Eggshells and rollercoasters
I don’t know which I fear the most
Just waiting for the explosion
It comes even when not provoked
You sidle up to me
And bury your head in my chest
Your arms, they pull me
Even sleeping, you’re not at rest

Rollercoasters, the highs and lows
Confounding what you think and what you know
Nurture the spark, let it grow
You are my soul

Your laughter flows through me
Makes me happy like nothing else
Those who know, those who knew me
See a softness I never possessed
You’re the blinding sunlight
That peeps through the hole in the fence
Your light you like to keep hidden 
A perfect line of defence 

Rollercoasters, the highs and lows
Confounding what you think and what you know
Nurture the spark, let it grow
You are my soul

Hold tight, hang tough
You are enough
Hold tight, hang tough
You are enough

Rollercoasters, the highs and lows
Confounding what you think and what you know
Nurture the spark, let it grow
You are my soul

Eggshells & Rollercoasters

Late in life, Thomas fulfills his passion for creating and performing songs. Alice, one of his two daughters, adds her touch and her voice. The songs are for some in French and for others in English, and interpreted either by Al(Alice), or by To(Thomas), or in duet or by guests. We hope you will like it and encourage us to continue!

Pour ceux qui galèrent!! tuto mixage home studio sur ma chaîne Youtube

All songs on channel are original and copyright of Karen O'Mahony (c). 

You'll find me also here in my collaboration project with Johan Alm https://soundcloud.com/ashesfordreams

Wallowing in the warmth of lower mids and melancholic melody.
Recorded, mixed and mastered on a Tascam DP 32 Portastudio using vintage gear gathered over many years.


Take a large bucket. Add a pint of Neil Young, a pinch of Glen Hansard. Wack in a tea spoon of Damien Rice, then an ickle bit of Tom Mcrae. Shove in a hand full of Mike Scott, a heaped table spoon of Neil Finn and a large dollop of Conor J. O'Brien. Mix with a big stick then strain through an old sock. Pour. What you have is a little bit of Mr C.

Hello good people of the cloud.
I play everything in real time and record and master on a Tascam DP 32 Portastudio. Although three of the older songs on here where recorded on a 8 track tape recorder through an old seck analogue desk.
No pc's are used or abused in the process of me music making. I love tactile recording. Switches, faders, pots and buttons. Mouses are for computers and eating cheese. No Mac, Daws or Windows, Midi or overused plugins. And no automated mixing, compromise being a large part of my final sound.

Hope you enjoy some of the music that I make, please feel free to share and comment.

I now have another page, link below, of songs recorded from 1999 to 2012 on an 8 track tape machine.

Gear used:
Tascam DP32 (for all recording and mastering)
Custom Sound amp (owned since the 1980's/90's)
Tannoy DC 200 monitors (owned since the 1980's/90's)
Alesis Sr18 drum machine
Roland V drums HD1 Live Kit Through Roland TD20 Sound Module
Kord M1 keys (owned since the 1980's/90's)
Yamaha moX6 keys
Joe Meek VC3 pro channel (owned since the 1980's/90's)
Audio Technica AT4033a Cardioid Condenser Microphone
Shure SM58 Mic
Sessionmaster direct recording pre-amp (owned since the 1980's/90's)
Zoom GX1N guitar effects
1972 Yamaha FG180 Red Label acoustic guitar
Martin performance acoustic guitar
Yamaha FGX5 Acoustic guitar
JD Fender Telecaster Leccy guitar
DeArmond M75T Leccy guitar
Tanglewood bass 
Vintage banjo
Uke
Stagg mandolin
And a box of old rusty harps.

(Translation above)

Je suis auteur-compositeur de chansons françaises qui n'attendent que de bons interprètes. 
Après des études au conservatoire et musicologie à la Sorbonne, j'ai enseigné l'éducation musicale à des élèves en école élémentaire de 1982 à 2021.

Dès 1989, alors que je découvrais la MAO, j'ai commencé à faire des centaines d'arrangements de chansons pour enfants ou adultes dans tous les styles pour les faire chanter. Cette solide expérience m'a amené dans un premier temps à composer des chansons pour mes élèves. Puis, je me suis lancé dans un répertoire pour adultes. 128 chansons à ce jour !

Mon répertoire va de la danse traditionnelle française (La bourrée du maumarié), à l’EDM (La tête dans les étoiles) en passant par la musique classique (Double concerto pour violon, violoncelle et orchestre à cordes) et la chanson française, le gros du panier, avec le plus souvent cette pointe d’humour qui fait tant défaut aujourd’hui dans beaucoup de chansons, (ce qui est étonnant quand on voit autant d’humoristes fleurir aux six points de l’Hexagone…)

Même si certains apprécient ma façon de chanter, mes chansons sont faites pour de vrais interprètes qui aiment monter sur scène.

Né en 1961 à Paris.
Membre SACEM

I'm an author-composer and performer... by default of French songs. 
After studying at the Conservatoire and musicology at the Sorbonne, I taught music education to elementary school pupils from 1982 to 2021.

As early as 1989, when I was just discovering computer-assisted music, I started making hundreds of arrangements of songs for children and adults in all styles, to get them to sing along. This solid experience initially led me to compose songs for my students. Then I started working on a repertoire for adults. 128 songs to date!

