Thank you, and welcome to my blog! This is the latest in a series of "Album Preview" posts I'm doing to raise awareness (and hopefully excitement) for my upcoming album. I need your help! Please visit www.johnschmittalbum.com to donate to help make the album happen. Thank you again, and enjoy the post!
"So We Sing"
Writing for a particular purpose, topic, or for a job, is something I had never done before. It always seemed to be the least "noble" of things songwriters could do. Meaning, it is a completely respectful enterprise, but it does not capture what I believe is the purest form of songwriting: music that is almost entirely autobiographical, rooted in realism, that avoids cliches, and focuses on imagery and melody. All other pursuits around songwriting, while viable, often lucrative, and still very legit and respectable, did not interest me. I wanted to tell my story, in a way that others relate.
On New Years Eve 2008 I played a show at Bar 4 in Park Slope Brooklyn, home to one of the city's best open mics. Bar 4 is pretty small, with vintage furniture and little nooks sort of crammed in, but the bar is focused on the music, with the stage being the main attraction. I love playing there, and always have courteous, listening crowds.
That night, I met Lisa, a film director, and a colleague of hers. They mentioned enjoying my show, and wondered if I ever composed for film before. They were working on something Lisa wrote and directed, a short film, called "The Friendly Visit." Lisa asked for my email, and said she would be in touch.
About a week later I got a call from her, and we met a series of times to discuss music for "The Friendly Visit." I learned the movie is about a woman who recently had a miscarriage and then divorced, who joins an organization that visits with shut ins and the elderly. Upon visiting a woman one day, she meets a young girl who changes her life forever. Lisa wanted me to record some guitar music, just instrumental, for two areas in the film. The first is when the main character is sorting through the memories of her marriage and her miscarriage. The second is for the end, which is very happy and jovial.
We decided to meet once more, and I would finally see the film. It had not been finished yet, so I had explicit instructions to not show it to anyone, or discuss it with anyone.
I watched the film, which was about 20 minutes long, and what struck me was how the main character was constantly searching. She had this longing to be a part of someone or some community, yet most of her time seemed spent living in the previous ones she had been a part of. And then, it seemed, at the moment she stopped looking, she found what she wanted. Moreover, she didn't even know she wanted it, but she found it. A child.
I was now supposed to construct instrumental music for the film, based on seeing it. But suddenly, my sights become a bit more lofty: I would write a brand new song, to be played at the end of the film, to point to the joyous occasion of the main character. In fact, I started writing it as I waited for a taxi to pick me up from her apartment and take me home.
I came home, and started to write what came out to be the song "So We Sing." It's short, sweet, cheerful, and there's not much to it. But it speaks to the feeling of being redeemed - through another person, through yourself, and getting the chance to move forward.
I recorded what I wrote, and sent it to Lisa, who was thrilled at hearing the song. It fit perfectly at the end of the movie. My mother thought it was my best work to date, and my musician friends always love performing it with me when we do shows together.
Here's the lyrics to "So We Sing":
I wasn't looking for you, but I found you
Wasn't looking for you, but you found me
I've been searching for gold, since I was 12 years old
Wasn't looking for you, but you found me
And so we Sing, ahhh
And we say, do do do do
So we sing, ahhh
Oh oh oh oh
I gave up looking for you, when you found me
Gave up looking for you, 'cause you found me
You're lost on this road, come in out of the cold
I gave up looking for you, when you found me
And so we Sing, ahhh
And we say, do do do do
So we sing, ahhh
Oh oh oh oh
What you look for, what you look for
Oh, sometimes you can't hold
What you look for, what you look for
Isn't bought, and isn't sold
What you look for, what you look for
If you try again
What you look for what you look for
Come's back to you, my friend
And so we Sing, ahhh
And we say, do do do do
So we sing, ahhh
Oh oh oh oh
What you look for, what you look for
Oh, sometimes you can't hold
What you look for, what you look for
Isn't bought, and isn't sold
What you look for, what you look for
If you try again
What you look for what you look for
Come's back to you, my friend
The music is bouncy, with two-step bass line and tons and tons of harmony. Like 6 parts. One of the most fun songs I've ever written! I can't wait to lay it down soon.
So there's my first attempt at writing a song not rooted in my own life experiences. I did have a movie to use as a reference though, which helped! And I found it to be TOTALLY just as legit as when I wrote about myself, but a bit different. Like cooking for a dinner party as opposed to just yourself. It's a different kind of care.
Thank you for reading! I am getting great feedback about my album preview posts on here. If you like what you read, please consider visiting my site, www.johnschmittalbum.com, and consider donating towards making my record. It's the same as buying it when it's out, only your donation makes it actually possible! Thank you very much.
-John
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