Dee

Yes, I'm very excited that the Olympics are being held in England. We're hoping to see an event, don't know which one yet but can't miss out on the experience! As I only participate in sport on a part time basis, I can only imagine the dedication and discipline athletes go through to make it to the top sporting events. Knowing that the flag is being raised and the anthem being played because of you must be so rewarding. Cheers!

Ok, here's my first attempt at writing an Olympic song. Aiming for motivational and uplifting. I've a melody in my mind for the chorus but would love to hear any other's take on it I Will Make it Happen © Denielle West. March 2011 (V1) All that Ive been working for Is almost here All that I have dreamt and more Has never been so near Ive cried, Ive cursed, I have bled To reach this day I can see my final goal ahead Wont let my focus stray (Rise) Ive got to believe That Ill achieve (Chorus) See my colours Rise higher than others I will make it happen Hear my song Knowing I belong I will make it happen V2 I know what is expected That treasured prize Can see all my hopes reflected In other peoples eyes To race amongst the very best Has been my aim Prepared to take the toughest test And be the winner of this game (Rise) This moments mine My chance to shine (chorus)

I'll give it a go!

Hello Some great ideas you've both come up with. The melody is definately suited to a woman. With so many re-writes, it would be useful to hear what point you're up to but here's how I interpret it: In the first verse, she's wondering why he's so distant, what could she have done to bring him back, then in the chorus she realises he was tempted and indeed indulged in the flames of another, which resulted in her getting burned. (Obviously it's always the innocent party who get hurt). So for that - the option where HE was led to the fire and HE fell in would work 2nd verse - now she realises what a b*****d he is, she doesn't want him back, even though he's pleading with her and offering her promises, because he's scarred her - he's the one who played with fire and she's got burned. I have go back to find the m8 and re-read that but all in all, good story telling (not at all abstract JD ha ha! Just the way I like it). Hope I've been helpful. M8 - yes.

okay MP I will. I shall have a listen and a look tomorrow. It's after 10 p.m. here and I've tired eyes and my bed is calling. Will give it my full attention in the morning

I know we've moved on from the "why didn't more participate" conversation but I would like to contribute if I may. I would have loved to enter but as I only joined in January and this challenge was posted in December, I thought I would be too "new", I was still feeling my way around, unsure if I had any talent or not. Now, two or so months on, I'm gaining confidence. I participated in FAWM and had a couple of collabs with favourable feedback. Whilst I'm still learning and taking on board comments made, I feel I'm ready for a challenge. So if ever there is another one, as long as it is well publicised, I'm up for it!!

I've had a look at the Pat Pattinson tutorial and it has shed a lot of light on the matter!! I'm getting it. Not quite Ker-ching yet but my luck is improving. cheers Lazz Dee

Thanks for the advice Lazz. I'll take a look at that. I hoping the penny will drop soon - actually I'm hoping for a jackpot to fall out of a slot machine with bells and buzzers and flashing lights. Dee

Hi John Yes I think it would be very useful - Scanison for Dummies may be a good title? Seriously though it would help a lot. I think I mentioned in a blog recently about showing my piano teacher the melody of a chorus I had written, and she talked about emphasis (I cringed and thought oh no not this again) and about writing music. Now my simple understanding of it is - the emphasis should fall on the first note after the bar in music? Is that right or am I talking nonsense or going off on a tangent? I came home, moved the bars, changed the length of some notes and put rests in, all so it would fit in to a 4/4 time signature and although to me it sounded exactly the same as my first draft, apparently to her it sounded better. I want to add at this point I know I'm a beginner in this and a six week crash course in the piano will not get me very far, I just thought it would help and I think it might have. Cheers Dee p.s. I don't know if this is a good thing or not but I've purchased a chromatic tuner only because when I sing, I'm not sure which note I'm singing and that's not helping me with my music writing much

Everything I Do has come to a halt only because I thought I might try to put a melody to one of my own songs - well a chorus anyway. I tinkled on the keyboard and was happy with the very simple/basic tune and even wrote the music down on a... stave! Me a composer! Who'd have thought it. Played it over and over and then proudly showed it to my piano teacher. She smiled a sympathetic smile and said "er... not bad... not quite right though." She pointed out the various things I had done wrong, which took half an hour which is all the time I have with her per week - last lesson next week. So my bubble has been pierced but that's ok. I didn't expect it to be perfect. If I can just get the basics hopefully I can persuade some musician to do the rest. Oh but something else I learned today is I can use my p.c. to record ha ha! I knew I could, I just didn't know how and now I do - so watch out I might be posting very basic, less than ameteurish recordings on here!!!

Hi a quick update. I'm happy to report that I have written the first few bars? of the melody. I'm up to "and when you find me there, you'll search no more." Actually I'm up to "Don't tell me" and now am trying to figure out "it's not worth fighting for" So any advice would be...NO, NO. I must figure this out for myself. Just a little clue.... NO. Absolutely not. Cheating will get me no where.

I am feeling very proud of myself because I have written music to Twinkle Twinkle.. Ok, so you're not very impressed. It's kid's stuff I know but 4 weeks ago I didn't know a crochet from a semi breve. I really want to put these bloody songs in my head down on paper so for xmas I asked for piano lessons - just six weeks to gain some basic knowledge. My husband, relieved for once at not having to actually think about what to buy me, found a local piano teacher and off I went. The most nerve wracking thing I had to do was to tell her that I want to write a melody to my words. I was scared because saying I write lyrics, might mean I actually think they're really good. So good in fact that they deserve to have music added to them. I didn't want her to think I was some delusional aspiring songwriter. (I am but I didn't want her to think that). But what the hell? If you don't try you'll never know, right? Anyway, she's really nice and after a couple of weeks of playing Twinkle Twinkle and Ode to Joy and Little Brown Jug, she gave me my homework which was to write the music to Twinkle, saying it didn't matter if I wasn't note perfect, the main thing I had to know was whether the notes went up or down. When I went back today, she was very impressed. I had the notes in the correct place. Gold star for me yay! This week's homework is to write either the music for another well known song or the music to one of my own. I'm not sure whether my own songs are ready for a real live audience (you lot don't count and I mean that in a nice way) so I have chosen Bryan Adams Everything I Do, only because I get the feeling she is more into classical music than pop, but everybody knows this one. So wish me luck. I've made a start on my little boy's keyboard - which teacher disapproves of because it is not a piano - but I've told her it has 99 functions and everything!

Well done Adam. You must be chuffed to bits. Hey don't forget to mention to your publishers all your new fabulous friends on Songstuff - especially your new bestest friend - me! lol Dee

Aw thanks guys. Your help and advice is much appreciated. I will persevere and hopfully there will be less of this and more of this Cheers Dee

Thanks guys. I am a lonely lyric writer so that tip about writing words to an existing melody is a good one. I'll give it a go. Talk about syllables getting stressed - they're not the only ones! Cheers Dee

...what I think others have been trying to tell me. Ok is a very basic explanation of scansion this: if the first line of v1 has five syllables, then should first line v2 have five syllables and so on? I know that there is a topic about scansion but it went way over my head! I know I probably sound stupid but I like things explained to me simply. I'm about to post a song on Lyric Critique and have gone through it, editing it so that it is as consistant as it can be - apart from the middle bit of v3 which I can't shrink any more otherwise it wont sound right. It's called - A Dozen Ways to Dump a Lover Ta Dee