MIDI Mike | MidiMike

Posts Tagged ‘MIDI Mike’

Test of Time

Posted: October 6, 2020 in Poetry
Tags: #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, lyrics, MIDI Mike, music, poetry

How many ways can you stack the same eight letters
That was a rhetorical question not a mathematical one.
You can say some are a bit too sharp and others a little flat
But when you get to the end it comes down to this or that.

Some fall while others land, though more crash and burn.
I am curious maybe concerned but mostly do not care.
In the end the Test of Time offers the pretentious and the real
Which one is which is determined by how it makes you feel.

Do you want to get up and go for a ride
Or does it make your blood boil inside?
Are you ready to shout at the top of your lungs,
Or for a whispering of words that cannot be sung?

There is the occasion where you can just push it through
Things started working and soon it’s complete.
Thinking this unique creation is by far your greatest
Looking back now it’s no different than all the rest.

Do you want to get up and go for a ride
Or does it make your blood boil inside?
Are you ready to shout at the top of your lungs,
Or maybe a whispering of words that cannot be sung?

Do you want to get up and go for a ride
Or to shout at the top of your lungs?
Does it make your blood boil inside?
Listening to words that cannot be sung?

“Let You Go”

Posted: July 7, 2020 in My Tunes, Poetry
Tags: #lostlove, #love, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #relationships, #singer song-writer, #songwriter, MIDI Mike, poem, poetry

This is another one of my poems I pulled out of the archives recently. Written back on April 2nd, 1984 (what a good year!) and it has a few lines I like.

I want you to stay
For the moments that last forever
Like seasons that always change.

Not to change you
But to watch you grow.
Not to hold you
Or to let you go.

It’s too late to cry
Much too long since you went away
Sometimes you just can’t look back.

Don’t need to know why
Something beautiful goes the wrong way
But you can never go back

Not to change you
But to watch you grow.
Not to hold you
Or to let you go.

I want you to stay
For the moments that last forever
Like seasons that always change.

“Not Now”

Posted: June 1, 2020 in My Tunes, Poetry, projects
Tags: #midimike, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #tech, #technology, #writing #poem, lyrics, Michael S Kennedy, MIDI Mike, original music, poem, songwriting

I have been working with a few friends to set up on-line jamming from separate locations. I will go into this a bit later for anyone interested. I did spend some time on-line with a program for live sessions. During my testing I had a bit of a wait time so I noodled around on my guitar. While waiting I used a record feature in the program and captured a few segments of my noodling that I liked. It required a name in order to save and in the mood I was in I called it Not Now.

As you know I am not good with names – of any kind – and my song titles usually show that weakness. So now that I had a name for the music pieces, I had to write lyrics sooner or later and was stuck with Not Now as the title!

I finished the basic music tracks in a couple days. Listening to the arrangement I got out my writing tools and came up with the following lyrics. I will smooth out the music and post sooner or later. Here is “Not Now”:

I really can’t wait
For you and this weekend.
Seems like forever
Since we had a minute alone.
No more than a boy
Paralyzed in an ice cream store.
Or that time I cried…..
Until we had to leave the zoo.

Not Now.
I’ve heard it all my life.
Not Now.
Don’t want to hear it again.
Not Now.
It can’t be now, it won’t be then
Not Now.

So many situations
I can’t come close to understand.
More and more people
Have nothing else to say to me.

Not Now.
I’ve heard it all my life.
Not Now.
Don’t want to hear it again.
Not Now.
It can’t be now, it won’t be then
Not Now.

Still
I don’t complain.
Everything I have
I can give away.
Hello
Tell me your name.
You make me smile
Hope I can do the same.
Ask
I do it all day.
It really doesn’t matter
Or what time of day. Still
I don’t complain.
Everything I have
I can give away.

What You Want

Posted: April 28, 2020 in Poetry
Tags: #midimike, #mistakes, #poem, #poet, #poetry, Michael S Kennedy, MIDI Mike

It grinds in your teeth when you walk
Then fades away so slowly it pulls you in
Lost in thoughts spiraling away at blinding speeds
You sit there with no plan, holding back a scream.

Don’t you just hate it?
When you get what you ask for?
Don’t you just hate it?
When you finally get what you want?

You keep asking for what you really want
If you really want what you keep asking for
Everyone knows, everyone but you
You never ponder how though obviously confused.

All that planning and slimy effort wasted
Did you think the end justified things from the start?
I’m not sure where this is going and I don’t want to know.
If this is what you planned, was it all for show?

Don’t you just hate it?
When you get what you ask for?
Don’t you just hate it?
When you finally get what you want?

Sometimes when a dream comes true
It turns out to be worse than a nightmare.
If it looks too good to be true;
For god’s sake take another look.

Don’t you just hate it?
When you finally get what you want?
Don’t you just hate it?
When you finally get what you want?

The Chase Live 2

Posted: April 14, 2020 in Cover Tune Tuesdays, Live Sound Reinforcement Series, MUSIC, Photography, Video
Tags: #acoustic guitars, #bass guitar, #guitar, #keyboard, #keyboardplayers, #livesoundreinforement, #michaelskennedy, #microphone, #midimike, #SOCIALDISTANCING, cover band, Creed, Jethro Tull, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, live audience, Live performance, live recording, local bands, Michael S Kennedy, MIDI Mike, Santana, Stealers Wheel

I posted songs from the first half of our live set when I was playing with The Chase earlier. Today I would like to share with you select songs from the second half of our set. The recording is decent – though this is ancient as it was recorded on a cassette tape!!!

