Category: My Music

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Jamming Session

Fun Jamming Session

Despite the fact that Singapore rained non-stop since last night, our jamming session went on as planned. The rain was heavy and we had some difficulties transporting Lester’s drumset and Jason’s guitar to my home studio.

This was our first jamming session of this year and this was also our first jamming session showcasing our brand new equipments: Cynthia’s new bass (Warwick), Jason’s new guitar (Ricken Backer), and my new guitar (Gibson Les Paul). All our new toys are priced in the region of S$2,000.

Instead of going for quantity (number of songs), we went for quality. Through iteration, we were finding new ways of playing the songs. The funnest moment of the session was when Lester finally got one part of the song right after many attempts (in the middle of the song), he raised his hands in air, and was too excited to continue the song. We all bursted into laughter.

Lester left his drumset in my home and we will have another session this Tuesday (public holiday).

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Songwriting

One New Song

I did not expect myself actually writing a song tonight. True, during the day, I had an idea and when I shared it with JT, it kind of grew on me. There and then, I have come up with the song title “I Diminish You” written from the mind of an elitist. Tonight, I was tired and wanted to rest and when I picked up my guitar and just strummed a few chords, the song kind of flew out from nowhere. I quickly set up my studio and in an hour’s time, a new song was born.

The lyrics of song is kind of harsh … but it was meant to be an experimental piece anyway. It goes something like this:

I diminish you, what are you going to say?
I devour you, what are you going to do?
I look down upon you, are you going to cry?
I diminish you, that is what I do …

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Music Journal

Yesterday Wins The Most Fruitful Day Of The Year Award

I know it’s too early to give such an award but given the rarety of the occassions, I doubt – but certainly sincerely hope – that such a day keeps popping out from my life. At work, I’ve closed one project and closed one deal in record time. Basically for both meetings, cut away all the hi-how-are-you’s, they lasted less than 10 minutes. For the second meeting on business deal, I have left the meeting room before even having a chance to drink that package of sugery drink that the clients provided.

Back home, I have begun my routine practice on recording my vocal tracks. Wanted to give up halfway but I have persisted (tempted by World of Warcraft all the time and besides, at times I did not do that well). Tired after 3.5 hours of practicing, wanted to play online game. But since Jason is so keen on creating this concept album (or EP – extended play – because of the number of songs), I said to myself, if not today, when?

Started writing songs from 9.30pm. I have to admit that my voice was a bit tired after extended practicing. Plugged in my electric classic guitar, the first song was out in less than half an hour! I was so excited because I have not been writing for a long time. The last serious batch of songs were written back in Indonesia during Christmas and one casually written song (surprisingly Cynthia likes it) about more than a month ago.

After written the first song – a fast song – using some familiar chords, I have switched to a slow one experimenting different chords. The process continued with me experimenting a different lyrics style on the third fast song. Back to another slow one with some 7th chords. I have got to confess the process got harder and harder as I entered into early morning of the night. My fingers were numb and my voice was nearly gone. One good thing about technology nowadays is that I can theorectically keep writing songs non-stop because I can record all the chords and melody on the fly. In the past, I need to transcript the music notes as I proceed. Now, just record and move on. The flip side is of course I tend to be worn out a lot faster.

The last song of the set was the most difficult one to write. After coming out four songs of different styles, I was running low in creativity on how to make the last song different from the rest.

The most number of songs I have written in a single 24-hours day is two. And for the hundred over songs I have written in the last 10 years, I can only recall 2 days when that happened. So much I wanted to give up but I was worried that if I stopped, I would have lost the momentum and lost the concept. Hence I pressed on and completed the last song borrowing the existing No Eye Candy style. This concept album or EP will not be complete without the last song.

Overall, I am very pleased with the results and the variety of the five songs.

Categories
Songwriting

5 Songs Writen In 4 Hours!

Oh My God! I just don’t believe it. Jason and I have come out with some whacky ideas and after hours of practicing at home, I have taken up the courage to face up the challenge. True, I have this strong urge to write songs because I have not been doing that for a very long time – much time has been contributed to training my vocal.

It all started with a colleague started an Alpha course – something in relationship to religion. I proposed to Jason yesterday that we shall hold a gig for our friend having song titles such as:

  • Heaven Is Just Courses Away
  • Paying Myself To Heaven
  • God Is Good (Even Thought My Life Is Bad)

Today in my car, our thoughts went wild and we have added the following song titles as well:

  • Good Men Go To Heaven (But What About Me?)
  • Where Is Satan (When I Need Him The Most)?

