It’s a new day So what! Big deal. A new day comes around every twenty-four hours. So, what makes this one any more special than all the others? And why do so many people try to pump you up with all this rise-and-shine nonsense? A new day means you’re alive. And you’re able to do something about your life. Even if it’s not … The rest of the story…
Category Archives: Words and Music
What this country needs is a good Do Right Songbook What?! A Do Right Songbook? Seriously? Yeah. And if every person in the country had one, there’d be no more fighting and looting in the streets. No more political differences. No more broken relationships. And basically no more crime. Period. Too far? Yeah, a Do Right Songbook isn’t gonna help with any of that. … The rest of the story…
Is dissonance art? Or just sound? Short answer? Art! Nine years ago, at around this time of June, I wrote about dissonance art. But I didn’t call it that. I just mentioned something I like to do when I’m writing songs. And that’s never changed. Here’s my take on dissonance art (from nine years ago). “I really like irregularity in a chord. Because so … The rest of the story…
Restore my soul because I broke it If you’re a Christian (and if you’re not, you should be), you probably already know how trouble is always close at hand. You can’t swing a dead cornstalk (you thought I was gonna say something else, didn’t you) without trouble showing up. And I don’t know about you (well, I do a little bit because you’re human) … The rest of the story…
Father’s Day 2020 Happy Father’s Day 2020 to all you dads out there. I know it’s been a mighty weird world so far this year. But I also know this world has always been pretty weird. Because of that weirdest of all creatures: Humans. So, I just wanna encourage you to look beyond all of this craziness right now. Keep your eyes on the … The rest of the story…
Live up to your own dream Because I can’t live up to your dream for you. And 99.9% of the people who read my articles or listen to my podcast know this. I’d say 100%, but nothing, here on Earth, is perfect. But why do I even bring it up? If I can’t live up to your dream for you, is it even … The rest of the story…
It might’ve been Für Elise or Therese or Elizabeth As I opened up my laptop to write, just now, Für Elise started playing on my Pandora classical channel. And I love that piece of music. Of course, I don’t think I’ve kept it a secret that Beethoven is my favorite composer. And this piece of music is an example of why. But today, I … The rest of the story…
Ah, there’s nothing like an uncloudy day And there’s nothing like rainy days and nights to make you appreciate an uncloudy day. Right? Of course, maybe it’s only the dreamers, poets, and songwriters who truly appreciate the ever-changing kaleidoscope floating above us all. But I’ll bet when I say that, plenty of other kinds of people beg to differ. Or maybe they don’t beg, … The rest of the story…
And he said, “I like your style. It always makes me smile.” Way back in 1989 there was a guy who was, shall we say, increasingly enamored with a certain girl. Trouble was, he lived about 1500 miles away from her. So, the best he could do, to stay on her radar, was write letters and a long-distance call now and then. On one … The rest of the story…
Music is wrong these days Or maybe it’s right. Wait a minute. Maybe I shouldn’t say music is wrong because there’s no right or wrong in music. But what about music you can’t sing along to? Wouldn’t that be wrong? Or how about music with lots of vulgar language and themes? Can that kind of music be good for anything? Maybe none of this … The rest of the story…
I have a perfect point of view Hmm…maybe I should clarify. I’m not talking about a perfect opinion on some idea of the day. Although my opinions tend to suit me, perfectly. No, the perfect point of view I’m talking about (and singing about) is an attitude. A grateful attitude gave me the perfect point of view. Recently I went through a sixty day … The rest of the story…
You know me. Always serious as a heart attack. Side note (right here at the front of this article): apparently there are people who look up what “serious as a heart attack” means. Seems like it’s self-evident. But I guess that’s just me. Anyway…what’s any of this got to do with anything I ever talk about? Plenty. You might have already guessed I’m not … The rest of the story…
Taps and lights out I remember (at least a little) when Taps was played during the funeral proceedings for President Kennedy. But I didn’t remember the bugler’s clinkers during the minute long song. Not until I looked at old video footage. And, of course, people feel the need to make fun of the guy for “missing” notes. But it was a cold day, which … The rest of the story…
A conversation in a song stayed in the back of my mind The technical definition of a fugue, in music, is: “a contrapuntal composition in which a short melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others and developed by interweaving the parts.” I like to think of it, simply, as a conversation in a song. Either … The rest of the story…
I’ve got no right My life has not always been a bed of roses. Unlike everyone else in the world, I’ve had some challenges to overcome. I know this is completely foreign to you. But bear with me. And I’ll show you how I came to realize I still have no right to sing the blues. ” What? No right to sing the blues? … The rest of the story…
Face to face in a forever place Almost two years ago somebody sent me some information about a teenage guy fighting cancer. Of course, a teenager fighting cancer, unfortunately, isn’t rare news. But this particular young guy was an abolitionist in the battle against abortion. So, I checked out his story online. And I discovered he’d written and published a prayer on a website. … The rest of the story…
Poetry in motion Back in the 80’s music took a sharp, electronic turn. Synthesizers were ubiquitous in top 40. And even drums were digitized. A lot of it was cheesy. But there were plenty of songs I enjoyed, too. One of them popped into my head, early this morning. And I think it was because of one short line in it. “She’s poetry in … The rest of the story…
Hmm…can music change your mood? Spoiler, and short answer…no. Apparently a lot of people use that search phase, can music change your mood, on Google. Because Google serves up a lot of results for the question. But it’s really simple. Music cannot truly change your mood. And I’m not just saying this to start an argument, by the way. If you ask, can … The rest of the story…
Morning Lullaby What? Whoever heard of a morning lullaby? And who wants to go to sleep in the morning anyway? No, it’s not actually like that at all. You know me. I get these silly notions in my head, and I’m just liable to write ’em down. And most of the time it’s just excuses to stay in touch with you and let you … The rest of the story…
Happy Resurrection Sunday 2020 As I do every year, I’m gonna share my song, The Way, with a link to the video I made way back in 2011. And I’d like to think maybe somebody, who’s not already a Christian, will see it and change their eternal destination. Not because of my song. Or anything to do with me. But because of who it’s … The rest of the story…