YouTube Pick of the Week!

This post is where I get to share a YouTube video that is either (a) just absolutely class (b) relatively unheard of in mainstream media or (c) inspirational or original.

Although I usually reserve this post for a different artist, I’ve grown such a recent fondness of an artist called Bernhoft, that I discussed in an earlier post, I said I’d share another one of his tunes that I just thought was absolutely class! Its got such a catchy lyric and up-tempo beat but Bernhoft really adds a touch of elegance to it with his smooth tone of voice and melodies!

So here it is, hope you enjoy…

Song Writing Tips for Beginners

So I’m in the process of writing and recording my first debut album. I have found the best way to write a song is to make sure its personal and relevant to you – personal experiences will innately influence the kind of song you write, be it good or bad ones. Don’t be afraid to express how you feel, I’ve found that penning lyrics really help me deal with things that have happened in my life; indeed, it can become a little intense at times but you’d be surprised what you’ll learn about yourself in the process.

Anyways, for any of you that are curious or in the process of trying to write your own song, here’s a link that I found really useful for beginners –

http://www.robinfrederick.com/write.html

Valentines Day Special – My Favourite Love Song

Happy Valentines Day y’all!

Yes, as we all know, it’s that one day of the year where you innately may feel the desire to show that special someone how much you care about them! Unfortunately, this year, I don’t have the privilege of having that someone special to share my Valentines day with but hope that anyone who does knows how lucky they are!

Anyways, I thought it might be appropriate, given the day that it is and all, to share with you one of my favourite love songs of all times. It’s called “First Day of My Life” by indie folk rock band Bright Eyes. It is a true, honest and seemingly simple love song that leaves a  long lasting impression.

This is, in fact, one of my favorite songs; I never get tired of it. The line “I’d rather be working for a paycheck than waiting to win the lottery” holds so much truth. Love is something a person earns. It grows little by little, and once strong enough, it blossoms. Many people are waiting for fireworks and a soul mate but fail to appreciate the time and effort it takes to truly fall for that person. The line explores the idea that there aren’t soul mates, really. There are multiple people one can be happy with, but it takes work to see. This song is realistic in the fact that a person can admire another person, but it takes time to really love that person. However, paradoxically, while in one sense, the singer seems to recognise this reality, the lyrics still seem to have a hidden depth to it with an air of hopeless Romanticism. Give a listen to it yourself and see what you make of it!

Hopefully, you will appreciate this tune as much as I did –

YouTube (2006) Bright Eyes – First Day of My Life. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUBYzpCNQ1I [Accessed: 14 Feb 2013].

All-Time Favourite YouTube Find

As I may have mentioned last week this is where I get to share a YouTube video that is either (a) just absolutely class (b) relatively unheard of in mainstream media or (c) inspirational or original.

However, this week’s find is truly something special – Daniela Andrade. I have been listening to her YouTube covers for almost four years and think she is absolutely inspirational! This girl can sing with such eloquent grace and a maturity to how she performs that far extends her 21 years. She has this charming, girl next door beauty with soothing vocal abilities that will lull you into a blissful, zen-like state. She is gaining recent notoriety from much deserved acclaim and attention on YouTube.

Honestly, I feel that she is my all-time favourite YouTube non-mainstream artists – listen to just one song and you will realise why I say this – words fail to describe the purity in the tone of her voice! I feel that this girl will go very far and I will be listening to her for many more years to come. I’ve left a link below to one of her popular covers – but make sure to check out her originals too as they really are something special!

Source:

YouTube (n.d.) Lenny Kravitz – I Belong to You (COVER). [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqelrv7xw_A %5BAccessed: 10 Feb 2013].

Upcoming gig!

Well guys, hope all is well!

Just to let you all know I’ll be playing a gig in Cois Late Bar on Parnell Street, Ennis, Co. Clare on the 23rd of February at 8 pm. If you’re around the area why not come along for a few quiet pints and a few tunes?

I’ll be playing a range of contemporary covers from folk, rock, blues to pop! I might even play an original of my own! Hope to see you there!

YouTube Pick of the Week!

This post is where I get to share a YouTube video that is either (a) just absolutely class (b) relatively unheard of in mainstream media or (c) inspirational or original. However, this week’s pick is really something special as it seems to cover all three bases!

So to make a long story short, after trawling through tons of YouTube videos, I found a pretty cool artist Jarle Bernhoft, which some of you probably haven’t heard of yet. Bernhoft is a Norwegian musician; he is a multi-instrumentalist, composer and lyricist.

For me, what makes Bernhoft stand out from the crowd is his CRAZY dynamic range of vocals and distinctive tone of voice – he plays some pretty funky sounding stuff!

I find Bernhoft inspiring as he was relatively unknown outside of Norway until he appeared on the Ellen de Generes show in September 2011 after producers of the show found his video on YouTube.

Here’s a link to Bernhoft’s song “C’mon Talk” –

…hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did!

Sources:

En.wikipedia.org (2011) Jarle Bernhoft – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarle_Bernhoft [Accessed: 4 Feb 2013].

YouTube (2012) Bernhoft – Cmon Talk live. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuiNiyzvY20 [Accessed: 4 Feb 2013].

About me and music…

I suppose the initial prerequisite of your very first blog post should be to introduce who you are and explain why you want to blog so here it goes…

My name’s Emmet, I am a 23 year old man from Ennis, Clare. I am a musician who has just graduated from a BA Degree in Music at the Waterford Institute of Technology. Other than music, I love spending time with family and friends, surfing, travelling, socialising and enjoying all the little things life has to offer.

I am aspiring to become a professional singer so naturally I love, love music and want to share my thoughts and experiences with music and share with others what it means to me. Hopefully, some other people may find what I have to say – or sing – interesting and enjoyable!

Music has always played a big role in my life; my interest in music has been largely influenced by my family life growing up. As a child, I loved listening to Irish traditional music, as well as folk, rock and jazz. Some notable singers that come to mind include, Christy Moore, Freddy White, Johnny Cash, Mary Black, Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen, although the list really is endless!

I come from a large extended Irish family who are very involved in making music, particularly traditional Irish music. I am also related to the famous Irish folk singers Dolores and Sean Keane.

Every year I look forward to St. Stephen’s day, where the whole extended family (about 50 of us or more!) gather around to chat, eat leftover turkey and most importantly, play a few tunes.

All in all, it’s not too hard to see were my initial love of music has originated from!

I play the guitar and piano, although my real passion is singing and playing acoustic guitar. I have a very wide, dynamic taste in music from blues, jazz, rock, pop, R&B, country, classical (yes, classical), and rap! I have a particular fondness of blues, rock, R&B – I also love taking a song and trying to put my own little spin on it.

Before I finished up in college, I was the lead singer for a band called Empire, we mostly did gigs around Waterford city. Unfortunately, I left the group to relocate back home and hope that I can now focus on becoming a solo singer or join another band. I’m hoping to blog on what’s new with me, my own progress, interests, love of music and share any tips – I’m more than welcome to any feedback too so don’t be shy in sharing your thoughts!

Anyways, that’s all I can think to say about myself for now! I should have my website up and running soon enough so make sure to check out some of my covers.