December Song of the Month: The Sun Will Rise

I am back on track! Okay, so my voice is still kind of hoarse, but I am actually pleased with this song. I wanted to do something simple, and stark, like winter. I wanted to say something that felt true, but not cliche. I wanted to say something about what I am feeling right now, these days. There were several events that wound themselves together to influence the creation of this song, in no particular order:
1.) The winter solstice on September 21, since it is the shortest day of the year
2.) The Christmas Revels, the show I was in -- Our final get together was also on the 21st for a cast party, and I was inspired by some of the words of a poem that is read in every Revels Show about the shortest day
3.)The Mayan Calendar fiasco -- it was amazing to me how many people were taking this seriously, thinking that the world would somehow suddenly end
4.) The recent events at Sandy Hook, which have made many people, especially teachers, fearful
5.) My son -- on the 21st, he ended his time at his school for the arts. It was an intense, emotional time and will continue to be a big transition for him. I wanted to write something for him. He is so naturally courageous and tenacious, but I was seeing him falter a bit with all the upheaval. I wanted this song to be something that could remind him that no matter how big or crazy things seem, tomorrow will always be a new day.

So here it is. I have to give credit to my son for the two last lines of the chorus, because he helped me with them, and to my mother, for suggesting the theme for the pictures that go with the song. Thanks, you two! I love you!

As I sit here with my family around me and snow falling outside (yes, we are having a surprise white Christmas!), I feel so fortunate. I am warm, I am fed, I have a good job and I have people who love me. I hope for everyone out there that as the sun rises on them tomorrow they will feel cared for and loved. I hope you like the song! Happy Holidays!

November Song of the Month: On to Me

Well, my voice is still not quite back to normal, but I can't procrastinate any longer. So I decided to go ahead and publish this (not so great) version of my November song, even though I wasn't going to, because I am really not satisfied with it. My voice is hoarse, sometimes flat, and the music never did get into synch. It was something about the time signature, since this song has a jazzy, slow 6/8 feel and Garage Band just couldn't handle it. But, maybe you can get a feel for the song, and what it would sound like with the proper musicians and a singer in full voice. Hopefully, some day I can re-do it with live musicians so it sounds the way I wanted, but until then, this will have to suffice.

 What I am getting more happy with is my understanding of the i-movie program. I am getting better at using the precision editor function to get the clips where I want them. I am hoping at some point to film some live action clips on purpose for one of my songs, now that I kindof know how to do it. We'll see. I learned my lesson about promising things on here, so I won't promise, but I will try. I do have an idea about December's song, so I will try to keep it really simple and get it done by the end of the month.

Thanks everyone who has commented, and thanks for continuing to check in and see what's new on my blog. I really appreciate it! Also, I want to say a special thank you to anyone from another country who is checking out this blog -- I have had people from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, UK, France, Argentina, Australia, Mexico, and China! So to all you international folks, thanks for listening! And for all you folks here in the US, I am also very grateful for your support and feedback. Happy holidays! Here's November's very late song. Use your imagination, and I hope you enjoy it!

November Song, Jr.: The Mood Song!

Hey folks,
Well, I am still sick, and am staying home from work today, not talking. I have a performance tonight, two tomorrow, and one on Sunday. I am just hoping my voice can hold out. But I have been productive this afternoon, editing the song and video my students and I made. They are so awesome, and I am honored to share this work with you. The Mood Song is about various moods (and forms) that verbs can take: Indicative, Subjunctive, and so on. These are hard concepts even for adults, so two years ago, some students thought we should write a song to help people remember them. They started with the first version of the lyrics, but sadly, we never recorded it. This year, we dug out the lyrics and some current students and I added to them and finalized them. Then we set about recording and filming. Here are the results. I know it is technically not just my song, but I worked hard on helping them realize this vision, so I feel it is appropriate to share here. Plus, they said it would be okay. So here you go with the first of the December/November Songs of the Month: The Mood Song! Enjoy!

