as a metaphor.  The protagonist, the nightlight shaped like a canary, begs the listener, cast as the occupant of the room, presumably a child’s bedroom, to build a “make a little birdhouse in your soul.” What does this line mean? Clearly it is not literal.  A soul is not a physical place. Even if we take the word “soul” to mean heart, it is doubtful that the nightlight wants the listener to carve open their chest and put a birdhouse adjoining their aorta. Rather, “make a little birdhouse in your soul” likely translates to make a place for me in your thoughts, or even think of me tenderly.

Given the content of the lyrics, the protagonist is asking to be thought of tenderly in return for the protection the nightlight has been offering faithfully, one presumes over the length of the listener’s childhood. On a larger scale, one can view the song as advocating thoughtfulness for non-sentient articles that aid you in your life. While such thoughtfulness does not, in reality, comfort such objects, it does encourage us to be thoughtful creatures of gratitude, which is clearly a noble goal.

So, how does this relate to the construction of the lyrics? The obscure sayings, vocabulary, and references cast the nightlight as a quirky individual. This is furthered by the multiple syllable and distant rhymes. One imagines the nightlight as a somewhat bookishly shy, awkward individual who cautiously asks for kind, warms wishes. The process puts the nightlight in a vulnerable state, which is highly sympathetic. This reinforces the meaning of the metaphor through this casting, established lyrically.  All in all, it also makes for a unique, effective song.

Posted on

Landscapes Update: March 6th, 2019

I completed Landscapes 3: Pond this past month, and am currently 2/3 of the way through Landscapes 4: Sand Dunes. Last Saturday, March 2nd, I had a reading session of the orchestral overdubs of phrases 8 and 9 of Landscape 1. The session went well, but I have not received the audio files yet. Thus, for this month’s installment I’ve mixed the orchestral overdub of phrase 7 with a synthesized realization of the piano, guitar, bass, and drums to give you an idea of what the final version might sound like . . .

Posted on

Song a Day: “Eleanor Rigby” (Paul McCartney)

The lyrics of “Eleanor Rigby” were somewhat of a collaborative effort, though ultimately Paul McCartney made all the final decisions, and is considered to be the primary author of the song.  While the tune is quite compelling, if you strip away George Martin’s wonderful string octet arrangement, the chord progression is very basic, consisting only of E minor and C Major chords.  Today we will be looking at the song from the perspective of what Pat Pattison would call a three verse story.

Songs that tell a story are hardly unique.  However, ones that tell a captivating story are a treasure.  The best way to create a story that is engaging is to get the listener to be more invested with each passing verse.  Pattison refers to this process as stacking verses.  “Eleanor Rigby” is personally my favorite example of this.  In order to fully appreciate this, we have to approach the song imagining that we are listening to it for the first time without any prior knowledge.

The first verse introduces the title character, a probable romantic (picking up “rice in the church where a wedding has been”) who “lives in a dream.”  The verse also leaves us with more than a bit of mystery about Rigby through the cryptic line “wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door.” This metaphoric reference to makeup is rendered more interesting by noting that it is kept near the door, begging the question why. The mystery is further established by ending the verse with the question, “Who is it for?” It is a question, by the way, that the song never answers (leaving it to our collective imaginations).

We can easily imagine Rigby waiting “at the window” for someone who we are left to assume does not come (suggested by the chorus “all the lonely people”).  Is she expecting a caller who does not come?  Is she hoping she will see the object of her devotion in the street?  Does he know she exists?  Again, none of these questions are answered, though the chorus suggests Rigby’s primary motivation may be desperation.

The second verse however abandons this sympathetic character.  Instead, it moves on to Father McKenzie.  This clergyman seems less desperate (and thus less sympathetic) than Rigby.  In fact, the last line of of the verse, “what does he care?” leaves us with a sense of indifference.

Dramatically, the second verse is a significant step down from the first.  While there’s some good imagery (“darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there”), the character in the verse is significantly less sympathetic.  Furthermore the only tenuous connection between the two characters (at this point) is both of them have a connection to a church.

