Episode #206:  Whirlpool (Song starts at 5:20) I enjoyed recording a demo for this episode. It’s such good fun when I do this. It occurs to me as I write these show notes, it’s been a great way to archive some old songs (and of course putting them together with a show that gives them a context. A context? Con : more than one. Text: story. That’s one of the things that makes a song interesting and engaging. That over used word the ‘back story’… I guess that’s actually a step on from the song itself. The lyrics, bring so many memories to the surface for me. They become picture and movies. In a sense, I’m putting music to movies, then. But that’s only one way of looking at it. There are so many things to have under your belt, so many things to look out for as you compose. Yet you’re free, free as a free thing. You’re on the breath. It feels like a short holiday. Thinking about writing a song feels like when you are anticipating of a short holiday. Pretty good, eh? And when you are composing, you’re definitely ‘away’ somewhere. That’s how it feels to write a song like Whirlpool. This song was written in NZ. In 1987, when I was away at the ski fields for a few months. It was a great gig: Lighting the fire In the old fire place in the restaurant in the early evening, then sitting at my keyboard and singing as the guests arrived. I had the best sound in the house. A huge speaker right behind me. Sound is everything when it comes to confidence for live performance. The same when you’re recording music - and it really helps to have a nice peaceful environment when you’re composing. There’s nothing like someone coming in and tapping me on the shoulder when I’m composing. I just about jump out of my skin …because I’m really on another planet. Well, part of me is. It’s the coolest feeling, and it’s like I’m engaged in some sort of exchange, some connection that offers fleeting moments of possibilities. It’s then up to me, with my limitations as a human being to interpret and present the best version of what I’m sensing or hearing in the moment. Anyway, back in the day, in 1987 I was in my early 20s. I felt like my life was racing me by and I really needed to get cracking, Which is funny, looking back from 2024. ‘There’s plenty of time, man!’  that’s what I’d like to say to that young fellow. After those gigs, I’d carry one of my keyboards through the freezing frosty night, back to my room. I’d put pen to paper and quickly write a page of lyrics. The next morning, I’d plug in my relatively new synth (a Roland D50)  and randomly select a patch …(a sound) to compose within away I’d go. Singing and playing. Again, it was so much fun. So, this song started with the lyrics first, where I observed my thoughts spinning like a whirlpool. Playing with an orchestra strings sound, I sang along with the chords and the song we quickly took shape. And there in my old green song book it’s lived, awaiting its moment. So here’s Whirlpool, song #79, from 1987. I hope you enjoy this episode, once again exploring the songwriting process, with anecdotes and also some new improvised music, enjoy. www.petepascoe.wordpress.com is my blog. Lots of links to more of my music and art there. 12 albums streaming presently. Sign up to my email list on my website. www.petepascoe.com And of course, if you’re new here, there’s another 205 episodes to catch up on - in no particular order (that’s 205 songs + a 100 hours of anecdotes, life observations and songwriting stuff).

Episode #205:  Piece This Star Together (Song starts at 4.45) I find it endlessly fascinating, thinking about where a song might come from. 'Piece This Star Together' came from something my grandfather, Harry, said. My mum passed it on to me, when I was a youngster (bit of wisdom, I think): ‘We’ve all got a little piece of the star within us all and we’ve just got to piece this star together’. It resonated in me and it remained in me. Years later, in Melbourne, Australia in 1998, the phrase/ concept popped into my mind, and I thought ‘Aha ! I’ll write a song about this’. It became song #437. Having fun is such a key to getting into the creative zone. As I record these episodes, I find my ‘entertainer self’ switches on. An ‘up’ sort of a vibe happens. To be creative, you have to believe you can. The key is to have fun and see where the moment takes you. This is ‘being in the moment’. This is the sort of feeling I had as I let my hands wander on the keys in 1998, As I looked a the lyrics of 'Piece This Star' and composed the music. I had in mind a sort of ‘up’ acoustic guitar driven band song. It can be a tricky thing to come up with on the piano, but if I get a feeling to go down a certain track along the creative way, I don’t block the idea. I’m glad I didn’t block it. 'Piece This Star Together' is an up, happy song. The demo on this episode was 1 of 14 songs, which I recorded with Paul Dredge and Earl Pollard, in Earl’s garage, in NZ one afternoon in 1999. We recorded the songs back to back, using minimal gear. It was such good fun. We’d never rehearsed these songs together. This demo remains the one and only take. I’m glad we recorded it. I will release the 14 songs as an ‘archive’ sort of album. (I did a small release of 100 CDs back in 1999, but it ‘wasn’t quite there’, so a few years ago I re-recorded the vocals - there were too many squawks from my mother’s budgies in the original recording. Not that there’s anything wrong with budgies, but they have their place. They can be noisy birds at times! Perhaps, more to the point, your mother’s kitchen may not be quite the place to record vocals for an album! I’m an optimistic sort of bloke. In my 20s I was hoping to make a positive difference by releasing my art and music into the world. That basic plan hasn’t changed. My art and music has helped me so much along the way. In fact it has turned out to be the way. This podcast is a great vehicle to give some songs a bit of air, it’s an opportunity to talk about how a song might come together - but more than that, it’s turning out to be a lot about: how ideas all seem to come out at once, some seemingly unrelated, but if we I’ve them a voice, a chance, often they’ll turn out to be interrelated and suddenly you discover and underlying theme or purpose and away you go. The creative process is a mysterious like that. It’s doesn’t necessarily unfold on a timeline as you’d expect. On this episode you’ll hear me winging the beginning of a song, I didn’t block the feeling. It seemed right. I’ve listened back and I think there’s definitely something there, something to knead like a piece of dough, a bit more, nudge it gently into shape. It’ll be a song - I can tell - if I give it a bit more time and energy. I can talk. Let’s face it (there is now more than 100 hours of me talking about creativity, the art of song writing, the art of being human on this podcast), but sometimes the best way to illustrate a process or a concept is to just demonstrate it. So having my piano at my finger tips as I chat really works for me. Ok, here we go: another fully ‘winged’ episode. I never have any show notes and before I push the record button, I have no idea about what I’m going to focus on. The song leads the way. As I’ve mentioned, the entertainer within me comes to the party. Each episode is a half hour performance, like an online ‘songwriter speaks’ sort of gig, Ok, let’s have look at how 'Piece This Star ' came together (and ...

