Posts Tagged ‘#music’

Lurker – Some People Video

Posted: April 28, 2016 in My Tunes, Uncategorized
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I was playing acoustic guitar in the living room the other night and I was playing a piece that I had written decades ago. My good friend Tom Robinson added some chords to the structure and it became a favorite instrumental of ours called “Lurker”. I think the name fit as the instrumental piece has a LOT of intentional dissonance and it keeps repeating the pattern over an over, though it changes feeling as the piece is played. I thought about doing something with this guitar piece (there were never other instruments, just the guitar parts) and headed up to the studio. In my computer I found a file called “Lurker” and I opened it up not knowing what it was.

As it turned out a couple years ago I had worked on some drum patterns to go with the guitar part – which like other things, got put on the to do list as I went on to other projects. Funny how many simultaneous projects I have going at any given time. I like the feeling the drums added and thought I would record the guitar piece and play with the tune. As I worked with it I naturally started to think about lyrics for it. Then it hit me – the instrumental piece is repetitious as I mentioned and really doesn’t change ( no Chorus, Bridge or Break or alternate chord arrangement, etc.) The post “Some People” is the same way. It was not structured like a normal “commercial” song. (not that I have ever written one of those!)

So I have been working on the two and I thought this is still going to work as a blogger project. I may add other instruments going forward as it still has just the guitar and drum parts and I toyed with a spooky synth sound for the solo.

I also put up a video on my you tube channel with color pictures I have taken over the years. Some black and white pictures courtesy of Tom Robinson.

Co-Write A Song With Me

Posted: April 12, 2016 in My Tunes
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Last September I posted an article with some lyrics/poetry that I had written a while ago called “Some People” using lyrics from a poem called “Some People Are”.  I left out some of the verses for the post but for a refresher to the article use the following link:   https://midimike.com/2015/09/21/some-people/

I did not have music for it at the time and it sat for a while but I really liked some of the verses.   Then I thought about asking readers to submit their own verses because you are so creative and I would come up with some music for it and post it as a shared song written by fellow bloggers.  As things in life happen as they can – not as I plan or want them to – I put it on the list and worked on a few other things like finding a job and other projects.  But things on my list usually get done.  One way or another ……….. in one form or another.

The structure of the lyrics changed a little, so the submissions will need to fit the meter of the new lyrics below.  I can’t guarantee that I will add every submission, but I will take select submissions and post the song.  I think it would be fun and entries will be credited as co-authors.  The new song is titled: “Some People”.

  “Some People Are”                   Lyrics by MSK © 2-22-2016  

 Some people are humans 

 Trying to get their kicks 

 Some people are animals 

 Able to learn new tricks. 

Are you somebody? 

 Show me.  Show me. 

 

Some people are clever 

 They know just what to do 

 Some people are sneaky 

 And always out of view. 

  Are you different? 

 Different than me?  

 

  Most people are decent 

 And give you the time of day 

 Most people are ignorant 

 Of debts they should have paid. 

 Do you know these people? 

  Do they know you? 

 

Most people are honest  

Till they tell their first lie 

 Most people are lonely 

 And will never say good bye. 

Does it matter? 

 Does it matter to me? 

 

  More people are angry 

Seeing things in black and white 

More people are dreaming 

 Something wrong that should be right. 

 Where are the people? 

 Have you seen the people? 

 

Poor people are proven guilty 

More often than not 

Poor people are givers 

And they’ll share what they’ve got. 

 More poor people 

 Would help a lot. 

 

You tried to tell me something 

I could never understand. 

Wouldn’t know how to follow 

 If you guided me by the hand. 

 Tell me. 

 Tell me something. 

 

  So many wrong directions 

In my ever-changing past. 

 Can’t guarantee to be there first, but 

 I have never been the last. 

 Another wrong direction 

 Forgotten so fast. 

 

Your people are crazy 

 Going out all the time 

 Your people are busy 

 But they’ll stop to pick up a dime. 

 It’s not worth it. 

 Not worth it to me. 

 

Your people are active 

 Found the right ass to kick 

 Your people are saying  

 That’s the nature of politics. 