Not-So-Epic Fail

Maybe you are wondering why I haven't posted the Song Of the Month for November. Well, I guess everyone fails sometimes. I have a song. I have most of it recorded. I have all the lyrics and tune set up. But two weeks ago, I got laryngitis. And I am supposed to be performing in a semi-professional show, the Washington Christmas Revels, in less than a week. So I have been attempting to baby my voice, and even so, I cannot sing a worthwhile note to save my life. So I haven't been able to finish the song. I considered putting it on here in its unfinished state (you, know, work in progress?)  but I guess my ego is too big, because I can't seem to make myself do it. It doesn't sound right yet. I know it probably never really will even when I do finish it. See, I have the sounds in my mind, but I am limited by my amateur piano skills, and my amateur equipment. This song is sort of a smoky jazz number, and I can picture the swishing of the soft steel drumsticks, the sliding thrum of the upright bass, and the syncopated piano rhythms behind the vocals. But I can in no way simulate that on garage band. There isn't even a patch for a swishing drum sound. So, maybe that is making me drag my feet on putting the song on here unfinished.
Plus, I also failed with getting the kids together to sing the lyrics for their songs. I am hoping to do that this week, but with my voice shot, I am not sure they will be able to learn the songs well enough to record them. We will do it as soon as we can. So it's not so epic, but I definitely failed with the Song of the Month for November.
Well, at least I can post my original November song's lyrics. They might not make musical sense by themselves, but it's better than nothing. This song was first inspired by my wonderful women friends. I have been having a rough patch with my son in high school and such, and sometimes I find myself withdrawing when things get overwhelming. But my friends won't let me just stew. They draw me out, they remind me what is important, and they let me know that I am loved. I really appreciate that about them and am so thankful for their wisdom. So I started this song with them in mind. But of course, there is also my loving husband, who does the same thing in a different way. He is always steadfastly standing by, supporting me through the hard stuff, and I am also so thankful for him. And it was November, a time when we traditionally should be thankful, so that was perfect. Still, I wasn't in a "happy-happy-joy-thanksgiving" sort of mindset, so my song took a darker twist. The result was a sort of jazz/spy mashup. I don't know where that came from, but that's what happened. So here, at least, are the lyrics for "You're On To Me". The rest will be coming as soon as I get my voice back enough that I am not worried about my performances coming up this weekend.

On To Me by Zoe Alexandratos November, 2012 

When I'm hiding out it seems / You find my secret lair

You won't let me hole up somewhere / Thinking no one cares

Every time I think I'm all alone / You track my every move

I guess that you are on to me

I try to disguise my feelings / But you always know

You reveal my secret / Identity: my cover's blown

And no matter how my plans get foiled/ You're there to see me through

I guess that you are on to me

You're on to me / You've got my number / You are on to me

Can't fool you, you are on to me

When I start to shut down / You have ways to make me talk

When I shut you out / You know just how to pick my lock

When my scheme's exposed / And I'm feeling low / You're there to pick me up

I know that you are on to me

You're on to me / Please hang on to me

Don't let me escape / I'm glad that you are on to me

When the jig is up and I'm / My own worst enemy

You believe I'm redeemable / You help to set me free

You're my touchstone / You're my plot twist

You're my ally in the end / So glad that you are on to me

Bonus Post!

Hello! I am writing, out of character, at the BEGINNING of the Month, and in the MIDDLE of the day. Shocking! But I had some thoughts I wanted to get down here, and I have a rare quiet moment, as Jerry is doing home maintenance and Zephyr is helping my mom at her jewelry show. SO.

I already have an idea for November's song, and I had a slight epiphany. I realized I can brainstorm and keep song ideas on Garageband -- I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I just recorded a vocal snippet of something that came to me as I was driving home from a women's retreat at Rocky Gap. It's just an idea, not even a complete thought, really, but now it is on there and I can let my muse percolate on it without fearing to lose it. I don't know if that will be a good or bad thing, but I thought I'd give it a try. I don't know how many ideas I have lost over the years because after I had the initial impulse, I had no way to record it, so I forgot it. Now maybe that will not happen!

In other news, Frankenstorm, I am glad to say, didn't do much damage around here. All my friends and family seem to have made it through relatively unscathed. And at school, some of my students and I have been writing songs together. They want to make music videos to go along with them. I don't think I will be able to put those on here, but I am hoping to get permission to post the final versions of the songs as bonus Song of the Month Club offerings. We tend to write rather wordy songs that are meant to help my students remember tough concepts. In past years, we already made two videos: one is about the verb "to be", and the other is about capacity. I don't have much video technology (no I-pads at my school, unfortunately), but the videos were cutely kitsch. The recordings were done live at school, so aren't very polished. I keep thinking it would be fun to re-record them with Garageband.