Episode #204:  The Setting Sun. (Song starts at 4:12) In the studio, I opened the songbook book and thought ‘Hey, why haven’t I featured Setting Sun on on an episode yet? It’s been sitting there since 2013’. So here we go. I thought I’d have a sing and play through the song, but I did a quick search of my hard drive and found an old piano vocal demo. It’s got lots of energy. A snapshot of a moment in time. That’s what makes demos great. So where does a song come from? Looking at my song book, I see the songs immediately before and after Setting Sun are quite serious  in a sort of a social conscience/ political style. I must’ve been reading the news paper too much (something I don’t do much)…there’s a line in the song: This news ain’t news …and it’s driving me to tears. So there’s been some bad news happening for some time. But there’s been good stuff as well. Setting sun is about acknowledging the situation and needing/choosing to rebuild - rebuilding society, connection, all the good stuff. It’s also about going too fast. ‘Been on the run like an Apple stealing boy…’. Speaking of apples, they must’ve been still on my mind on because late in this episode as I relate an anecdote about an airborne apple (perhaps it was me that threw the apple)..I particularly enjoy sharing some of the memories that pop into my mind as I talk about the songs. This song is also about (potentially) evolving ‘ I’m on the brink of new dimension….(with a dose of reality): : or maybe having a drink ( perhaps not the most helpful coping mechanism), and did I mention….the setting sun. The setting sun is a fairly cliched (cliched for a reason) image of a rather gloomy view of humanity. But I’m an optimist. I believe we can turn things around. People see the world as a storm of threats. If you’ve been watching the news, we’ll you’d  be entitled to think that was the case. I think the reality is: there’s a lot of good stuff going on in the world too, it just doesn’t make the news very often. To draw attention to all these ‘heavy’ things, I’ve chosen to deliver ‘the news’ in an up sort of rocking song. Then, unexpectedly, the chorus drops back into halftime feel to acknowledge the gravity of the situation, and the same for a reflective quiet end, allowing time for reflection on what might be. This is the power of music and words. Wrapping the heavy news in a somewhat lighter manner makes it more palatable, allowing for the message to get across - like it’s inside some sort of Trojan horse, I suppose. I haven’t set out to do this consciously. It was more of an automatic decision…my optimistic self appears to be tied closely to my entertainer self: art and music can entertain and inform… Speaking of which, that’s exactly what I’m setting out to do each week on this podcast…and my weekly blog: lots of good news here folks: art and music on offer here each week. www.petepascoe.wordpress.com . Enjoy. And I hope you enjoy this episode’s song and chat as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together. Here we go: Setting Sun.

Episode #203: Count On Love     (Song starts at 3:42) Welcome to a very relaxed episode. Thanks for tuning in, by the way…it’s great that this podcast is being listened by people all around the world. Music is the international language isn’t, it - or perhaps it’s love? Song #617, Count On Love, started out life as a piano solo piece. You can hear the original piece on my album 'Peace' (1 hour of peaceful piano solo pieces). Somewhat bizarrely (and rather unromantically), it was one of 3 pieces I wrote back to back in about 30mins, to use to teach piano. After a while, it felt like this one was perhaps worth taking a bit further and the phrase ‘count on love’ came to me as I started humming and sounding out syllables as I played through the piece. And all the lyrics came out as fast as I could write them down. That was the way this song came together. The flow was happening the afternoon I sat at my old upright piano and let my hands find the opening riff and away I went - and it was the same when the lyrics eventually came through. Flow would be the word. On a whim, I picked up an old diary before I recorded this episode. I flicked open on the page where I was mourning letting go of an old piano - the one I wrote 'Count On Love' on. We songwriters are a sentimental bunch. I’d have a few pianos now, if I had the choice. But then, I’m glad I’ve passed them on. I hope someone else is still enjoying playing them today. Also in the Diary, I’d written at the same time about we had to move house unexpectedly, so there was a sense of melancholy about my mood. 'Count On Love' was written about that time, so maybe that’s what was coming through. (I relate some memories from that time on this episode...I need not have worried as it turns out… the house we moved into had a nice room for a studio - and we are still there after 7 pretty much peaceful years). Which brings me to this: with the arts, I think it really helps to be living the lifestyle to produce art and music with feeling. I can’t help but have what I’m feeling coming through my work. The gist of the lyrics is: whenever you’re feeling lost, you can always count on love. I was thinking of the cosmic sort of love that flows all a round and within us, the healing, creative force that whispers to us constantly, the voice that seems to suggests paths to take. Perhaps by composing and consequently tuning in to this domain so much, this has the effect of honing the ‘muscle’. For want of a better word. There’s nothing like just doing it. Again and again It’s not something I take for granted. Far from it. It’s a total mystery. It feels great to compose. Sometimes it just feels like you’re being carried along on a breeze. This sort of mood seems to pervade this episode. I hope you enjoy this one as I gently explore this gentle song with words and with my fingers on the keys. I particularly enjoy listening to my album 'Peace'. It just seems to flow along the way 'Count On Love'. It’s one of 4 piano solo albums I have currently streaming. I always find some peace when I play piano. It’s great to be sharing so much here on this podcast. If you’d like to read about more music, my art, here’s my weekly blog www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com  Video courses coming up! Ok here we go. Ready for another song and some chat? Rollin’!

Episode #202:  Sideways From A Paper Bag   (Song starts at 3:55) On this episode I’m going to take you back in time, with a demo recorded in the year 2000. Quite a bizarre title, isn’t it. Something I’ve noticed on this podcast is that as lyricist, if I’m not really too sure what to write about, I’ll look around and see what’s happening around me. My eyes will generally focus on a object and I’ll just go ahead a describe it. This seems to have the effect of grounding the song in something real. And away I go. In this case I saw a poster sticking out of paper bag, with a face on it. The face seemed to be asking me: “What are you doing? How are your plans going?” Back in those days, in 1998, when I composed this one (song #450), I was generally a words first, music second sort of a song writer. My girlfriend (now my wife) and I arrived in Melbourne in 1997, having set out from New Zealand, making a new start. I really wanted a new band, but I didn’t have one yet. I didn't let that stop me. Sideways was written specifically for a band - a band that was going to sound something like Crowded House, Neil Finn’s great band. There’s a line in the song ‘You are what you listen to’. Well, I’ve listened to a lot of Crowded House, loved the songs, loved the production. Check the recordings out if you’re not sure what I’m talking about. Have a listen to the production ( Mitchell Froom on the 1st 3 albums) and hear great band arrangements, - and Neil Finns brilliant song writing). Neil’s songwriting and recordings and live performances had a marked effect on me, a youngster - also from NZ - trying to make my way in the world with my music. In those days, moving across to Melbourne was a rite of passage. (the day my band played at The Espy, an iconic hotel in St Kilda, was a fine day. I’d seen the poster of Split Enz (billed as NZ’s greatest rock n roll band, which I’m not sure they would’ve been too happy about, with their wild stage makeup, costumes, art rock sort of performances) of their first appearance there back in the day. Anyway, we finally got to play there - and it felt good - we also made the top 10 out of 100 bands in a competition, so we got to play The Espy a few times, in the end. That band is now called Pete Pascoe and The Patient Hum. We’ve been going a while now, our 3rd album is nearly finished. At the time of writing Sideways, I’d just been introduced to Ants Reed. He’s the rhythm guitarist in our band today…so even when it feels like things are really happening, …I think they are. If you put stuff out, maybe consider slowing down a bit and let the universe deliver a response to what your putting out. Because I believe it does. The lines ‘Trying to do too much soon, you’ll never see tomorrow trying to fly to the moon’ sort of sum it up. Steady progress is the key, on which I’ve been focussing: doing all I can to progress with my music and art, here in Melbourne, Australia. See the blog (lyrics, art and more music - 202 posts) : www.petepascoe.wordpress.com Looking forward to releasing more new music soon…and gigs to that’ll be fun. I hope you enjoy this episode. It’s all good fun here. Here we go…Sideways From A Paper Bag..  Rollin’ !