 That’s the nature 

 The nature of politics 

Back to the Drawing Board – Making a Song Part III

Posted: April 7, 2016 in My Tunes
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It is time to report on the progress of the song that Mack and I have been working on titled: “My Heart Is Silent”.   We had the basic instrumental tracks in place and a rough mix finished and I posted it a few weeks ago.  I added a scratch vocal track so we could get an idea how and where they lyrics fit.  Soon after we let a few vocalists we know listen to the music and the idea we had for the melody line.  The arrangement had a number of parts and we had to adopt the lyrics a bit and worked the melody to fit around the arrangement.

I will include a rough copy of the song with the vocals.  A friend my wife knows came over to the studio to lay down some vocal tracks.  She is not a professional vocalist and this was her first time in any studio.  I know from many years of recording other artists that it is not as easy as it sounds.  I try to be charming and supportive but it can be difficult to feel comfortable when the recording starts and you want to make it perfect.  Ann did very well and she started to get the melody down and add a few flourishes.  So knowing this is a first session and not intended to be a final take, here is the song as it was.

I say was, because each vocalist we talked to, and during our internal creative discussions, it became apparent that the lyrics and mood did not really match the music.  After a number of talks we decided to scrap the music all together.  Mack wanted another crack at it and took the lyrics – and our observations home to try to come up with an arrangement that better matched our thoughts and discussions about the lyrics and what we wanted to hear them with.  As I mentioned, this can be a long process with plenty of changes and modifications along the way.

While we now have a pleasant instrumental piece almost complete, my wife and I will write lyrics to it (so all is not lost).  Mack wrote a new piano piece and kept some of the ideas of the first version.  We have been working on the new musical piece and I will share that with you in a week or so.  We have a vocalist working on the basic instrument tracks and hope to have the new version with lyrics fairly soon.

Part II of Making a Song

Part I of Making a Song

 

 

LSR Series Chapter 22 – Setting the Stage

Posted: March 28, 2016 in Live Sound Reinforcement Series, Uncategorized
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While performing with my last cover band, Crash Landing, we played local clubs, festivals and private parties.  In this picture of a live set up, you will see a fairly standard rock/blues/country/alternative/jazz band stage arrangement;  drums center rear, Lead Vocalist center front.  Keys (and/or rhythm guitar) on the left as you look at the stage and the lead guitar player on the right.  In smaller clubs the keyboards get crunched back in the corner next to the drummer……  no sour grapes here!  Bass player close to the drummer. (either side doesn’t really matter)  In reality, most bands will not practice in this configuration, but this is the way most of us play out live and we are quite used to it.  In our case, Crash Landing has a number of vocalists.  All but the drummer sings in this band.  The bass player takes front stage position and sings a number of lead vocals.  So does the guitar player.  You can see where the microphone stands are placed for the vocalists.  Close up pictures later in this series will show other microphone positions for the instruments.  These are good places to start.  If you have limited time or setting up for a number of bands in an evening, you go with the standard format and shape the sound from the board as much as possible.  Knowing or having experience doing the quick set-up successfully a few times you will see the standard configuration and mic placements work well for the vast majority of performances.

We can also see the positioning of the vocal stage monitors across the front of the stage.  There are various thoughts on how to set these up but the differences can seem minor.  For this many vocalists across the front, this spacing and direction worked fairly well.  The drummer and/or other non-vocalists might also need monitors.  (it would not be unusual for the keyboard player requiring a monitor to hear the keyboards and a vocal mix if they sing)  This stage size gives players room to breath AND hear.  When inside on a smaller stage, everything seems to collide and jumble.  Outside you can hear yourself play much better (depending on the sound engineer, of course) and at times you might actually struggle just a little to hear the other players!  Take two steps closer to them and they are plenty loud.  This should be an easier situation for a sound engineer.  If I had to do a first gig in my life as a practice run, I would want to do an outdoors gig.

Crash Landing

Lucky Break – We Can Make It As Two

Posted: March 17, 2016 in MUSIC, My Tunes, Uncategorized
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stock-photo-119544-two-holding-hands

The time is all right,

The music’s all right

But that’s not the way you feel.

 

You think it’s so sad,

You drove yourself mad.