So these new ones, one about moods of verbs (indicative, subjunctive, imperative, and so on), and the other about constellations that one student could find in the summer sky, are going to be Garageband creations. I used pre-set loops of drumbeats and basslines, and then supplemented them with some chords. The kids seem excited by how they are turning out. I've been bringing my laptop to school to show them the progress and to make sure the track fits the lyrics. Next will be to record their voices on a new track, and then we will try figure out how to film. Two years ago, I used the school's flip video camera for the other videos, but I am pretty sure that camera is broken now. So I don't know how we will film, but hopefully we can figure it out. So, you can look forward to hopefully hearing THREE songs this month, if all goes well. Wish us luck!

Oh yeah, and please comment about my latest song! I really value your feedback. Also, if you have any ideas about future song topics, please feel free to let me know. I am open to all suggestions! Hugs, Zoe

October Song of the Month: Work in Progress

It's Frankenstorm! (I mean, October!)

Hello everyone! Thank you so much those of you who are taking the time to comment. I truly value the feedback. So it's just about the end of the month, and true to form I have been procrastinating - I mean incubating - until nearly the final hour. Except this time, I couldn't wait until the very end of the month, since the east coast is supposedly about to be hit by this tremendous tropical storm/hurricane. I realized the power might go out, thus ending my perfect record of one song each month, so I have been burning the midnight oil again to make sure I got this one out before the storm hits. "Work in Progress" is really still, well, a work in progress. I uber-experimented with the garage band capabilities this time. I'm not completely satisfied with the results. I mean, I can imagine certain things in my head, but I can't always find a way to translate them into this medium. I just don't know enough yet about how to do everything I want to do. But I am learning.
   This song is supposed to be a bit clubby. And I was trying to see if I could write a song that basically didn't have any change between the music on the chorus and the music on the verse, which I have never done before. At first, husband Jerry said it was a bit repetitive. Son Zephyr said yeah, but that's the way dance music is, and he thought it was fine. I tried to compromise by changing the melody a bit more, and playing around with the instrumentation. However, I am not a sound engineer and have no real mixing capabilities, so some of the various sounds don't seem mixed-in the way I want. Ah well. Like I said, it's a work in progress.
   Also, this song is a bit of a tribute to all my fellow Creative Pulse-ers. I tried to get almost every artform I could into this song in some fashion, in honor of the amazing art work and creativity each of you has. So, enjoy! It will be posted as soon as it is done finalizing! So there, Frankenstorm! You can't stop the Song of the Month Club! :)

September Song of the Month: Time To Go

It's September!

Yes, I know, the month is almost over. And notice the time of this blog? Ah well, it is becoming a habit, I guess, this late-night thing. So I will keep this brief. This month's song is originally inspired by my wonderful advisor, Karen, who said I should write a song about the "bittersweet" quality of the fall: the end of summer, going back to school, etc. I could understand that, and I loved that word, bittersweet. Then I found out that our class pet, a sweet guinea pig named Twiggy, had died over the summer. Her brother, Ziggy, who had lived at our house, had died last year as well. And then my son came back from camp pining for his first real love, a darling girl named Alison, for whom he forgot to get any address, phone number, email, or even last name. It may seem funny in a way, that he didn't ask for her last name, but he was heartbroken. Bittersweet. Made me think of all the times in my life, and his, that there have been some not-so-happy endings. But then again, we have moved on and continued to thrive. We just had to know when to say goodbye, when to let go..when it was time to go. So all of that and more mixed together into a sort of poem. And the poem evolved into this song. I decided to try some percussion with this one, as well. It's a bit experimental for me, but I like the results. I hope you do, too. Don't forget to give me feedback! Thanks!

August Song of the Month: Three AM

I just realized that if you look at the times when I posted last month's song and this month's song, they are both after midnight. Funny. So here it is, in all its late-night glory. Don't forget, I am really looking forward to hearing feedback and comments about my work, so please feel free to comment! Thanks, and enjoy!

It's August!

