Series 1, Episode 38: Troubles be Gone- How to Get Through it

This episode is entitled

Troubles Be Gone – How to get through it…

I had had a rough day. The things that were supposed to happen, didn’t happen. The things that never were supposed to happen, happened. It happens to all of us. 

Yeah, life on planet Earth can be a roller coaster ride. I thought to myself, “Well, what do we do now“? How do we turn defeat into victory? Today, I’m going to introduce you to a surefire starter kit. It’s not a permanent solution, but it is, for most of us humans, a wondrous temporary solution. It requires little effort and is definitely fun and satisfying.

Recently I applied my solution and, as usual, it worked like a dream. It worked so well, that I decided to write a song about it. 

Join me as I demonstrate that solution right before your very eyes!

Transcript

Welcome to:

Scattershot Symphony

The Music of Peter Link

(That’s me.)

This week being the thirty-eighth episode of this podcast, I prefer to let the music do the talkin’. However, if you need to know more about me, please visit Wikipedia.com – Peter Link. 

This episode is entitled

Troubles Be Gone – How to get through it…

I had had a rough day. The things that were supposed to happen, didn’t happen. The things that never were supposed to happen, happened. It happens to all of us. Our troubles range from, “The package never arrived, but it will be here tomorrow“ to “Yesterday our house burned down, and I have no idea where we’re gonna sleep tonight because the car went with it.

Yeah, life on planet Earth can be a roller coaster ride. I thought to myself, “Well, what do we do now“? How do we turn defeat into victory? There are at least 10,000 books written on the subject. Go onto the New York Times best-selling book list and you’ll always find at least one of the “How to …” books in the top 10.

Today, I’m going to add to all that good information with a surefire starter kit. It’s not a permanent solution, but it is, for most of us humans, a wondrous temporary solution. It requires little effort and is definitely fun and satisfying.

So, on my most recent rough day, I applied my solution and, as usual, it worked like a dream. It worked so well, that I decided to write a song about it.

The song was a blast to write. It started with the lyrics. I spent a day or so sorting through a variety of approaches and finally came upon one that would tell my story and offer all of you listeners the wondrous solution.

I started with the drums. I grew up a drummer. My dad, once a professional drummer, never had to tell me to go practice. Rather, both parents more often had to ask me to please stop practicing. Though my dad had built me a somewhat soundproof room up in the attic, my daily endeavors still shook the whole house. How they got through it all, I’ll never know.

So, for me, new songs often start with the drums, the groove. This song would need the happiest of grooves.

My favorite drummer in the world is Steve Gadd who played with (Steely Dan, James Taylor, Eric Clapton, Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Chick Corea, and the list goes on and on.) so I wanted to go in Gadd’s direction.

I came up with this:

Drum Groove

Somewhere in the middle of the song, I would want to move into a different groove, and so I came up with this:

Drum Groove #2

I like to build a song from the bottom up. So next came the bass. I tell all my students that “The bass is the base.” (Spell it out.) It is definitely part of the foundation of any song. I wanted it to be positive, aggressively joyful, and upbeat. As I built the rhythm section, (drums, bass, keyboard, and guitar,) the chord progression and melody began to fall into place. But first let’s add the bass.

The Bass

Well, actually, our dog, which I’m sure you heard joining in, only had a small part in our song, but she seems determined, even somewhat obstinate about starring in this podcast. I guess one could even call her somewhat “dogged” in her efforts.

Audience groan

OK, … I suppose I’ve held off long enough, teasing you. I can actually feel each of you sitting on the edges of your chairs, frustratingly waiting impatiently for my wondrous remedy. Troubles be gone? How to get through it? Here, at last, is the great panacea!

Trumpet blast

Ice Cream

The name of our song is Ice Cream — the immediate answer to your problems. As the song says,

Ice cream x3

Open up about a gallon of

Ice cream

Grab your biggest favorite spoon

Give yourself a little elbow room

And dig in!

And so, let’s get on with the building of this ice cream sundae and add the flavor. I decided to give the song a funky flavor, so I went with the Rhodes keyboard to delineate and characterize the basic rhythm section and chord progression of the song. Here ya’ go. On top of the drum and bass parts we lay in the keyboard for just the right flavoring.

Rhodes Keyboard

Get the idea? Now, how ‘bout a little chocolate sauce?

What better way to spice it up, than with electric guitar. Not too much now. Don’t want to drowned it. Let’s just punctuate our treat here and there to round out our rhythm section. Give it a listen.

Electric guitar

And now for the sweetening. As if this conglomeration needs more sweetening… actually the term, “sweetening“ is the official term in music that implies things like strings, woodwinds, and brass. We’re gonna make this baby so sweet that there won’t be a sour note in the entire dessert. So let’s add some more color with the synths and synth bells

Synths and Synth Bells

Want it even sweeter? Why not? Somehow, ice cream just goes hand in hand with a brass band.. Think: a cool, old-fashioned summer evening walk in the park, a nickel double dip, ice cream cone at the gazebo while the sun sets on your favorite brass band. And you don’t have a care in the world. And the girl on your arm, or the boy of your dreams says, “Hey, let’s have another one.,. Ice cream.” This brings us to the completion of our orchestrated track. So here we go … OK, bring on the band.!

Play the Mastered Track

And now for the voices! I just had to go with the cream of the crop. Four ladies. Some of the best I’ve ever worked with.

First, Top soprano, Lajuan Carter (demonstrate) Lajuan

Next, Soprano, Audrey Wheeler  (demonstrate)   Audrey

Alto, Jenny Burton. (demonstrate) Jenny

And Julia Wade, a Lyric Soprano singing Alto. (demonstrate) Julia

Some of you more cultured listeners may have noticed in Julia’s first sung “Ice Cream” a rub, an inharmonic, a dissonant. Julia is not singing out of tune. The rub is intended. To some, it may sound “wrong.” It’s not. You’re just not hearing her sing the full chord in this 5 part harmonic moment. Each vocalist is recorded 4 to 6 times to make up this particular title or hook moment. Together they sound like this: Let’s take it from the top.

Play the Mastered TV Track

And now I get to put the cherry on top. As promised, a wondrous solution to the blues … Troubles Be Gone?

Ice Cream!!!

Play the Mastered Full Mix

Well, there ya’ have it! Episode 38 - Troubles Be Gone – How to get through it…

Also, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts … etc.

A very special thanks also to Stuart Barefoot, our Associate Producer for all your invaluable knowledge and good vibes. And a posthumous thanks to Ludwig Van Beethoven for your opening 4 bars.

Julia

(over playout music)

This podcast is presented with loving care by the staff at Watchfire Music. If you liked what you heard, we got lots more where that came from. In the meantime, you can find the songs you just heard on watchfiremusic.com. There you can purchase the singles or albums and have access to all the lyrics. Also, there you will find all previous podcasts and future scheduling.

If you just became a Scattershot fan, tell your friends and stay tuned!