Peter Parrot came to town
From a tiny London flat, upside down
He sat upon our Ikea chair
Staring at the dusty air
We waited for the words to fly
A single quip, a clever lie
But Peter only watched the clock
Tick-tock, time to stock the mental block
He pondered my insurance debt
And every chore I hadn’t handled yet

The cable guy, he came and left
The meaning of the silence crept
A feathered genius, mind so deep
He’s got the universal sleep
He said nothing, nothing, nothing at all
He said nothing, nothing, won’t take the call
He said nothing, nothing, no sound from his beak
He’s the sage of the age, the Zen-Genius chic!

The TV host demanded truth
“Peter, what’s the meaning of your silent youth?”
The scientists brought many charts
To measure the space between his feathered parts
They scanned his brain for wisdom old
A secret waiting to unfold
But all they found was quiet dread
And the faint ghost of Aunt Elsa’s bread
A billion views on social feeds
He perfectly fulfills all modern needs

He said nothing, nothing, nothing at all
He said nothing, nothing, won’t take the call
He said nothing, nothing, no sound from his beak
He’s the sage of the age, the Zen-Genius chic!

In a world that screams its every thought
By people who know less than they ought
He knows the secret, keeps it tight
If you’ve got nothing to say, just shut up for the night
He said nothing, and that’s how he won it all

He said nothing, nothing, nothing at all
He said nothing, nothing, won’t take the call
The call! The call! The glorious silence!
He said nothing, nothing, no sound from his beak
He’s the king of the world, the Zen-Genius chic!
The wisdom is silence!
He said nothing, nothing, and the cheques are all clear
The wisdom is silence!
He said nothing, nothing, he’s the anti-idea!

Homo Animalis

Peter Parrot

"Redder" is a palindrome. Like "racecar" or "level". These pieces of music ain't.

My name is Volker Redder, online I go by "docredder." It all came about because I studied biology and computer science for a long time and received my doctorate as the crowning achievement of my academic career.
As a child, I sang Bach in the church's „Knabenchor Unser Lieben Frauen“ because my mother thought it was good for my soul. And it was, until, thanks to an excellent teacher, I realized that music is like mathematics. After that, I loved not only music but also mathematics and all sciences based on mathematics: physics, biology, chemistry, computer science. So, I went straight into the natural sciences and engineering. Yes, I studied a lot. However, a university career wasn't for me. I wanted to monetize the findings of the various sciences (you can't live on air and love alone) and founded over a dozen companies. Because who wants life to follow a clear formula? I certainly didn't. In addition to adventurous entrepreneurship, the subsequent career in politics (German Bundestag), and a growing family, I was constantly picking up the guitar or keyboard, which is what you do when you want to escape the chaos of everyday life.
Should I say I'm a virtuoso? No. That would be a lie. I'm just too lazy for that. Laziness, or in modern parlance, "efficiency," is a principle for me. And so I founded my "own studio," consisting of a lot of electronics and software. The hipsters call it DIY. I call it "not wanting to act like a big shot and book expensive recording studios." I'm a one-man orchestra, a chef-d'oeuvre who spends all day producing pop, rock, indie, and ambient mishmash until he finally finds it he likes. My menu? Pink Floyd, Genesis, Supertramp, Muse, Zappa, Miles Davis, and many more. Yes, all at once. I told you: mishmash.
There are guys who write music to become famous. Then there's me. I write music to keep myself from going crazy. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes there's melancholy in it, sometimes it's stories from literature or something sci-fi. Or from Tinder dates my daughters have told me. I mean, who hasn't wondered what "being in Tinder light" is? Exactly. I wrote it down. I use everything I can get my hands on: GarageBand, samples, my voice, AI voices, Udio, VirtualDJ, everything! I don't care if purists say it's no longer art. It doesn't matter, the main thing is that my music feels like a window you can look out of and discover something new again and again.
Every song becomes a little adventure. Sometimes I start with a line, sometimes with a feeling I can't shake. It's like an escape from reality, except in the end, there's no escape. And that's a good thing. This is how I stay grounded. Okay, grounded isn't the right word either. Let me put it this way: I've stayed true to myself. And I'm grateful for everyone who listens, shares, or comments.
It makes me feel like I'm not completely alone in this madness. So if you also like songs that don't follow the rules, I'd be happy if you joined in. After all, the world is crazy enough.
You have to fight that with music. I mean, that's logical, right?