Musical talent

[An Amateur]

Plus I'm pretty sure it was BlueInk. Unless you intentionally decided to fuse the two parts of his name together for brevity. In which case you may also disregard this post entirely.

[Alyssa!]

I could've sworn I posted this but I can't remember, if it got deleted for some reason I'm really sorry for posting it again. I feel bad about posting it since it's (a) rough, and (b) I don't do a good enough job at following all the things y'all post.

It's a demo. It's supposedly an album, the senior project that I worked on for the last 5 weeks. There are 11 songs and it's 42 minutes, so it's pretty eclectic in that nature. A lot of it was very intentionally arranged and structured, and a lot of it was improvised; I think that's a good thing in music, but I had very little control over what I was doing. Equipment-wise, I had trouble too. So it's a rushed, played-to-fast, awkwardly cut, violent and somewhat crazed attempt in a line of many. Hence, Stabs.

I'd love to hear what you think.
www.mediafire.com/?mxdynujed2j

[Thomas]

I still post here.

[Scarychips]

He does! Here he is! Hi Thomas!

[Richie]

Jun 5, 2010 18:24:37 GMT -5 Scarychips said:

He just changed his screen name for Thomas, just so you know.

yes, yes, aware.

Jun 5, 2010 18:26:46 GMT -5 An Amateur said:

Unless you intentionally decided to fuse the two parts of his name together for brevity.

no, no, my mistake.
sorry Thomas.

I think I was going for a more maternal tone, like "oh thomas how proud I am to see you have your own last.fm" that, mixed with a drifting off in reminiscence on our times spent swapping music by small toronto bands.. oh what good times.

Hiya Thomas.

[Ren]

Do any of you feel like one of the earliest things you've done was the best? I always wonder if I should've just quit after writing this song. I re-recorded it as a "maybe" for Not Legendary with oboe, so: check out The Prophet. I think if there were a single, it would be Here Is How, with this as a B-side. Maybe?

[ben]

Jul 19, 2010 7:41:12 GMT -5 Ren said:

Do any of you feel like one of the earliest things you've done was the best? I always wonder if I should've just quit after writing this song. I re-recorded it as a "maybe" for Not Legendary with oboe, so: check out The Prophet. I think if there were a single, it would be Here Is How, with this as a B-side. Maybe?

Time to repay that compliment. This is beautiful. Those chords on the brass turn it from a nice ballad with great lyrics into something really special. Your voice really gets me as well when it goes high at that line that starts "wonderland..." or something.

I'm ahead again

(Incidentally, when I show people my music, I always want something constructive back, and I rarely get it. Just in case this is the case with you too, I thought the guitar part would sound really great on a banjo)

[Ren]

Aw man, Ben. Now I have to come up with more nice things to say about your music, except I can't do it right now because that would be cheating and they should come as a surprise. Better that way!

I think that banjo suggestion is gold though. Clearly I just need to keep remixing and reochestrating this one song for the rest of my life. Also, PS, oboe. Not brass, although I like brass v. much! I just don't play any.

[JackAltman]

Jul 19, 2010 7:41:12 GMT -5 Ren said:

Do any of you feel like one of the earliest things you've done was the best?

In things musical, I've always thought this. (Not so much visual art-wise, but in some instances, "yes...") It sucks. I was a much worse guitarist/performer when I first started doing shows, but there's something about that manic energy and excitement with realizing "yeah!, I can do this!" that's really hard to recapture. Also, when I started writing music, I always did it with the thought that I might never write another song ever again, so I'd just pile everything into what I imagined would be my very last aural statement: handclaps, triple-layered vocals, boxes of metal, sound samples, phone messages, everything.

I think that solace can to be found, though, in watching our work in our chosen crafts/professions becoming more haiku-like, not needing so much because we can convey real emotion with maximum economy. Maybe it's like kissing? How it's nice to know when to kiss with abandon like first, inexpert kisses with too much tongue, but also nice to know when just the tiniest touch is what really satisfies.

Maybe a little too pervy an analogy?

Anyway, beautiful song, EstherRen. (By the way, thank you in bunches for the copy of your album! It's waiting for me back in South Dakota, but I have the files in my iTunes to enjoy until my next visit home. You should be very proud of your accomplishments...)

[An Amateur]

My old songs are still my favourite, I just highly doubt anyone else would be able to sit through them (they're mostly just noise). One of my songs called "The Decision" is actually an old song from high-school, and some people (not naming names) seem to like it. Luckily the lyrics are just vague enough that I don't have to feel embarrassed whenever I sing it. Reinterpreting old songs can be fun, it's almost like covering a fellow musician, except you know exactly what was going through their head at the time they wrote it. However, I just feel a lot more capable than I was back then (i.e. I can play piano with all ten fingers), so instead of fumbling around for cool sounds, I can just think of something and be like "Oh, I know how to do that!" I still wish I could do a drum roll....

JackAltman, your first kisses had tongue!? Were you some kind of prepubescent ladies man?

[Ren]

Aw, yay Tristan! I am one of those who like "The Decision" very much. Actually, lately I've been spending a bunch of time listening to Doubtfully Yours. It's awesome, I think you should know.

Thanks Altman! I think your analogy is really pretty fantastic. Tristan: I definitely had trop de tongue in my first kisses.

[Richie]

Jul 20, 2010 20:21:48 GMT -5 An Amateur said:

and some people (not naming names) seem to like it.

BAhahaa haha hah ah ha..

Jul 20, 2010 21:26:46 GMT -5 Ren said:

I am one of those who like "The Decision".

Shaddap, he was talking to me.


Esther and Tristan, I've been re-diving into both of your musics so much lately! I've turned my mom on to Not Legendary and (hope its okay) I burned a copy of it for my friend Julia's car, and yesterday sent Tori Doubtfully Yours along with all of the Amateur covers I had... (she already knows all the songs and is very fond, just after moving her music/computer situations changed etc....)

The Prophet is SO pretty! I LOVE it.
ahh, the texture of the oboe(s) over the guitar...[drifts off]
oh man... you make me want to notate all of the silly guitar songs I've written over the years and dip them in double reed syrup. ...which I'd hope you'd provide.

Dammit. I'm so proud of all y'all.

[Ren]

Jul 20, 2010 21:26:46 GMT -5 Ren said:

I am one of those who like "The Decision".

Shaddap, he was talking to me.

NONETHELESS

Thanks Richie! I would be hurt if you asked anyone else to provide double-reedy goodness.

Actually, that goes for all of you.

[dannyboy]

i just came back to this thread today and listen to the prophet. esther, your voice is fantastic and makes the song sound so effortless. oh if only i were able to make music like this. I have Not Legendary chilling in my iTunes waiting for the perfect mood to give it the proper time it deserves. Tristan, where could I find some of your tracks if I wanted to give 'em a spin?

[An Amateur]

The best place would probably be radio3.cbc.ca/bands/amateur, but you can also find me on Myspace.

If you're the downloading type, my last album can be obtained here: www.megaupload.com/?d=79OKT586

Esther's music is definitely a mood setter; it's perfect for drawing rainbows in the dark.