This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to do a little collaboration with an up-and-coming singer/songwriter in Vancouver, Aneeta Dastoor! After leaving a group of some of our friends entranced after a mini concert on the Knoll, I knew the world had to hear her awesome voice. So, without too much further thought, we got together and made this happen! Enjoy! 'Cause I know I did =).

Lyrics:

Maybe answers don’t live in books and
Maybe your parents won’t like my looks
But maybe / Baby/ We can make it if we try

Maybe we’re two birds of a feather, or maybe we’re not even that good together
But Maybe, Baby, We can make it if we try

They say the world wasn’t made for lovers, but I believe x 3 that the world was made for anyone, who holds it close to her heart
They say the world wasn’t made for givers, because giving and giving you’re left ot shiver
But I believe the more you give the more you receive

So maybe pig don’t fly in the sky, and maybe if i smoke that I won’t get high
But maybe, baby we should give it a try
Maybe People’ll keep fighting each other and maybe I’ll never understand my mother
But maybe baby, we can change it if we try.

They say the world wasn’t made for lovers, but I believe x 3 that the world was made for anyone, who holds it close to her heart
They say the world wasn’t made for givers, because giving and giving you’re left to shiver
But I believe the more you give the more you receive

Maybe answers don’t live in books and
Maybe your parents won’t like my looks
But maybe / Baby/ We can make it if we try

Two weeks back, Elysa Hogg, one of the co-coordinators of the UBC Terry Project approached me with a request to write a theme song for their Terry Videos. They wanted something slightly whimsical and upbeat that would go along to a video of the Terry Panda (the official Terry Mascot) going around and doing crazy things.

I'm a big fan of Pandas and an even bigger fan of what the Terry people do around UBC and beyond, so it was a natural and fun project to take on. I must say that the whole time I was doing it, my mind retraced memories of Popular Mechanics for Kids (now that I think of it, Terry's Florin and Elysa do indeed remind me a tad of PMFK's Elisha and Tyler...). Hopefully the Terry videos will be just as intriguing!

On another note, as you may have noticed, this is the first post with a Youtube for the audio! Which means, as promised, I now have a Youtube channel which I will in due course try to navigate. You can check out the page here. Please do subscribe, as I will most likely be posting my songs on there from now on (whilst keeping this site up and running..for now)!

This song was originally a request to write a folk song to her lyrics, but it turned out a little less folksy and contemporary ballad-esque. But I think her lyrics are more than adaptable and stand out regardless of the exact style they're in, so hopefully that's fine =).

In other news, I may soon be getting myself a Youtube channel going. Consultations with my advisory board are happening in the next week or so, so I will keep you updated as to how those meeting pan out.

Enjoy!

----

You were my warm, warm sweater
In the cold, cold eve
When we would look at stars.
And kiss behind the trees

But there's no summer romance for us now
No nothing left for me
Where did you go I’m all alone
playing hide and seek.

So spin, spin away
And walk down the road
I've built this house of cards
And I’m not coming home

You couldn’t be sober around me
And I was drunk with love
Our smiles through the smoke
Brought jealousies from above

And yet you said good bye that day, outside was raining so
You sat me down in the dark and told me you had to go

So fly, fly away
And walk down this road
You built this house of cards
And I’m not coming home

EPIC BANJO SOLO (Turned into a Violin Solo =S)

Will I be your memory?
Forgotten save in dreams
Come run with me through fields of straw,
Come swim in my own sea

Entrapped but swimming free

So swim, swim away
And walk down this road
We built this house of cards
And someday I’ll find a home.

Enjoy!

This is another request, this time from Jocelyn Ling. I don't remember the exact context in which it was requested, but she wanted to see if it was possible to combine classical music with electronic music of some sort. This piece is my attempt at that!

Hope you enjoy, and keep the requests coming!

Johannes

I've been dabbling a bit more on the piano as of late, especially after writing Contemplation. Somewhere out of some piano doodling this song came about. It is the first piano ballad that I have posted online anywhere, so hopefully it comes across okay. Part of me wishes I could sing this song with a bit more of a Tom Waits feel to it, but I think I would have to consume too much alcohol and tobacco and too many painful wartime experiences to achieve his voice's raspiness.

