Love, love, love this song! It’s one of my favorites with which to harmonize (something I do in the car all the time, lol). My favorite version is this one Tori Kelly did for the movie “Sing”
This may not be the definitive version of the song, but it’s pretty amazing. John Cale is the guy responsible for taking Leonard Cohen's original rambling and very lengthy song and editing, cutting and shaping it into the version everyone knows. And if you don’t know John Cale's work, either in the Velvet Underground, as a producer of some of the seminal works of the 1970s and for an incredible body of solo work, you damn well should.
Peter this was a very special musical experience. I'm sitting in my Barnes and Noble café where I do my writing, but taking a break to listen to the gi-normous choir and Rufus Wainright singing "Halllelujah." The chorus is incredible; they seem well rehearsed and certain support Wairight's voice brilliantly. You are so talented, I am sure that you'll be composing before you know it. What kind of music moves you most?
I've been there, many times, I so very much sympathize. I could have told you back then that your faking it till you make it wasn't going to work. Ted Gioia's recent article regarding "flow" applies here, make sure you catch up with that. Flow is very underrated as a motivator.
If I may diagnose from afar: You need to Write The Crap. Sounds like there's sediment clogging the intake valve of your creativity. That needs to get cleaned out. One great way to do that is to intentionally lower the stakes for your writing. If you can manage to forget you are on a big long path to eventual greatness for a while, forget your long-term goals, forget how good you hope to be someday. Write a song you hope no one ever hears. Then another, and another. Hell, make a whole album of total garbage. What I 99% guarantee will NOT happen is that said crappy music will serve to reinforce your anxieties about your skill. What WILL happen is occasional moments of "OK, well that's not TOO terrible I guess..." And in the meantime, sediment is getting cleaned out. It also re-energizes the songwriting muscles. When you write things you hate, you are 1) taking yourself through the writing process, reminding those muscles what they're supposed to do, and 2) providing yourself valuable feedback as to WHY what you're working on is terrible. The trick is to go ahead and let yourself hate what's happening.
- plinky plink plink -
"Wow, that's horrible."
"Well, why exactly is it horrible?"
"Because it's boring"
"When does it get boring?"
"Around the 3rd bar, it becomes clear nothing interesting is happening"
"Play something else in the 3rd bar"
"Like what?"
"I don't care. Anything different will do."
- plink plink plink -
"Still horrible"
"Why?"
"Because now it doesn't even make musical sense"
"OK, how few notes could you change to make it make sense?"
"I guess if I changed that D to some other note...."
- plink plink plink -
"Does it make more sense now?"
"Slightly, yeah. Still horrible though""
"Well, why exactly is it horrible?"
... and so on
Here's what DOESN'T work:
- plink plink plink -
"Wow that's horrible."
"Well, why exactly is it horrible?"
"Because it's not as good as <insert beloved music here>"
"No, it's not."
"I suck. therefore."
(exit musical instrument, enter bag of Doritos)
Here's another technique I use occasionally that helps me. I hit Record on the DAW, then just play complete nonsense, like a cat walking on the keys or a toddler noodling away. I am not making music at this point, just sounds. After a minute or two I then go back and start playing back my barbaric yawp, a few seconds at a time. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, after replaying a 5-second section over enough times, I always start to hear music in it. A little tune emerges, or a rhythm, or a sequence of chords, SOMEthing. Then I just dive in and start editing. That was the exact process for what became this 3-part piece:
I think the reason this works is that even when noodling total nonsense, the creative musical part of you is still coming through, while the insta-judge is momentarily silenced. It's not music after all, you're just making noise, so there's nothing to judge.
(P.S. Sorry I did not listen to your cover of Hallelujah, because we differ on that song. To me - and I know I'm in a big minority here - Hallelujah is one of my least-favorite songs of all time and I quickly skip it whenever any version of it comes up. Go figure.)
Raúl Esparza’s performance of “Hallelujah” at a 9/11 church service was excellent and there is a YouTube of him singing it at the Lincoln Center. Yes, he played the ADA for years on Law and Order SVU. Several Wolfiverse players have a Broadway background, including Rafa, Colin Donnell and Patti Murin.
Love, love, love this song! It’s one of my favorites with which to harmonize (something I do in the car all the time, lol). My favorite version is this one Tori Kelly did for the movie “Sing”
https://youtu.be/-5-ZWWpa6Xs?si=lTn2v90epvfAwVzj
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-gi3J8nPKPE
This may not be the definitive version of the song, but it’s pretty amazing. John Cale is the guy responsible for taking Leonard Cohen's original rambling and very lengthy song and editing, cutting and shaping it into the version everyone knows. And if you don’t know John Cale's work, either in the Velvet Underground, as a producer of some of the seminal works of the 1970s and for an incredible body of solo work, you damn well should.
