Simple Music, Simple Enjoyment: Recent Episodes
Robert Neal
Some of the music you have heard before, some I have written, but all of it is played by me. Simple, easy listening. I hope you enjoy.
This was done by me and my daughter Sarah. We are going to create a Christmas CD. She did great
This is my first published song after taking lessons in song writing. There are lyrics... and I will post them later... If I am brave, I may even sing it. This was an assignment in structure and method... it's generic, but it works. I love it.
This used to be strictly a child's song, then it was included in the adult hymnal. The message is, we are all children of God and we need help to live with Him.
Great childhood song. It's about this beautiful world and the gifts we have been given.
This is to all those with children who watch them exercise their right to make choices... both good and bad.
This is a fun song that me and my daughter have been singing for years. We decided to record our voices. My voice is very deep and it worked well. If you listen closely (or maybe not so closely) you can hear my son begging for milk in the background. Call it a "bonus" feature.
Here is another attempt at a great song. We did both keyboard and vocals in a single take... and they sound like it... but it was fun to do. I love the song, the message and the power that it brings. Enjoy.
I don't take the time to do a full production of a song, but that doesn't mean I don't play around all the time. This is two songs... the first is mine (but it does sound a lot like Mannheim Steamroller) and the other is a song by Michael McClain. Enjoy the "1st take" approach to recording music.
My son had several friends come over. They decided to try doing a quick PSA about dental care. Not my normal stuff... but fun none the less. Eric just turned 16 and I promised him a place to post this quick recording for him and his friends.
This is a great song. Please enjoy the easy, smooth tune. If I had a voice, I would sing the lyrics, but as it is, my fans demand I stay silent. To those who follow me, I appreciate your support (Ed, Ben and all others...)
This is the audio portion of a video that we did of this song. The URL will be posted later... Leave a comment with your name so I can send you a link if you are interested.
A slightly jazzy version of Greensleeves. Lots of parts, lots of movement. Tell me if you like it.
True Colors was by Cindy Lauper and Phil Collins also did a version a few years ago. This is the first of my songs to feature me singing. I am not a singer, I have not been trained, I don't even claim any talent, but since this is my corner of the world, I can do what I want... It would not be too much of a stretch of the imagination to think that someday this song will be featured in music text books as “the song with the most things wrong with it...” There were many mistakes, but baby's learn to walk and they fall a lot, and since I am not getting paid for this.... It simply doesn't matter.
I chose this song because the range of notes was very small, the dynamics were simple and I really, really like this song. I didn't make the music complicated (ie no drums, single piano....).
So, there will be others songs that have me singing on them but this is the first.
Enjoy.
This song uses chord progression that walks on top itself... the Bass stays the same while the higher notes walk down in a chromatic pattern. G, F#, D and C or a I, VII, V, IV. This was not written with a guitar in mind but the chords just seemed to want a guitar sound. I used two different pianos. The lower one for the "male" voice and the higher one for the "female" and I think it turned out nice.
This is the EXACT same song as Witness but with a slightly more upbeat rhythm. Saturday's Warrior did this. Took the theme music from a ballad to a heavy rock/drums version and I loved it... This is much the same. I love them both (it's a great song)
Over 20 years ago I came across this song. It never became popular, but the melody was awesome. I have played with it over the years. This is one version of it. I love the song, I hope you enjoy it too.
There is another version of it here http://mrrobert5823.podomatic.com/entry/2012-10-25T18_06_28-07_00
Most songs follow a fairly strict pattern of chord structure. Jennifer Phillips breaks away from using the stand chords, in the standard way. This song effectively uses 7th's 9th's and minors to make a very fluid gently pulsing melody. I love how she did it. It is beautiful to listen to and a joy to see an uncommon chord structure. I hope to do more from her soon.
This is a very obscure vocal group from many years ago. When I was dating my wife, we would study to this music for hours on end. The calm music reminds me of very happy times.
Great song, with more swing than I normally have. I will enjoy this for years to come. I hope you do too .
I wrote this over the course of a week. I couldn't get the up beat sound out of my head... It was catchy, toe tappin and very positive. I loved it... Hope you do too.
If you ever saw the TV Show Firefly or Serenity then you can appreciate the title song. Great show... Thanks Joss
Favorite song of LDS kids around the world. I loved singing it as a boy, and even more as a father as my own sons prepare...