Episode #201: Sleeping On A Wish (Song starts at  4:08) I’m in a fairly relaxed state of mind. I’ve been holidaying, camping beside a stream In Bright, Vic, Australia. The sound of the stream is what I’ve brought back with me, it just sort of permeates the whole being, the sounds of the stream and birds. So when I came into my studio, I thought to myself I’m not going to do a rock n roll song…I’m in a cruisey mood. 'Sleeping On A Wish' came from a phrase my daughter said to me when she was very, very young. It’s a nice time, having a wee conversation with your child just before you put the light out. Sometimes there’s a very honest lovely unexpected conversation. It’s from the heart - it’s beautiful. “Sleeping on a wish” ….I said to my daughter "I think I’m going to write a song with that”...she said “You do that, Dad”. So I did. All you need is a start. A start comes from feeling, that’s what I make sure of. It’s art. It’s got to come from the true part of the self. I went to my studio and wrote the words. Then came the music, the whole song flowed. Each section followed easily, naturally. Like a Goodnight story. I really enjoyed recording the demo for this song, as part of this episode. 'Sleeping On A Wish' is song # 604, written in 2014. Here we are in 2024 and it’s seeing the light of day. It nearly ended up on a children’s album, which I recorded back then and inexplicably never released. Hmmm maybe it’s nearly time to revisit those songs and put them out there. I believe I will enjoy recording this song properly one day. Who knows, maybe the demo I just recorded will will become the starting point. The great thing about digital recording is: the demo can become the real thing. This has been an extremely relaxed episode for me to record once again - I even recite the lyrics as poetry. Why not, I like to have fun and play as I wing these spoken word half hour episodes. I’m very comfortable sitting at my piano as I chat, there is no script. I’ve discovered by accident, really: since I’m exploring a creative exercise, it’s made sense to have fun and just play as I go. I’ve  included a recording of the birds and stream from my holiday, here. It made sense, as this is what got me in the mood to look at 'Sleeping On A Wish'. I hope you enjoy this episode, as I talk about how this song came into being, demonstrating on the piano as I go along. Here we go, rolling !

Episode #200 :  One Thing We Know. (Song starts at 4:26) Welcome to episode #200! It’s such a great feeling, because I honestly wasn’t sure I’d get past episode #1. It’s become like a ‘Songwriter Speaks’ sort of an online gig for me - something I really look forward to each week. Whether you’ve been here from the start with me, or a new arrival, or perhaps you pop in from time to time, regardless, thanks so much for tuning in. I hope you’re enjoying this podcast as much as I am. I wrote this song back in 2009. I was at a school where I was a piano teacher, as a contractor. In between lessons, I found myself thinking about my own young family - and I was thinking about the school kids racing around outside at lunchtime. The feeling came to me really strongly to write some words. I can’t believe you’re growing so fast, eyes on the future , you’re free from the past Loving your life is the thing you do best, doing what’s right and forgetting the rest Those are the words I started out with. I recorded a piano vocal version as part of this episode., which was fun. At the end I’ve included a produced version which appeared as track #4 on my self-recorded album The Man In Blue (2014). As usual, on this episode, I let the song lead the way - and the little mistakes: sometimes just playing and having fun allows me to get near to the mystery that songwriting is. And a mystery it is - the creative force, whatever you want to call it, the muse… As I compose, a gentle give and take sort a process seems to happen. I stay ‘on the breath’, certainly not over-thinking things, but my logical self is across all the theory. My hands are on the keys, and my voice floats above the chords on the piano. The feeling never ceases to amaze me. To demonstrate this process, I end up improvising the beginning of a new piece on this episode. One Thing We Know, song #552,  came together easily, once again.  It’s concise and is an easily understood song. Of all the things I’ve talked about on this podcast, perhaps the main thing has been the idea of making the commitment to catch the little bits and pieces as they come through, writing it down in a note book and and away you g, .creating and composing. Personal freedom would be the key. If I hadn’t made that commitment years ago I wouldn’t have 800 songs up my sleeve here in 2024. Thanks so much for having read. I hope you enjoy the 200th show. Here’s the blog which I mention www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com. The last 200 posts will give you an idea of not only what I’ve been up to these last 200 weeks, ( painting, drawing, composing, writing, etc), but it shows what I’ve been up to in my life on this artists path. It’s a joy. Ok here we go.  One thing we know….episode#200 - Rollin’ !

Episode #199: Song For August   (Song starts at 3:08) Welcome to another song - and another 30 mins of observations, humour, with a particular focus on songwriting. For this episode, as it happens, I found a couple of different of versions of Song #396, Song For August, using the same lyrics. Both done in 1994. One was written on the piano by myself. The version we went with ( and quite rightly) is the one Paul Dredge and myself wrote on guitar (Paul) and voice (me). This was one of 12 songs which Paul and I decided to record one weekend, years later in Melbourne Australia. We were joined my the marvellous Earl Pollard. We'll always miss his great drumming, as sadly he’s no longer with us. It was another person passing over that gave me the motivation to write these lyrics. His death had a profound effect on me. Not long after I found myself out on the road by myself. I was a bit thin, struggling a bit really. Hanging on in there was the only choice to make. But sometimes it’s a rough road, isn’t. There’s a line in the song ‘standing on my own two feet’. It’s about surviving then, hanging in there against the odds, perhaps. The lyrics came quite quickly, as they tend to. When it came to writing the song with Paul on guitar, the song pretty much came in one take - definitely one fast burst of continuous creativity. I include the demo, which was recorded immediately after we wrote it, so basically we wrote it then recorded it in no time. Great fun, when you’ve got two minds, two artists working together, communicating without speaking, trusting each other, it really is gold. Towards the end of this episode, I decided to compare the two different versions of the song. It’s fascinating , vocal phrasing. Groups of words seem to really dictate the rhythmical aspect of a phrase, for sure… I hope you enjoy hearing how this song came about. It was good fun, finding these old demos and bringing this episode together. If you do find someone to write with, and it goes well, hang on to that relationship. Paul and I have just about wrapped up what will be our 6th folk rock album. You can find 'Song For August' on our album (appropriately named) Lost In Time ( the recording session was in 2012, I think (18 years after we wrote the song!) The album is currently only on Bandcamp. www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com. The whole album was recorded and mixed in two studio sessions, somewhat crazily, but that’s all the time we had. I still have the masters for this album, I think it’s nearly time to revisit some of the recordings and make a few changes here and there - just a few. So with songs, I think it’s really important not to be afraid to discard parts, even whole versions of songs as we did in this case. I’m wondering whether I just plain forgot I wrote the song on the piano piano fist. Regardless, I’m glad it was forgotten. There’s something about the song Paul and I wrote, the number one thing would be feeling, there’s lots of that here…see what you think, Here we go, Song For August.

