Author: Doxter S

Songs You Can(‘t) Sing to Your Children

Songs You Can(‘t) Sing to Your Children

(A compilation of Love Songs by Doxter S that are more appropriate for Clyde’s than Gymboree): These love songs may not be appropriate for children. I don’t use explicit lyrics. Listen to “Squeeze” all the way through and you will get the idea. The hook (also the punch-line) is in the third verse. I find when I perform “Squeeze” the women in the audience get it during the second verse. The men don’t get it until the third verse.

I got my inspiration for “Squeeze” from my wife. You men reading this won’t get my point until the third sentence. She and I practice oral hygiene differently. I follow the directions, so I’m always good to the very last drop. We share a lot of things but toothpaste isn’t one of them. I wrote “Squeeze” thinking  that a casual (or drunk) listener might just get the wrong idea what the song was about.

The cover art for “Squeeze” is inoffensive. “Ribeye“, on the other hand, is more risqué. This country-bluegrass love song was inspired by a full-figured woman at the dog park. She was speaking to her husband on her mobile phone. Her face lit up with a big smile when she proposed “Let’s Have Ribeye Tonight”. I couldn’t help thinking she was planning a romantic evening with him. My inspiration for the song was implanted and I went home to start composing music and writing lyrics. “Ribeye”  makes the point without explicit lyrics.

I needed an idea for a album including all my songs with these more adult themes (this album includes “Hair of the Dog” and “Mister ED”):  “Songs You Can(‘)t Sing to Your Children” (A compilation of Love Songs by Doxter S that are more appropriate for Clyde’s than Gymboree).

 

Dogs and Cats Living Together Dangerously

Dogs and Cats Living Together Dangerously

(Why can’t we all just get along together?)

Doxter S is a equal opportunity songwriter: I include references to pets in a lot of my songs. The behavior of Dogs and cats is better than some human companions. However, referring to one’s significant other in an animalistic way can be very descriptive. Before I wrote “Hair of the Dog” and “Dogged”, I created a song originally in French – “Tourmenter Chat” (Tormenting Cat). I produced this song in both English and French versions. Most of you reading this may not appreciate the French version as much, but I get a lot of comments on the Cover Art.

Dogs and Cats Living Together Dangerously. Why can’t we all just get along together? I like to group my songs according to themes. I feel it’s OK to keep songs about dogs in the same group as songs about cats.  Dogs are man’s best friend, personality-wise, and I would’t mind being treated like one. I like getting a belly rub now and then. Dogs Have Owners and Cats Have Staff. I think that sums up the personalty difference.

The woman singing Tourmenter Chat is addressing her significant other. She compares him to a Tomcat. He is always up to something. You just can’t trust this cat. He better watch out for his tail.

Getting the French version recorded was difficult because I don’t live in France. I found an American singer who specializes in French Cabaret music to record the tracks. My recording engineer is French. They spent hours rewriting the lyrics because the French always criticize Americans when we speak their language.

Tourmenter Chat is really a love song, singing about the importance of having trust in one another. Listening to both versions will help you with your French.

 

 

 

Build a Comfortable Environment for Creative Music

Build a Comfortable Environment for Creative Music

Find a comfortable place where you can cultivate your Imagination

I find many places to relax and contemplate new ideas for my music. The more comfortable the environment, the more creative I can be. I can let my imagination take my music somewhere new and different. I have a sunny room overlooking the garden dedicated to reading and music. Also, there is an extensive library and a wonderful baby-grand piano in ivory that lifts my spirit.

I started out as a piano player. However, I find singing is easier while playing guitar. Because both can be expressive, I often record tracks for each while working on a new composition. This music room is quiet, out of the way, and ideal for strumming and playing arpeggios on the keyboard. I will go back and forth between instruments as I work on the lyrics, rhythm, and chord progressions.

There is a separate studio for recording my singing, additional guitar tracks, and for mixing and mastering. I’ll include more of that with an upcoming post. However, I would rather by here by the piano. File transfers between my desktop and laptop help me to continue the creative process. I write down the music and lyrics using 2 separate programs – MuseScore and SongBook.

