Song for Matt Dusk

Last week. I cannot believe how fast six weeks went by. looking back I remember how nervous and a little too anxious I was when we first started week one. I was also a little panicky but exited as well. Matt Dusk mentioned on his short video on you tube that he likes Deft Punk’s song ” Get Lucky”. I wanted to write something along those lines. I started out writing a song for Matt Dusk and was ok with it until week five, so I started rewriting another song which is this song I am posting, lucky I finished it on time.

Throughout these six weeks I have improved my songwriting skills. I enhanced the skill of song structure and lyric writing too. I also ended with a few questions. Listening to other challengers also gave me a few good points how to improve on a demo. One aspect I noticed is that you do not need to have a full production to impress, a good vocal and a guitar seems to suffice for a demo. Lily Chang mentioned that these days a good produced demo is what is needed, but that contradicts with what Rob Wels asked for. I wonder if it varies with different listeners same as different people like different music .Or I haven’t gotten it as yet

I feel a bit nostalgic now that I will not have any more challengers to search and read their comments on face book. I feel like I they were a part of my daily life too, especially when there was a conversation between us but I have made contacts and I hope we can work together on a project.

Well this is it. Who will have the chosen song by Matt Dusk? I hope the song he picks will propel him to the next level he deserves to be. Good luck every one and it was a real pleasure knowing you and collaborating with some of you.

Once again a big  thank you to Debra Alexander, Lilly Chang, James Linderman and the SAC. It was a fantastic  project you organized and successfully implemented. I hope we can keep in touch often.

Michael Paul Vella

Week #6 Pop song

Hello everyone. I enjoyed writing this song.  Also had a little fun singing too. I think my singing is improving a little, would sound a lot better if I had a real vocalist” LOL” but , as Angie Ricci said to me “as long as the melody comes through that’s what’s important”.

I was more focused on Matt Dusk’s songs as I did not  write a Christmas song, although I had a melody suitable that would have worked. I will most probably write it later.

This week a thought came to my head. From all the songs that us challengers wrote, if someone could pick the best pieces ( melody, hocks, beats, sound, lyric, vocals, etc.) from the songs fit them together and produce the best song or songs they can. Just wondering what the result will be. Only kidding of course. Wonder what we can name the album?

Jokes aside, as a songwriter and as other challengers have already said , I am very grateful of the opportunities and the wonderful support we are able to get from the SAC and a special thank you to our mentors Debra Alexander and James Linderman . The SAC is a God sent association, I  do not know of any better and easer institution out there for us to get to know and communicate with such great Canadian talent,  plus all the other support and help from experts that are more then willing to improve and help us.

Thank you.

 

 

Week #5 Bolg

This week I was fortunate enough to collaborate with Loralei Ells and Angie Ricci on the dark theme song. It was very satisfying and fruitful to work this way not to mention speedy. Loralei came through with the basic lyric and the help of Skype we developed most of the song  melodies in a couple of hours.

The other time we got together we had the  amazing guitar chords of Brian and the beautiful vocals of Loralei all recorded down. The song is very dark but also sounds beautiful with all the minor chords, and l must say Loralei  talented singing does wonders to complement it.

This week I learned that I like collaborating. It sure reduces the pressure gauge a little lower. Better ideas are generated, corrections are done faster and better, voicing out opinions and suggestions can improves creativity. There is also the added benefit of learning something from other fellow songwriters.

I hope the song is likeable as it is enjoyable.

Week #4 challange blog

OK……. I do not think I will be heading to Nashville any time soon, but I gave it try.  This genre was a little more challenging for me , my first time.  I do not play guitar I tried to simulate it.  Also my singing will not win any awards but luckily I managed to recreate the melody I intended to.

My lyrics are geared towards a twenty year who is misunderstood as lazy and uncaring but do not underestimate him. I wanted to write something other then about love. I tried to simulate lead guitar sounds and bass guitar sounds and I thought I’d use some dance beats to add a little coolness to the song. The song its self is between up beat and ballad tempo I think ( is there a name for this type of song? ) .

When Lilly Chang said it is going to be a challenge………….I think, she meant it!

This week I learned a little more about country music and it’s ways of making music. Not a lot different then other mainstream music but there is a unique sound to it and it’s very hard to be original as every time I tried to write a melody it came out sounding quite the same as every other country song out there.

The other thing I learned is that it is extremely hard to collaborate with someone else. I am not sure why. I know that it’s very difficult over the internet, yet some challengers seem to be able to manage. May be James or Debra can give us some advice on this.

I hope you like my song.

All the best!

Week #3 Blog.

This week I thought were lucky, we only had to write a short song. I feel especially lucky I was able to do the vocals for my  song. I wrote it simple enough for me to sing I think. I rehearsed many many times . I almost got it perfect.  Not sure how Heather Gardner will think. But imagine if a pro singer did the vocals……….

I thought I’d do something a little different to this song so I include a pet with the child. Also I  added rhythm and bass,  different instrumentations. Some effects and a whistling melody also give extra color. The lyrics I found to be easer to write as well, rhyming every second line.

This week I learned how songs for commercials are generally produced. I think songs are taken for granted when you listen to them during commercials but the same commitment and creativity as regular songs even though the songs are shorter.

I hope you like my song and if you have any questions please, send them.

 

Week 2 of the S.A.C. challange

This challenge has been a little more intense. The first week felt more like an introduction to me, I was more focused on getting started, organized and meeting people, so this week I dedicated more time to write a song challenge Rob Wells asked us to do.

I started with the chorus, I usually start there. Then I build the verses and the rest around the chorus. The lyrics are usually the last thing to write and they are the most time consuming but I managed to scrape a few words together that hopefully don’t suck too much. I am better at writing melodies. When Lily Cheng said it’s a challenge……. she meant it.

I needed to hurry and put a basic arrangement together as I was hoping to ask a challenger if they would be interested to do the vocals for the song. I needed to do this early on during the week so there would be some time left to record. Wednesday I woke up at 4.30 A.M. to finish but did not, so I had to continue working at it after work, (not very productive when your tired).

The kind and helpful Michael and Mikalyn Hay offered to assist, and I’m sure they tried but focusing on their own challenge there just was not enough time to dub the vocals. So, I took a lot of tries at it. Even humming and la, la, la’s,……..I decided to leave it without vocals, but I added some more instruments to complement and bring some extra life to it. If you read the lyrics while the song is playing it should be quite easy to figure out. Believe me, I’m not complete satisfied and I have deliberated to hire a singer ( I may have to for Matt Dusk’s songs ).

I have so far learned that there are a lot of talented singer/songwriters within our challenged group and some of us have beautiful vocals that can really amplify a song, thus I have to find other ways to compete and maybe try to have some different edge to go with.

I found it to be a lot of fun, and I can’t wait for challenge #3 to appear.

My Blog

Hi everyone, this is also my first time blogging. I feel very  privileged to be part of a very talented group. Each of us are different and have different ideas and preferences but we probably all know that we have to pretty much accomplish the same end result for Matt.

Matt has given us a task to do. He may be experimenting with his musical endeavors and he may want to see if the new genre will be accepted by his followers or other reasons. I am finding it quite challenging so far. The fact that he sings to one genre and he wants a song of a different genre that I have never heard him sing to is challenging.

I’ve written a few melodies so far. I listen to, change, modify, listen again, change again, change again and so on ( what else is new ha ). Then the next day I don’t like them and I feel like I have accomplished nothing, but a new melody pops in my head and I’m exited once again. I guess like all of you too.

Well do not give up. I strongly feel that it’s going to work out nicely as days roll by. Especially when we start to collaborate together.  So until then.

Happy song writing.