Music

All songs, in reverse chronological order.

'A' You're Adorable

February 6, 2010 - 11:40pm — tw

2:43 minutes (2.49 MB)

I recorded this quickly for my daughter’s kindergarten class to practice with. We performed it together at the All-School Program on 12 Feb 2010. Lots of kids sang along! That’s Clara and Katherine shouting the alphabet. My good recording gear wasn’t working, so this is recorded on a cheap condenser mic and a Sound Blaster card.

Living Downstream

October 26, 2009 - 2:48pm — tw

2:57 minutes (2.7 MB)

I have now officially given up trying not to write songs about water. Maybe it’s because they always come to me in the shower? read more...

Space Girl

May 2, 2009 - 3:42pm — tw

3:07 minutes (2.86 MB)

Clara sang the chorus of this song to herself during her bath one Sunday after spending much of the afternoon exploring outer space. I wrote the verses. We recorded it a cappella - including all the sound effects.

Recorded May 2, 2009 in honor of Pam Weber’s birthday. Hope we can sing with you soon!

Shenandoah, river of my dreams

February 1, 2000 - 1:07am — tw

5:16 minutes (4.83 MB)

A contemplative version of the old folk song about leaving, separation, and longing for return.

This song took me seven years to record. I did some tracks in 1993, of which only the harmony vocals have survived. I did some more work on it in about 1996, including recording the piano intro at a place where my friend Sharon was house-sitting. I redid all the lead vocals in October of 1999, then all the instruments in January 2000.

It’s a mysterious song, Shenandoah. I’m told it’s a sea chanty, yet it talks about inland rivers. Maybe it’s addressing the river, or a region, or a person. read more...

some kind of truth

January 1, 2000 - 1:00am — tw

3:49 minutes (3.5 MB)

A credo.

wood stove sounds

January 1, 2000 - 1:00am — tw

1:52 minutes (1.71 MB)

Thoughts during a meditation retreat. Just because you’re silent doesn’t mean you can’t eat yummy food with your friends.

calling the maid

January 1, 2000 - 1:00am — tw

4:16 minutes (3.92 MB)

I wrote this in 1995, when a book by a medieval Zen master seemed to intersect with a romantic relationship. The story and metaphor are from the book, though the author was applying it to religious conversation and here I’m applying it to relationship conversations; I think the same principle is at the root of both.

we do not meet by chance

January 1, 1999 - 1:00am — tw

2:47 minutes (2.56 MB)

“Do you believe in a love at first sight?/Yes, I’m certain that it happens all the time.”

Well, of course it does. Sometimes, unconditional love just occurs, with no discernible reason, no excuse for lowering the defenses, and no way to put them back up.

Love at first sight can take many forms. Sometimes it comes (at least to me) in dreams, and I spend the next day a bit dazed and moody and yearning. Sometimes it leads to romance, and sometimes marriage. read more...

roundtrip vigil

January 1, 1998 - 1:01am — tw

2:21 minutes (2.16 MB)

I wrote the first verse of this song in an online chat conversation. That may not seem very remarkable, but consider that it was 1987 at the time (~10,000 computers on the Internet, before either the World Wide Web or IRC). The conversation took place on mainframe computers at IBM, where I and my friend Betsy were (supposed to be) working.

The first line was in response to the question, “but why would you?” I don’t remember what preceded that.

lakewind

January 1, 1996 - 1:04am — tw

4:05 minutes (3.74 MB)

A love poem about a breeze that falls in love with the lake it touches, but is (apparently) unrequited.

She was an air sign, I’m water. It all felt symbolic. Also I was riding my bike a lot where I could see Cayuga Lake stretching out, and feeling the autumn winds. This recording took three completely separate tries over many months before it sounded good to me.

You can also see songs listed by their albums. The first album I’ve gotten around to posting on this site is “off line” from February 2000.

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