I complete the composition going back and forth between instruments and notation programs, and get out a recording for copyright purposes. After filing for a copyright I can continue to refine the recordings by adding new tracks or hiring a backup singer. I developed a system for gradually adding ingredients, analogous to making a stew.

The saying goes “Too Many Cooks”, so I need to return to my sanctuary frequently to get my new song back on track. Sometimes I just read and take a nap.

Mister ED Mister T and other Euphemisms for Health

Mister ED meets Mister T

(and other Euphemisms for Health)

Mister ED is a humorous song by Doxter S.  The title is a euphemism referring to a common men’s health issue. Mister T is tangentially referring to Low T, another similar problem. I wrote Mister ED while working with Hexagon writing music in 2014.  They had already done a skit that year called “Reptile Dysfunction”. It was funny, but no music. I think the producer was getting self-conscious so my song was not selected. No sense of humor.

Mister ED and Mister T are both popularized by the Pharmaceutical Industry. They make BIG MONEY selling little pills. The nurse depicted on the cover is holding something more like a Horse Pill. This brings me back to the original Mister Ed of TV fame. I assume he was a stallion, not a gelding. He was surprisingly clever, and he helped Wilbur with his love life.  Backstage he was known to throw outrageous cast parties.

Low T is the opposite of Mister T.  Mister T is an actor and former professional wrestler. He played B. A. Baracus in The A-TEAM.  (I watched that show every week.) I pitied the fool who underestimated his capabilities. He eventually settled down.  Mr. & Mrs. T make an excellent Bloody Mary Mix.  Low T may be a made up condition. The treatment is expensive. Not that ED treatments are cheap. They have to pay for all those commercials. What’s with those bathtubs?

Mister ED is a humorous song. The stye is jazzy, bluesy, snappy, happy. The lyrics are filled with innuendo and the chorus is hilarious. Humor is, for me, an unavoidable tendency when writing songs. I think music should generate an emotion. The saying goes – laughter is the best medicine. Doxter S is a doctor, after all.

 

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Categorized as Music

Left Brain | Right Brain: Wisdom | Intuition

Left Brain | Right Brain: Wisdom | Intuition

(Trying to get your head around the concept)

There is a lot of discussion these days regarding which parts of our brains are responsible for which jobs. I intentionally used the pleural because of the duality suggested by the title: The Left Brain controls rational thought and is the source of wisdom. The Right Brain controls emotion and is the source of Intuition. I’m getting a headache on both sides just thinking about it.

Without providing any proof that this concept is valid I would rather consider the implications: My left brain negotiates contracts, helps me balance my checkbook, and finds the best price online for a new guitar. My right brain provides the soundtrack to my life, wants to buy a new Ibanez Artcore Jazz Box because it is beautiful to look at, and makes me stop worrying about my checkbook.

Both sides coordinate to combine melody (from the right) and lyrics (from the left) to compose and perform a song. Both sides control the muscles on the opposite side, which means playing a musical instrument using the right hand forces the left brain to be musical as well. Empathy arises from the right brain, whereas talking and texting from the left. Only one side needs to be working to be awake. Both sides stimulate the other constantly, even when we sleep, and when we dream.

All of these concepts can get your head spinning.  Thinking about how complex we all are can help us to appreciate the natural world. This awareness informs Wisdom from the left side. The term “Mindfulness” refers to paying attention to all 5 senses, and perhaps derive the 6th sense – Intuition – from the right side. Mindfulness can help bring a balance between the two side of our natural selves and bring us into harmony with the universe we live in.

 

 

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Categorized as Commentary

Step Into My Parlor: Agent, Promoter, Label

Step Into My Parlor

(said the Agent, Promoter, Label)

The music business is constantly changing, however there are some things that never change. Artists often seek assistance to grow their fan base and make a living from their talents. The Agent, the Promoter, and the Record Label are waiting like this spider for you to step into their parlor. Not that spiders are all bad. There is an ecosystem in the music industry and the connections you need to navigate are like this web. However, getting from where you are to where you want to be can be treacherous (and costly). Someone will always be taking a percentage.

