This week I covered Closer by Ne-Yo.  I used to hear this song on the radio and I was never sure who sang it but I always loved it.  So, I have decided to do my own acoustic version.  I hope you enjoy

This week I decided to cover Mad World.  This song was originally written and performed by Tears for Fears, and has since been covered by Gary Jules (on the Donnie Darko soundtrack) and Adam Lambert (on American Idol).  Here I give you my acoustic version.

Mad World
Written by Roland Orzabal

All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere

Their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tomorrow, no tomorrow

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to takeWhen people run in circles it’s a very, very
Mad World, Mad world

Children waiting for the day they feel good
Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday
And I feel the way that every child should
Sit and listen, sit and listen

Went to school and I was very nervous
No one knew me, no one knew me
Hello teacher tell me what’s my lesson
Look right through me, look right through me

And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had
I find it hard to tell you
I find it hard to take
When people run in circles it’s a very, very
Mad World
Mad World

Enlarging your world
Mad World

This week I covered a song by George Michael called Careless Whisper.  (I actually never knew that was its name till this week… I always referred to it as Never Gonna Dance Again).  Either way, this song has one of the most memorable saxophone riffs in history, and was super successful.  I read this week that it went #1 in 25 different countries.  It is an excellent song.  I hope you enjoy my version of it.

Careless Whisper
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley

I feel so unsure as I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor.
As the music dies something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen and all its sad goodbyes.

Chorus
I’m never gonna dance again
guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it’s easy to pretend
I know you’re not a fool.
I should have known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I’d been given.
So I’m never gonna dance again
the way I danced with you.

Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend.
To the heart and mind ignorance is kind.
There’s no comfort in the truth, pain is all you’ll find.

Chorus

Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd.
Maybe it’s better this way
We’d hurt each other with the things we want to say.
We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now who’s gonna dance with me? – Please stay.

Chorus

No dance
no dance
no dance
you’re gone – no dance
you’re gone.
This matter is so wrong
so wrong
that you had lo leave me alone.

This week I wanted to cover something a little more unexpected, so I covered one of my favorite Rihanna songs: Don’t Stop The Music.  Every time I hear this song it makes me want to dance.  Plus, I saw Rihanna in person when she was on tour with Kanye West, and she is, in my opinion, one of the best and most natural stage performers I have ever seen.  It also helps that a lot of her music is highly danceable and very catchy.

Rihanna Don’t Stop The Music Lyrics
Written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen, Tawanna Dabney, and Michael Jackson

Please don’t stop the music (4x)

It’s gettin’ late
I’m making my way over to my favorite place
I gotta get my body moving shake the stress away
I wasn’t looking for nobody when you looked my way
Possible candidate (yeah)
Who knew
That you’d be up in here lookin’ like you do
You’re makin’ stayin’ over here impossible
Baby I must say your aura is incredible
If you don’t have to go don’t

Do you know what you started
I just came here to party
But now we’re rockin’ on the dance floor
Acting naughty
Your hands around my waist
Just let the music play
We’re hand in hand
Chest to chest
And now we’re face to face

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

Baby are you ready cause its getting close
Don’t you feel the passion ready to explode
What goes on between us no one has to know
This is a private show (oh)

Do you know what you started
I just came here to party
But now we’re rockin’ on the dance floor
Acting naughty
Your hands around my waist
Just let the music play
We’re hand in hand
Chest to chest
And now we’re face to face

I wanna take you away
Let’s escape into to music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa (5x)

Please don’t stop the music (2x)

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it play
I just can’t refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin’ to it
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the
Please don’t stop the music

Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Ma ma say, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa

Please don’t stop the music

Ma ma se, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Ma ma se, ma ma sa
Ma ma coo sa
Please don’t stop the music

This week I decided to cover one of my favorite songs of all time:  Landslide by Fleetwood Mac.  Written by Stevie Nicks, Landslide has been performed and covered by many people.  Stevie Nicks’ version of this song however is unparalleled.  I hope my version doesn’t detract from the beauty of this song.  Thanks Stevie Nicks for writing and sharing something so beautiful.

