If you like them, help yourself!
"In the very end, civilizations perish because they listen to their politicians and not to their poets."
Behold, the Challen piano from Abbey Road Studios! It was used on some very pretty Beatles songs like "Fool on the Hill", "A Day in the Life", "Lady Madonna" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da".
Back in August of 2023, I actually got…
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I recently rediscovered a tune I wrote roughly 15 years ago. As the years pass, I'm heartened by these pleasant little surprises that I completely forgot about…
"My heart is open
For all to see
It's been searching out a…
Patti Smith's advice to the artist originally came to her from writer/friend William S. Burroughs. I think it holds true today more than ever…
“Build a good name. Keep your name clean. Don't make compromises, don't worry about making a…
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Sometimes these Reason player devices deliver very cool sound textures that later can be pulled into song projects. Check it out!
When it comes to songwriting, for me the best results always has come down to a simple acoustic instrument (piano/guitar) along with the human voice. Trouble is, when you constantly go back to those same old chord progressions, you find…
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So much of the modern craft of songwriting ties in with the software platform we writers choose to use. How intuitive is the user interface or GUI? How rich are the instruments and effects plug-ins? Am I inspired when firing…
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This is Athena's pizza, located in Amherst, MA. It used to be called Bell's Pizza back in the early 1970s when my old man taught at UMass. Our family were regulars there. 50+ years later, I am the only one…
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See the curtains hangin' in the window
In the evening on a Friday night
A little light a-shinin' through the window
Lets me know everything's all right
“Summer Breeze” by Seals & Crofts
With all the negatives that come with AI (and there are plenty), let me offer a few positives I've come to discover as a songwriter who only uses his own original material and demos. First, it's a great studio tool…
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For me there have only been a few instruments that carry in them a certain extra special magic. One in particular is the Rickenbaker 12 string electric guitar. I first heard it's jangle on the Beatles VI album. Then later…
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