This week was a bit of practicing letting go for me. I knew I had no time to really write a new song from scratch and finish off Week 1 Challenge as well. I had set the goal to write a brand new song, play and record a “master” of it and send it off each week. Well life happens and the best laid plans often derail and you find yourself “winging it!”. So instead of submitting another late submission or a submission on time that you really want NO ONE to hear ‘In Your Arms”….. I accepted my limitations and decided to submit a song I wrote and recorded that happens to fit the challenge. I wrote this song awhile ago but it still holds a lot of meaning for me. This is the first time I am allowing strangers to hear it.
I also read the message about production and that has never been something I do well.
This was recorded at a “real studio”. I hope you like it.
S.A.C. Challenge Week 5 Doug Taylor
This week was real life crazy busy and I was not able to spend the time I wanted to on this challenge. Funnily enough it is a genre I am very comfortable with. I thought I would do it a little bit different and focus on the scary mood factor. I listened to the Hozier “To Be Alone” and came up with a concept. To make it scary. One of my all time favorite bands is Black Sabbeth. I think you will hear that influence with this submission.
I only had friday to physically play, write and record and I did my best to complete the song. I only got down the basic format and wrote vocals to that. I madly recorded and mixed down (mixing and mastering an art I am a true ametuer at) the song so I could at least post the song. I hope it gives you the feel and message I intend.
I call it “In My Arms”
https://soundcloud.com/dougtaylorband/in-my-arms
S.A.C. Member Doug Taylor
Week 4 S.A.C Challenge Doug Taylor
This week was very challenging for me. I am totally out of my element writing a country song and I had the busiest work week possible. I had very little time to devote myself to my writing and recording. I knew I would not make the deadline but I was determined to complete the challenge!
As for the genre, the closet I got to country as a listener growing up and into adulthood was really more rock and southern rock, i.e.:The Band, The Eagles, Neil Young, Clearance Clearwater Revival, Allman Brothers, Doobie Brohers or Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I was offered a job as lead guitarist for a local cover country band about ten years ago which opened my ears to the genre in a very positive way. Now I love listening and playing such greats as Johnny Cash, Glen Cambell, Willie Neilson, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn. With the wonder of iTunes newer country artists have literally been at my finger tips to listen to and discover like Randy Travis, Tim McGraw and Carrie Underwood to name a few. Keith Urban is my favourite as he does have that rock edge.
I was glad to hear an edge was wanted as it made the writing a little bit easier for me.
I named the song “Boots”
S.A.C Member, Doug Taylor
SAC Week 3 Challenge
This week was a lot of fun. I listened to many kid songs as well as the suggested. I really liked focusing on a song that was just about feeling good. I thought about writing more mature lyrics with a happy go lucky feel to it like “Big Yellow Taxi” at first but than I decided to write lyrics that a child may write. I felt this to be more challenging for me. I wanted to have it child like but still be able to touch and relate to the older audience. I needed a topic that was relative to everyone at all ages. Having friends was my first thought so I stuck to that choice.
It was really a challenge to say all I wanted to say in only 15 seconds. To write the hook right at the beginning of the song and to keep the listener excited and involved for the remainder of the song was different indeed! I did my best to have the song not lose energy but still feel it had dynamics. It was like writing a full-length song with all the parts but each part only had seconds to develop and end. I hope you enjoy.
Here is “We Are Friends!”
We Are Friends (It’s you)
We are friends, our story never ends
We are friends, love to us we send
We are friends, our story never ends
We are friends,
Outside blue skies our colouring me
Everywhere, so happy, living life to be
Breath in the air, oh so sweet
Feeling so happy, skipping down the street
I’ll tell you why I feel such bliss
I’ll tell you why, it’s simply this
It’s you, cause we’re such friends
It’s you and the love you send
It’s you, cause no matter where I am
It’s you, I feel we are friends
We are friends, love to us we send
Week #2
I was in such a panic I forgot to post the lyrics, in case you would like to see them here they are, late!
