Arranging in the Night

Last night I went over to Wayne's house to get a chart from him and show him some of my new songs, including one I've performed a few times, So This is Love. First, though, we sat down and watched his new wide-screen TV and got totally sucked into The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen for half an hour (with a few random political comments thrown in). Finally we ripped ourselves away and went back to his computer/piano setup and I played/sang the song for him. I was pleased that I could play the piano part well--the brain-fingers connection often seems to be severed when I have to play piano for someone who's listening to a composition critically, or just in general when I want to impress them.

He liked it. I told him that when we played it at Pearls I wasn't sure that the harmonics were matching the song. He said he knew what I meant, and right away found some spots where the chord inversion had to be noted. But beyond that, he suggested I lengthen the first part, which means I need to write some more lyrics to it, and then set up the bridge nicer--though he complimented me on one set of changes I was particularly proud of. Then the C section got a bit of a facelift with 2 or 3 new chords, and a 6/4 bar which works but does complicate things for a band reading it for the first time. He wrote out the chord changes and then recorded it for me on the sequencer. I really like it, actually. There's one chord that I'm not sure I like, might be goopy for my taste, but I'm not sure yet. The chords are Brazilian in feel, while the rhythm and montuno are more Cuban.

At one point, I was beaming happily because with just a few nips and substitutions and suggestions he was making it so much better. I said, "Aren't you so glad that this is your job?" I hope someday I can be as musically adept as he is.