    Well, this has been a hectic month. Yes I have a new song, and I am working on getting it recorded and posted in the near future. (Whoo hoo!) I thought I would write a bit about my process, though. Some of you Creative Pulsers (fellow graduate students) thought it was quite a feat that I wrote the July song in an hour, and someone made a comment like, "Just think what it would be like if she had a whole month!" I don't know who said that, but whomever you are, thank you, because you were probably the inspiration for this whole Song of the Month thing.
    However, I want to dispel a myth about songwriting. I don't think having a longer time necessarily means a better song. I have been thinking about how it is that I write songs. I never really analyzed my process, but I remember as a kid wondering about some of my favorite song writers, and wanting to know how they did it, or what was the "proper" way to write a song. Did the melody come first, or the lyrics? How did they decide what to write about? That kind of thing. In looking at my songwriting history, I realize there isn't one correct way, but there is a way that it usually happens for me.
   The way it tends to happen is that I have a feeling, or an idea about a song. Then it percolates in my mind; it incubates for an indeterminate length of time. There is no forcing it, really. Eventually, it either comes or it doesn't. When it does come, it usually comes out all in a rush, almost as if it is writing itself. I think what happened with "Follow the Child" was that I had been thinking about being a teacher for the whole time I was at Creative Pulse, so that time became the incubation time. Then when we sat down to write, it just all came out. It seemed to be instantaneous, but in reality, had been in process for quite a while.
   This month, it was harder. I was trying to force myself to write. I had several ideas, and even wrote several lines down about being a "work in progress". Then in a fit of cleaning our house, I lost the paper I had written them on, and for the life of me, I can't reconstruct what they were. So that song hit a dead end. Most of the month, I just worried about whether I could really do it, really write a song on command. Then, a couple of nights ago, literally in the middle of the night, after tossing and turning, I woke up with lyrics in my head, and a rhythm, and a sort of tune! I was tired, and half asleep, but I realized if I didn't write them down, I would probably forget them like I did the "work in progress" song. I couldn't do that. So I stumbled around finding paper and pen,  trying not to wake my husband, and scribbled them down in the dark. Once they were out, I could finally fall back to sleep. When I woke up, the song was there, just needing some work on the piano to find the right chords, and some tweaking of the lyrics. Not surprisingly, the song is about getting creative inspiration, and honoring it whenever it comes. That is one big thing I am learning about myself as a songwriter. I need to be prepared to follow the inspiration through when it comes, or I might lose it.
   I can't wait to share the August song with you, which right now is entitled, "Three AM", but I am open for suggestions on the title. I really hope you enjoy it. However, it is not quite ready yet due to technical difficulties. I have been working on my creative space in my house, and it is slowly coming together. I finally was able to get my keyboard set up, which I need to use to record the song. But I don't have the correct cable to connect the keyboard to my Mac. Hopefully today I will get it, and tomorrow will be able to get a rough recording out. We shall see. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please check back in a couple of days to hear "Three AM"!

July Song of the Month: Follow the Child

Here's the first Song of the Month! It is called "Follow the Child", and I wrote it at the Creative Pulse Music Seminar. This song is about being a Montessori teacher, where the philosophy is about being a guide and following children's interests. I wrote it in one hour as a challenge to myself. I recorded it in Pantzer Dormitory on my Garage Band program. Hope you enjoy it! Please give me feedback.

Blogger doesn't let you post Mp3s, so I had to make the song into a movie. I got the images from a Google search; they are not mine. Jerry wants me to tell all you non-musicians out there that I wrote the lyrics and composed the music for the song -- that's what "I wrote the song" means. Hugs, Zoe

Welcome!

So here we go! Welcome to the Song of the Month Club! Song of the Month Club is the site where I will be debuting a song each month that I have written during that month. It is part of the requirements for my Master's degree for the Creative Pulse program at the University of Montana. I am committing to writing at least one song per month. When you listen to a song, please give me comments and feedback -- what did you like, what worked, what do you wish was different, and so on. That way, hopefully I will get better and better at writing good songs. Also, please give me any ideas you have for songs you think I should write. That way, this blog can be as interactive as possible! Many thanks to Karen (K2) for giving me some song ideas already.

Got back from the Pulse yesterday. My house is full of sheet rock and spackle dust from Jerry trying valiantly to fix the ceiling before I got home. Oh well. Life always seems to be a work in progress (hmm...song idea?). I'll be sending my son off to camp on Tuesday, and then plan to set up a workspace in my home (thanks again to Angela for being my inspiration!). I have been talking about having an art space/studio in my house for ages. With Zephyr gone at camp, I will be working on clearing out his old bedroom (not his current room!) to become that space. Wish me luck!