My Tunes | MidiMike

Archive for the ‘My Tunes’ Category

12 Years of Christmas

Posted: December 23, 2015 in family, Holiday, My Tunes
Tags: #Christmas, #creative, #family, #holiday, #lyrics, #music, #musician, #personal, #recording, #sound

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

My wife and kids are quite creative. The list of ideas and mediums they have worked with (mostly played with!) would take a few articles to cover them all. One of the coolest things we used to do was to hand make small Christmas Cards that we would send or give to family friends and co-workers. We made quite a few every year. Sometimes we would make glass ornaments, sometimes fold-out decorated trees. Scarfs and matching hats. Each one unique. They became collectors items in their own little way. One of my favorites was an audio Christmas Card. Everyone received a recorded cassette.

My studio has always been open to our kids. They can play drums or percussion instruments, keyboards and if careful a guitar or two! We would record often, starting when they learned their “A,B,C’s. So we decided we would write, sing and record a song. The idea of doing the 12 years was brilliant as we had been doing this for twelve years and there is a popular song about the 12 Days of Christmas. As you will hear we may have plagiarized a bit in this recording.

We had a great pet cat at the time and his full name was Tasmanian Devil, but we called him TazMo and later Taz. He loved to curl up in the cool bathroom sink and hang out. Some other lines will describe the type of card we sent or a piece of the original song, but I think you will get the idea.

Whatever your politics, Wherever you call home, Whomever you love, and Whenever you are able, take care of yourself and your family, have a safe holiday and a great New Year.

Tease Me With The Truth

Posted: December 7, 2015 in My Tunes, Uncategorized
Tags: #lyrics, #music, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #songwriter, #story, #writer, #writing

Lack Of Concern ©

You look from behind me, Baby
At what I’m going toward.
Seeing what you want to see
And then you look no more.

Tease me with the truth baby
Don’t tempt me with a lie,
So if you want to play games
I’ll just walk on by.

It’ a lack of concern
Or a lack of control
Is it in the heart,
Or deep within the soul?

You’re not making love with me
You’re just wasting time
Always taking theirs, aren’t you
But I won’t give you mine.

My tears are in your hands
My heart is open wide
But everytime I look, I see
There’s nothing left inside.

Tease me with the truth, Baby
Don’t tempt me with a lie,
So if you want to play games
I’ll just wave bye-bye.

A Lack of Concern

Posted: November 23, 2015 in MUSIC, My Tunes, Uncategorized
Tags: #audio, #band, #guitar, #keyboard, #lyrics, #music, #musician, #personal, #recording, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #studio

For another look into the times, Lack of Concern is a gem in a time capsule.  These were good times.  I was still working at the music store.  Playing with toys, buying a few here and there and energy I can only imagine looking back, LOL!   It was a period where a lot of music was written and performed. Lots of projects.  Learning as much as we could.  Showing it to others!  That was the fun part.

The words in a number of my songs are important to me.  In the same way I have been told that aromas and fragrances can help recall a specific event in the past, lyrics do for me.  They are a portal that allows a connection to create itself again. With that memory brought to the surface I can recall many of the events that inspired thoughts that somehow managed to become poems or lyrics. I surround myself mentally in the time.

“Tease me with the truth, baby, don’t tempt me with a lie” is one that puts me back at that time, in that mood.  This song contains a number of those portals.  This song asks the basic question; … ‘do you know what you are doing and still do it, or are you completely unaware of what you are doing?”. I just love the upbeat arrangement in this song. For this song I had the Yamaha DX7S, their updated model and a drum machine. My wife Ellen and I do the vocals. I play acoustic rhythm guitar parts and Shawn my buddy! comes over to play the lead and decorative guitar parts. I just let him run wild during the entire song and pick the gems to accent parts of the song. This may be the only time I have recorded this song. It is also one I rarely play out, but I think it is catchy in its own way.

Mr. Charlie Told Me So

Posted: October 22, 2015 in My Tunes
Tags: #12string, #acoustic, #audio, #band, #cover, #creative, #creativity, #greatfuldead, #guitar, #music, #musician, #performance, #personal, #recording, #retro, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #studio, #vocalist, #vocals, #writer, #writing

Thinking about a recent post where we shared our first concert experiences, I was reminded about my first concert to see The Grateful Dead. I was fairly young and the environment was overwhelming and exciting.