Love Overcome by DougTaylorBand
Intro
Love Overcome. Love Overcome Love Overcome. Love Overcome
Love
Verse
A lesson I take home from school
I learned today how much I love you
I want to tell you, how you touch my soul
Whenever you’re near me it feels like home
Sitting next to me, how love distracts
Concentrate? I can’t! It’s a fact
Notion us together, it makes me high
I think of you, loves intensifies
Chorus
Today I’ll let love overcome
Today our hearts will pump as one
Today I’ll let love overcome
Melt in our love, yes overcome
Love Overcome. Love Overcome Love Overcome. Love Overcome
Love
Verse
Warm Long seconds pass the time
As I daydream, love is mine
Face to face and voice to voice
Express this love! It is my choice
Chorus
(as above Chorus)
Love
Bridge
I told my love and we said yes
We laughed together, oh what bliss
We touched today, right on the lips
Drunk in this love, sip by sip
Verse
A lesson I did learn from school
I learned today you love me too
Oh yes yeah do
Yeah love me like I love you
Chorus 3x
Today I let love overcome
Today our hearts do (beat 1x) pump as one
Today I let love overcome
Melt in our love, yes overcome………. Melt in our love overcome (last x)
and my original blog, found it
Well this week was the first time for me to have only had a week to write, record and send it off to a “real deal” professional like Rob Wells! I have written many songs in one day for myself to hear or have family and friends listen to but knowing they was a potential audience of over a hundred that were also song writers! Well it really put the process into a new perspective for me. I have been a write when my muse inspires type of songwriter. So to write a song with the guidelines as length, type of singer(not me!), sound of artist and genre was challenging indeed. To choose a topic that 13-19 year olds could relate to and believe enough to be touched emotionally when sung by a female artist was indeed not a one day song write.
I write in a very sincere and real way but how do I do that speaking from the mind of a teenager and from the view point of the teller, a female. I am no teenager and a man. The challenging part was to be that female teenager and not have it sound contrived, unfeeling or too mechanical. Luckily I was a teenager once involved with love and had sisters who also had their dramas.
So I went back in time in my mind and the amazing thing is when feelings come back they are in the here and now. Well I used that to the best of my ability. This is what came out of me, as a imagined teenaged girl. And to be honest I was a teenage boy when this lyrics based on real life happened.
I call it “Love Overcome”
Week 2 Challenge
S.A.C. Songwriting and Blogging Challenge 2015
I am late writing my blog as I am finding the social media side of this the real challenge for me. I am quite overwhelmed by it all. I first started with tumblr but got nowhere with that and noticed most of us were using word press so I switched. I was able to blog a sentence but it did not come out looking how I expected…..
Hopefully this blog is better and each future blog improves. I can see many of you have done this before and your blog pages look so awesome! It is a uphill climb for me and the hill is a lot higher than I anticipated. I am stoked up by it all and know I will learn a great deal being involved with you all.
As for the easier part of the challenge for me, the writing, I am very excited! I have been a “basement” writer ever since I can remember and my first recording was with a portable “press record-play at same time” one speaker tape cassette recorder. The bathroom was the best place to record as it gave a naturally reverb. So that describes how long I have been writing. Over the years I have bought the next latest home-studio recording device. I have never used the computer to record. I still write and record live off the floor into a now 2013, 16-track digital device that I can transfer to my computer and iTunes. I finally set up a sound-cloud account and put my first song “on line” at the end of 2014.
I write mainly by myself but have and do really enjoy writing with others. Hint, hint! I have written many songs for poems and lyrics given to me. I so love doing what Mikalyn Hay (what a soothing voice you have and great melodies!) did with the Norah Jones tune. I agree, great way to “feel” the written word and put a personal expression on it! A way I have found helpful is to pick a song the writing wants his/her song too sound like and sing the lyrics they gave me to that song. I also sing lyrics from one artist while playing another artist in a different genre. It really helps me with phrasing and tempo of words sung and gives a new feel to the lyric.
I did not hear of Matt Dusk prior to the challenge. I am so glad to meet now. You are very talented Matt! What a generous offer to allow us to write/pitch a song for you. Amazing opportunity for all of us and I know my writing is always forced up a level when I know I am not just writing for myself, family or friends! This is the first time I have ever done anything like this in terms of peer audience and media use . It feels like I am on stage in front of a concert hall filled with musical peers each time I start playing out ideas! It has gotten me out of my comfort zone. That is positive for me! Thank you!!!
I listened to Matts songs to get a sense of his range but have really concentrated on the sound he wishes from us. I am going with the Daft Punk, Foster The People and Rock Mafia grooves. I just love that up tempo feel. I have my basic song structure done just by following the songs Matt suggested. My biggest challenge now is to stay focused and Not change too many things! 6 weeks is a long time for me to work on a song. I am a Big “changing my mind” kind of guy. I have had songs morph into completely different sounds. This will prove to be a very excellent practice of discipline for me. I also must remind myself, less is more and the first idea is almost always the one to go with…..
Ok that is it.
I will say I have tried to read ALL of your blogs and will but with so many of us that is a true challenge in itself.
Happy, writing and blogging
Doug Taylor (Band)
dougtaylorband 