Easy To Love | Enneagram 7 songwriter with Michael Kelsey & Scott Greeson about recording

Making of the Album - Another Universe

Dec 29 2022 • 14 mins

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, Easy To Love (Love Letter From an Enneagram 7) by Vickie Maris and Michael Kelsey.
Album: Another Universe

:00 Sample of the upcoming content about the vocal workout of recording Easy to Love, a song on the album, Another Universe.

:20 Music and introduction of episode

:46 Sample of Easy To Love - live performance by band during Another Universe album release concert by Vickie Maris

1:01 More details about title of song, Easy To Love

1:38 Intro of the episode sponsor, Teach. Inspire. Connect.

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vickiejmaris
Website mentioned about the Everything DiSC or The Five Behaviors workshop with the band: https://everythingdisc.com/vickiemaris

3:03 Inspiration for the song came from a fascination with learning about personality types. Vickie is an Authorized Partner - Everything DiSC and The Five Behaviors. She talks about facilitation of team development workshops, staff retreats, and executive education sessions that incorporate the DiSC profile and other content in the Everything DiSC and/or The Five Behaviors portfolios (both are Wiley brands).

3:48 Team workshop available about team communications and team roles that incorporates the music of the band.

5:23 How to inquire about the workshop with the band: https://everythingdisc.com/vickiemaris

5:38 Welcome to listeners of the podcast!

5:51 An invitation to share out the podcast.

6:01 Description of the hashtag: #teachinspireconnect

6:35 Seque to the conversation about the song, Easy To Love.

7:01 Vickie describes her fascination with the Enneagram personality profile. She introduces her husband, Scott Greeson, co-producer and co-host of the show.

7:34 Vickie introduces Michael Kelsey, recording engineer and producer of the album, co-host of the show. He's the Enneagram expert of the group.

9:14 Description of mind mapping the ideas for the song and then, writing Easy To Love.

10:12 Scott talks about how 8 of the first 10 songs came really quickly, and then Easy To Love shows up as another song that needs to go on the album.

10:34 Michael discussed how a song can come easily when the pressure to songwrite has been removed.

11:05 Vickie share how the song was about 8 hours old when she took it to the studio to record scratch vocals. It was enough for Michael to create a demo track with his voice. Vickie practiced to the demo and was more prepared for singing the keeper vocals a couple weeks later. She and Michael were co-writers on the song.

12:09 Michael talks about how they took the starting point of the song, where they knew something was there to work with, and then switched a few things around as they were laying down the vocal track.

13:17 Vickie talks about the experience of recording the keeper vocals and at the same time, leaving open space for the guitar responses Michael was envisioning as responses to the lyrics.

13:56 Michael reflects on the value of letting the guitar do the talking for a bit.

14:44 The group talks about playing the song live at the album release concert.

14:50 Scott shares one of the lessons for songwriters about trying out several different lyrics, and how "the whimsical simplicity of the lyrics is what sealed the deal."

15:24 "You just know it when you hear it." Michael Kelsey talking about songwriting.

15:54 Sometimes people will work best under pressure.

16:18 Scott discusses the value of the songwriter having a level of trust in the producer / engineer.

17:10 Thank you to Michael Kelsey for the introduction to the Enneagram.

17:30 Ending moments of our live performance of Easy To Love.

Thank you for listening, and for sharing the podcast!

Show co-hosts and album producers:

Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com

Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com

Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com