Posts Tagged ‘#daughter’

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**This is MidiMike’s daughter. I help my dad out with his blog. I wanted to tell all of you that this is, by far, my favorite song that my dad has ever written. If you stop to listen to any of the original tunes, I would highly recommend this one!! Thanks.**

And now a message from my dad:

On most of my tunes, I play all the instruments and sequence the drums and other sound effects.  I usually sing lead or I have my wife take the vocal lead.  Once I started working in music stores selling instruments and sound equipment, I asked friends (and customers at the time!) to come over and lay down guitar solos or I might have a guest vocalist.  What I do at Night was one that we did ourselves.  I play all guitar parts and the back up vocals.  I think at this time I had graduated from a Yamaha MT4X (I think they were called and this was a 4 Track double speed cassette recorder) to the Alesis ADAT.  So now I had an amazing 8 tracks to record on!  Actually I needed one track to record the SMPTE time code so the Alesis ADAT would sync up to the computer (now I actually have a PC and put the Atari in deep storage).  I can go into this details on this system for a later post when I am feeling nostalgic, but it allowed unlimited MIDI tracks on the PC or Atari and connect to the playback of the ADAT.

The song itself reflects my thoughts on a number of topics.  I really like to drive.  I don’t have a fast or luxury car.    I just like to drive.  When I have some free time or just want to think, I often find myself cruising the local  country side.  I would listen to music while driving and that sometimes adds to the frustration.  Most of the music you hear on commercial radio is garbage or re-packaged songs and ideas I have heard for the last few decades.  Like a lot of us struggling artists and performers, we see a bunch of bands with lots of air-play and they are just so-so.  OK music, but nothing special.  As a songwriter, I get so tired of the same theme or idea in every song on the radio and they seem to get played non-stop.

One line reflects this fairly well…. ” so I turn the radio over to the right, playing the same songs as the other night”.   Originally titled – “Rainy Day”, What I do at Night has become one of my favorite driving songs.  Enjoy.

Plain and simple, the lyrics are about my daughter.  As a proud parent, I am often overwhelmed by  the innocence, beauty and unlimited potential when holding a new-born in your arms.  Not to get weird here, but there is nothing like it.  As I cradle, rock or talk baby-talk, it is difficult not to think about the new life I am holding, how fascinating they are and to drift into thoughts of what will happen in their future and how we can make that path easier.  This song also features Gary Jefferson on vocals.  You will hear him a lot on my tunes, and he was the vocalist in the demo recording the band did in the studio.  He has pulled me into a number of projects and I often ask him to help me with mine.  There are so many musicians I depend on and work with regularly.  I will introduce you to them and the work they have done in future posts.

Most of the music is sequenced along with the drum tracks, I play the rhythm guitar parts and had a friend come in for the guitar solo, while my wife adds back-up vocals.  All grown up and with children of her own, the meaning of this song gets deeper and closer to the heart every year.

“Slick as A Dream” (c) MSK 1988

Slick as a dream, this beauty machine

Sharp and so cold, young – just as old.

Moving so sweet you can feel the heat

Smiles of sorrow can’t wait ‘til tomorrow.

One thing you’ve learned: love has to be earned

Pain must be shared, embraced if you dare.

Nightmares are gone, but she carries on

Can’t forget her, love lasts forever.

Tender love cries slowly hypnotize

The helpless day now melting away.

And if you dare she’ll become aware

Give those who bleed whatever they need.

She knows exactly who she is.

And exactly what she needs.