My repertoire ranges from traditional French dance (La bourrée du maumarié), to EDM (La tête dans les étoiles), classical music (Double concerto for violin, cello and string orchestra) and French chanson, the mainstay of my repertoire, most often with that touch of humor so lacking in so many songs these days (which is astonishing when you see so many humorists flourishing at the six points of the Hexagon...).

Even if some people like the way I sing, my songs are made for real performers who like to get up on stage.

Born in 1961 in Paris.
SACEM member

Chansons Françaises écrites, composées, arrangées et enregistrées à la maison.
Elles sont toutefois déposées à la SACEM.

Rex Potam: A Journey Through Song and Symphony

With a voice seasoned by nearly four decades of singing, Rex Potam embarked on a new creative chapter in 2016. Though professional circumstances led him to step away from the choir, his passion for music found a fresh outlet in composition.

Rex is a self-taught singer-songwriter, drawn to crafting music that paints vivid sonic landscapes. His style seamlessly blends classic influences with an acoustic sensibility, evident both in his solo songwriting and collaborations with other artists.

But Rex's musical spectrum extends far beyond the realm of song. He delves into the world of classical composition, creating pieces that resonate with the richness and depth of the tradition. Whether composing for piano, tackling ambitious projects like concertos and symphonies, or even venturing into the sacred grandeur of a Requiem mass, his versatility shines through.

This dual identity – singer-songwriter and classical composer – defines Rex's artistic journey. He finds inspiration in the emotional intimacy of lyrics and the grand narratives of symphonic storytelling. His commitment to tonality ensures his music remains accessible and emotionally engaging, leaving a lasting impression on listeners.

This is just a page to say thanks to everyone who likes,comments and reposts my tracks. Below is the link to my main homepage.

https://soundcloud.com/skub1955/tracks

Many thanks.

Listen to Korima songs at www.korima.net


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Samhain
The púca
Of all the ghosts and fairies abroad on Halloween, the púca (or pooka) was the most feared and October 31st was known as Púca Night in parts of Ireland. The púca, meaning 'goblin', can be malevolent or benevolent and is not solely associated with Halloween. It's a mythological fairy and the ultimate shapeshifter, capable of appearing in a variety of forms but most commonly as a dark horse or part dog.

Spring Solstice


Winter Solstice 
The Winter Solstice is an astronomical phenomenon that marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice occurs on 21 or 22 December, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn. At sunrise on the shortest day of the year, for 17 minutes, direct sunlight can enter the Newgrange monument, not through the doorway, but through the specially contrived small opening above the entrance known as the ‘roof box’, to illuminate the Chamber.

Samhain
The púca
Of all the ghosts and fairies abroad on Halloween, the púca (or pooka) was the most feared and October 31st was known as Púca Night in parts of Ireland. The púca, meaning 'goblin', can be malevolent or benevolent and is not solely associated with Halloween. It's a mythological fairy and the ultimate shapeshifter, capable of appearing in a variety of forms but most commonly as a dark horse or part dog.

October 

Night migration of birds.

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September

Barn swallows bury themselves in mud in lakes



August

Barn owls and birds of prey on the move
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July

Watching bats emerge at dusk.

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June

walking in meadows




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May
The Dawn Chorus:  Ireland 5 am.
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April
First swallow of the year
Welcome, welcome
From out of mud in lakes
Were you resting there?



March

Unveils like a first thought
A whisper



February

"Nothing stands out yet", you said
As you looked over your shoulder
Broad and rounded, square and hunched
I thought I heard you say, "We are water
And over time we solidify"

Concept Art by SuZanne Ledwith
Photography by something&knot Productions 
Graphic Design by Simon

January
Snow white egret
among fields of greenandbrown
Are you lost in its vastness?
Bubulcus ibis.

DE-cem- ber
Silver EEL migration 
down river to the sea
on a moonless night

through
an obstcale 
of nets
Cutting blades
pollution
And 
Par -a -sites
White egret



December
Mild to touch, not yet winter
snow drop dropping still
daffodil 

November, can I surrender to your dying
Are you truly dying or surrendering



Is it not enough to be ALIVE, autumn 
As birds migrate thousands of miles, autumn
Of an inner stirring and outward knowing

Is BE-ING
to Our Mind
bor -ing

As summer turns, it turns
To autumn, autumn
The slugs and worms live at the root; 
The slugs eat the juice of carrot
Is it good for their EyEs too...?

I buried a 'th' in the soil
With vowels and nettles
And I, this eyE, aye, oh
This What...?
This sometimes
Known thing
Doesn't kNOW oh oh

Winter take, take these
Sor rows, lay them
Deep ee eep
To become worms
for the birds to eat


ever ever
Denied to

.
Concept Art by SuZanne Ledwith
Photography by something&knot Productions 
Graphic design by Simon

There is so much talent and variety here, and most of the people are pretty cool too. I love being part of this community. Listening to your music and being heard in return is enough.

Still reading? OK I'm gonna muse a bit. It's hard to fully convey how much this forum has meant to me. There are people I've never met that feel very much like old friends -- and in a very real way they are.
If I follow someone I make every effort to listen to and support their efforts. It's certainly not a transactional relationship but I do tend to limit my follows to people who engage in mutual listening and engagement.

Eggshells & Rollercoasters

monno