Episode #198:  Only Love Is Real   (Song starts at 4:29) This one, Song #660, popped up in amongst a dozen or so songs I had a sing and play through, earlier today. I thought ‘Aha!’ this would be a good one to have a look at for the podcast. It’s a seemingly simple song. A ‘big day’ was the topic of my blog this week. And it was a big day, the day I took the hand of the person who turned out to be my wife… 'When you took my hand, helped me to understand Worked out how I felt, The turning of the wheel, Only love is real ' At the time it felt momentous. Ii felt like everything that had seemed so important, everything that had a hold on me, just sort of fell away. 'When you caught my eye, we gave this dance a try…' I’ve been thinking a lot and reading a lot through the years. The title of this song is also about how: before the Big Bang, all the way through since, underlying all, is love. We perceive only a fraction of whats going on. And that’s just fine. I think it’s good to keep your feet on the ground, have fun and enjoy yourself along the way. I tell my piano students, having a laugh is a not a bad idea when we make a mistake - it keeps the door of creativity open, keeps the energy flowing. We’d be a grumpy old lot otherwise, wouldn’t we? The great thing about a song is: it goes on. It comes through, on the ether (love) and as a song writer, you do your best to interpret and represent what is coming through, to the best of your ability. Then you arrange and record it and send it out into the world. On this podcast you get the experience of listening to a song for the first time. I love doing that, I’m a real album person. The first thing I used to do was turn the album cover over and read the lyrics, while listening to the songs. I get lost in a song that way. Sure you can have background music on, why not? But I’m talking about listening closely, here. It’s so good for us. I’m always doing it.. I’m also a painter. I enjoy painting in my studio and also I particularly like to paint 'en plein air' ( French for on the spot out in nature). I get lost in the scene when I’m painting. I lose the sense of self. The separation to nature is no longer there and I’m part of the scene. It happens when I go fly fishing on a river. And it happens when I write a song, It can also happen when you hold the hand of someone …you realise the potential of what may be ahead, it can be a transformational moment And love is what can be expressed. In this song, the lyrics are reflective, looking back, acknowledging how good it is, how amazing it is. There is also the bridge….a chance for another view point, in this case it’s an acknowledgement that there may be a listener (in the future, perhaps) who isn’t exactly on top of the world and is not in love with someone, not in a relationship. So there’s a line there that basically is saying: ‘hang on… things will improve..The new dawn will come’. This is the way I roll. I like to offer help - there’s an uplifting aspect to my lyrics and I’m very happy about that. And apparently my piano playing does the same thing, so I’m happy about that too. I also happen to like talking, particularly ‘off the cuff’ - there’s no script & I have no idea what I’m about to say as I record these 30 minute episodes. A bit of humour keeps it real. And only love is real. Here we go. I hope you enjoy this episode…

Episode #197:   Let Her Know    (Song starts at 5:19) Song #156, Let Her Know, was composed in 1990. Back then, I was starting to think that’s a reasonable amount of songs. The demo on this episode was recorded a decade later. And here we are in 2024. Wow. 34 years later, I find myself with 800 songs. It was fun, as always, listening to the demo, playing parts of 'Let Her Know', talking about where it came from, how it came together, what inspired the song. What inspired the song were a series of episodes that obviously happened years ago. But the thing about art is: in brings memories to the surface, very strongly - so strongly, it feels like yesterday. The arts are a means to exercise the grey matter, there’s no doubt about that! But more than that, it really gives us an opportunity to explore more of ourselves than is perhaps immediately apparent. You can go deep within, rediscovering old memories. Each song is a complete surprise to me during the composing process. As you wade in and make a start, so much happens. You establish the mood. In no time, a band is playing in my mind - perhaps an orchestra, backing vocals, everything including the kitchen sink. That amazes me. And yet it all comes down to the honest feeling, the feeling that caused me to pick up a pen and write an A4 page of lyrics. Then the morning comes, when the mood hits me, I remember the words. I grab a coffee and a pen and take a seat at the piano. For me it’s like a performance, writing a song, I’m in my skin, in the room with the piano of course, but part of me has gone somewhere else - many places: I’m on stage in an imagined future, I’m back in time, recalling those strong feelings, how the events unfolded. It’s like a start stop movie, for me. It has the effect of making you feel really alive, your mind goes over and over a scene, replaying what happened, and you provide the sound track to the movie in your head. At least, that’s how it is for me. It’s the most natural process for me. It’s a total joy, there’s no struggle, no frustration, and for that I feel incredibly grateful. Let her know is about a young fellow struggling with something: he’s met someone that’s hit him right between the eyes. Should he let her know? What would happen? How would that feel? What subsequent events would that set in motion? Putting big feelings like this into music is a great move. It gets it off your shoulders and it might turn out to be exactly what someone needs to hear somewhere down the track - even 34 years later! I have a seascape exhibition on presently (I’m also an artist). Outcomes will be what they’ll be… will I sell the paintings? I don’t know. I hope so! But what counts for me at least is: each painting is an expression of joy. It wasn’t a fight to get the paint to flow, to mix the right colours - the colours I could see in my mind (like the sounds I hear). It’s so like the songwriting process. I hope you enjoy this weeks episode, recording them is a real pleasure  each week - an online performance of spoken word and music, with plenty of humour and entertainment. I’m glad I took the time to write some words down and then added a music accompaniment as I winged the melody. Back in 1990. It's such a great feeling, and it’s also incredibly good fun and endlessly fascination to be exploring the creative process of songwriting here on this podcast. Here we go again:  Let Her Know. Enjoy!