I read an interesting post today about the Agent, Promoter, and Record Label which you should also read. It was written by Bob Lefsetz and describes the nature of all the things an artist could and maybe should get involved with to grow and thrive. There are explanations and maybe some recommendations to follow. The basic truths are, someone other than the artist will always be involved and will need to be fed. The upside is there will likely be a bigger pie to cut up into the more slices you will need to serve.

I don’t intend this post to discourage anyone from having an agent, promoter, or even signing with a record label. I just thought the spiders who worked throughout the night creating their own webs deserved some recognition. Like many of you, Doxter S remains independent, relying on personal contacts and, of course, the internet to promote new music produced over the last half-decade.  And industriously working on newer songs, including Mirrors, which is now awaiting some backing vocals. I will update you with a new post when the final work is done and we go to publish.

 

 

 

 

Published
Categorized as Commentary

Doxter S and SIRI make Beautiful Music Together

Doxter S and SIRI make Beautiful Music Together

The Real Story of SIRI by Doxter S

Doxter S was writing music for Hexagon in 2014 and came up with the idea for his song about SIRI.

Doxter S was driving to a Hexagon meeting in Virginia to discuss music for the next show: “I was using my iPhone for directions. I had other people in the car who were also using their smartphones ‘helping’ with the directions. It was disconnecting  in a humorous way. I offered to write a song for the 2015 Hexagon show about this experience and I came up with SIRI.  The director liked the song but did not see transforming SIRI into a live performance due to technical issues. The smartphone Voice of Siri was a computerized actor, and he wanted live actors.

Siri is, of course, much more famous than Doxter S. I recently had the good fortune to contact the Voice of Siri, Susan Bennett . Susan is a very talented Voice Over artist with many more offerings that most of us have experienced without making the connection. If I had known then what I know now I would have recruited Susan to perform off stage. Maybe there will be an opportunity to do something like this in the future.

Great music always needs a purpose. Writing songs for a show with a specific theme requires a special mindset. The critics are right there sitting with you at the table, drinking coffee, suggesting changes. This meeting of the minds is part of the teamwork needed to produce great music. Composing music and writing lyrics always goes smoothly working alone. Collaboration is more of a rocky road.

There were some other songs I wrote while working with Hexagon that never made the cut. One hasn’t been produced, one is a parody of an old familiar tune, and the third is the subject of an upcoming post.”

 

 

 

What the Stink was all about in Washington DC

What the Stink was all about in Washington DC

Hexagon performs Stink during Midterm Madness

Hexagon is a musical comedy political satire troupe in Washington DC who puts on original variety shows every year. Doxter S was working with Hexagon in 2013 – 2014 writing some original songs, including Stink and Mr. ED. Stink was included in Hexagon’s show Midterm Madness in 2014. Stink was performed as a dance number, although I envisioned a giant Stink Bug singing a solo with the vocal character of Barry White.

I was certainly pleased to have my song selected for performance by Hexagon in 2014, and I understood the importance of allowing the director and producer to use my material as they saw fit. I never envisioned a dance number. Maybe Stink bugs flying around the auditorium, like they do in my bedroom at night.

Here are the lyrics:

UP ON CAPITOL HILL THEY GOT INTO A FIGHT, TRIED TO DEFUND OBAMA THEY FOUGHT THROUGH THE NIGHT

MISTERS BOEHNER AND REED THOUGHT THE OTHER WOULD BLINK, NEITHER SIDE WOULD CONCEDE AND IT STARTED TO STINK

LIKE A STINK BUG I’M HANGING AROUND YOUR DOOR, SO DON’T GIVE ME NO TROUBLE OR I’LL JUST STINK SOME MORE

YOU POLITICAL TYPES YOU SEEK POWER AND FAME, WHEN YOU BREAK DOWN THE HYPE YOU’LL SEE WE’RE THE SAME

WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR YOU’LL BE LOOKING AT ME, WE GOT SOMETHING IN COMMON WE BOTH STINK UP DC