Don’t forget, you made a deal.

 

What happened that day, made you run away

‘Til your world seemed so unreal.

All of your friends said, you were living dead,

It takes time for wounds to heal.

 

You stopped and looked around,

What you need could be found.

Don’t need a lucky break, to handle what we make,

We can make it as two.

 

Your mamma’s all right,

Your daddy’s all right.

They both love you the way you are.

 

Yes snowflakes can fall,

And not land at all.

Life is not quite so bizarre.

 

What happened that day, made you run away

‘Til your world seemed so unreal.

All of your friends said, you were living dead,

It takes time for wounds to heal.

 

You stopped and looked around,

What you need could be found.

Don’t need a lucky break, to handle what we make,

We can make it as two.

 

This song is on my new album Before The Chase available now on itunes!

 

Sharing A Lifetime With You

Posted: February 29, 2016 in My Tunes, Uncategorized
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michaelskennedy1

In many ways it is difficult to believe I am in my sixties.  While some of the energy and physical abilities are not what they used to be, the drive, passion and beauty in my life still motivate and push me forward everyday.  There is always something new, grand and amazing to learn or experience. 

 I have reached another time and point of reflection.  Early February of 2015 my daughter Alisa and I discussed starting a blog.  She had an idea powered by an amazing sense of urgency.  She wanted me to not only give more people the opportunity to hear the songs I have written and recorded over the years – songs she had grown up with, went to sleep with, woke up with and watched as the final versions became etched in what ever media was available at the time – she was firmly committed that I should also tell ‘my story’.  She insisted (over and over) that I have had a fascinating life and wonderful experiences that people would enjoy and even learn from.   

 I don’t feel special, exceptional or – I hate to use the word worthy, but it does fit here – though I have known and attracted so many amazing people and been very lucky to have been involved with them to become a focal point in their lives.  

 I was not sure what the benefit was and frankly I – as I often do – found it difficult to believe others would be interested in the realization of dreams, struggles and successes I managed to accomplish over the many years.  I knew how much the people and music meant to me, of that I had no doubt and never down-played.  I could talk about them for hours.  It was the subject of promoting myself that was always alien territory for me.  I just never considered going there.   

 She did not give in.  She refused to give up.  She did not accept my cavalier attitude when talking about my work.  She also saw me as a person who played by the rules – sometimes to a fault – and saw the limited acknowledgement and success I had achieved while others became famous by using ‘tactics’ that were not even in my personal vocabulary.  Her design was to use my vocabulary.  To ‘play the game’ on my terms, to reach out to an audience without standing on a drowning man’s shoulders to get above the water.    

 That month; February 2015, I surrendered.  We launched the MIDIMike blog.  I wrote articles and ideas for posts.  She pushed and pushed to make sure I shared my stories and the feelings experienced for them.  She worked hard to set up the blog site, reach out to other bloggers, schedule releases of songs and so much more.  In fact, reading this article she will probably say “you are doing it again!”.  She would point out this is not about her, but about my work and my life, which are so often one in the same.   Old habits and all that LOL. 

 I was not sure if this would survive three months but I was determined to put in at least as much effort into the blog as she did.  I was not going to be the reason if it did not match her goals and plan.  If it lasted six months we could say we gave it a great effort. 

 The first anniversary for MIDIMike came this month.  I look at the articles posted, the comments from followers, the amazing relationships and shear talent of this community and wonder how I could find anything more ‘worthy’.  I have learned so much from so many of you it is difficult to thank each of you individually, but I am sure you are aware that I try very hard to do so.  I do not take your selfless time, effort and caring for granted.   

 You have allowed me to share past events and the emotions experienced during those and current events.  From deaths of loved ones, creation of new songs and old ones, tragedies, fires and life changing events friends have been faced to new poetry, ancient videos and my recent unemployment late in life.  It has been an amazing year. 

 On this anniversary, I am also aware of your support.  Your kindness.  I am only driven harder than Alisa could drive me, if you can believe that is possible!  I will continue.  Not only with MIDIMike and our community but with more of the music behind everything I do.  Your comments have inspired me to bring more of these gems out of deep storage, or to take unfinished works out of the closet and record them.   