We used to play one of their songs called “Mr. Charlie”. The Grateful Dead are off beat by nature and this is one of their songs most people have not heard. I recorded this cover song a couple years ago and decided to pull it out of the ‘deep-freeze’ and post it for the fun of it.

When I was in cover bands, we were pretty much forced to play main stream or currently airing songs. I would suggest the unknown songs often but understood when we played only a few. This one never got the approval either, but the core group used to warm up on this one and I just like the flavor of the song.

Credits to The Grateful Dead. This is my Ovation 12 String guitar and I do a little harmony. Hope you have a little fun with this as well.

His Simon to My Garfunkel

Posted: September 28, 2015 in My Tunes
Tags: #acoustic, #audio, #create, #creativity, #guitar, #harmony, #music, #musician, #personal, #recording, #retro, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #vocalist, #vocals, #writer, #writing

Years ago when I was still learning to play guitar; I know, we are always learning! In this piece, my great friend and musical soul mate Tom Robinson is playing guitar and singing. I play around with the harmony, not knowing exactly where this song is going as we play off each other’s ideas as the song ends. This is another very basic living room recording but I simply love the song and the textures we created around the basic outline of the song. I hope you enjoy it as well. There are a number of inside jokes and references people might not totally understand, but I don’t think that will interfere too much.When I contacted them recently for correct song credits the answers were definite with options available for future adjustments. Tom Gorman and Tom Robinson [for all intents and purposes…] wrote the lyrics. Music by Tom Robinson. For a little more history I will include a portion of the conversation for historic kicks and giggles.

(Co-authors) Tom Gorman to Tom Robinson:

It was I July or Aug of 77 at your apartment. ….. Your stereo wasn’t working, and you were tinkering with it. You began to make progress and said “We got the capability . . .” For whatever reason, that inspired me, and I wrote most of the words to the song, including most of the refrain. ….. You came up with the lines about (mutual friends). I had written “We’ve got to feed our habits now” but couldn’t think of anything else. You changed “habits” to “rabbits” and added the line about rounding up the steer. At a later point, you put it to music and added “Thinkin’ about our doodely doom” and “weekend in the womb.” You also gave it the title “The Round-up.” The illegal beer was the Millers that (we) managed to score on a Sunday when it was illegal to sell it on Sunday.

Peddle Down, Let’s Burn This Town

Posted: September 1, 2015 in My Tunes
Tags: #atari, #audio, #creativity, #digital, #lyrics, #music, #musician, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #retro, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #studio, #synthesizer, #tech, #vocalist, #vocals, #writer

“Rainy Day”

Cruisin’ down the avenue

Raining in the lightning.

Listening to the radio

Cruisin’ in the darkness.

Peddle down, let’s burn this town

Fire from my tires.

Reflections in my rear view mirror,

I will find tomorrow.

Comin’ down the avenue

Raining and the lightning.

Reflections in my rear view mirror

I will find tomorrow.

Go for ride real late at night

Rain comin’ down like it usually does.

So I turn the radio to the right

Playin’ the same songs as the other night.

So I slammed the door and I left for good

Now you find me driving in your neighborhood.

Don’t explain it to me, it’s well understood

Everything you do for me is for my own good.

Turn ‘round the corner I’m still losing my mind

So I punched it down and left it all behind.

Tryin’ not to cry I push it all back

Racing fast to nowhere on a one way track.

No colors at all, just the burning headlights

And the crackling of lightning tearing into the night.

People ask me what I do at night

I tell them only one thing makes me feel all right.

It makes me feel all right.

Lyrics by Michael & Ellen Kennedy

Music by Michael Kennedy

A Small Token…

Posted: August 25, 2015 in My Tunes
Tags: #12string, #acoustic, #appreciation, #audio, #create, #creative, #creativity, #guitar, #inspiration, #inspire, #life, #love, #lyrics, #motivation, #music, #musician, #performer, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #retro, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #thank you, #thanks, #vocalist, #vocals, #writer

Thank you, thank you, thank you! For the next few days I’ll be offering all of my blog friends a free download of my song “Miracles In Your Hand“ off of my upcoming EP, “Before The Chase.” I have been struggling to find a proper way to thank you all for your support and encouragement over the past year. I was very close to throwing in the towel, but I started this blog and thanks to all of you and your kind words, I’ve been motivated to keep pushing forward. As I watch this year’s calendar fill with major events and milestones, there are usually small celebrations here and there. At each one I am not only surprised at the positive response and friendships created, but also by the amazing amount of talent and creativity this community produces. Please stop by and add this original song (Click here – Miracles in Your Hand) to your personal libraries as part of my continued appreciation for all you have done to support and spread my works.

