Of Whats To Come VII

Bridge

Always Tripping Never Falling

El Amor De Mi Vida

I am so grateful to Jimena for sharing her voice, words, heart and soul with me in creating this piece.  When she agreed to collaborate with me on this song I didn't know what the result would be but I knew it was going to be something really special.  

Piano & instrumental composition: Matthew Wilson (@matham-wilsoned)
Vocals and lyrics: Jimena Arroyo (@jimenaarroyo)

Jimena's Page

Ashes (Jimena Arroyo & Matthew Wilson)

I stumbled on this track while taking a needed break from the solo piano piece I had been working on for hours.  I had never heard this song before but loved it immediately so I decided to play along with it.  Of course, I had the song I was working on stuck firmly in my head so every time I started playing along my fingers would just instinctively gravitate to the melody and progression of my piece transposed into a different key - which was extremely annoying until I realized that it actually sounded great.  Then I listened more to the lyrics of the song which are not only beautiful but also hit me on a very personal level.  After a day of making some minor adjustments to match my phrasing with Mark's this was the result.  

The really interesting thing about this piece is that while I've covered and arranged lots of music before, I've never done it for a song which I had never heard with accompaniment.  I still have no idea what the traditional version (or any version with instrumentation).  

This was a LOT of fun to work on for many reasons.  I hope you all enjoy it and I hope I didn't accidentally bastardize the original song.  

Here is a link to Mark's original acapella recording which is beautiful on its own - which is extremely difficult to do acapella.  https://soundcloud.com/markjbennett/the-parting-glass-open-collaboration

Mark's Page

The Parting Glass - (Open Collaboration with Mark Bennett)

"Edgar, Passed Out Beside Me" began as a solo piano improvisation which I am using as an opportunity to work on my musical journey from pianist to pianist/composer/arranger/producer.  For background on this song or more about Evolution of a Song, go to the full playlist:  https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/sets/evolution-of-a-song-edgar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Backstory:  I was in the 'studio' (i.e., the corner of my bedroom) hanging out with my good friend Edgar who was half asleep recovering from a taco-related incident.  I decided to take a break from the project I had been working on to play a completely random improvisation which I titled, "Edgar, Passed Out Beside Me".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the original recording of Edgar, Passed Out Beside Me.  I originally posted the orchestrated versions so it is a little out of order - sorry!  But I wanted to show how the piece began.  This is the piano improvisation I recorded which I have been developing in the following tracks.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* As is the case with most Evolution of a Song tracks, I did not go back and fine tune/edit this the way I would have if I were releasing it as a completed track - I do that partly for authenticity (the whole point is to show the process) and I also do it because my process of fine tuning/editing a piano piece for "release" is tedious and by the time I am finished I would have little or no desire to actually continue developing the piece.   

Edgar, Passed Out Beside Me (Original Recording - Solo Piano Improvisation)

The latest track in my new set "Of Whats to Come".  This is the first solo piano piece I have written since returning home to San Diego after spending my summer back east.

You can listen to the entire set so far here:  

https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/sets/of-whats-to-come

The eighth track of my current project, Of Whats to Come. 

https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/sets/of-whats-to-come

Of Whats to Come VIII

The ninth track of my current project, Of Whats to Come. 
https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/sets/of-whats-to-come

Usually, my music is a means to explore the present or reflect on the past.  "Of Whats to Come" has been a project where I investigate how pushing myself to think about the future (while at the piano) impacts my improvisational style

*This track was edited slightly and re-posted on 2/8/2017.  The ending was starting to annoy me so I re-recorded it.

Of Whats To Come IX

Here's another track I found waiting to be uploaded from my set "Of What's to Come".  It falls between the tracks that are titled "Of What's to Come IX" and "Of What's to Come X".

Of Whats To Come  9.5

This song (based on the first song I remember writing at 14-15 years old; 21 years ago) was recorded in two parts:

The first (0:00 - 6:06) was recorded on October 1st, 2017*.   The main theme (2:06 - 6:06) is the piece I wrote over 20 years ago.   

The second part (6:07 - 13:52) was recorded on October 5th, 2017*.  And includes a reprise of the main theme at 10:35.

The melody has been with me as long as I can remember.  This is the first time I have recorded and shared it publicly.  It wasn't my intention to do this piece, but just came out on its own while recording. 

* The dates are significant because I recorded this on the 3 year 'anniversary' of the day(s) I left my apartment in Los Angeles (October 1st-5th, 2014).  

It has become a tradition on these days to read my journal entries and listen to my music from those days and reflect on where I was and where I am and, now - where I am going.   Which, just happened to take me back to the first song I ever wrote.  

Enjoy!

Embracing the Journey

This is the first movement of "Embracing the Journey". (https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/embracing-the-journey)

Embracing the Journey is based on the first song I remember writing when I was about 14-15 years old; 21 years ago.

Curiosity (Embracing the Journey I)

This is the second movement and main theme of "Embracing the Journey".  (https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/embracing-the-journey) 

It is, also, the first song I remember writing - roughly 21 years ago.  

Other than a crude recording on a cassette tape which almost certainly has been lost and/or destroyed by now, this is the first time I have recorded the piece.

Equanimity (Embracing the Journey II)

This is the third movement of "Embracing the Journey". (https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/embracing-the-journey)

Embracing the Journey is based on the first song I remember writing when I was about 14-15 years old; 21 years ago.

Detours (Embracing the Journey III)

This is the fourth movement of "Embracing the Journey". (https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/embracing-the-journey)

Embracing the Journey is based on the first song I remember writing when I was about 14-15 years old; 21 years ago.

