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Here’s what’s in this month’s newsletter (click a chapter title to go straight to that chapter):
All About American Songs Volume 2
October Songwriting Challenge
October Poll: Happy Halloween! All About American Songs Volume 2
As you know, my new CD, American Songs volume 2 is finally out and it is available at Amazon.com and at Bull Moose Music stores in Maine! Woohoo!Well, each week, I have been writing about the stories behind each of the songs. If you're interested in who wrote "Oh Susanna" or what happened to Evangeline and Gabriel in the original poem "Evangeline" or if you'd like to see the original sheet music for "Gum Tree Canoe", you can read all about the songs at Please Come Flying. I'll be writing about the last few songs during October, so stay tuned for the stories behind "This Land Is Your Land," "Goin' Home," and more! (While you're there, you can also watch a very funny video about a lady with a monkey on her head...)
Don't forget you can listen to these three songs for free:
If you like the free songs, please pass them on to your friends. And of course, feel free to send me a note to let me know what you think!
October Songwriting Challenge: Now the Leaves are Falling
If you live in the North like me, it is time for hot cider, apple picking, and falling leaves. I love to watch the leaves fall (and I love to kick them around once they're on the ground!)
In the spirit of Autumn, this month's songwriting challenge is:
Write a "falling" song
"What in the world is a falling song?"
Sometimes a song's melody can help to tell the story of the song. If a song is about climbing a mountain, the melody might go from LOW to HIGH to help paint the picture of what is happening in the song. Click here for a good example in Climb Every Mountain from the Sound of Music.
See if you can write a song where both the melody and the words are falling at the same time.
"Ring Around the Rosy" is a perfect example:
Ring around the rosy
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down
Ring around the rosy
Pocket full of posies
Ashes, ashes
We all fall down
What happens in the last line? The words are about falling, but also the melody falls from HIGH to LOW.
Your falling song could be about anything: a cat falling from a tree, a sleeping boy falling out of bed, roses falling from someone's arms, or even falling in love. Just make sure that the melody also falls from HIGH to LOW.Bonus: Add some actions. In "Ring Around the Rosy," the singers fall straight down. But if your song is about falling leaves, how would you fall? In a straight line, or slowly, drifting side to side? How about if you fell down a hill...would it be more of a tumbling action? Have fun!
October Poll: Happy Halloween!What is your favorite Halloween costume you ever wore? If you post a comment here to describe it, I'll pick one entry to win a free copy of American Songs volume 2!
This is me and some of my siblings on one of my favorite Halloweens (I'm the one with the crown):
