. . . this songwriting stuff. Well, maybe that's a bit melodramatic. The song Blood Brother was written at a time in my life when I was actually forcing myself to be as prolific as possible. The rationale was to write in as many styles and genre as I could, no matter how good or bad, to build a body of work (again, good or bad) and learn, one-about writing and two-about where my strengths (if I had any) and weaknesses were. Blood Brother was loosely modeled on Dixie Chicken, a composition I always admired for its simple, concise, ironic story and its funky, catchy, swampy, Louisiana-drenched music. It's no Dixie Chicken (by Little Feat), but I learned much about the genre which is still a great favorite of mine. It also reinforced my knowledge that a decent musical composition transcends musical style and can be adapted to multiple arrangements. OHO is currently working towards our next studio album offering which will include our take on this tune. Stay tuned . . . meantime, here is solo piano workout on Blood Brother, just for fun.
"One of the glories of songwriting is that you never know what's coming next. . . please keep doing what you are doing and filling the world with song.”
-Loralyn Coles, MASC Director &
Scott Elliott, MASC Assistant Director
". . . (I) wanted to just acknowledge the insanely hard act of completing these projects, and wish you renewed inspiration and energy in 2017 in a world where music is increasingly devalued, fragmented and marginalized. . . As someone who mostly ignores these facts and keeps practicing, performing, playing, recording and releasing CDs, I resonate with your work. "
-'Steve B.' (an OHO friend & fan)
"Never give up, never surrender."
―Commander Peter Quincy Taggart (of Galaxy Quest)
". . . This email is to let you know that your song, "Third Hand Intelligence" performed by Oho which was entered into the Performance category, has officially been reviewed by the listening committee of the International Songwriting Competition. Please be aware that if you have entered multiple songs or the same song into multiple categories, then you will receive a separate notification for each one. These may also come at different times as the competition progesses, so don't be alarmed if you don't receive all of your confirmations at once. . . We ask that you please do not request any feedback on your entry as we are extremely busy going through the evaluation process. The purpose of this email is to stay in contact with our entrants and to keep you updated on the process of the competition. . . ISC 2016 Semi-Finalists will be announced in February 2017, Finalists in March 2017 and the Winners in April 2017. All entrants will receive emails regarding the results and they will also be posted on the ISC website - www.songwritingcompetition.com ! . . .Thank you for your participation and we wish you the best of luck!. . ."
. . . not really. A good song is a good song. . .
Third-Hand Intelligence
from the forthcoming, tentatively titled album "Gazebo" by OHO (Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak)
(From SAW Note, July 2012)
Doug Sedgwick is a widely-traveled poet, Army veteran, high-energy live performer and spiritual (Unitarian) musician based in Reston, Virginia. Doug is also a longtime Songwriters' Association of Washington (SAW) member and winner of 2 Mid-Atlantic Song Contest Honorable Mentions (Jazz/Blues/Instrumental 2005, World 2006). He hosts a monthly open mike at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston every second Friday of the month. According to music critic / blogger Wildy Haskell, Doug has “tremendous songwriting talent and the ability to project different personalities/voices into his songs, like soliloquies in a one-man Broadway show. This folk/rock singer-songwriter might be one of the best of the genre, and you’ve probably never heard of him.”
As part of promoting his 2008 CD “Committed,” Doug was asked by the California-based “On Songwriting” blogger Rick Jamison for an interview – but instead of a Q & A, session, Rick ended up publishing a set of twenty insights Doug had put together and labeled as his songwriting“principles.” Here they are – slightly updated for your perusal and enjoyment.
(Paraphrased and edited for space)
1. If it works as a piece of art and doesn’t adhere to the “principles” - go for it! Never let anyone tell you what rules you should be following. Develop your own set of principles.
2. The basis must be emotion and the subconscious goal is movement of the listener. Move yourself emotionally and the listener will be moved.
3. The idea to get across should be simple. It should fit into 3 or 4 minutes - maybe longer if it requires a solo or extended bridge to help emphasize the point.
4. Stolen from Andrew McKnight: Your most favorite song in the entire world is the one you’re singing at the time you’re singing it. Put every ounce of your feeling into the performance.
5. A new song should begin with the words. The cadence of a phrase brushed against the cockles of your heart ought to get a back and forth rhythm going. Seek out the chords after the basis of the melody springs up from the motion of the words themselves.
6. Go to the musical fourth for the chorus. Get as much melody worked up from the words as possible – then see if you don’t naturally go the fourth for the chorus anyway. If not – see # 1.
7. [From “This is Your Brain on Music.”] Studying the brain waves of jazz musicians in the act of improvising shows a close correlation with the brain activity of dreaming. Dreaming and writing music are intertwined. Find where your intersection of the two activities helps you produce.
8. Even though the best songs are the usually the ones that seem to flow from a higher power, you should still attempt to work through and finish any song you start. Determination to solve musical challenges in lesser songs will help develop your songwriting skills.