After a break-up some of these lyrics just poured out. Seeing the same thing and coming to opposite conclusions. Having an early exposure to poetry first, I try to keep those ideas reflected in many of the songs I write. The chorus was an idea I had been playing with lyrically for a while and it seemed to immediately fit with the loss described in the verses. What would you do if you held a miracle in YOUR hand? What if that couldn’t save you?

“Miracles In Your Hand” (c) MSK

A reason is such a small thing,

Can’t you give me one?

Seems to me you were holding out,

Were you really just holding on?

The things we did won’t mean a thing,

The memories drift away.

The things you said hang in the air,

Like a light that will not fade.

CH: You’re alive one day with miracles in your hand,

Then you’re heading for a wall, drivin’ fast as you can.

I settled down uneasy, I’m just waiting for tomorrow to come.

When the answers seem so distant,

Questions lose their fun.

You thought that I was shutting up,

I was really just shutting down.

It’s time we found the meaning,

In the games we have made.

And a reason makes the difference,

When the last trick must be played.

CH: You’re alive one day with miracles in your hand,

Then you’re heading for a wall, drivin’ fast as you can.

I settled down uneasy, I’m just waiting for tomorrow to come.

I Hear Her Say, “Don’t Forget Me”

Posted: August 12, 2015 in MUSIC, My Tunes
Tags: #12string, #acoustic, #audio, #creativity, #dreams, #guitar, #inspiration, #itunes, #life, #lyrics, #memory, #music, #musician, #past, #personal, #poetry, #retro, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #train, #vocalist, #vocals, #writer

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dark-energy/id962943592

I wrote this song as a plea from the past. A message in a time capsule planted in you memories. It is in remembering that we learn.

Maybe it is because I have worked in the service area in one form or another for years, but I see a lot of people that do not want to wait their turn. They think they have a better reason to be first than anyone else already in line. The bass player with The Merchants Of Death (equal part original / cover band I played in) had a fascination with trains so I added the part about the train being on time after using some of his images while talking excitedly about their beauty and how powerful they are. It seemed to fit. You don’t have to wait, but neither will the rest of the world if you are not here to get on board. It exposes a point in time where too many things seem to push you the wrong way, and very little anyone can do about it. Life stacked against you.

It is also a reminder that somethings are better understood when looking at them in the distant past. As we remember events – especially through our dreams – our part in those events can become clearer. Often, I am not the saint or righteous person I thought I was when it happened. We can all be fools. Sometimes our dreams and the path to paradise is right in front of us and we do not realize it; or worse we refuse it for mysterious reasons. This is one of my older songs that I really love even after all these years.

This is another song recorded on my 12 string Ovation guitar I have. For this song you can tell I have two vocal tracks and I am singing all the way through the song. Using slight panning separation I try to add distance in the vocal parts. The guitar is open-tuned to G, which makes the chords seem full and spacious at the same time. I like it, anyway! To me this is a gorgeous sound all on its own.

“Get Out Of Line”

Just after my dream fades,

I hear her say,

“There will be many days,

For Fool Parades.

CHORUS:

If you don’t want to stand,

Then get outta line.

But don’t be surprised,

If the train is on time.

Still, it seems funny how,

Lost track of now.

Things that might have helped out,

They won’t allow.

CHORUS:

If you don’t want to stand,

Then get outta line.

But don’t be surprised,

If the train is on time.

“Don’t forget what I said”,

And I shake my head.

Feel the sweat on my bed,

Or tears instead.

CHORUS:

If you don’t want to stand,

Then get outta line.

But don’t be surprised,

If the train is on time.

Just after my dream fades,

I hear her say…..

“Don’t forget me”.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job!

