General Music Chat

I am so excited to be able to post a collaboration with me and another BM member. Several months ago Hayden posted Id. We eventaully discussed adding a flute part to his ballad. Well, here it is hope you guys like it. Click on my profile pic.

Mary

Wow, that is a VERY nice touch for this song. REALLY ENJOYED THAT!

Wow, that is a VERY nice touch for this song. REALLY ENJOYED THAT!

Yeah, I love these Bandmix collaborations.

Pretty good job.


Makes me jealous.

.

I already really liked that song. Now, I really like it even more! Good job Mary.

Excellent flute playing! Very nice.

Thanks, I am pleased with the way it turned out but please don't hold back any critiquing...I can take it I am glad that you guys like it considering it took me over a year to post 2 songs.

There's not too much to critique Mary, but...

Since you asked

Many of the parts you played are just fantastic, and VERY complimentary to the piece, but if I were engineering the song for an album, I would have suggested, that it could be improved. There are a few spots which feel slightly "forced" like you are trying to fit in too much in those places. There are only a few of those. And the other thing I would mention, would be that there are also a few spots that end unusually, meaning, the notes you chose, were not ideal for leading back into Hayden's parts. There are only a few of those too.

But keep in mind, I am a pretty good arranger and a perfectionist, and am always looking to make something more perfect. This can also however, be a problem, because it is very easy to "over-produce" parts as well, and then they lose their personality. So I try to walk away from something for a day or so, and go back and listen with fresh ears.

But it really was enjoyable and the flute is a perfect enhancement for that song. You should be proud of it. Both of you.

So again, my only suggestion would be to critique it yourself, with fresh ears, and be sure that some of the endings, where you are leading back into his parts, could benefit from a better note or two to set his parts back up.

But you have a good feel and you are a good flautist (ok flutist if anyone prefers. LOL) and this only makes me EVEN MORE SO, want to have you put your magic to something of mine!!!!!!

.

I was very pleased and impressed with how talented and expressive of a flautist Mary is! She did my song real justice.
I found it just a bit busy in a few places but overall it was wonderful. I think we're going to work it over a bit and polish it up.

Thank You Mary!

P.S. dammit, now I'll be thinking of "where is the flute part" every time I write a song lol.

The beauty of this is its imperfection. I'd rather hear some imperfection, it is more spontaneous and more interesting to me than something that is so polished it sounds too mechanical. Definitely some music is over-produced to the point you cannot duplicate it in a live situation. You can also over-analyze something to death, what I call paralysis by analysis. This song is wonderful as is, IMO.

There's not too much to critique Mary, but...

Since you asked

Many of the parts you played are just fantastic, and VERY complimentary to the piece, but if I were engineering the song for an album, I would have suggested, that it could be improved. There are a few spots which feel slightly "forced" like you are trying to fit in too much in those places. There are only a few of those. And the other thing I would mention, would be that there are also a few spots that end unusually, meaning, the notes you chose, were not ideal for leading back into Hayden's parts. There are only a few of those too.

But keep in mind, I am a pretty good arranger and a perfectionist, and am always looking to make something more perfect. This can also however, be a problem, because it is very easy to "over-produce" parts as well, and then they lose their personality. So I try to walk away from something for a day or so, and go back and listen with fresh ears.

But it really was enjoyable and the flute is a perfect enhancement for that song. You should be proud of it. Both of you.

So again, my only suggestion would be to critique it yourself, with fresh ears, and be sure that some of the endings, where you are leading back into his parts, could benefit from a better note or two to set his parts back up.

But you have a good feel and you are a good flautist (ok flutist if anyone prefers. LOL) and this only makes me EVEN MORE SO, want to have you put your magic to something of mine!!!!!!

.

I totally get what you are saying and I understand Hayden's desire to reduce the busy "ness" of the flute as well because other instruments will be included. Plus I feel that I should not be playing at all where hayden is singing. Hayden will be editing this which is one nice thing about recording...you can easily insert and add exactly what is wanted or needed. No, I want the critique...I can only get better if I am told what needs to be changed or fixed. Actually, my recording engineer is excellent and he did lots to help me pull this together. What I really like about this recording is that it sounds like Hayden and I are in the same room.

Thanks Craig, you have been helpful and I appreciate that. I can only think that by the time I am 80, I will be outstanding.

P.S. dammit, now I'll be thinking of "where is the flute part" every time I write a song lol.

That sounds good to me!

The beauty of this is its imperfection. I'd rather hear some imperfection, it is more spontaneous and more interesting to me than something that is so polished it sounds too mechanical. Definitely some music is over-produced to the point you cannot duplicate it in a live situation. You can also over-analyze something to death, what I call paralysis by analysis. This song is wonderful as is, IMO.

I appreciate your comments as well. There is something more intimate with the imperfections. Like I told Hayden, I wanted this to be like a conversation between Hayden and the person of interest. Afterall, Id is describing the imperfections of the singer. It is basically a counter-melody and I am a lover of odd tones...I like disonances and suspensions and they are often heard as wrong notes but to me they sound like colors and shades. I even named the counter melody "Affirmation". Also, like I told Hayden, I had to really hold back from "shredding" on his song...actually there is a run that I really wish I had stretched it out a bit.

Overall, I am happy with everyone's comments and I do indeed want the critiques as well. So, don't hold back.

I've never been one to hold back but maybe I should sometimes...

I've never been one to hold back but maybe I should sometimes...

Well one thing that I hear the more that I listen to this is my lack of confidence. I blame it on the studio. Well, it isn't much of a studio...it's just a practice room and a computor. This is baffling because I don't realize the abilities of the computer that he uses. There are parts that I should have played stronger. The computer has the power to balance the flute not realizing this until the final editing.I ended up playing too softly and I avoided the upper register on the flute.


But what I liked was the pastoral affect of the flute. Like Tim, the recording engineer said" it sounded woodsy".

Very nice piece of working indeed. I didn't find it too busy at all in any way. If you can play the flute then let it sound like a flute, otherwise you'll just end up with a keys sounding piece.

Liked it very much, when is the album out?