Spent 4 hours to write 5 songs. Definitely broke my record in songwriting. The most I could do was 2 songs in one night. I am certainly pleased with the results. I have taken Jason’s advice to be subtle and try not to go too deep into religion. Instead of going shallow, I have given each song a twist. Click

The title of the album may potentially be called Music For The Alpha. 3 fast songs and 2 slow ones. Balanced huh?

Of course, you are welcome to read the lyrics first without reading how each song came about. After all, given each song title, you must have some sort of association to some subjects already.

Paying To Heaven’s Door was inspired by the fact that some religion groups require members to contribute a certain percentage of their income to the groups. However, when I wrote that song, I have in mind a divorced parent who pay his/her way to get to continue seeing his/her child. Neat huh?

Some religion groups, if not all, organise courses to get people into the good of the religion. My thinking is that courses are designed by humans to bring humans into the divine. Well, let’s not think too deep. In Heaven Is Just Courses Away, I am exploring the possibility to know or date someone by courses.

God Is Good (Even Though My Life Is Bad) is an interesting song. There are two different groups of lyrics mixed into one song but alternative lines. The first line and the subsequent odd number lines talks about a bigger picture on God is good but how come so much bad things happen around us. The secnod line and the subsequent even number lines talks about a failed relationship (bad huh?). And the beauty is how this two themes merge together.

Good Men Go To Heaven (But What About Me) is not a song copied from Meatloaf’s Good Girls Go To Heaven (And Bad Girls Go Everywhere). It is a what-if scenario whereby you fall in love with someone worth going to Hell for … dramaticaly of course. Deep huh?

The last song of the set Where Is Satan (When I Need Him The Most) came about from the idea that since we cannot see the face of God, seeing the face of Satan does implies that God exists right? Again, the song is lightened up by putting into the context of a love affair.

Definitely I do plan to record these 5 songs with Jason. Not sure we shall release these songs under the band name of No Eye Candy. Haven’t decided if the negative image is too much to bear.

The lyrics of each songs as below:

Copyright © 2005 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

1. Paying To Heaven’s Door

I pay my way to get close to you even though I’m so broke
I pay my way to get close to you even though I can’t see the truth
Every month I pay a sum and it doesn’t seems to make any sense
Everyone is doing it even though I do not seems to understand

Is it fair to stop me from seeing you if I cannot pay no more?
Is it fair to take you away from me if I cannot pay no more?
Who set these rules? Don’t we all have eyes?
Why do we follow blindly till we fall?
Is it fair to take you away from me if I cannot pay no more?

It’s not easy to make a choice when there are bills to pay
It’s not easy to sacrifice for something I don’t have
Every now and then I look back on why I end up in this mess
Everyone pretend that it’s part of our lives and that I don’t understand

2. Heaven Is Just Courses Away

Once again we have drifted afar
At times I don’t know if you are with me at all
High and low I am searching for
A manual of you, to know you more

I would sign up for courses if that is all
it takes for me to get to your door
It’s because that’s what people say
that I need to read more to get to you
You are just courses away that’s what people say so they say
I don’t know what I sign up for and so they say, to get to you

Once again I am lost
I don’t believe I can read you at all
I hardly able to see your face
What more can I learn even if I try?

I wish I could read to know you more
But why must I go through this? Can’t you see my love inside?
My love inside is real
How I live my life is real
My beating heart is real
Where I live is real
I wish that you are real
These courses are real
What I’ve learnt is real
I wish your love is real

3. God Is Good (Even Though My Life Is Bad)

I look around seeing all these bad things happen everyday
I look around realise that you’re no longer next to me
I used to face the day wondering if it’s going to be a better day
I now face the day not sure if you’re going to visit one day

I still feel the need to see the balance of good and bad
I fail to see why you have to pack your bag and say goodbye
I used to think it’s fine to accept these bad things in life
I can’t help but to think again if these all make sense to me

There must be a reason why my innocent hands are filled with tainted blood
A reason why you’ve left the photos behind
There must be a way to rinse these curses off my hands, off my hands
There must be a way to lead you back, back to me

I ponder upon if things happen for a reason, they must be
I ponder upon if I have been treating you bad these days
I can’t understand why someone good turns things so bad
I can’t understand why you are making me feel so sad

4. Good Men Go To Heaven (But What About Me?)

I can smell the roses even though they are miles away
I can indulge in these vices even though I am heading South
Good men go to heaven, but for you I shall wait
To see if heaven can be as good as the indulgence in you