 To take your advice and to thank you again for so much, I am releasing a new EP on this first anniversary.  “Before The Chase“ is now available on iTunes and CD Baby.  A new song along with new/updated recordings are on this first release.  I promise you there will be more and I will continue to share the stories behind them with followers of this blog, and I guarantee to listen to and be guided by your comments.  

Like so many talented musicians and artists we do not start out thinking ‘this is a great career path’ and we will be rich making popular songs.  We start because we feel it and enjoy what we do.  The truth is probably closer to reality – we do not become rich until someone else realizes they can make money from those talented people and their works.

 So much in one year.  Totally appreciated.   

Before The Chase on iTunes

A Song in the Making Part II

Posted: February 26, 2016 in My Tunes, Uncategorized
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As Part II of this series I will post the rough version of the heart of the musical components starting with the Piano and basic arrangement of the new song, “My Heart Is Silent”.  © 2016. Click here to read Part I. 

For the Piano we are using an 88 wood weighted keyboard controller.  It is an older Yamaha KX88.  As you will remember from the MIDI series posted earlier (LINK) the KX88 makes no sound at all.  While it has the play and feel of a real piano, it sits on a keyboard stand and I use the MIDI OUT to connect through a router I have straight to the computer.  In future posts I will go into more detail on how the sounds are generated and what I am using to get each sound. We recorded a few passes and because this is MIDI, I had the ability to move pieces around as we focused in on the arrangement.

The piano player listened to a glorified ‘click track’ I created with a MIDI drum controller from my Alesis Control Pad.   It has 8 assignable trigger pads and a cymbal trigger that can be set to trigger sounds from any MIDI device, but again I am going straight to the computer and using internal sounds for the drum parts.  This way we can record the piano part with the correct tempo even though there are no other instruments recorded yet.  This also makes editing easier if everything fits within the measures.  When we rearranged the sections I  ‘cut and paste’ parts from one place to another just the way you would with a Word document.  This makes life much easier for the recording engineer (yours truly).  If this was recorded with a microphone and without the click track it would be awkward to work with.

The KX88 also has sustain and volume controller pedals attached, so to the piano player it acts and feels quite natural.  Mack E. is my partner in creating this new song.  He read the lyrics I wrote to “My Heart Is Silent” and asked if he could take them home and work on the music.  This is a theme he has had in his personal arsenal for a while.  He played a bit with the tune and came up with a melody for the lyrics.  We worked on the arrangement until we were happy with it and here is the rough version of the piano chords.  We will add other instruments and vocals later but for now we have a good foundation for the song so we can build support instruments to fill out the song.

 

Everyday Scene

Posted: February 11, 2016 in My Tunes
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Start To Stop Again              (c) Michael S. Kennedy 

A worker cries when the day is done,

Wise man only cries for peace.

A lonely man cries for anyone,

I cry, but I am none of these.

 

My children say life is ours to hold,

Old woman says that it don’t matter.

The blameless say they do what they are told,

Broken hearts can’t live without her.

 

Crippled child wants life; however hard,

Hypocrites only want their share.

Starving eyes want less than we discard,

You want something that isn’t there.

 

Ooh, Ooh, the way it’s always been,

We stop to start again.

Don’t think you can’t help out my friend

Because we try, we control the end.

 

Nobody cares, if it isn’t them.

Cold voices only care by phone.

Rich people care about every gem,

Friends care when it’s one of their own.

 

Ooh, Ooh, the way it’s always been,

We stop to start again.

Don’t think you can’t help out my friend

Because we try, we control the end.

 

Nothing Personal, Your Job Has Been Eliminated

Posted: February 8, 2016 in Opinions and Observations, Uncategorized
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There are many times when there is no time.  Projects get pushed back, things that are important to me get put off.   The things that I love get thrown onto the back-burner or get turned off altogether.  Last week was another one of those, but I would like to let you know why, as I have been off line for a lot longer than I wanted.  I miss you guys.

Last Friday began as a great day.  I go into work on Fridays and the first time I meet co-workers I say “happy Friday” with a big smile.  After years of this it spread throughout the company and everyone greets others with a smiling “happy Friday”.  Ten minutes into the day everything changed.