This step down in drama sets up the sucker punch of the third verse when the connection between two characters is revealed, namely that Father McKenzie conducts Eleanor Rigby’s funeral.  The lonely desolation of the first verse is intensified by specifying that Rigby was, “buried alone with her name,” and that “nobody came.” The final bleak nail in the coffin (pun intended) comes when the lyrics note that, “no one was saved.”  Or, to put it another way, since no one attended Rigby’s funeral, no one was there to learn a lesson.

This three verse story is particularly effective, by setting up the sympathetic Rigby, moving away from her in a somewhat cinematic matter to the seemingly unrelated Father McKenzie, and then connecting these two lonely characters through the death of the Rigby.  The third verse effectively pays off the emotional investment made in the first verse.  Furthemore, the song invests in the audience through questions.  When the chorus asks “where do they all come from?” and “where do they all belong?” it directly addresses and confronts the audience, forcing them to take ownership in the plights of Rigby and McKenzie, as well as any lonely people that may be known to the listeners.

Posted on

Song a Day: “Please Please Me” (John Lennon)

When I teach songwriting, typically the first project I assign is to write a song that uses a refrain instead of a chorus.  A refrain is kind of like a mini-chorus.  It is a single line that typically appears as the last line of every verse.  That line is usually the title line of the song, and it serves to frame or contextualize each verse.

The example I use for a song with a refrain is “Please Please Me.”  Credited as being by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the song is generally understood to be written primarily by John Lennon.  We will be investigating the song in relationship to its lyrics.

At first glance, the lyrics to “Please Please Me” seem pretty lazy.  There are only two verses (the first verse is repeated as a third verse).  Furthermore, the rhymes seem lazy. It appears that he rhymes girl with girl in the first verse, love with love in the second verse, and you with you in the bridge.

However, the real rhyming in the lyrics are internal rhymes.  The first verse rhymes “my girl” with “try girl.”  In the second verse Lennon rhymes “way love” with “say love.”

These simple internal rhymes become more involved and playful in the bridge.  “Sound complaining” at the end of the first line rhymes with “always rain in” in the second line.  Furthermore, Lennon tags the end of the second line with “my heart,” which softens the sing songy quality of the multi-syllable rhymes.  The following two lines also use multi-syllable rhymes, ending with “pleasing with you” and “reason with you” respectively.  The bridge ends with the single syllable rhyme “blue.”

“Please Please Me” is at its essence a cute, novel teenage rock and roll love / lust song.  However, its effectiveness is not by accident.  These multi-syllable rhymes lend the tune its playful nature, hiding carnal urges behind flirtatious banter. This, in turn conformed perfectly to the Beatles early fun, clean cut, boy-next-door personas.

Posted on

Landscapes Update: February 1st, 2019

Last month I managed to complete Landscapes 2: Snow.  I’m a little bit ahead of schedule, having completed the first three phrases of Landscapes 3: Pond. I also managed to do a mix down of the orchestral overdub of phrase 7 of Landscapes 1:  Forest.  I think you can hear the oboe better in this mixdown, and the stereo placement is pretty good (standard placement for most instruments, but panning flute and oboe) . . .

Due to the rhythmic mistakes in the orchestral overdub of phrase 8 of Landscape 1 (see previous update), I decided to call that recording of the phrase a loss.  I’ve scheduled another orchestral reading session for early March, where phrase 8 will be rerecorded, and a new phrase, phrase 9 will be added.

Posted on

Song a Day: “Kiss Me” (Matt Slocum)

Welcome to the first installment of Song of the Day.  I present one song per class period in my songwriting course.  This is the song that I cover on the first day of class.

You may know Matt Slocum’s “Kiss Me” as being that hit song by Six Pence None the Richer.  Slocum, the band’s guitarist, released the song on the band’s 1997 self-titled album.  While the arrangement and production of the song are both notable (check out the inclusion of the melodica, and the use of filtered, musical echo on the song’s title lyric), we’ll be examining the song in relationship to the lyrics.