Great song from Forgotten Carols. I didn't write the music, it is a little more jazzy than normal, but I love it.
This is a piece written by a friend of mine. It is part of a school project. He had to create the song and physically write the music out by hand. I think he will win the competition. He is 11. (12 on Dec 31!)
Good job Jared. Sounds great!
Ok, so I altered the name slightly, so none of you would have to get a dictionary (trust me!)
This is a favorite of mine and was meant to be played slowly, and reverently but this song is about possibilities, and eternity... It is screaming for more strength.
If you don't like it, I will understand, but I think you will!
This is a great song by one of my favorite composers, Michael McClean. The song is supposed to be jazzy, but slow... I decided to speed it up and make it more up-beat. That isn't the way it is performed, but I think it had good results. Enjoy!!!
This is a song I have been working on for months. I wanted something that was technically done well, yet very simple. I didn't want anything complicated and I think this song does it just right.
I have lyrics and I will be finding a singer for it within the next few weeks.
I hope you like it! I love it!
This is a GREAT song. It was done by Steamroller many years ago. I got my hands on the sheet music and did my best to copy it. It came out great! Just perfect for the season. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
I have a special treat. Lisa Stratton, a good friend of mine agreed to help me with this song and she did vocals on this Phantom of the Opera favorite. I hope you enjoy.
Great song from the late 1960's. My mom would play this to me all the time and me and my brothers and sister would sing along. Great tune. I hope I captured it.
I have to practice my progressions. I have a list of them that I do. I start in the key of C, then do them all in C# then D then Eb.... I think you get the idea. By doing this I can stay somewhat nimble on the keyboard and when I get ready to start writing again, it will be easier, (both on my fingers and your ears).
You might not like this... but since this is my podcast and I like it.... well... enjoy
This is a great song. I loved it when I heard it and was excited when I started playing it. Great stuff...
This is a great song, sad, distant... and personally touching. It is slow, and somewhat longer than most of my other stuff... this one comes in a more than 6 minutes... but is a good song...
This song started with a simple bass line.... then I wanted to see what I could do with it using a piano and a saxophone. It is short... and fun. Good "tap-your-feet" feel to it.
This is a fun song, I think the tune is actually... "What a friend we have in Jesus...". This one is fun for me to play.
This is a very simple song, but one that LDS people sing often. It is short, calming and one that reminds us of the events that made our Savior suffer for us so we can go home.
I love Felicia Day. She did a great job. She comes across as a simple girl, and her music is just as simple. Nothing extravagant or outrageous, just calm, simple and beautiful.
This is a great song, the lyrics are catchy and intelligent, the concept is funny. This is a family favorite. If you don't know who Dr Horrible is, just search on You-Tube and watch the video... Very Very Funny!
Too much Lady Gaga on the radio. I wanted to try my hand at some raw synth sounds. This is really short (less than one minute) but I wanted to see what could be done.
I was trying to work with building harmonies using flutes. I started with a simple bass line and then built a simple, flowing tune. Then I worked on building a harmony based on it. I added some voices to give some depth to it too.
I wanted something that would work as a round. I tried several different instruments, and even added some drums and a little heavy guitar just to mix things up a bit.
I have always loved music boxes, the tinking sound of the barbs against the metallic strips of metal, and, if you listen really close, you can hear the fan being unwound as it plays. This song was an attempt to have a distinct beginning and end, with a middle that was quite different. I also wanted to be simple... like a real music box.
This song was written when I found out that my wife and I were expecting. I wanted to do some free style jazz... Just notes, and then I wanted to explode with hope, excitement and possibilities. This was my first attempt at using brass...
I love the minor key that this is in. It is an excellent example on how to transition between minor and major keys. I try to use flutes for female voices. Until I get real voices this is what we will have to work with.
This song was fun to do. It had a lot of technical difficulties. And just for the record, I am NOT a percussionist. I leave that to my daughter who was out of town at the time. So when you hear the "War Drum" just laugh at me...
This song is one of my favorites. I learned this song a few years ago when a young friend of mine asked me to play for her as she sang it to her school. It was a very scary thing for me. She did great and it made a great memory for both of us.