Episode #196: Home Straight  (Song starts at  2:40) This episode’s song would be a ‘protest song’ about the way we are not looking after the world & how out of touch with nature we have become. Every now and then a song like this sneaks up on me. When it happens, I just go with the flow. It’s a great way to let off some steam. It’s also a very creative & effective way of dealing with some big feelings. The trick is, it doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s a great place to put anger, the arts - because we can harness all that sometimes explosive energy and release it very quickly, rather than doing something pointless and destructive like booting a washing basket or something, you end up creating a piece of art. The handy thing is, the resulting piece of art/music can then be a very positive thing to have brought into the world. It might be song with legs - a song that might resonate with others who’ve felt the same big feelings about a certain issue. In this case, what inspired me to put pen to paper initially was this: those of you that have been following my podcast know that I get out in nature to reset. Particularly, I find being by the water does it for me. Yes, I’m a fisherman, but a successful trip out for me might be 2 caught and released wee ones. It’s really about observing nature. More than that, I’ve discovered it’s about being connected to the bigger picture. A feeling of connectedness and optimism and energy are often the things I return home with - the catch - hey, maybe that’s an idea for a song. That’s how creativity works. Once you makes a start, you’re in the flow and one creative idea leads to another. Anyway back to what inspired this song, I looked up from my favourite fishing spot to see what appeared to be an oil rig of some description in the Port Phillip Bay (here in Melbourne, Australia). Alarm bells. But then it turns out apparently it was just ‘resting there’, hmm… That got me on to thinking about all the ways we are not doing great things to this beautiful world we live in. All the lyrics just came through my pen, a strong meter helped. It gave me the momentum & helped with the flow, the phrasing. In no time at all I’d filled 2 A4 pages with verses and choruses. When it came to writing the music a couple of days later, it was the feeling that came through the words that reignited the energy, the passion to get the job done. The melody and chords and song structure all came with a rush, very naturally. I had to force myself to stop and jot down my ideas then carry on, back in the flow. The result is: song #628 fits me like a glove. In terms of the vocal range, the style ( the words are very ‘me’), the melody has natural highs and lows, the chords and the bass line all make sense. I think that’s the best sort of song: the most ‘natural’. You can chip away and construct from bits and pieces , but quite often, the end result can be a song that sounds a little contrived. In my experience, these songs can be frustrating to record, as the energy doesn’t seem to flow. It’s an endlessly fascinating process to be talking about each week. I’ve just been away camping at the beach for a week. It was bliss, just letting the somewhat unseasonable sort of changeable weather roll around me (and ‘through’ me, it seemed, eg: the night I tried 2 casts in a howling 70km wind that got up from nowhere). I include a couple of minutes of chat, which I recorded back home at my local beach the other night. On the spur of the moment, I added some piano music as I listened back to it. I find it very relaxing to listen to these podcast episodes. I have a Seascape exhibition opening shortly, so I’ve been up til 3am painting. I like to review my work, so as I painted, I listened to 3 randomly selected podcast episodes in a row: Crossroads, In The Scheme Of Things and I wish. I found them to be interesting, and informative, funny and entertaining. If you find you’ve enjoyed this episode,

Episode #195: White Angels  (Song starts at 5:51) On this episode we are looking at the 2nd song I wrote after I arrived in Melbourne in 1997. I'd already written 385 songs in New Zealand before this one. I came to Melbourne as it was a rite of passage, of sorts, for kiwi songwriters to jump the ditch. I was here to set up camp, to be here for some time, to continue on - or perhaps more accurately start again - on my creative path. I needed to find some more band players, and I really wanted to get cracking again, here, in a new country. Songwriting is something has pretty much always ticked along for me. In 1997 once I’d settled in to life in the city, I picked up a newspaper and there was a headline that really hit me between the eyes: 17 young people had overdosed in 3/4 hour in Melbourne's cbd. It struck me what an awful time that must have been for those involved - the young people themselves, their families, the ambulance drivers. A scene unfolded in my minds eye and I didn’t shut it down. It became a movie. This in turn inspired the lyrics. Improvising music to words (or while watching images) is something that I find comes to easily to me. I think it’s because all the emotion is already there. I’ve always had the ability to ‘roll a film’ in my mind. I think we all do, don’t we? (I draw cartoon animals. So if I think of say, a llama playing saxophone, there he is, moving around, eyes shut wailing away..hmm, maybe I shouldn’t mention that publicly.) Anyway, as I read the newspaper article, a really strong feeling took hold of me and the words streamed off my pen. When it came time for the music, a gospel sounding riff came through my finger tips on the piano keys. It set up the first verse and there I was: well underway, again, with another song. Over the intervening years, I think I was perhaps a little bit hard on myself, in terms of whether I thought this song was good enough to release. Us artists can be too tough on ourselves. Sometimes nothing we’ve produced ever seems good enough, which is strange, really. Pieces of art & songs, are all like stepping stones along the way for the artist. I think: if the art or music is of a certain standard (it ‘passes the muster’), put it out there and move on. That’s what I’ve been doing with this podcast - and my blog: 195 weeks of sharing what I’m up to, some of the how to. I'm looking to share and help people along the way. Encouraging people along a creative path is the idea. Because it can’t help to be a healing path. You learn about yourself - like the line in white angels: 'the past clears, the path clears and today is much less blurred.' As I’ve recorded these episodes, I’ve realised even more just how powerful it is to write a song. A song brings back so many memories. It's got be good for your brain to be used like that. The very same song is going to have different connotations, bring to mind different memories, for different people. That’s powerful. The listener has an emotional response and again, this can also be a healing thing. So feels really, really good to be a songwriter. It’s nice to be sharing some of my processes here on this podcast. In this case, I’ve rediscovered a sort of a gospel ballad. I’m so pleased I wrote it - and I’m pleased that I recorded the demo back in 2000. I have played this song in restaurants as a piano solo piece, but I’ve never sung it live. I hope you enjoy another song and chat, here we go, More here: Lyrics, links to music and art www.petepascoe.wordpress.com

Episode #194: Parachutes    (Song starts at 4:40) Back in 1993, I had a residency as a pianist at a resort in Wairakei, near Taupo, in New Zealand. To rejuvenate myself - and lift my spirits - while I know I was very lucky to have this sort of gig, being a pianoman has it’s ups and downs. During the daytime, I’d often get out into nature. I’d play golf or go trout fishing. I wrote the words for song #303, Parachutes, as I sat in my old van Hercules one late morning. I’d taken a drive to a vantage point where I knew there was a fantastic view of Lake Taupo, with the volcanic plateau as a back drop. It was a pristine early winter’s morning of blue sky and water. It had a been a big night, the night before. After some persuasion (a conversation in a bar after the gig), I’d finally been convinced to go parachuting the next day. I woke in the morning with a bad hangover and a sinking feeling of doom - which was quickly alleviated by a phone call “ It’s too breezy, we’ll have to skip it this morning”. I got away with it. As I wrote the lyrics, the winter breeze had chosen to be kind - kind to me, by blowing early, then calming down for some other parachutists, who were now hanging against the distant storm clouds in the distance. Although I wouldn’t have minded their view, I certainly wasn’t wishing I was up there. Comfortable in my van, I imagined their view. It reminded me how free I was. Young, single, on the road - the future was wide open. I was missing my co-songwriter buddy, Paul Dredge. He’d recently left - onto other things -  so I was licking my wounds a bit, determined to carry on. So when it came to writing the music, back in the incredibly peaceful Kuratau, where I was based at the time, I had a go at writing an ‘up’ sort of song that Paul and I might have written together, with Paul on guitar. Fast forward to 2023, I found my self recording a demo midway through this episode. Something was missing, and then it hit me. Another voice! So I went back and recorded another vocal part (in the style of Finn brothers, Every brothers, etc) and I think Parachutes finally came together. Paul and I still enjoy singing together like this. Another year is coming to close. It’s been a goodie for me: I’ve chosen to spend lots of time creating music and art. It’s a timeless time. I’m in another world. I leave all my worries, all the ‘goings on’ behind and I’m completely in the zone when I write words, music and paint pictures. Paul and I are close to finishing our 6th Folk Rock album . The rock band PP and the Patient Hum are closing in on another one. You can find my music here: www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com  (also streaming on the usual platforms). Looking forward producing to a stack more music and ain 2024. Ok join me in Hercules the van, over looking the lake, back in 1993: Church bells are ringing from somewhere afar Times gliding by, day by day, I’m biding time and I gaze At the parachutes in the sky… Enjoy. Lyrics and more art and music here on my blog www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com

