This is, literally, my musical diary–notes fresh from my pen and recorded in a few hours. You can find my finished works elsewhere; here, it's all about capturing the moment!
Last night I headed to Calvin College’s art gallery to record a quartet of high schoolers playing Ravel’s string quartet in F. It was truly amazing what these kids could do. At the end of the recording session I asked if they’d be willing to read through a little something I wrote. They were good sports and good readers.
And no, I’m not sure where ideas like this come from. One minute I’m going about my business and the next I’m singing a little tune that implicates all of humanity in a conspiracy of idiocy. The real sick part of it is when I sit down and arrange it for string quartet…
After yesterday’s highbrow post, something s little closer to the earth:
My youngest son, Theo, is kind of an air head. You tell him to get dressed and a few minutes later he wanders back having brushed his teeth. You tell him to brush his teeth and he puts on his shoes. My wife and I find ourselves saying things like, “Look at me, I’m going to give you an instruction. Are you listening? Repeat what I said,” etc. His typical defense when he doesn’t want to do something is, “I have other interests.” As if to say, “Mom, Dad, your desires for me are nowhere near as urgent as what I’d like to be doing right now.” Back and forth it goes.
He and I were joking about this as I dropped him off at school, and I told him I was going to write a song about it. Think of it as a bite-size rock opera with two characters, a father and a son. Here’s the MP3.
There are words coming out of my mouth There are ears attached to the side of your head Do you see that I’m looking at you and making sounds? Why can’t you do what I say?
I have other interests (2x) Like reading books and memorizing Pi I have other interests (2x) That thing you just said already slipped my mind.
You’ve got goo filled to the brim of your skull It’s called a brain. It’s a useful thing for processing instructions. Why can’t you remember the things that I say? Is your plan to slowly drive me nuts, son?
I have other interests (2x) Like drawing cartoons and watching TV I have other interests (2x) Wait—were you saying something to me?
Hot off the press and 34% more ridiculous than ever before: Laugh and Sing.
I read the instructions for the week 4 FAWM challenge, Mix Modes, and I couldn’t resist. This is an utterly morose song on the theme of joy and laughter. Added bonus: it’s sung in my very best taking-it-way-too-seriously open mic style.
Some people ask why I’m happy,
Smile at each person I see.
The wonder what is the secret
To living joyfully.
I always smile right at them,
Tell them, “The spring in my step
Comes from two words that I live by
That lead me to true happiness.”
I love to laugh and sing,
Laugh and sing.
I share the joy that’s inside me
Let the merriment ring:
Some people might think that a birthday song that starts with the words “You’re gonna die” is inappropriately morbid. I, on the other hand, think that a realistic sense of our mortality leads to living a full, fruitful life. Wiser men than me have come to the same conclusion. (You know–Solomon in Ecclesiastes.) Whether you’re blowing out 6 candles on your cake or celebrating 75 years like my mother is today, sing this song and then get out there and live like you mean it!
Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air. Also music.
At the very end of yesterday and the very beginning of today I had some quick ideas that I recorded and uploaded to FAWM. Just in case you’re not following me there, I decided to post them here, too:
This is going to be one of the weirder things you’ll find here. And that’s saying something.
Here’s the story: over at FAWM they issue a weekly challenge to spur creativity among the Fawmers. Last week’s challenge was to write a song about a city, and this week’s is to write a song using a pentatonic (5 note) scale. I woke up with the deliciously ridiculous idea of a song in which different characters played the roles of different scales. Before I knew it, I was composing an operetta and singing all the parts.
Take a listen to the MP3. If you’re a true music geek, you’ll laugh out loud when the pentatonic scale is told that he’s just feeling blue. If you don’t get it, well…
Pentatonic:
Hey baby don’t get a bee in your bonnet,
but you’re making me feel pentatonic.
Chromatic:
I don’t think that word means what you think it means.
You’re just feeling blue that’s all.
You’re just feeling blue, that’s all.
Pentatonic:
Is this your way of being ironic?
Cause I’m still feeling pentatonic.
Chromatic:
I’ve told you a dozen times:
You’re all one hue–that’s you.
But me, I’m colorful and free.
I’m like the rainbow stretched across the sky.
Never monochromatic, never static,
quite dramatic: I’m chromatic!
Pentatonic:
Hey baby , don’t you sing me a sonnet.
I may be simple, but I’m pentatonic.
When the people want to rock on and on it,
I’m quintessential, I’m just the tonic.
Harmonic:
Why can’t we live in harmony?
Why can’t we let each other be?
Let’s all join our voices into one phonic
living in peace is so harmonic.
When Faith Alive rejected my kids’ song, “It Was Very Good!“, they claimed that it was too difficult for the target age group. Oh yeah? Well take THIS, Faith Alive. Here’s a recording of John De Young singing the song with aplomb at the dinner table: John De Young, rocking it.
At some point last week, reality hit me and I cursed myself for agreeing to compose an infectious dance/pop song about the changing role of the deacon in the CRC. But nothing inspires like a deadline, and here I am today, October 1, with a sparkling new recording called “Everybody Get Diakonian!”
This song was written to publicize the “Diakonia Remixed” proposal of the Office of Deacon Task Force which will be considered at next summer’s General Synod. In a few days, we’ll release the song and the song files as part of a remix contest. For now, just listen, enjoy, and maybe even dance a bit: MP3.
1. Diakoniawhat’s that mean? You say, “it’s all Greek to me.” But when you hear it with new ears, maybe you’ll catch the Spirit. Cause it’s being Jesus’ hands and feet in a world so full of need. This world is groaning for release: open your ears. Jesus is calling you to hear.
2. Diakonia used to be a lonely band of deacons. But the way that they see it now, it is me, it is you, it is everybody working, helping our neighbor, doing good deeds, showing the love of Jesus. You don’t think you’re needed? Open your eyes: take a look around. Cause sometimes it seems that there’s no hope when everybody wants to break it down.
Well, it used to be, in the CRCNA, that deacons served and elders led the way. Are you ready for a brand new feelin? Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
Would you be freakin out if I told you you’re a deacon now? Let that spin your head til the room is reelin. Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
Serving God is everybody’s business. So get busy, get jumpin in it. Throw your hands up to the ceilin. Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
West coast, East coast, city, suburb, Young and old of every color, Indonesian, Friesian, Navajo, Korean: Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
Remix, rethink, redeem, reboot; remember that our God renews us all to a new way of bein. Everybody get DIAKONIAN!
By the way, I’m pretty darn proud of rhyming “Korean” with “Diakonian.”
Today’s recording is a musical riddle created by me and my boys. Sophisticated sense of humor for young lads? You betcha.
The first person to solve the riddle gets a signed copy of the Greg Scheer Songbook CD–a $10 value. So get cracking, you musical detectives! Listen to the MP3, then register your guesses in the comment section.
