JBCMusic Weblog

Friday, August 17, 2007

Collections

Song Collections

Ok, so I’ve been trying to get a focus on song-WRITING, and here’s what I’m hearing/sensing/feeling from the Lord:  WORK on three collections of five songs each, some of which are fairly well along and some barely more than hand-written chord sheets.  My aim is to get both the scores and some decent recordings of each song done within a year, which would be the most productive I’ve ever been and a miracle that will have to be driven by God’s hand.  Like I’ve said, though, this blog is more for myself to encourage myself than anything else, so here’s the PLAN chiseled in stone for me to look back at once in awhile (prayer appreciated if you’re so inclined):

A.  Five for Israel - A collection I’ve felt I needed to do for a couple of years now, just haven’t gotten very far on it.  I plan for any proceeds from the sheet music to be added to monthly contributions we already make to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews
1.  Grand Procession (The Coming of the Lord)
2.  And Then You Look (Holy One of Israel)
3.  Clap Your Hands and Sing (Jehovah Rises)
4.  Tabernacle
5.  Come, Glory, Dwell
B.  Walking With the Lord - probably these five songs, possibly subject to change:
1.  How Much More
2.  Me and the Lord
3.  On the Mountain By the Sea
4.  Do You Think I Remember
5. We Were On the Mountain (He is the One)
C.  Five (?) for Grace- Still forming, but the “anchor” songs are these two:
1.  Every River
2.  Speak Forgiveness

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

New Song! You Paid a Price

Amazing what simple things can trigger a song…

New Song!— "You Paid a Price (Gettin' All the Things You Want)."  Wow!  This is turning out like an incredible period about Oct-Dec 2005 when I was getting a continual blessing of fresh song ideas.  I get in this mode, and it’s amazing what simple things can trigger a song - like a 30-second view of a woman’s face in my rear-view mirror.  This is the eighth song since the first of the year, after a pretty dry period nearly all of 2006 - not that they’re all great songs, but sometimes the simplest little ditty turns out to be what people like to hear, if it strikes home with them.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

New Song! - I Know You

Romans 1 and commuting

New Song!— "I Know You (You Are the One Who Made Me)."  I’ve started re-reading the New Testament epistles, and the first chapter of Romans always seems to stir up my spirit.  So once again, on the morning commute, I was singing some jazzy little nonsense riff as I often do, and wondered, gee, would some idea out of Romans 1 fit this?  And it did.

And, for the first time in a—long—time, I actually got some songwriting, as in music notes, done!  Almost have "Lord, Your Temple" updated to Finale on the Mac to replace the scanned, hand-written score (which I found some mistakes in; aaargh!); maybe one or two evenings more work.  And I came home with "I Know You" (above) and started putting it into Finale and Garage Band immediately - a habit I need to get back to!

Thursday, February 22, 2007

New Song! - Roll Away Your Stone

Roll Away Your Stone and other new stuff

New Song!—“Roll Away Your Stone.”  Started humming a bluesy riff in the truck on the morning commute, and the words just seemed to flow into it.  After what seemed to be a long dry spell, finally getting some inspiration!  I feel like this one has a real anointing on it; if I can get the piano part worked out right, it should be more of a song than the little ditties I’ve been getting since the first of the year.

Other “new” songs—I keep a recorder in the truck, so when I get some inspired thought I can sing it onto tape, otherwise I’ll forget it by the end of the day.  I was going through the tape a couple of weeks ago and found a couple of ditties I hadn’t bothered to write the words down to at the time.  The lyrics for both are now posted, but haven’t done much on the music with either.  “Fast Loading Gun” is - I don’t know, folksy, country, maybe just corny; “Well, Well, You Got Burned” definitely leans toward country.

Friday, February 16, 2007

New Song! - What Do You Mean?

What do you mean He healed the sick and raised the dead? And you tell me He’s the Savior for me?

New Song! -What Do You Mean?.  Another quick little ditty, but serious message, from the morning commute.

Thursday, February 15, 2007

New Song! - “Lonely Songs”

Why do lonely songs always sound so good to a lonely heart…

New Song!, Added verses and a chorus to complete one of the snippets mentioned below: “Lonely Songs.”  Nothing really to do with my life at the moment, but loneliness is always a good sentiment for a song, isn’t it?

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

New Song! - “About Me, About You”

Some people are a little bit confused, about me, about you.

New Song!, a couple of snippets that may develop into something later, and this one: “About Me, About You.”  Not my best lyrics, but playing with some things on the keyboards and GarageBand that may make it come out OK

Not much else, working on a few chord sheets at lunch or when I’m too tired to really get into the music, and added some background images here and there on the website (Yea, right, I’m no graphic artist - does it show?).  When I do play, making some, but slow, progress on understanding how to work with the S90ES.  The sounds are awesome though, even if I’m not up to speed on everything it can do.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

New Song! “Put Y’Self in a Boat”

Yo, ho! Put y’self in a boat, and you’ll have a story by’n'by.

New Song! “Put Y’Self in a Boat.”  Not much original in the music, kind of a standard sailor/drinking ditty, but I think you’ll find the chorus rings very true if you’ve ever owned a boat.  As for me, I wouldn’t have much of a story repertoire without the sailing stories.  Yes, I need to check the facts on some vaguely remembered stories, and probably more verses to be added, both more boating stories from books and some personal ones if I can fit the music.  And here’s a verse you can pass around and maybe get something started:

Put your yacht club in their boats And put their stories in this song. You can send them all to me, And I will pass them all along.

Yo, ho! put y’self in a boat, And you’ll have a story by’n'by. Yo, ho! put y’self in a boat, And we’ll have a story by’n'by.

Posted by Brent on 01/30 at 09:30 AM
Songwriting • New songs • (0) Comments • Permalink

Monday, January 29, 2007

New Song! “Don’t Need to Be So Tired”

Well, I don’t need to be so tired today, it’s only Monday, and it feels like Friday already.

New Song! “Don’t Need to Be So Tired.”  The first verse pretty well says it all, as far as my thoughts when I wrote the song.  Yeah, Monday.