9. Seek inspiration wherever you find it. If listening to Dylan gets your juices flowing – don’t be afraid to take in chunks from YouTube or your old vinyl. There’s no infringement in stealing an IDEA for a song that came from listening to another song.
10. Learn to let go and not judge what starts to happen when moments of inspiration kick in. Follow your instincts. Ignore your reason. (Paraphrased from songwriter friend Philip DeStefano, I believe.)
11. Rhythm rules. The beat trumps the melody. Greater is the sin to play offbeat than to play off-key. Develop rhythm EVERYWHERE in everything.
12. Learn to believe completely in your own magic. If Spielberg doesn’t put his own faith on the line, the audience will sense it the same way a dog senses fear. Your FAITH in YOU is what carries.
13. Your unique view is valuable. Your experiences and views are no less important than the 'virtuosi' - your execution and expression is just different - but must be here to satisfy SOME need in the universe. Revel in your ability to express yourself in a manner unlike any other.
14. Pitch matters - but not the way you hear it. No two people hear the same. No single person hears the same their entire life.
15. Zoom out. A painter with his nose inches from the canvas sweating the texture of a cloud may have lost sight of the true focus of his own painting. As the song develops, keep trying to step back from the easel a few feet occasionally.
16. Take all criticisms with a grain of salt. What if Tom Waits (or Bob Dylan or Neil Young) - attending song circles had been told he really needed to learn a new way to sing? Part of that which makes them truly unique would have been lost. But be polite and not vengeful.
17. Keep the child inside alive. If your musical knowledge and depth of understanding have grown SO VAST that you have lost the sense of wonder and the willingness to be fooled into believing in magic (see #12) - you should give up the craft.
18. Never stop learning. There is something to be learned from everybody you encounter – both inside and outside the realm of songwriting.
19. Give of yourself by listening to people. Especially in these times when we’re bombarded by the media talking at us, there is a deep hunger in the population at large to just be heard anymore. Lend a sympathetic ear.
20. Practice self-discovery and self-improvement. Take a spiritual path, and let your own self-awakening surprise you with songs inside you never knew were there.
You can reach Doug (who enjoys both writing AND talking about himself in the third person) via email through bugsunplugged (at) comcast.net. . . "
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. . .Why is WHATSHERNAME songwriting at it's best?
Hard to believe, but this song is over forty (count em, 40) years old! I remember when I first heard it. Not where I was, what I was doing. But really HEARING the song, and (even in my innocent youth- I was about 12) being very moved. And to be moved by such an 'adult' experience, I, even in my youthful innocence, had sincere appreciation for the skillfully conceived and constructed piece of music/lyrics that I had just experienced.
WHATSHERNAME (see my post of May 9th) embodies so much of what I strive to achieve in my songwriting. It captures a real human sentiment accurately and without preachiness, posturing or pretense. (Guess I should call that the three Ps???) A complex life situation is encapsulated in simplicity of presentation, something that on the surface seems (and sounds) easy, but which is, in fact, very difficult to accomplish. Thus is the ART.
The easy, swinging, lounge-type, yet very conversational rhythm belies the doubt and uncertainty that the speaking character is soon to reveal as the two old friends meet, presumably in a bar. Our leading man is very polite, inquiring about his friend's family, possibly mutual friends, and revealingly tells him, "Who me? Oh I'm great." And then under the guise of inquiring ". . . for a friend", our hero gets to the point. "Do you remember. . . a girl that I brought here, before I got married a couple of times at the end. . . " The same relative chord pattern, this too complex while sounding 'easy', accompanies the verse as the tempo decreases and the drama increases leading into the chorus.
The irony in the chorus is brilliantly expressed. "Whatshername? She hardly knew me; Now her name means something to me. I wonder if she ever got over me?" He can't remember her name (or CAN he?) but he's inquiring of her "for a friend" and he's wondering if SHE ever got over HIM! (See what I mean by brilliance?)
Then, the crux of the story, our hero says, "Anyway I should be flattered For yesterday at least I mattered Where did it go?" 'For yesterday, at least I MATTERED'
A 'mid-life' crisis probably. A universal sentiment, or doubt at least.
A little rationalization, '. . . all things considered, I've done fairly well. . . ' He confirms his love for his wife and then, during the second chorus indulges in his fantasy once more and concludes.
One gets the feeling that he's not gonna jump off a bridge, he probably won't get drunk that night and continue reminiscing. He'll stay with Ruth and the kids, probably retire to Florida eventually. But one does get the feeling that the memories of his old 'love' will return on a regular basis, as sometimes those memories do.
Such is life. Wish I could write a song like that! Cheers Paul! (Noel)
WHATSHERNAME Stookey/Dixon/Kniss- Neworld Media Music Publishers ASCAP (from Album 1700 by Peter, Paul and Mary)
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