What’s the story behind your nickname?
Archive for July, 2023
In the early days I worked at a musical instrument store. This was when MIDI keyboards were first introduced. I was a geek so programming and learning midi keyboards and interfaces was not difficult for me. That’s how I got the nickname MIDI Mike.
Posted: July 28, 2023 in My TunesTags: dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2010
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What would you change about modern society?
Everything has its Place MSK 2006
Posted: July 25, 2023 in PoetryTags: #audio, #korgnautilus, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrytolyrics, #Presonus, #recording, #songwriter, #sound
At times I think I am a bit OCD, but it is probably just an organizational fixation I have developed. Mostly because I walk throughout the house without lights on all the time. If something is out of place I can find myself stumbling to the floor. Mistakes are made, wonders go unobserved, people search for the wrong thing. It’s easy to do.
Take Away One Lyrics and Music
Posted: July 21, 2023 in #poetry, MUSIC, Music Theory, My TunesTags: #korgnautilus, #lyrics, #math, #mathematics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music theory, #musician, #musicismath, #poetry, #Presonus, #recording, #recordingstudio, #singer, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #studioengineer, #studioOne
I wrote lyrics for Take Away One based on the idea of removing a particular note from a 4-note-chord. This leaves you with a specific 3-note-chord. Hence the name of the song and also the foundation for the original poem. I had to add a verse to the poem converting them to lyrics because for a few weeks one band member or the other could’t make a scheduled music jam. Often three members would drop out one by one leaving me as the only bandmate that made it for the jam! Sometimes we travel and jam in person, but more often we use a program for on-line musicians and connect from our homes. That is how we survived the Covid-19 lock-down.
You will notice the difference right away. This is another example of a song that came together really fast because it was based on a mathematical theme or idea. The chord pairs were based on the idea above, but the progression was completely random. The arrangement was pretty basic so it wrote itself. Once I had the title it was easy to think of examples in life where things get taken away. You’re probably doing it right now.
If you get writers block, try starting from a different point. I’ve never had writers block in my 50 years of writing and recording songs, so maybe I’m on to something.
I had fun with the ending and the arrangement has a few twists as usual. Enjoy Take Away One.
Reading a great book will do it every time.
Posted: July 19, 2023 in My TunesTags: dailyprompt, dailyprompt-2001
Which activities make you lose track of time?
Enemies in your Head MSK 2022
Posted: July 18, 2023 in PoetryTags: #audio, #korg, #korgnautilus, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midicontroller, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #Presonus, #recording, #recordingstudio, #singer, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound
Every decade or so I think I have written the best song I will ever write. Then I get older and write another. That is how I feel about Enemies in Your Head. It is a simple, powerful, emotional and deeply moving piece for me. I recorded the song with a piano, bass guitar and one vocal track. A capsule of desperation and futility. No end in sight. Often the price is paid, though there is no reward.
Music for “Take Away One”
Posted: July 14, 2023 in Music Theory, My TunesTags: #korgnautilus, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #music theory, #musician, #musicismath, #musictheory, #poetry, #recording, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #songwriting, #studio, #studioOne
I posted a poem called “Take Away One” recently. I knew this one was a song in the making so I started working on writing music around the theme. I tell my friends that I ‘feel’ music theory more than I know or understand it. Sometimes I look at the patterns and rhythms, often I get fascinated by melodies that twist within the chords. Often I get distracted by simple mathmetical relationships in music – ’cause that’s what it is.
There are many tonal relationships between chords in any arrangement. For background, two notes played simultaneously is an interval. With three or more individual notes you can form a chord. The more notes within the chord the greater the potential for complex tones. Some combinations sound calm, delightful and inspiring. Other combinations are uncomfortable or have a lot of dissonence. Some are downright ugly by themselves if truth be told.
Not to get too deep here, because I can’t swim in these waters, but the arrangement uses the relationship when you have a 4 note chord (of any root note you prefer). Start with a G Major 7th chord as my example. It consistes of 4 individual notes: G (the root here by definition of the chord name), B, D and F#.
If you Take Away One – the G in this example as root note of the chord – you have a 3 note chord called B Minor. The arrangement consists of alternating between pairs of Major 7th chords and their relative minor 2nd chord. (or is it its 2nd relative minor?). Then I pick another random pair of Major 7th/2nd Minor chords and continue. Hence the name of the song.
I am working on the melody line and recording the vocals but here is the instrumental version of “Take Away One“.
Endless List MSK 2016
Posted: July 11, 2023 in PoetryTags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #songwriter
Climate change, criminal behavior, profit seeking leaches.
Aging Observations
Posted: July 7, 2023 in family, Opinions and ObservationsTags: #aging, #aginginamerica, #aginginusa, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #personal
I will be 70 years old later this year. Not that old but in truth, way older than I thought I would become. I am in fairly good health, with back pain like most men, but otherwise doing well.
But recently I am reminded of old movies or dramas where people are lost in the freezing cold in the middle of nowhere.
They keep walking and walking to get to a place of safety and warmth. Nothing in sight, they keep walking, knowing if they stop to rest, they will cool down dramatically. The movies warn about not moving and if you sit too long you will just fall asleep and never wake up.
A bit too dramatic, but every so often I JUST WANT TO SIT DOWN FOR A WHILE.
Knowing one day I might not ever get back up is actually a comforting thought at times. Tired all the time with so much that still needs to be done. Everything is sore. Little things are difficult now. Friends and family are farther and fewer.
One of these days or nights I will just want to sit down for a while. Close my eyes and rest for a minute or two.
MIDIMike
MidiMike 