Still working on those ukulele skills… They definitely have a Ways to go. But I recorded some of my old (from all the way back in March, so old) songs again and I think there’s definitely progress!
I also wrote a couple new ones. They are in a slightly different style, not sure if there’s any one reason for that… Again I’m using some old children’s poems, in this case from ‘Enchanted Tulips‘.
By the fireRiver riverNight
Sometime I might add chords or music — that and organise all these into sets now there are getting to be more of them… those are some possible next steps.
This was my first try live video-ing a Winkworth song…. only to find out it’s actually not a Winkworth song. The words were in fact translated from the German by Dora Rappard.
These — ESPECIALLY any ukulele attempts I make like this one— are going to be live and far from perfect performances, and I am making some very weird concentrating faces. I have so many songs like this that I want to just get out there in some format so they’re there and I can move on to new ones! This is me at full ukulele capacity at the moment, after a few takes, but I’ll keep practising. I’m honestly pretty pleased that I have a song I can play with a complete uke part at all, even if it’s rather rough.
HERE is my heart — my God, I give it thee ; I heard thee call and say — Not to the world, my child, but unto me — I heard, and will obey: Here is love’s offering to my King, Which in glad sacrifice I bring — Here is my heart.
A contest entry! The brief was to write an “I want” type musical song.
This song is sung by someone from a place that’s become a kind of decayed kingdom or a two-bit town, living off pity tourism and old memories. But she genuinely loves her home and really wants to restore it to its former splendour, and she’s about to set off on her own to do that. It does appear that she’s very very okay if not downright keen to use unscrupulous means to do it, incidentally. She also has some big issues of feeling inadequate and unwanted and like she can never live up to her dead mother… just by the by.
I DUNNO, it’s sweet and soaring and pretty morally ambiguous and I really wonder where this character would go in the rest of a musical…..
Everybody leaves and nothing ever changes But that’s not gonna be me I know this place in my bones, we’re the same We are worth so much more than what they see
I’ve been raised on stories of the old days How we used to have some pride People say we can’t bring back the old days But I don’t think they’ve really tried
To bring us glory, glory When everyone knows your name and where you came from I want to bring us glory, glory And then we’ll see we’ve nothing to be ashamed of We’ll scrub up nice, you’ll see, this place and me I’ll get us on the right track And so I’m leaving too, but one day soon I’ll be back
Don’t tell me I’m too young Don’t tell me to be patient Curtsying and politics, I can barely stay awake We’ve been on our knees too long A bowed and broken nation Enough begging and borrowing, it’s high time that we take Take it back I’ll do something spectacular…
Oh glory, glory Everyone will know my name and where I came from I’ll bring us glory, glory The world will see we’ve nothing to be ashamed of We’ll scrub up nice, you’ll see, you and me We’ll show them what we can do And you’ll be proud of me, and I’ll be proud of you
So I can’t sit still So I never fit in They don’t want me here, but I’ll show them If I can’t be your princess, I’ll be an outlaw queen I’m doing for this for you, I don’t owe them— And yes I know, Dad, I can never be what Mother was But maybe I can still earn your respect because
I’ll bring you glory, glory Everyone will know my name and where I came from I’ll rewrite our story And then you’ll see we’ve nothing to be ashamed of We’ll scrub up nice, you’ll see, this place and me And after all we’ve been through You’ll be proud of me Yes you’ll be proud of me And you will love me Like I’ve always loved you
Done! I’ve finished a whole little soundtrack for a made up game:) This is what I was working on earlier with the boss battle theme. Kind of lockdown focus project…
I’ve made a page about it here, or go to bandcamp for more info and to download.
These tracks are available to use for free in non-commercial game projects, with credit and a link back to me.
based on “Midnight Rendezvous”, a track which only appears in the Remake version of Final Fantasy VII — playing it through though, it does combine very well with other themes, so maybe even that’s where the idea came from…?
‘Searching for Friends’ from Final Fantasy (Nobuo Uematsu) in as close as possible to the style of ‘What Shall We Die For?’ (Hans Zimmer) from Pirates of the Caribbean 3.
It’s kind of an active/interactive way to analyse a piece’s arrangement/orchestration!
(This is from years and years ago; I’ve done something similar a few other times, but maybe I’ll do more again soon. It certainly will be a lot easier on the old CPU/RAM than it was back then, whew, that was struggle.)
Dm F
There was an old man who said How
Dm F
shall I flee from this horrible cow?
Gm Dm
I will sit on this stile, and continue to smile
A7 Dm
Which may soften the heart of the cow
The Boats Sail Away (Kate Greenaway)
Am CMaj7
The boats sail away like a bird on the wing
Am CMaj7
And the little boys dance on the sands in a ring
F G7 CMaj7
The winds may fall or the winds may rise
F G7 CMaj7
You're foolish to go, you will stay if you're wise
Am CMaj7
The little boys dance and little girls run
Dm Am
If it's bad to have money, it's worse to have none