Also, this piece is thus far unnamed, so if you have any suggestions for a good name, leave it in the comments area, and I would happy to adopt any good ideas!

Next, to work on posting up some more requests!

-------

Lyrics:

I said it’s all I ever wanted
Back on that night so long ago
Those royal dreams adventures far and pure ambition
But this life is short you know

So with your soft and tearful blessing
I stepped, a pilgrim down my road
But with a path of golden streets and optimism
It’s hard to see what you’ve let go

‘Cause dreams can take you through ‘till morning
But when we wake, we all need a home

So wake
Wake me up
Before I let this go

And lay by my side
We’ll fall asleep
And never dream alone

Now years have vanished since we parted
Fate has carried us our ways
And somewhere mid the forks we took
And our new companions
Our memories have come to fade

One day we’ll sit alone and wonder
Try to retrace our paths and lose our way
You realize the dreams you had were right in front of you
Only when it’s taken all away

‘Cause dreams can take you through ‘till morning
But when we wake, we all need a home

So wake
Wake me up
Before I let you go

And stay by my side
We’ll fall asleep
And never dream alone

As for the lyrics...I don't think they mean anything in particular (though they seem to go along with the minor key), but if someone wants to take a stab at interpreting, I will be happy to adopt the most interesting interpretation as the official one.

I just moved into a new place, and I'm always afraid to record vocals 'cause I have a hunch that my new neighbours may eventually collude to place a cease and desist order on me if I sing the same part over and over again. Hence, the vocal line isn't as complete or as ambitious as I originally hoped. Such is the life of someone who tries to record vocals during the evening...

As per usual, feel free to send whatever requests you may have! I have a bit of a backlog right now, but if you leave something interesting enough in the comments, I may get to it soon!
Enjoy!

----

"Pulmonary" Lyrics

Don't cry
Just open up your eyes
To the bitter compromise
Revealing your disguise

To wake
Just for this evening take
A pulmonary break
No one can stop you

Let me tell let me tell you about my passions
Let me show let me show you ever fashionably
If you want to learn how to be forever
Forever comes when you never close your eyes
Again

On another note, I have just started dabbling with Cubase 5, which has been a wonderfully fun learning curve so far, so expect some more pieces to come in the next little while!

Sheet Music

With the contract made, here was her request:

I want something modern, but not post-modern. something...quirky but not inaccessible.
I want something plain piano so I can play it if I like it. So quirky classical.

I'm not much of a pianist -- when I was little I made the silly mistake thinking of refusing to study piano because everyone else played it and I wanted to be different. It was only a few years back that I started to fully appreciate why everyone else was playing it! Such an incredibly versatile instrument with the power to transcend so many genres and emotions.

So I gave this one a shot, and hopefully it can appeal to some out there! I will try to post the sheet music for it over the weekend.

Enjoy!

The song's basically about summer. And having insanely good fun. It's also about laughing at an Estonian boy trying to rap credibly whilst using words like "cornucopia" and "ultraviolet".

Enjoy!

Lyrics:

One more time
We'll be doing just fine
Just a second you'll be wreckin'
You'll be blowing your mind

One more time
It's summertime
No other time
To sing this rhyme
And here I cry
It is no crime
To realize
That celebratin'
And contemplatin'
O'er Sunsets and
Sunrise and
Suntanning surprise
It's more than mystical
Down right hysterical
When we all go comical
To the ultraviolet chemical

So carpe diem, seize the day
And all I say is this is insanity day

Summer day
Take my body away
To the land where
No thoughts or sanity stays

Heed no ill
Everybody's a thrill
Have some fun in the sun
Fall to gravity's will

Heed no ill
Everybody's a thrill
No regrets, no delay
It's Insanity Day

夏はきれいな天気を
好きな季節

What will you do today
Out there in the summer sun
You've got a cornucopia of things to choose
Even chillin' on the beach like a bum
But there's only one condition
That I need to mention
You better be having real fun
And don't delay, it's a beautiful day
Seize the sun 'till you blink and it's gone