Posted: August 3, 2015 in MUSIC, My Tunes
Tags: #12string, #acoustic, #audio, #bass, #create, #drums, #guitar, #lyrics, #music, #musician, #performance, #performer, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #recordingstudio, #retro, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #studio, #vocalist, #vocals, #writer

Like many songs or projects do, this song combines a number of events in my life with observations I make as an observer on the planet Earth. I was outside and looked up in the sky one afternoon for no real reason and noticed there was a bright full moon. I know they happen, it just seemed unusual and weird. Do werewolves come out on a full moon In the Middle of the Day? I digress. So I thought that is weird, and how would most people notice there was a full moon? When you’re looking up from the ground. I worked in a call center for a number of years. Some of those years get boiled down into a verse or two. It expresses frustration with the extreme customer and how difficult it can be to ‘act professionally’ when under duress. But there is also recognition of the people I have worked with. It feels natural. We work as a team with no agenda. I have worked with some great teams of people, some very smart and some very dedicated and some very efficient. All working together and helping each other. If only we could get big business and politicians to work like that. On this song I programmed the drums and played bass guitar behind the 12 string and vocals. It was just a quick little ditty about work. I like the arrangement of the song and it has a few twists to it. It is fun to play and I hope you enjoy!

“In the Middle of the Day”

Muscle machine; glorified drama queen,

Held together by something in between.

There’s a full moon in the middle of the day,

Sometimes you just can’t get out of the way.

All the crazies, calling you on the phone

Never get the time to be on your own.

There’s a full moon in the middle of the day

Tell ‘em the Truth; Lies, they won’t believe you anyway.

But it feels natural like this

Everything works the way it’s supposed to be.

Know it with every kiss:
I’ll take care of you, if you‘ll take care of me.

It’s one thing, until you turn around

That’s when you notice, looking up from the ground.

There’s a full moon, in the middle of the day,

Gets to where black and white blurs into gray.

The dumb ones really get on your nerves,

And This One thinks everyone’s here just to serve.

There’s a full moon, in the middle of the day,

Don’t you ever wish you could say what you want to say?

It feels natural like this

Watch out for each other, learn from what you see.

Know it with every kiss

I’ll take care of you, will you share your life with me.

*It feels natural like this. It feels natural like this….

There’s a Full Moon in the Middle of the Day,

There’s a Full Moon in the Middle of the Day

It’s A Good Thing He Wasn’t Home That Night

Posted: July 26, 2015 in My Tunes
Tags: #12string, #acoustic, #audio, #create, #creativity, #family, #fire, #gofundme, #guitar, #harmony, #inspiration, #inspire, #loss, #lyrics, #music, #musician, #personal, #recording, #singer, #song, #songwriter, #sound, #story, #thanks, #thankyou, #writer

With your help and a lot of other social groups and individuals, we have helped raise money to help my friend John try to recover from the house fire that happened while he was away. He still has not been able to get home to see the damage and to make plans for the immediate future. I really want to thank all of you for great comments, spreading the word and financial support. My guess is a number of people that do not know him offered support in a number of different ways. I am frankly proud and grateful of the way this blog community responded. Thank you again!

As many of you know I have been a musician for many years and met John when he was hired to work at the same music store I worked in. It is kind of funny as you get older you can talk of personal experiences in terms of DECADES!! Just saying.

Back on track, I wanted to give you an idea of the damage from the fire and the amazing group of local friends that organized without instruction and worked extremely hard to recover as many personal belongings as we could – and the restoration work that continues; and frankly, is really just at the beginning of that phase. I wanted to give you a picture. But we all know that is impossible. You cannot describe the lobbies in Las Vegas hotels or what it feels like in the middle of the ocean to someone that has never been there. We try. We get close. They get the idea, but until you have similar experiences it can be hard to know what those and many other things in life are truly like.

I have been to his house but I still do not have the big picture. The closest I can get is reliving the feeling I had when I came home from one of those rescue missions….. I walked up to my front door and as I started to put the key in the lock I thought; what if all of this is gone? In the difference of a day……. Memories gone. Pictures gone. Music gone. Furniture gone. Everything. Gone.

With those thoughts in mind and my keys in my hand, I wrote this song. I thank all of you for sharing, in so many ways. And while I am at it, thank you for allowing us to share with you.

http://www.gofundme.com/johnvaneaton

https://midimike.com/2015/07/11/please-help-spread-the-word/

MidiMike

Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

Archive for the ‘My Tunes’ Category

12 Years of Christmas

Tease Me With The Truth

A Lack of Concern

Mr. Charlie Told Me So

His Simon to My Garfunkel

Peddle Down, Let’s Burn This Town

A Small Token…

I Hear Her Say, “Don’t Forget Me”

Don’t Quit Your Day Job!

It’s A Good Thing He Wasn’t Home That Night

Archives

Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

Archive for the ‘My Tunes’ Category

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