The fourth movement is a reprise of the main theme (Equanimity).

Karma (Embracing the Journey IV)

Originally there was no good story behind this one - it was (at the time I wrote it) a pretty spontaneous improvisation which, after listening back to, I really liked!  So, I originally suggested in this very description that my listeners make up their own story.  But, as coincidence would have it, just a few minutes ago I "bumped into" a dear friend with whom I haven't seen or spoken to in quite a while and after reading her most recent post regarding what she is about to go through - knee replacement surgery - I have changed my mind and now dedicate this piece to her, Carol O. - A very dear friend of mine who works at the Springfield Conservatory of Music in Springfield, MA (https://springfieldconservatoryofmusic.com/) 

Now, I was friends with Carol for yeas before she began working at the conservatory and I have considered her a dear friend since the beginning, but considering this is SoundCloud I feel inclined to give her some appropriate musical props!   Carol hasn't just been an employee at said conservatory - she is an enthusiastic and active student as well!   And I have to give her lots of credit because she has always wanted to learn the piano, but unlike SO many other people I meet who have always wanted to learn, she has committed herself to actually doing it!  

It's been a while since I've heard you play, Carol, but hopefully some day soon I'll convince you to record something and share it on here!!!!!!!  But for now, best of luck with your surgery!!!!!!!!  I'll certainly be thinking of you!!!!!

Before and After

"My Favorite Mistake" is my first collaboration with Roger/B-Train (@roger-b-train) and my 3rd collaboration with Jimena Arroyo (@jimenaarroyo).  I couldn't be happier to once again have a chance to work with Jimena,  especially considering how busy she is!  The woman is a songwriting machine and if you haven't checked out her cloud recently, I highly recommend you do!   Along with her numerous collaborations with some of the most talented individuals and bands here on SC, much of her time and musical energy has gone into her work with Jonnie Cook (@jonnie-cook) - the two of them having formed the up and coming duo Excorde (https://excordeofficial.wixsite.com/excorde)

"My Favorite Mistake" started as a personal challenge.  I came up with the main piano riff roughly a year ago and knew I wanted to write a song around it, but writing a song around a riff is not my usual songwriting process so I decided this was a good opportunity to develop some aspects of my songwriting which, up until that point, I had either not incorporated into my music or outsourced to a collaborator.  In particular, "My Favorite Mistake" is the first song for which I wrote my own bass line and beat. I've always struggled writing beats/creating drum tracks, so pushing myself to face that on this piece was definitely a little scary for me.  The other personal challenge I took on in writing this piece was in the production - especially with respect to the vocals.  I have very little experience mixing and producing vocals and I wanted to use this piece as an opportunity to learn and practice.  Of course, the more I fell in love with the song itself the more I wanted to change my mind and bring in a 'real' producer.  I have to thank both Jimena and Roger for their encouragement, feedback, advice and help which gave me the confidence to get it done.

What really brought this song together in the end was our (Jimena's and my) decision to invite a 3rd collaborator to join us.  I had been working on mixing/producing the 'final' version for quite a while, but it always felt like something was missing.  We decided that the solution might be to bring in one more person to join us.  After thinking about it independently for a bit, Jimena and I both came up with the same name - Roger/B-Train (@roger-b-train).   So, I emailed Roger, shared a couple versions of what we were working on and asked if he might be interested in joining us and to our excitement, he enthusiastically agreed!  What I love so much about Roger's contribution to the final recording is how he manages to compliment and enhance Jimena's voice - as emotive as Jimena is whenever she sings, Roger's guitar really brought out the emotion in her voice even more.  At the same time, he used and left just the right amount of space from start to finish - the result being a song that has a lot to appreciate - I particularly enjoy the interplay/dialogue between all 3 of as the song progresses - without ever feeling too crowded or busy.

Well, you're all here to listen to music, not to read an essay so I'm going to wrap this up.  To Jimena and Roger - it was wonderful working with both of you!  To everyone taking the time to listen - thank you so very much for spending your time with us!  We live in the most insanely busy and fast-paced time in history.  We also exist in a world that is flooded with talented and entertaining people.  To me, there really is no greater compliment than when someone chooses to spend some of their precious time listening to my/our music.

Credits:
Piano & instrumental composition: Matham Wilsoned (@matham-wilsoned)
Vocal composition & lyrics: Jimena Arroyo (@jimenaarroyo)
Guitar: Roger Chandler (@roger-b-train)

My Favorite Mistake (Jimena & Matham Wilsoned Ft. Roger B-Train)

http://www.mathamwilsoned.com

My piano is my voice.  I started recording these compositions and improvisations a few years ago when I wanted to tell someone how much I love them and no words were sufficient.  In the process of writing and recording that piece, I decided to start recording my random improvisations as well (which despite having played most of my life, I've never done before).  That was the beginning of my first set, "Words Fail Me" and this page.

Words Fail Me is available on Amazon, iTunes and Google Play!  It is also available for streaming on Spotify! 

Thanks to everyone who has listened, liked, reposted, commented - the fact that so many complete strangers have taken time out of their lives to experience a little of mine is crazy.  

I also love to accompany vocalists and work with other musicians:

https://soundcloud.com/matham-wilsoned/sets/accompaniments

Or take a minute to listen to the amazing voice of https://soundcloud.com/keir-patrick-white whom I had the privilege of working with for many years.

Matham Wilsoned

Pinned to spotlight

Popular tracks