I wish I could fall in love with a fantasy that men creates
I wish I could have faith in something that we cannot see
But I can’t equate heaven with someone like you
I wish that heaven can be as good as the indulgence in you

You all can make your way planning your after-life the way that you like
I am staying behind for someone I’ve found whom I like
I fall in love with a piece of heaven that lives where we live
If only I could win her heart, there goes my ticket to God knows where

I can feel your body even though you are far away
I can sense the emotion even though no word is said
Good men go to heaven, but for you I shall wait
To see if heaven can be as good as the indulgence in you

5. Where Is Satan (When I Need Him The Most)

You are just an illusion that does not exist
I can never see your true self even in this hour of mine
I’ve been tempted a hundred and one ways
And you are good, I have never seen your face
I’ve been tempted a hundred and one ways
And you are good, I have never seen your face

You are hiding in the shadow watching me as your prey
If I could see your dark side, perhaps the good does exist
But I have tried a hundred and one ways
You are just a ghost that doesn’t exist
But I have tried a hundred and one ways
You are just a ghost that doesn’t exist

You can only made with fire because no creature of Heaven can be so wild
The way you look at me is enough to drive me insane
If I can be sure that you are evil, I resign to fate
If I can be sure that you are evil, Heaven must exist

When I kiss your lips I feel the fire within
When I hold you close this buring desire within
Till now I still cannot see the evil in you
You could be the proof that Heaven does exist

Copyright © 2005 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

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Music Journal

Managed to Squeeze out Time for Recording

When I started playing World of Warcraft (WoW), I was worry that I may drop my passion of recording and moved onto online gaming. After all, this seems to be a common pattern in my life. Last night arrived home from work early, I was contemplating on whether or not I shall start recording the vocal tracks of my new songs or to play WoW. In the end, I have spent three hours recording instead.

The fun part was that I have finally come to term with my demon within and recorded the vocal track for the song Jealousy. This recording is for my band and not for the new songs that I have written lately. My band has finished recording the instrumental tracks for this close to 17 minutes song nearly two months ago. I have never got the courage to record the vocal track because I was still trying to improve on my technique. I did it last night and have reluctantly (after much persuasion) pass the demo track to Jason. Eager to hear his feedback.

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Music Journal

High On Playing Music

I remember when I was young teaching myself how to play piano, I would start practicing with my left hand for hours and then my right and then tried to play both hands at the same time. The moment I got it, the feeling was as though I was up in heaven. I would just keep playing the same piece again and again for hours. Still remember my mother doing housework or cooking while I played my piano. That was high, very high.

I remember when I was recruited into the Hong Kong Youth Orchestra playing clarinet. My friend and I were the only ones from the same school and playing the second clarinet (the first was for the best and there were two girls playing the third). Most of the time, both of us were at a lost and one thing good (or no good) about clarinet is that it is not as loud as instruments such as trumpet. Mistakes are not so obvious. I still remember we were playing the Wedding Song and with bars and bars of repetition, we were so utterly lost. But once in a blue moon, we would be able to play some musical pieces along with the orchestra. I remember the excitement, the high.

Today, as I was practicing my set of eight songs that I memorised yesterday, some part of the songs were effortless. I was actually enjoying playing it. Looking out of the window when I was practicing my music, trains passed by, children playing in the playground, swimmers enjoying themselves in the pool, people walking into the condo, people walking out of the condo, the greenery and the beautiful reservoir. I was in such a high. Only God knows.

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Music Journal

Memorising 8 Songs in 1 Day

Attended one internal training by one of my subordinates on the topic of Training (honestly I forgot the exact title). The content was so intense that I can hardly remember all the good stuffs she has presented. What I do remember though is how people memorise stuffs. Now, try not to quote me exactly because after all, she has got a degree on this whatever you call and I don’t. In any case, the training does help me in memorising my songs.

Note: Photo taken at home, Singapore on Dec 8, 2004.

According to her, whatever we have encountered stores in our short term memory. Bear in mine that short term memory has a small capacity (how small I don’t know). That is probably why we don’t remember every single thing that comes across our mind everyday.

The information that is stored in our short term memory can be processed and registered in our long term memory. She mentioned that however, if the context does exist in your long time memory, this process is a whole lot easier.

I guess to put it to my own experience, if I am to read the script of my presentation enough times – that is to say keeping it into my short term memory long enough – chances are the script will be registered into my long term memory if I am persistence enough. Imagine, if the topic of my presentation is on technology or risk management, I can probably do it quite fast. But definitely not on the topic of, say, change management (tried that before). That is what I meant by context in our long term memory.