Peter this was a very special musical experience. I'm sitting in my Barnes and Noble café where I do my writing, but taking a break to listen to the gi-normous choir and Rufus Wainright singing "Halllelujah." The chorus is incredible; they seem well rehearsed and certain support Wairight's voice brilliantly. You are so talented, I am sure that you'll be composing before you know it. What kind of music moves you most?
I suppose one would call it acoustic folk. One musician, one guitar/piano and nothing more. That’s my favourite kind of music.
Are you a Peter Seeger fan? My wife gave me a huge book with three wonderful discs of his music.
Can’t say I am. You’ve found a blind spot in my music knowledge.
He fits into your "One musician, one guitar...." standard. And he has a great voice a terrific sense of humor.
I can sympathise with the industry stuff - I'm in a similar situation with the acting industry.
I'd also highly recommend the Pentatonix cover of Hallelujah!
Love your cover too, and that reminds me...I should go and do some singing practice of my own 🙂
Thank you. Yeah I love Pentatonix. Their version is amazing. Their Daft Punk Medley is legit a great that I listen to like a studio record.
And yes, you should be practicing. 😉😉😉
I've been there, many times, I so very much sympathize. I could have told you back then that your faking it till you make it wasn't going to work. Ted Gioia's recent article regarding "flow" applies here, make sure you catch up with that. Flow is very underrated as a motivator.
If I may diagnose from afar: You need to Write The Crap. Sounds like there's sediment clogging the intake valve of your creativity. That needs to get cleaned out. One great way to do that is to intentionally lower the stakes for your writing. If you can manage to forget you are on a big long path to eventual greatness for a while, forget your long-term goals, forget how good you hope to be someday. Write a song you hope no one ever hears. Then another, and another. Hell, make a whole album of total garbage. What I 99% guarantee will NOT happen is that said crappy music will serve to reinforce your anxieties about your skill. What WILL happen is occasional moments of "OK, well that's not TOO terrible I guess..." And in the meantime, sediment is getting cleaned out. It also re-energizes the songwriting muscles. When you write things you hate, you are 1) taking yourself through the writing process, reminding those muscles what they're supposed to do, and 2) providing yourself valuable feedback as to WHY what you're working on is terrible. The trick is to go ahead and let yourself hate what's happening.
- plinky plink plink -
"Wow, that's horrible."
"Well, why exactly is it horrible?"
"Because it's boring"
"When does it get boring?"
"Around the 3rd bar, it becomes clear nothing interesting is happening"
"Play something else in the 3rd bar"
"Like what?"
"I don't care. Anything different will do."
- plink plink plink -
"Still horrible"
"Why?"
"Because now it doesn't even make musical sense"
"OK, how few notes could you change to make it make sense?"
"I guess if I changed that D to some other note...."
- plink plink plink -
"Does it make more sense now?"
"Slightly, yeah. Still horrible though""
"Well, why exactly is it horrible?"
... and so on
Here's what DOESN'T work:
- plink plink plink -
"Wow that's horrible."
"Well, why exactly is it horrible?"
"Because it's not as good as <insert beloved music here>"
"No, it's not."
"I suck. therefore."
(exit musical instrument, enter bag of Doritos)
Here's another technique I use occasionally that helps me. I hit Record on the DAW, then just play complete nonsense, like a cat walking on the keys or a toddler noodling away. I am not making music at this point, just sounds. After a minute or two I then go back and start playing back my barbaric yawp, a few seconds at a time. No matter how ridiculous it sounds, after replaying a 5-second section over enough times, I always start to hear music in it. A little tune emerges, or a rhythm, or a sequence of chords, SOMEthing. Then I just dive in and start editing. That was the exact process for what became this 3-part piece:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3YMN2T5w16GuBR7UEqMAkX?si=95bda2603400400e
https://open.spotify.com/track/4rXpYIWt8iY51tchuqSEap?si=5b3d80378b564fe6
https://open.spotify.com/track/3xjP1JlZpgMGszNzZQX2W6?si=8a8fd297b81d4e7d
I think the reason this works is that even when noodling total nonsense, the creative musical part of you is still coming through, while the insta-judge is momentarily silenced. It's not music after all, you're just making noise, so there's nothing to judge.
(P.S. Sorry I did not listen to your cover of Hallelujah, because we differ on that song. To me - and I know I'm in a big minority here - Hallelujah is one of my least-favorite songs of all time and I quickly skip it whenever any version of it comes up. Go figure.)
Raúl Esparza’s performance of “Hallelujah” at a 9/11 church service was excellent and there is a YouTube of him singing it at the Lincoln Center. Yes, he played the ADA for years on Law and Order SVU. Several Wolfiverse players have a Broadway background, including Rafa, Colin Donnell and Patti Murin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYKkOBqqD4w
Kennedy Center.