Kathryn Jean Creative Challenges

Wednesday 31 October 2018

Music Creations Update...

Wonderful time learning to write in new and challenging ways...

In 2017 I published my first CD "Sharing Stories" which you can find on my website... kathrynjean.org

This year I have done some co-writing and am recording one of the new songs "Believe" which will be released in 2019.

I've also been learning new writing skills for licensing work...more emotional and theme based than my storytelling songs. Here is an example of something I recently wrote for a licensing course exercise...

Restless

Verse 1

Falling on these changing times

Stirs me to uneasy

Visions vivid pulse my mind

My soul needs to release me

Chorus

Sleepless, fallen, vivid thoughts

Cast into the wind

Time is shifting everywhere

My body won't give in

(c) Kathryn Jean Alexander

October 10, 2018

Sunday 31 July 2016

SAC 4 Challenge Is Done!

Sac 4 Challenge has taken on some interesting twists and it took me a while to find two song bits that I wanted to put together...this is actually bits of three songs. The lyrics came together with the help of wordsmith Paul Tarvydas.
Song one is the beginning of the verse...taken from "Home Brew" a song that I did for a songwriting course.
Song two was a melody I recorded and ended up using for the prechorus
Song three was a taste of a few lines from a song I'm in the process of publishing to market that "Hills and Red Barns" Interestingly I collaborated with Paul Tarvydas on the lyrics on that song as well :)
This is a rough recording due to my typical time crunch...I personally think it would be sung well by a more youthful voice...

https://soundcloud.com/kathrynjean/those-old-picture-books-live

Saturday 30 July 2016

Those Old Picture Books

Verse 1
A
Smokey evening crickets sweating, singing in the fields
D
Me and Grandma slowly swinging, sipping lemon tea
A
Leafing through a photo book when she was young like me
E
Stories of her life
D
Thoughts fill my mind
A
Her hand around my shoulder, I feel her love for me
Pre Chorus
A
Those old picture books
F G
Torn, cracked and faded borders
A
Those old picture books
F G
Sepia with worn out corners
Chorus
F    G
Life from the past, to the present
F    G
Everlasting, memories cherished
F    G    A
I love stories Grandma shares with me
Verse 2
A
Calloused hands holding pitchforks by haystacks, on the farm
D
Tired workers staring blankly, sitting on some logs
A
Grandma's dog, Sherlock, sitting underneath her arm
E
Golden memories come back
D
Her brown eyes glisten as she laughs
A
Tales of sweet-tooth licorice at Mrs. Fletcher's shop
Pre Chorus
A
Those old picture books
F G
Torn, cracked and faded borders
A
Those old picture books
F G
Sepia with worn out corners
Chorus
F    G
Life from the past, to the present
F G
Everlasting, memories cherished
F    G A
I love stories Grandma shares with me
Break
E
Live every moment
A
Love every day
E
Live every moment
A
Grandma would say
E G A
I hope to be like her...one day
Pre Chorus
A
Those old picture books
F G
Torn, cracked and faded borders
A
Those old picture books
F G
Sepia with worn out corners
Chorus
F    G
Life from the past, to the present
F    G
Everlasting, memories cherished
F    G A
I love stories Grandma shares with me
F    G A
I love stories Grandma shares with me
F    G A
I love stories Grandma shares with me

(c) Copyright June 30, 2016 Kathryn Jean Alexander and Paul Tarvydas

Writing at Work

I had to approach SAC Challenge 4 differently due to my work schedule as I've had no days off during this time and work 12 hour shifts so...
Monday and Tuesday were spent mulling and trying various 2 song options and by Wednesday I was able to put together a rough melody and chorus with break. I touched base with Paul Tarveydas about co-writing challenge 4. Luckily he agreed to take a look at what I was working on.
Thursday we started brainstorming song layout and overall theme and then today it all started coming together. I've taken advantage of every break I've had at work to work on the song and emailed bits and pieces to Paul. Paul responded to my ideas from his point of view and we went back and forth until the song took shape...wonderful to have his imagination and wordsmithing on board.
Tonight I am practicing and hopefully recording in order to make the submission deadline.
Feeling very good about the progress thus far and looking forward to a more finished product by tomorrow.
Kathryn Jean

Wednesday 27 July 2016

Selections and key changes

Choosing two songs has been a bit of a challenge in itself as I have quite a few partly finished songs and tons of melody clips or lyric clips saved as ideas for future use.

I decided to use the theme and melody from a song I used in a songwriting course for the verses and a melody audio clip that has ear wormed its way into my head over the last few months for the chorus.

The theme is about farm life, gatherings, hopes and prayers...a story song.

Today I put the two together and worked out the transition between the two...I'm thinking that for the end I might be able to play the chorus melody over the verse melody...not sure how to intigrate this but it would be cool as the last chorus :)

First line...She was sitting on the front porch watching the men come in

Lot's of work lyrically to create prosody between the two styles in the melody and create a memorable hook.

Tuesday 26 July 2016

Combine Two Songs

I love this SAC Challenge #4 as I have had a melody running through my head for a long time that I recorded but haven't yet used. It will work nicely behind a second song that I have half finished.

This will be a fun project :)