I’M AN INVASIVE SPECIES I JUST MOVED TO DC, THE PLACE SMELLED LIKE FECES THAT WAS PERFECT FOR ME

I’M A SPACE INVADER I’M INVADING YOUR SPACE, MOVING INTO YOUR HOMES FROM MCLEAN TO CHEVY CHASE

ADAMS MORGAN DEL RAY SILVER SPRING COLLEGE PARK, I’LL MOVE IN IN THE FALL WHEN IT STARTS GETTING DARK

I’LL BE JOINING DAN SNYDER AND HIS FRIEND RG3, IF THEIR SEASON’S STINKING THEY CAN BLAME IT ON ME

IM ATTRACTED TO LIGHT WHEN I’M FLYING AROUND IN YOUR BEDROOM AT NIGHT MAKING MY BUZZING SOUND

CAN’T CONTROL YOUR TV CAUSE I’M ON THE REMOTE, I’LL BE THERE AT THE POLLS WHEN YOU GO IN TO VOTE

I’M A STINK BUG, I STINK THEREFORE I AM, I JUST MOVED INTO DC RIGHT WERE THE WHOLE STINK BEGAN

Tips from Doxter S: Useful and Meaningful Advice

Tips from Doxter S

Useful and Meaningful Advice

My favorite line sung by Old Blue Eyes goes: “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere“.  Tips like that are memorable but hard to come by. Doxter S will be continuing to offer useful opinions and meaningful advice here on a regular basis.

Anyone starting to make a go at being a music creator needs a regular source of income. Mozart always had patrons, freeing him to be as creative as he wanted or needed to be. Contemporary musicians usually do gigs that pay insufficiently and infrequently. The Tip Jar is an omnipresent site at the piano bar. Selling Merchandise is often more lucrative than the gig itself, but many venues require a cut of this as well.

Doxter S has learned from some very talented and industrious music creators that you can’t live off the income from making music alone. The saying “Don’t give up your day job” is offered frequently to those who are not already shooting stars in the industry. So what should the budding be doing differently?

My first bit of advice is to claim ownership of all your creations before someone else steals it from you. Anything original you produce belongs to you and can be used to bargain with those who have access to money. Content is King in the Internet Age, so the more you “own” the better off you will be financially.

Be nice to promoters and booking agents, but be smarter than they are. Be wise but not arrogant, Nobody makes money without something to sell, and that something is n this industry is Great Music.  your time working on your original music is your investment in yourself, your “sweat equity” sas they say in business.

And be generous with others like you when you can afford to be.

 

 

Whipped, Teased, Tormented, and Pleased

Whipped, Teased, Tormented, and Pleased

(and not necessarily in that order)

Doxter S says: Interpersonal relations are complex. Strange attractants are at play. Everyone has a hidden agenda. Who hasn’t felt Whipped, Teased, Tormented, and Pleased?

Believe it or not, this post is about great music by Doxter S. The image for this page was never used as cover art for any song, but it pertains to several, including the very first song published by Doxter S.

Don’t Ever Tease Me was composed, written, recorded, produced, and published in 2012. The original cover does represent some of the emotion from the singer’s perspective. It takes Two to Tango, however, and today’s post is about both participants. watch partners dancing the Tango in Buenos Aires to understand why we like our lives spiced with emotion.

Did you know there are five tastes me must detect to make any food tasty? They are as follows: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and umami (savory). The same can be said for relationships. Sweet equates to tenderness, bitter to discord, sour to moodiness, salty to being annoying, and savory to passionate loving. So when we want to Spice Things Up, we really mean to alter the balance of these sensations (just a bit).

Doxter S creates emotional music because he uses interpersonal relationships in almost all of them. The lead vocalist, either man or woman, is usually referring to someone else. There is always a mixture of the five spices of life brought out in the music, through chord progressions as well as the melody. But, the real trick is putting down ideas through words that complement the music.

Listen to any Doxter S song and try to understand the feelings being expressed. They are alternately joyful, heartbreaking, or humorous in a very personal way.

Bon Appetite!