Episode #193: Soul Yo-Yo     (Song starts at 5:08) Ever wondered about all the personal ups and downs we have and how - in some of the more extreme moments - we seem to bring to light aspects of ourselves we perhaps don’t regularly access? I wonder why we wait for those times of crises to express and act on more of our potential? That was the inspiration for the words of song #43 Soul Yo-Yo, Written in 1998. ‘We’re barely in touch with our souls, closest to them in our pain’ When I arrived in Melbourne (from NZ, back in 1997), it was quite an adjustment to make, living in the big city. The normal ensuing ups and downs of settling into somewhere new resulted in me writing a lot in a diary - some of which, in turn, found it’s way into lyrics for my songs as I found my way along. I was lucky. I found gigs relatively straightaway and, after a while, I started a stall at the arts market selling my CDs and art (which I still do today). In between gigs and markets, sometimes life in the city was quite challenging. Seeing people who were homeless as I took the tram to a gig (where I entertained in the shiny environment, performing for clientele with plenty of money to buy dinner) played on my mind. Also, I missed the easily accessible NZ outdoors, where I was used to heading for several times a week to help cope with city life: ‘The country feeds my soul’. Looking at the bigger picture, the lyrics touch on the idea of perhaps doing a bit of work on the self regularly: ‘It’s soul money in the bank’ I was without a band at the time & I was in the process of trying to find some players for a rock band (And I did - Pete Pascoe and the Patient Hum - I’m busy finishing our 3rd album, presently). So I wrote Soul Yo-Yo for a non existent band, planning to present it sometime in the future (it’s in the genre of a lively crowded house song). I was determined to be making progress in some way. By doing this, I was sort of laying down stepping stones for a possible future. An exercise in self belief, determination - in effect, acting in faith, that it would all come together, somehow. The demo on this episode was recorded back in 2000. I’d gone into a studio with my electric piano and my voice, and recorded the current group of song (I’d completely forgotten about this recording session until I put my hand in a box of old recordings and pulled out a CD…this is song number 5 row 14 recorded ‘on the trot’ one afternoon). On the recording, you can hear a younger me, playing and singing in a style that would suit a band arrangement. I think perhaps I’ll present this one to the band in the new year and see how it goes. If it doesn’t suit us, I’ll might put it on a sort of ‘80s synth rock’ album, which I have brewing. With this sort of back story as a kind of a backdrop, I hope you enjoy the show, listening as I analyse the lyrics and look at how the music came together for 'Soul Yo-Yo'. The creative process of songwriting is such a joy. Exploring 'Soul Yo-Yo' has brought more of that to the surface again on this episode. It’s such good fun to be producing the episodes for this podcast. It’s my online ‘songwriter speaks’ sort of a presentation. So here’s another song, several interrelated stories and concepts - all delivered with a liberal dose of humour and with some piano accompaniment. Enjoy (and by the way, if you’re new here, welcome! If you enjoy this episode, there’s another 192 listen to!) Blog: www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com

Episode #192: When I Was Young  (Song starts at 4:52  ) When I Was Young is song #554, composed in 2010. I remember it was a fun piece to write. Lyrically, as the title suggests, it’s an older me, looking back at my youth. It’s a reflective lyric. It’s about hanging on to the childhood optimism, the magic that can be found in life. I strive to hang on to those sorts of feelings. I think because I’m so involved in the arts, it’s kept me awake, alive, optimistic and passionate about life. The music came together quickly. The words (which came first) dictated the rhythmical aspect of each vocal phrase, to a degree. I float a vocal melody above the improvised chords and each section leads naturally into the next. It’s like opening a series of presents. It’s an incredibly enjoyable thing to do, composing. Actually, that doesn’t cut it. It’s a total joy. I chose to compose quite ‘up’ music to go with these lyrics. I’ve got a tendency to do that reasonably often. I think it comes from my history of being a live performer. The quieter songs have their place, for sure. But there’s nothing quite like having some more up songs up your sleeve when you’re under the pump on the gig. Speaking of gigs, on this episode, I take you back in time when I was cutting my teeth on my first gigs, playing piano in restaurants. I was learning so much by creating arrangements in the moment. I was playing songs by great song writers. I had books of sheet music: Great Songs of the 70s and the Beatles complete. They got me through, to begin with. Back when I was growing up on a small Pacific island like New Zealand, the music coming from the USA and England was ‘the business’. That’s what everyone listened to. It took courage and a lot of self belief to have a go at songwriting. Great NZ songwriters like Neil and Tim Finn and Dave Dobbyn showed us we could -  thanks so much to those wonderful artists. I’m so pleased I did have a go at song writing, and I’m pleased I haven’t stopped. I have 5 albums nearing completion at the moment and I have another 20 new songs waiting to be written into my song books. If you’re thinking about getting into songwriting, I say: go for it! And when you start, don’t stop. This podcast is about rediscovering older songs and finding out where they came from, how they came to be - the composition process. I’m not going to presume to be able to tell you how to write a song, but I’m endeavouring to describe and demonstrate the way I do it. it’s fun sitting at my piano each week. The moment the mic is ready and I hit record, I go into performance mode. The podcasting is something I’m really enjoying. The initial songwriting often happens in a burst of activity for me. They seem to come through very quickly for me. So when I feel the urge, I put everything aside for a moment and see what comes through. Once the songs are written, I open my songbooks, and perform a few, maybe on a rainy day, when the mood strikes me. Often I randomly pick songs that seems to fit together. I get lost in the performance and 2 hours later I’ve come up with a song list for a couple of new albums. And this: I’d constantly edit and arrange the songs. Just like those days of arranging in the moment as I performed on those restaurants all those years ago. It really was a great training ground in so many ways.. Join me now as I take you though some of my processes again this week - And I talk about whatever else comes to mind along the way. It all a bit of fun. It’s a creative way to share a creative process. Picture me on an intimate stage. You’re my audience - thank you!  Here we go… The lyrics for this song (plus paintings and more music) are on my blog www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com. (perhaps open another window and read them as I sing the song).

