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Recent comments
Author: Richard Schletty
Keep posting your lyrics the way you have been. I’ll rap them as they are (with slight adjustments, as needed). Plus, I enjoy taking your seeds of inspiration to another genre, as a songwriting lesson for all of our viewers here at this website. I want to teach the craft of songwriting, but I’m best at Liturgical, Inspirational and Folk-Rock genres. So that noise you hear occasionally is me stretching beyond my comfort zone.
Author: Alexander John
Hi Richard, I agree that Love 101 would be the most fitting tittle for our project. I just listened to the recent uploads of our songs and they sound great. I do struggle to write in forms other than hip hop but if you are happy for me to continue posting lyrics in that form I will. I guess its because my whole life i have been into it and there is alot of great catholic hip hop artists I have been discovering this year in particular. Peace.
Author: Richard Schletty
I just posted a revised version of the Folk-Country version of Love 101. I felt that some phrasing was either too complicated or a bit hard to grasp. I am trying to make the song accessible to many. Let me know what you think. The two versions of Love 101 should be the model for the rest of the songs. I'd like to suggest that the name of the album be Love 101. - Richard
Author: Alexander John
Hi Richard, we definitely have alot of good material to choose from and I look forward to seeing and hearing the lineup of songs that we choose to use. Thankyou for collaborating with me and bringing so much life to my lyrics and also adding your own style. Its been alot of fun and I really hope that what we have done touches peoples heart and soul. Were you thinking of putting the album up online for people to download and/or doing physical copies. If we decide to put it online you can put it...
Author: Richard Schletty
Alex, I'd say we're about halfway toward completing our album. Now we're at the stage where we should decide what the best tracks are. Some of the recordings I did were very rough and I'd like to redo some of them. There are a couple standout tracks that have exceptional clarity, emaotion and/or artfulness. We should try to bring all tracks up this level. I need to master all the tracks so they have the same volume. I am going through all the tracks now and will give you my recommendations...
Author: Richard Schletty
Alex, please check out the revised Country and Hip Hop songs. I uploaded them here. I added some extra voices in the Country version and adjusted the volume of my voice in the Hip Hop version.
Author: Richard Schletty
Maybe I should do another version of Love 101. How about Gregorian Chant? :-)
I'm glad you and your better half like what I'm doing here. Thank YOU for the inspration. My friend, poet Bob Young, also likes both versions. See his poetry here: www.jesuspoems.com
Author: Alexander John
Hi Richard, my better half loves the country version and I dig both versions. I love how you can cross over my lyrics to different genres and make them sound as good as you do.
Author: Richard Schletty
Hi, Alex. I liked the title of your lyrics so much that I thought it should be folded into the refrain and repeated throughout the song. The lyrics below are an adaptation or paraphrasing of your thoughts – but put into a fairly strict and uniform rhyme and meter. As my version develops, I will be demonstrating how "prosody" can make the lyrics compelling. I'll post the lyrics this evening, then slowly work at a melody and chord progression over the next few days. I think this song could turn...
Author: Richard Schletty
Alex, I laid down your Hip Hop lyrics over some drum loops in Logic Pro. I hope you don't mind that I changed a few things. It's very close to your original. I added the audio file to your original post entry above. Enjoy.
Love 101
Hip Hop version by Alex John
Slight revision by Richard
1st Verse:
The cold weather followed me all around town
But I never sold my soul even though I was down
Then I got to know the lord
That's when I knew it was time to put down my sword
My frown turned...
Author: Alexander John
I like the fact you are crossing over the hip hop lyrics into other genres and I think it takes alot of skill to do that. I was just letting you know that the hip hop lyrics I write and the way I write them may sem a bit messy and a bit over the place but when it comes to hip hop that sort of thing is common. But I really like what we have been doing and the track God Is On The Scene is a great example of what we can both do with our skill sets. Love 101 I think will turn out just as nice....
Author: Richard Schletty
It would help to hear some samples of your hip hop songs. I don't mean to push you into a structure that is not your style. My preference is for structure so I'm just showing you options that are inspired by your lyrics. With the above rewrite, I envision a Country styled style of music and singing, a genre that I have not explored. All for the glory of God!
Author: Alexander John
As far as the hip hop structure I am using it differs very much from the structure of all other types of genres. I have been writing and performing hip hop for over 10 years and am very confident in my ability to write "a good rap song". However i'm very new to all other forms of song structure and am willing to learn. I like what you do with some of my lyrics and the way you put them into other genres. It's all for the glory of GOD. Alex.
Author: Richard Schletty
It'll be a rather eclectic album. I explored a lot of different ways of approaching your lyrics. We need to do more work on all the lyrics. But things are shaping up. Thanks.
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Author: Richard Schletty
Alex, I sang your lyrics but they need some work. Think of lyrics as structured in couplets and stanzas.
Your lyrics should tell a cohesive story that progresses from "problem" to "solution" or some other construct.
I may start all over with different chord progressions, melody and beat. Maybe I'll try it as a God Hop tune. Don't know yet. Just going with the flow. I really like a lot of your "thought-flow".
Author: Joe Benco (not verified)
Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)
is a protestant song and should never be sung in a Catholic Church.
Author: Alex John (not verified)
Thank you Richard for the nice comments. I also really like what you did with "Pieces of Peace". The melody makes it very soothing along with the vocals. Also very original the way it is put together. A cross between hip hop, spoken word with a very relaxing instrumental which makes it very memorable. Lookimg forward to hearing the other two and its looking like we have a full album on our hands. Alex.
Author: Richard Schletty
I like your Love 101 verses. There are some particulary poetic and "dig-deep" expressions in there. I'll try voicing this, along with the last two. Good job.
Author: Alex John (not verified)
A very nice song sung very well. So good to spread the word through good music at the church.
Author: Speakslike
Thank you for the feedback and I pray that our music changes people or at the very least gets them to become more aware of the way we Catholics see the world.
Author: Richard Schletty
Speakslike, you have an interesting song here. You have definite thoughts about the way some people live their lives without being grounded in faith and morals. I hope this sends a good message to people and encourages them to examine their lives. Thanks for sharing.
Author: Speakslike
Thank you to all that are giving this song a listen. Please leave a comment telling what you think of this song. Thank you and God bless you all.
Author: Andrew Joyce (not verified)
Hello there,
I've been looking for the sheet music for Mary Most Holy for piano accompaniment. I'm wondering if you have had it at all?
Author: Nina Bewcyk (not verified)
About 10 years ago I was given a cassette with a beautiful song for children to sing and say the Rosary. I all I remember is the verse "Mother Mary, take my hand and teach me how to Pray. Help me learn to love your Jesus More and more each day". Does anyone know of this song or where I could find it?
Author: Alex John (not verified)
No worries Richard, I look forward to hearing them. Hope you have been well. Alex.
Author: Richard Schletty
Glad you are back on the scene. Post more songs!
Author: Richard Schletty
Mark, I remember when you first posted this. Did you remaster this? It sounds different in some way. Seems to have more presence and better instrumentation. The voices are better, too. Is it my imagination? This really rocks the house.