Anyway, people all over the world are having tough times. Stuck indoors is the least of our concerns. Sit back, stay at home and listen to a live band performing classic rock songs from Jethro Tull to Santana and Creed.

As a note of mild interest; I have no pictures of the vocalist in this particular recording. I have video, but compared to the hi-res available today, the videos just don’t look very good. Sean (Shoeless Shawn) Bandy is the lead vocalist this evening.

Have a drink and a great evening in and stay safe!

My former band, The Chase performing live

Thanks for the visit!

Music for “The Border”

Posted: February 17, 2020 in Midi Series, music technology, My Tunes
Tags: #bands, #freedownload, #Midi, #midimike, #podcasts, #video, #videographer, Bandlab, Cakewalk, Cincinnati bands, free, MIDI drums, MIDI Mike, multi track recording, plug-ins, plugins, podcast, Sonar, songwriting, sound editing, www.midimike.com

The lyrics for “The Border” were posted earlier. There is also a little story to this song using the link above.

…….. for the nerds and geeks in the audience, I created the song in Bandlab’s Sonar (formerly Cakewalk Sonar). This is not a commercial but if you are interested in recording, podcasts, audio to video and a bunch more, BandLab bought Sonar out of bankruptcy and is making this program free to download and use!!! Argh! I paid hundreds of dollars each year to keep current and have new toys.

I am not against commercials or someone making a bit of money but there really is no connection here. If you want to download Sonar, search for BandLab and hit the download button. It is a powerful multi-track recording program with sounds and plug-ins ready to use. I could give you the link but that would seem like I am pushing it lol!

Here is my new song, “The Border”:

“The Border” (C) MSK 2-11-2020

Beautiful Women

Posted: February 14, 2020 in Opinions and Observations, Poetry
Tags: #beauty, #michaelskennedy, #poem, #poet, #poetry, MIDI Mike, relationships, wine

Eye candy is all well and fine
Warm fire and a bottle of wine
Waiting, holding my breath at the thrill
Everything’s going super fine: until.

She’s gorgeous, I’m in a state of bliss
Gracefully she leans in for a kiss
I surrender, wave a white flag
My heart and soul vacuumed into a bag.

Beautiful Women are over rated.
I get sick of everyone I’ve dated.
You can’t live with ‘em.
But I can live without them.

She never wants to go for a walk
We get nowhere when we try to talk
Spends her time looking in the mirror
So angry when I try to get near her.

Music plays in my head as we dance around the room.
The things I can remember when I smell her perfume.
The slightest touch, the inviting glance
Music plays inside my head as we dance.

Beautiful Women are over rated.
I get sick of everyone I’ve dated.
You can’t live with ‘em.
But I can live without them.

Eye candy is all well and fine
Warm fire and a bottle of wine
She’s gorgeous, I’m in a state of bliss
Gracefully she leans in for a kiss

“Back To Earth”

Posted: December 6, 2019 in Poetry
Tags: #family, #life, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #resolutions, #writing #poem, Earth, faith, MIDI Mike, MSK, original music, religion

Sunset in Pleasant Ridge Ohio
The ‘leaves’ on the left tree are actually birds.

Playing in the snow

Or climbing in the trees

Not sure which is the more

Important of these.

Siblings came but soon

The family was gone.

Hard to know what pain

Would be felt later on.

Safe and secure I

Always knew I was loved.

Learned hard lessons ’cause

I pulled instead of shoved.

Everything is everyone

Everyone is everything.

We all start the journey

From the place of our birth

But going to heaven or hell

Just brings us back to Earth.

Singing and writing

Playing in a great band

Gave me more than life

I hope you understand.

Truth may be out there

But answers never are.

That was the last time I prayed

Or wished upon a star.

We all start the journey

From the place of our birth

But going to heaven or hell

Just brings us back to Earth.

The day my kids were born

I was fundamentally changed.

Nothing I wouldn’t do

So life could be arranged

That’s another thing

That didn’t work as planned.

It ripped away everything

I still hope you understand.

We all start the journey

From the place of our birth

But going to heaven or hell

Simply brings us back to Earth.

Depression is a friend

Feeding on personal loss.

I’m told it comes down to “42”

But sure their fingers were crossed.

From here nothing matters

Save friendship, love and trust.

What more could you possibly need

When everything turns to dust?

What more could you possibly need

When everything turns to dust?

The Story Has Been Told

Posted: November 8, 2019 in Photography, Uncategorized
Tags: #bands, #Midi, #midimike, #music, #poem, #poetry, #story, #video, Fall colors, lake, MIDI Mike, monuments, MSK, musical video, musicians, Nikon camera, retirement, Spring Grove Cemetery, Story ends

I began this blog to share stories of people and events I have been lucky enough to be involved with over the last five decades. Along with my poetry and original music I also enjoyed sharing my pictures and personal observations.

While I am sure there will also be beautiful and exciting things to share in my future, I also want to chill. I need to make life simpler from here on.

I have enjoyed this community and those willing to share everything with total strangers. There were many times when this was the hi-light of my day. I could go on posting my views and thoughts on politics, religion, money and other hot topics but there are too many of us doing that these days. So this is a good time to phase out MIDI Mike.

While the site remains live, feel free to take a look at the topics on the top of the page to find something that might interest you.

I may throw in a post from time to time just to surprise myself. In my usual style, let me show you a few recent pictures I took at a favorite place of mine: Spring Grove Cemetery. We had a heavy rain days before these pictures with hi winds. Before that the fall colors were really starting to jump out. Unfortunately the rain hit a bit early and dropped most of the leaves, but I managed to get some good pictures.