Episode #191:  Goodnight  (Song starts at 4:20) Here’s another half an hour of music and gentle chat. This isn’t a left brained sort of dry presentation eg: “ and here we have the verse, you'll note… blah blah”. No, it’s more relaxed. I’m on stage - in my mind. Well, I’m sitting at my piano, in my a studio in Melbourne, Australia, and you are my audience and I’m here to entertain and inform you. So I’m an entertainer. I enjoy relating events from my past that help paint the picture of where the song of the episode came to mind. On that note, this week, I delivered a large seascape painting to the Bayside Art Show in Brighton, Melbourne. As I sat in the car park and observed the scene, lots of memories came back to me.Back when I wrote 'Goodnight', I was a busy chap, as I am still now. I’d been part of another exhibition here… I ended up winning the People's Choice award, as it turned out, in the morning, I painted a plein air seascape and framed it. Then I painted a picture of the statue (a feminine figure in a pond just to my right), and I painted the church behind me. All 3 paintings sold in an auction on the day. I did a cartoon session with kids. I also did a gig & I played my songs in the garden. Big day, eh? 'Goodnight', the song, is about that moment where you finally rest your head on the pillow when you’ve had a big day. It might have been an extremely busy, satisfying day… like the day of that exhibition (I went out like a light when I finally hit the hay that evening), or a completely different sort of day. The main message that came across as the lyrics came through, was ‘Goodnight', you know you’re loved’. That very reassuring statement came through loud and clear. And I think it’s true. It’s just the way it is. The words came first. When I compose this way, I do find it very easy to add the music afterwards. Words bring pictures to mind, the pictures become a movie and then it becomes clear to me what sort of music is required. With the limitations of my abilities, such as they are, I perform my version of what I’ve an hear in my mind as I play. All I need is the start. Then a riff happens, then perhaps a section that builds. In this case, when that happened, I could hear the band arrangement clearly in my head, so I knew then what sort of animal I was dealing with. A mellow dynamic dreamy ‘end of album’ sort of a song, which it ended up becoming: the final track on the album 'The Man In Blue'. I loved wiring and recording this album. The version on this podcast episode is the recording from the album. It was my first effort at recording a full band album with acoustic drums and everything, it was fun. It was so much fun I’m still recording today, I’d be in the studio 7 days a week if I could. That’s partly what this podcast is about, I have 800 songs, so it’s nice to bring them out into the light online, sure some are on albums already (like 'Goodnight'). But other aren’t and may never be. And still others, because I’ve rediscovered and added bits to on an episode, They are now ready to record. Anyway, on this episode…you’ll get to hear how the song came together. It’s fun playing the piano, singing and talking through each section as they happened, If you like this episode there another 190 to listened to when you feel like it. I enjoy listening back these episodes and reviewing my work in the car. I end up just really relaxing and enjoying the 30minutes each time. I hope you do too. The lyrics for this song (and the paintings and more music) are on my blog www.petepascoe.Wordpress.com each week too. The Man In Blue is streaming now on all the usual platforms, including my Bandcamp website www.petepascoe.bandcamp.com You might like to check out my video for 'At What Cost', track 2 of the album on my YouTube channel Pete Pascoe Art and Music. For now, it’s Goodnight from me. I hope you enjoy this episode.

Episode #190: Driving Home Blues     (Song starts at 3:00) I’m really enjoying producing these episodes - it’s a live online gig, really. That’s what it feels like. Thanks so much to those of you who are tuning in regularly. If you’re new here: I’m looking to shine a light on some aspects of how I compose a song. I’m certainly not to looking take away the mystery - as if I could do that. The mystery is half of what makes song writing intriguing. In 1991, when I wrote song #190, 'Driving Home Blues', I was working in a piano bar with Paul Dredge, my song writing buddy and great friend. We played 5 nights per week for 3 years at this residency. We learned so much. We are still writing and recording today - our 6th album is nearing completion. I was single at the time. A brief stormy sort of a relationship had snuck up on me. It made me feel stuff. It made me grow up in a hurry. I had to toughen up, look after myself. Then it was all over before it started. At the time I decided to go out and buy a sheet music book, of Bob Dylan’s songs, with the purpose of analysing Bobs songs - his Melodies and chords, etc. Paul, and I were already playing lots of Bob Dylan (and Neil young). We’d worked out there songs by ear, but something made me buy this book and study the notation. After 30mins browsing the book, I was sort of in the mood. I thought: “I’ll have a go at writing a Bob Dylan sort of song” and I wrote 'These Bills Blues' (featured on an earlier episode)….  and then about 5 nights later I wrote 'Driving Home Blues'. Writing ‘in the style of’ isn’t something I’d done before or since, to be honest. But I’m glad I gave it a go. We can learn so much by following in the steps of the masters. So it’s not plagiarism, nothing like that. It  was more noticing how few chords you could work with, how few words you sometimes need. And how simple a melody can be for it to work. Both Bob Dylan and Neil Young have at times written some very, very clever simple songs that say so much, which ultimately was enhanced by the way they were so brilliantly sung and produced. As a piano player, you tend at times to use a lot of chords. So this was something that pushed me in a slightly different direction, and it’s something I never forgot. I’m not afraid to write simple songs. On that note, I’ve never been afraid when composing. You can’t be afraid of making mistakes. Being aware, now I think that’s super important, being aware…( eg how original is this song I’m writing?)… a sense of honesty and originality. It can take a while to find your own style. It’s a such a pleasure to be writing songs, still, after all these years. Because I’ve been so busy doing this podcast and my blog, teaching 24 kids piano each week, painting seascapes and cartoons, - and selling them - it’s all been ‘go’ around here, for years. I’ve written 800 songs, have 12 albums out & have 5 albums nearing completion - plus I’m working on tuition videos (music and art). These video courses have taken me far longer than I thought it might. Oh well. It’s important not to be to hard on yourself if you’re on the creative path. It’s like a river sometimes you’re in a holding pool, other times you’re in the rapids and away you go. When writing the music, it seems like you can somehow ‘hear’ the beginning of the next phrase ‘ahead of time’. It is fascinating, and it’s fun to be in the flow, like this. I’m grateful I took the time to sit down and write Driving Home Blues. I could've just sat round licking my wounds. Instead, I got stuff off my chest and into my diary. Then I used those feelings and experiences to push me on and turn a murky feeling into a piece of art. Here we go. I hope you enjoy hearing new music ..and another chat. Thanks for having a read, I hope you enjoy the listen. If so, there’s another 180 odd episodes waiting for you. They’re not in an particular order, although I’ve enjoyed the way this podcast continues to evolve.