The song has only two verses and a chorus, but the lyrics are chock full of descriptive imagery:  “milky twilight,” “moonlight floor,” and “fireflies dance, silver moon’s sparkling.”  This imagery hits every sensory path:  sight, sound, smell, and touch.  It even hits a kinesthetic note with “swing me on its hanging tire.”

The song generally steers clear of rhyming, avoiding a potential sing-songy nature.  The verses use only remote rhymes.  The first verse uses a consonant rhyme with grass and dress (lines 2 & 4), while the second verse uses a family rhyme with hat and map (lines 3 & 4).  The only rhyme in the chorus is an internal one, “lift your open hand, strike up the band, and make the fireflies dance, silver moon’s sparkling.” Furthermore, dance could be considered an assonance rhyme with hand and band.

The strong imagery of the lyrics not only help establish an emotive quality to the song, but they also hint at details of the narrative.  The dress mentioned in the line, “you wear those shoes and I will wear that dress,” suggests a pulchritudinous garment that twirls in a satisfying manner when the protagonist dances.

Ultimately the song is about dancing as much as it is about kissing.  In chorus the singer commands, “lead me out on the moonlit floor.”  Furthermore, the following line, “lift your open hand,” directs the object of the singer’s affection to invite her to dance.

The second verse continues with somewhat cryptic imagery that is rich for interpretation. The verse starts out with a nostalgic note, “Kiss me, down by the broken tree house,” which simultaneous points to the remoteness of childhood while still evoking it.  This line in tandem with the following, “swing me upon its hanging tire,” suggests a playful aspect to the romance at hand.

The most cryptic line of the song is the last line of the verse, “we’ll take the trail marked on your father’s map.”  This line, like the trail it describes, could lead any number of places.  On face value, the couple could simply be going somewhere remote, like a place you’d need a map to get to, in order to canoodle (as the young folks say).

However, the fact that the song specifies that the map belongs to the father of the singer’s sweetheart has always struck me as interesting.  Here Slocum could have used any two-syllable possessive (brother’s, cousin’s, best friend’s, etc.), but he settled on father’s.  Invoking the father suggests a generational aspect that potentially places the trail into the world of metaphor.

In such an interpretation, the trail represents a life path, and the statement, “we’ll take the trail marked on your father’s map,” becomes, “we’ll do what your parents did . . . get married / have children.”  Set only three lines away from “the broken treehouse,” under such an interpretation, the romance presented in “Kiss Me” is more than a fun, sweet dalliance, it is an important milestone in life, namely falling in love (for a lifetime).

Suggestions of matrimony in pop music were much more common in the fifties, when they reassured listeners of noble intentions of teenage Romeos.  With the notable exception of “All the Single Ladies,” matrimony is a much less common subject of songs in recent years.

Slocum’s “Kiss Me” manages to do the unlikely.  It suggests a long term relationship (marriage) in the midst of a song that evokes imagery related to new romance in a manner that does not scare off, or moralize to the listener.  The song balances the physical delight, pleasure, and sweetness of young romance, while suggesting a love that may last a lifetime.

Posted on

Landscapes Update: January 4th, 2019

Happy 2019 to all.  Last month I promised everyone monthly updates on my project Landscapes. In order to stay on track in the project, I have to write one movement per month, which comes out to writing two to three phrases per week.  Due to my dilligence in December, I’m ahead of schedule, having written the first five phrases of Landscape 2: Snow.

Rather than give you folks any samples or details from this work in progress, I’ll share with you an orchestral reading session from November 4th, 2018 of the orchestral overdub of Landscape 1: Forest (phrases 7 & 8). This recording session is courtesy of the 99 dollar orchestra (based in Lisbon, Portugal) . . .

While I am satisfied with the recording of the phrase 7, the orchestra majorly screwed up phrase 8, they played the rhythm of the main motive as 1+2+3+(4), while it is supposed to be played 1+(2)+3(+)4+.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to edit it sufficiently to correct this problem, so I may have to do a second reading session. Disappointing to say the least.