Remembering Harley

You might remember a blog post and videos about me working with Harley Mead on a song of mine.  Harley and I had planned to do more work on the song and the instrumental accompaniment.

We were not able to do this work.

Harley was the first real musician to believe in me and to work with me on a song.  I miss Harley as do all his friends.

I think the best way to remember him is through his music.

Here is a recording of Harley singing the melody when we started working.  (The lyrics are written below.)



I have been able to continue work on the song with Adam, who is very good on using digital effects.  Adam watched and listened to Harley's and my ideas on the videos.  He has been true to our vision and I think he has done a great job.

I hope that you like it, and that Harley would approve.

Running

Running through the city with a plan on my mind.

It’s been far too long since I’ve seen my kind.

The business man is singing, the city is strained

at the pounding of the rhythm from my feet through the drains.

(Chorus)

Speed is my friend

She is my friend.

I’ll love you to the end my darling friend.

Lightning speed is the thought in my mind

When my body moves it keeps the thinking aligned.

Feeling equilibrium’s the thing that I need

and it all comes down to that yearning for speed.

           (Chorus)

Running to the sun are you nearly behind

as the yelling in the background drives me totally blind

to the people on the sidewalk and the traffic on the street

but the speed I’m feeling in me helps me keeping the beat.

           (Chorus)

Don’t let me don’t let me scream the world down

as the lack of outer speed makes my inner world drown

in the buzzing and the tension that is filling my veins

gotta break it and release before they call me insane.

           (Chorus)

Got to feel the water and the feeling of pain

the only things I feel that tell me I’m here again

Sort of bouncing back to action onto the side of the street

I”ve got to get my body back from pounding my feet.

           (Chorus)

Written 14 May 2012

Working with Adam on a song.

I want to tell you a bit about Adam and how it is working with him.

Adam is studying music at university.  He is about my age and quite cool in his own way.  I find it easy to talk to him and that he is ready to try anything on his synthesizer.

We have spent a lot of time trying things on my "Minute's Silence" song.

This treatment of "Minute's Silence" resulted from discussions and trial and error.  The version has french horns playing the melody and tubas the bass.  This gives the music the sense of being an anthem.



The following video shows Adam and I working on the arrangement.  Other videos can be seen here and here.

I hope you like it, but should tell you that we just used a piano and Dad's voice for my AGOSCI presentation.  That version can be seen at around 14.40 of the video posted in my last post.

Last week AGOSCI had its biennial conference here in Brisbane.  I was selected to give a short presentation about how I have learnt to write music to go with my songs.

Dad and I spent a lot of time thinking about what to put into my presentation.  Most of the words are mine and I approved those that aren't.  Naturally all the lyrics are mine.

Here is a video mum took of my presentation.

Everyone clapped for a very long time and many people came up to talk to me afterwards.

AGOSCI was great because there were so many AAC users there.