Episode #189: Finding This City.  (Song starts at 3:42  ) Hi there, this episode was a fun one to put together. To start with, Finding This City came into my mind as I went into my studio. I went over to a large box of old cassettes and selected one completely randomly. Amazingly, the tape that said Peter ’94, was teed up and ready to play the uptempo rocker that is: 'Finding This City'. That sort of thing really appeals to me. It feels very close to the sort of magic feeling that can happen when I pick up a pen to write lyrics, or when I let my hands just play some bits and pieces on the keys of the piano. That’s what I was doing back in 1994. I’ll put you in the picture: I was new to a city called Hamilton, in New Zealand’s North Island. I had a lot of hair, in my mid 20s. I had an old van that smoked like ‘billy-o’ but it got me around the country from gig to gig. A few things hadn’t exactly gone to plan musically - and personally - at this stage. But a new chapter beckoned in Hamilton and I was determined to carry on and create some new opportunities. I met up with an old friend, Mr Grant Hislop, again. He offered me a couple of weeks employment, recording voice overs for radio commercials (which I’d never done). It was a big step up from home recording on 4 tracks. But I took on the challenge. I learned on the fly, recording these radio ads. And over the course of 5 nights, working from 9pm til dawn, I put together an album of demos. It was initially all done on the keyboard (drums and bass included) except for the guitar. ‘Brendon’, a guitarist, heard me recording one night around midnight. About then I’d been thinking ‘Man, I wish I had a guitarist for these songs’ and lo and behold, Brendon knocked on the door and introduced himself. 6 hours later, as the sun came up, we were putting the finishing touches to the last song. So, lots of energy - the energy of a driven artist in his mid 20s. Fast forward now, to 2023. And the energy still flows. I’m starting to figure out I better let those 3am finishes go. Especially when I do 3 in a row. I’ve worked extremely hard on my song writing over the years. It’s my passion.  It’s easy -  I’ve never sat down and just slogged away for hours. It’s never been that way. For that, I’m extremely grateful. It’s a total joy. Im Working on 5 albums presently, in various genres. I’ll let you know when they’re up and streaming. So it does take a lot of hours and work to write songs. I think it’s worth every minute. I recommend it, for sure. In fact, if you’re thinking about getting busy on a creative path, I say go for it. It’s such a rich life to be living in so many respects. I get energy by walking in the outdoors, by water. It’s pretty easy to explain, I guess. It literally fills the well, gives me what I need to carry on. This is song number 323 out of 800. Sandwiched between two mellow songs, Balcony and Post The Picture…gentle songs I’ve already featured on this podcast. Also, I mention a chap I met in a restaurant one night..which ended up being a song, I Wish (also on this podcast). Ok, It was fun rediscovering this song. Here we go…let’s find this city. Enjoy.

Episode #188: Weather Girl    (Song starts at 3:48) Back in the day, when I wrote this one, there used to be a weather girl on TV after the news. She used to have a stick and point out the highs and the lows on a weather map. Also back in the day I was getting to know a young lady. It was a little bit of an up and down time. I wasn’t sure quite how a lunch date was going to go, from day to day. I guess looking back, we just weren’t cut out to be together too easily. I found all the ups and downs and mood changes a handful. So I came up with the idea for a song: a weather girl  - with all the highs and the lows. In August, 1991, when I wrote this one, I was living in New Zealand. Maybe it’s to do with living on a small pacific island, looking back, the subject weather always came up quickly in conversation: “Nice day today..” “Yes, but it’s going to rain later this week” , etc. Perhaps in the old days, with lots of living being done outdoors and near the ocean, one used to have a closer eye once weather. As a kid, I remember when I stayed with my Dad, the silence required when the news came on…and then even more so when the weather report came on. He used to be a farmer… Other New Zealanders have written a song about the weather. Neil Finns Weather With You, Dave Dobbyns Outlook For Tuesday are great examples. As I chat about where the song came from, I relate an account of me cycling into the winter weather …and so on. Yep, weather had quite an effect on us New Zealanders. Anyway. Weather Girl turned out to be a nice gentle gentle pop song. It was a pleasure to record a version as part of this podcast episode. I think I’ll take it further and produce a finished version of it. I wrote the words first, as I often did then. These days words and music often comes through at the same time. I’ve started to become quite a handy secretary - it’s part of the songwriting gig: catching the words and the music as they come through together. It’s like the phrases are instantly recorded in my mind and I’m able to rewind and play the section in my mind as I play and sing along, writing the words and the melody. The natural rhythms of the syllables of the words really dictate proceedings when it comes to the phrasing of the melody. And likewise, natural seems to be the key, keeping in the flow, when I let my fingers wander on the keys. I keep all the theory in mind and just play. It really is like having all the colours at hand and combining them as I paint a picture. With the words already written, it’s like the picture is half done. Well, there’s plenty of other elements, bass melody, rhythm, etc. but the main thing is there: the feeling. A bit of background /behind the scenes news: I have 5 albums coming along nicely, presently. Including the first ‘songs from the podcast ‘ album, #1. It’s all coming together well. I am juggling a lot of other things on a weekly basis:  24 piano students in 2 days, arts markets, seascape painting, producing prints, my blog, and this podcast. I also have a YouTube channel, but I’ve been a bit quiet there lately. More coming soon. I hope you enjoy this episodes song, 'Weather Girl'. It’s a warm sounding wee song. It was fun having a look at how this song came together. Here we go. I hope you enjoy another song and some relaxed chat.

Episode #187: Not Here At All       (Song starts at 4:42 ) People ask me: “why do you do a podcast, Peter?” and I just say well I really, really enjoy it. Life is to be enjoyed. Plus, I’m really enjoying rediscovering songs which I’ve written a while ago - like this episode’s song, 'Not Here At All'. It was written in the year 2000. It’s fun to sit behind my piano and entertain as I speak. I did it for a living for years. This has more of a songwriter speaks sort of angle. It’s fun and informative, is the idea. So what inspired this song? You know when you’re talking to someone, having a nice conversation and you suddenly realise the person you’re talking to has drifted away? This happened to me. So, ignoring passing moment of frustration, I thought: ‘Aha, here’s a song lyric idea. So I made a mental note. I think at times we are all perhaps guilty of formulating our answer, rather than just purely listening. There’s an art to truly listening. In fact I  find that sort of focus is precisely what it takes to compose a song, You’re listening - intently, but not like a rabbit on alert, it’s more like you’re listening to a conversation for interesting snippets that sound original, I say listening, because even though I’m the one making all the noise on the piano and singing, you sort almost listen and you can almost hear the next bit just before you need it. It certainly is a fascinating process. Getting back now, to ‘not really listening’, the lyrics move on and settle on the theme I wonder if one day we’ll hear the call ..sort of a mystical awakening, through listening and observing on a deeper level, I suppose. So from someone not listening , that brought me to: are we listening on a whole other level? We all have the potential to wake up, start living in the moment, be gentle with each other and get along. I like to think we will. I bought a paper the other day. Talk about a grim document. Yes, it may be factual, but it was so imbalanced in its views and presentation. So much good stuff is going on in the world. It just doesn’t make the news. So that’s why I create my own news. Like this broadcast: analysing the creative process by demonstrating and asking a series of questions, of myself, of the songs. I keep the humour close to the surface. For me I find that keeps the creative process moving on. I obviously love writing song. I’m really enjoying sharing them in this manner. If you enjoy this week’s episode - and you’re new here - thanks for dropping by. There’s another 180 odd episodes waiting for you, I do intend to repurpose some of the content at some point ( including finishing the piano/vocal versions of the unreleased ones in upcoming albums).  For now, I’m satisfied with the form it’s in. I’m receiving some great feedback, so it’s nice to be making connections like this. Positive, entertaining creative communication is what I’m . And there’s plenty more on the way, including video courses for the piano playing, cartoon drawing, pairing seascapes + and lots more music on the way (5 ambles nearly finished in different genres).. All we have is here and now. Life’s a series of moments. I want to look back on a series of excellent moments. Each 30 minute podcast episode has been that for me. After all these episodes, it’s still a surprising and fun process for me. Here we go…some new music, some chat and piano. Enjoy! Here’s the blog www.petepascoe.wordpress.com (links to more music and art and writing).