In the last fifteen years I have worked for the same company.  However, the owners and president have changed many times in that period.   On that Friday morning I was summoned by HR.  Once in the conference room with senior staff I realized this would be my last day and that I was being terminated.  Mergers and acquisitions – nothing personal – your job has been eliminated.  I was escorted out of the building and sent home.  In a weird coincidence, I got a winter cold that day and it got worse as the week went on.  I am still not back to normal but feeling almost human, so I wanted to let you know why I have been out of the loop.

For the first fifteen minutes or so driving home I was quite angry.  By the time I was half way home I was happy to have a day off – made only better by the fact that I did not have to go back to work on Monday.  I love the people I work with.  I love doing what I do – did.  The newest owners took all the joy out of that and it was stressful in so many ways that I came to hate going in.  Problem solved.  Just not the way I wanted to solve this particular problem.

I called my wife and let her know.  I felt it was coming for a while now and we were preparing for this a little bit here and there, but it still caught me off guard.  We have to make some dramatic decisions; income, insurance, bills, resume updates, and on and on.  All when I was really not feeling healthy and energetic.  Moving slow and needing lots of rest.

I am a logical person as I have tried to portray on this blog, but as you all know (great friends that you are) I am also very emotional.  This is what helps drive some of my creative projects – seeing two sides of the same story.  So;

Here I am

Unemployed

Too soon to retire and possibly too old to get another job in a similar position or pay.

Many of us are facing the same thing.  I am not alone in that.  These challenges are everywhere.

When my daughter Alisa came over that day she wanted to show me an older blog post she had discovered from one of my blog friends.  I read the post slowly and so you understand how much of an impact it had.

http://mynameisjamie.net/tag/midimike/

This is one of the most precious and sincere posts I have read.  It hit me hard not only because I truly needed to read this – on THIS day, but the beauty behind it is truly remarkable.  I try every day to affect others as positively as I can.  I want to think that the world is a tiny bit better because I am here.  I don’t know any other way to say this, so I will stop there.

As I read the post and listened again to the attached musical performance I felt more and more.  More of her pain.  More of her wisdom, more of her gratitude.  Each new emotion uniquely tied to a tear as I cried.  A week later while writing this I am again brought to tears.  Many of us have no idea how important our actions – good or bad – affect others around us.  I never wrote a response as my list got longer and longer and less important things took my time and attention.  I will try harder to focus on the important things.  Not as an apology but as a promise.

I am not sure what the near future will throw at me.  I cannot guarantee how much time I can steal for things I truly enjoy and appreciate, but I thank each of you, as you have no idea how important your thoughts, support and comments are to me (and maybe others as well).  Thank you for sharing and allowing me to share with you.  WE are not alone – we are a community.  Family.

http://mynameisjamie.net/tag/midimike/

 

 

 

Start to Stop Again

Posted: February 3, 2016 in My Tunes
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There were a string of original tunes in the early 1980’s.  Some you have heard here already.   These were very profound times in a lot of ways.  Real work worlds.  Kids.  Relationships.  Marriage. Responsibilities.  Debt.

This song was not written in one or two sessions.  It took quite a long time to make this fit together.  I Often find snippets in other writings and combine with others to make a full song.  This is one that I may have done that with as there are so many different topics and observations.  Part of my challenge in writing songs people can relate to is being able to state the obvious in a clever, funny or different way.   So I would think of these ‘one liners’ and write them down.   Some were my normal trite stuff, but a few were well said and became part of these lyrics.

I like to play a few different ‘voicings’ or positions on the 12 string and take advantage of open strings or cool octaves when I can.  (it also reduces the hand-cramps you get when holding down all those strings!!)  In some chord changes you can play the same chord in different positions back-to-back and it sounds like you are playing different chords.  The guitar part is sparse and melodic.   It sets the mood during the intro.  Allowing the intro chords to ring out with a slow rhythm lets the 12 string shine all the more.  The lyrics paint a pretty good picture of life experiences I had during that time.

Don’t think you can’t help out my  friend.  Because we try, we control the end!

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