Fleetwood Mac Landslide Lyrics
Songwriter:  Stevie Nicks

I took my love and I took it down
I climbed a mountain and I turned around
And I saw my reflection in the snow covered hills
‘Till the landslide brought me down

Oh, mirror in the sky what is love
Can the child within my heart rise above
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides
Can I handle the seasons of my life

Mmmm Mmmm

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too

(Interlude)

Well, I’ve been afraid of changing
‘Cause I’ve built my life around you
But time makes you bolder
Children get older
I’m getting older too

So take my love and take it down
Climb a mountain and turn around
And If you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down

And if you see my reflection in the snow covered hills
Well the landslide will bring it down
Oh the landslide will bring it down

Let It Be by The Beatles is in my opinion one of the best songs ever written.  Here I cover the song.  I just recorded this on my iPhone, in my room, playing my little Yamaha keyboard.  I hope you enjoy

The Beatles Let It Be Lyrics:
Songwriters:  John Lennon and Paul McCartney

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer
Let it be

For though they may be parted
There is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

And when the night is cloudy
There is still a light that shines on me
Shine until tomorrow
Let it be

I wake up to the sound of music
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom
Let it be

Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

I decided that my new album will represent the pinnacle of my artistic expression to this point in my life.

Since starting to write lyrics and music for the album, I have realized a few things. I decided that for it to really be as good as I want it to be I have to have a clearly defined concept. I need to know what I’m saying and craft my expression carefully.

I’ve realized recently that art is all about making decisions.  I used to think that decisions limited my artistic expression.  I have since realized that making choices provides clarity and freedom.  Once you know what is beneath the surface of the stone, it is so much easier to release it.

My original concept was light and dark.  I love the idea of the contrast between the two.  I still may try to include a little of this in my album (maybe as the theme of one of the songs) but this will not be the overarching concept.

Instead, I have decided to write about life.

There is a book that I recently read.  The point of the book was how beautiful life (and human life specifically) can be.  There was a phrase that I think I got from the book.  It is ‘choosing life in all its glory.’

That is what I want to write about.  Life.  I think life is beautiful.  I am so glad I am alive, and I want to share the joy and the pain of life.  Without one we would never understand the other.

This album will be a portrait of life the only way I have seen it–through my own eyes.

I have been working on lyrics for a new song called “The Flame” or maybe just “Flame”.  Tonight I got the urge to write music for it.  So, for the last hour I’ve been figuring out how it goes.  Here is a sample clip (not high quality audio or video; this is me in the middle of being creative–writing music and melody)…  The song may change as I continue to work on it.

The lyrics in this portion go like this:

Walk away
Don’t stay
The flame is just a vision of what’s hurting me
I need the flame not the pain
But when I get too close you consume me
The flame is just a game that brings the pain

On Saturday Paul and I got together and recorded for a few hours.  It was all piano/vocal arrangements.  I will hopefully have at least one of the songs up by the end of this week (if Paul is able to mix it).  One of the songs we did was an accoustic version of Rendezvous.  I think that’s the one I was most excited about.  It’s a little different than the version on the album.  Hopefully you will like it.

This was during our recording session Saturday. We recorded at my parent's house on the baby grand piano I learned on.

Just as we were about to record Rendezvous

Well, it’s official…  As of about 7pm today, I am going to record another album.

I’ve been writing a lot of new music lately and have been wanting to start another recording project.  Tonight I met with Paul and put plans in place to begin recording between now and the end of the year.  I’ve got a couple of projects I want to work on–one of which is another full-length album.  I will also be recording and releasing some accoustic versions of songs you may know: covers and originals.

I have also been kicking around the idea of recording a religious album, or maybe just a couple of songs for a religious EP.  We’ll have to see how this project turns out.  Either way, I wanted you all to know of my new plans.  I hope you are all as excited as I am.