Throughout the presentation, there was one diagram that I remember most vividly of – when we train someone, we have to assess the intrinsic (the intrinsic complexity of the topic that cannot be simplified) and extraneous (the complexity can be reduced by various ways like remember a phone number by segments) nature of the training topic. Summing up this intrinsic and extraneous values and compares it against the mental resource allows us to see if we train our audience the right way.

Basically, if

(Intrinsic + Extraneous) > Mental Resource

… most likely the audience won’t be able to absorb what you are trying to train. As the intrinsic value cannot be changed because it is the intrinsic complexity of the topic, we shall aim at reducing the extraneous value by various techniques.

Now, how does that relate to my today’s life?

I woke up this morning and said to myself that I have got to memorise my 8 new songs. I have been practicing for days (14 sessions to be exact because I record every session) and my friend TK has already proposed a milestone for me to perform in public by March. I have got to take this to the next level.

I have to confess that I seldom bother to memorise songs. I write songs a lot faster than I memorise songs so why bother? I always feel that memorising songs slows down the entire songwriting process. On the other hands, in order to copy write my songs, I do need to have some form of public performance or broadcast. So I bite the bullet and determine to do the impossible – memorising my songs.

Surprising, I did it at ease. Just a couple of hours in the afternoon, I have memorised all the chords and lyrics of my 8 new songs. I practiced again in the evening and it seems to me that I still remember most parts of the songs.

Amazing!

The 14 sessions must have gone into my long term memory somehow. Don’t forget it’s not just the 14 sessions. I have listened to the recording of each 14 sessions more than once. What amazed me the most was that remembering the lyrics was a bliss. I have got to admit that applying the techniques of reducing the extraneous nature of the songs must have helped.

Wow … I am a happy man!

Categories
Songwriting

Finished Composing FEATHER

With the lyrics all created, composing the song seems to be pretty easy. Based on the chord progression I have created last night, I spent less than 2 hours to finish composing this song.

Of course, lyrics has to be altered to suit the melody. A very dark song that if I like it, I will add it into the Eternally Thankful song collection. Meanwhile, I have added this new song into my daily practicing song list.

FEATHER

I am as light as a feather
Floating in mid-air
Not aware of what’s around me
And that’s fine
Just the way I like it

I am as pure as a feather
White and fair
Not give a damn to all but me
And that’s my life
Just the way I like it

All these restrictions
All these chains and disciplines
All these bullshits
Talks are cheapAll these routines
All these rules making me thin
All these talks
Spare me please

I am relax as a feather
Falling with no fear
Music plays around me
Reminds me of my kind

I am just a feather
In a world of tears
No one lives around me
Do you call it fine?
Do you call it fine?
Do you call it fine?
Perhaps … that’s the way I like it

Copyright © 2005 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

Categories
Songwriting

Potential New Song? Feather

Met up with Jason for lunch and I was inspired to come out with a couple of new songs with titles such as “Not Connected”, “Feather”, “Into The Loop”, and “Pulling The Plug”. For now, I have come up with the lyrics for the song “Feather”.

FEATHER

I am as light as a feather
Floating in mid-air
Not aware of what’s around me
And that is fine
Just the way I like it

I am as pure as a feather
White and fair
Not giving a damn to all but me
And that’s my life
Just the way I like it

All these restrictions
All these chains and disciplines
All these bullshits
Talks are cheap

All these routines
All these rules making me thin
All these talks
Spare me please

I am relax as a feather
Falling with no fear
Music played around me
Remind me of my kind
Just the way I like it

I am just a feather
Living in a world of tears
No one care about me but me
Do you call it fine?
Perhaps … this is the way I like it

Copyright © 2005 by Wilfrid K. F. Wong. All Rights Reserved.

Categories
Music Journal

Hard Life to be a Vocalist

was just sharing with my friend TK tonight that it is hard to be vocalist. To be able to sing well on any particular day if you are not as gifted as my band members, you’ve got to …

  • Stay away from alcohol as it dehydrates you
  • Stay away from coffee as, again, it dehydrates you
  • Stay away from spicy food as it irritates your throat
  • Have enough sleep otherwise your voice will tell
  • Have enough exercise otherwise you will easily run out of breath
  • Do the 30 mins warm-up exercise prior to any recording or performance
  • Last but not the least, drink plenty of water throughout the day because it takes 30 minutes for the liquid to be absorbed and travel to your throat

See, it’s not easy to be a vocalist. Not to forget to mention that some day your voice sounds worse than others and you will feel quite down because of that (again, if you are as gifted as …)