 | 'Africa Calling' is part of a new series of songs I am writing that explores rhythm as its first, and most important, aspect. Spring Flowers in Mamaqualand, South Africa. Courtesy of Panoramio.com |
Musings
One day, rather recently, I found myself writing music and vocalizing. There were few understandable words, mostly sounds made by vocal chords and mouth. When I finished the piece, I realized it was imbued with an energy and an emotional outpouring that had no translation except in the sounds themselves, save for a word here or there.
Some songwriters have an outpouring of poetry or lyrics that come first, to which they then write music. Others hear music, and then they write lyrics. Still others work in teams with bits of music and lyrics coming in no specific order.
I have always heard music first, and then struggled to translate it into lyrics. The struggling part has had few exceptions! Thankfully, if I listened long enough, and worked hard enough, the music told me what it was about.
In these pieces that I am now writing, the music has little or nothing more to say. And yet, when this piece was written, I danced, and cried, and threw my hands to the heavens in wonder and praise. Something was conveyed that I could not express in any other way than what you hear here, my friends.
Perhaps that something translated itself to me as just plain awe. Whatever it was, here 'tis, my friends.
Some songwriters have an outpouring of poetry or lyrics that come first, to which they then write music. Others hear music, and then they write lyrics. Still others work in teams with bits of music and lyrics coming in no specific order.
I have always heard music first, and then struggled to translate it into lyrics. The struggling part has had few exceptions! Thankfully, if I listened long enough, and worked hard enough, the music told me what it was about.
In these pieces that I am now writing, the music has little or nothing more to say. And yet, when this piece was written, I danced, and cried, and threw my hands to the heavens in wonder and praise. Something was conveyed that I could not express in any other way than what you hear here, my friends.
Perhaps that something translated itself to me as just plain awe. Whatever it was, here 'tis, my friends.
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