Natural Rhythms – Song and a Chat

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Episode #145: Natural Rhythms (Song starts at 4:44)

I was fishing at the beach, chatting about things that came to mind – including the song featured on this episode – ‘Natural Rhythms’. I recorded these bits and pieces of me talking and have included them on this episode.

I mention the tides. I guess it was the peaceful feeling of being by the ocean. This brought the song to mind.

The beach made think back to when I was sitting in the old van Hercules, in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand. Norfolk pines have been planted there long ago. They stand about 30m apart, like sentries lined up along the beach.

That was pretty much the opening line of the song.

This was a lyrics first, music second song. I like just looking around me, starting writing and eventually a theme comes through (much like how I record podcast episode, by the way). In this case, Natural Rhythms – inspired by the waves and the tides before me.

The tides have a profound effect on us. That’s why I love camping at the beach.

At the beach the other evening, I also thought about Christmas. I hope your Christmas was a great one: perhaps time to slow down, have nice conversations and fun with people you like being around.

‘Natural Rhythms’ is song #300 (out of about 800). I wrote it a while back – 1993. It’s been sitting there waiting in the songbook for it’s day.

This brings to mind my plan to record a series of piano vocal albums of songs featured on this podcast – and I will. I’ll publish the sheet music too. Then some songs will go on to be more fully arranged and released on other albums.

So there is an intention about what I’m doing as an artist.

I mention the word intention in this episode. When I sit at the piano to compose, there is definitely an intention to create. The songs won’t just appear by themselves.

Songwriting is a delicate art, it relies on a lot of theory having being learned and your chops on the keys being up to scratch (if you’re a pianist -which I am).

I think the arts should be rewarded as such. Not everyone can write a good song. Most people can learn to fix a pipe or a window… anyway..

I love what I do – I’m an artist and a songwriter. I’ve put out a mountain of content online over the last few years. You can find it by googling my name…or here’s my blog – it’s a good place to start: www.petepascoe.wordpress.com . There’s lots of links here each week.

In 2022, I’ve created and published 52 blog posts, 52 podcast episodes ( including 52 songs), about 35 small seascapes, 10 1.5m seascapes, 150 cartoon roughs, some videos, etc.

In addition, I’ve taught 2500 private piano lessons on Mondays and Tuesdays.

All of this has been an absolute pleasure to put together and ‘do’.

Recording these episodes is like a performance each week. It’s all off the cuff, there’s humour here. This is not a dry presentation of ‘ how to write a song’ along the way, I look to impart how I write a song, but I present in a relaxing, entertaining manner. I’m pretty comfortable in front of the mic.

I’m also pretty comfortable at the piano. This week again, I begin another song.. so you can hear how I do it.

As I mentioned, it was a while ago that I composed Natural Rhythms. I was much younger then, finding my way along. An ‘almost’ sort of a relationship was providing some pretty steep learning curves. It’s seems we are given plenty of life experiences just when we need, if we go forth into our day with intention to live well and learn.

It’s with some peace that I look back on a time for me that had some heartache (1993) – the peaceful feeling of having ‘let it go’ is possibly because I made time to relax by the ocean and put my feelings into an art – the song of the day.

Songwriting has been an extremely rewarding thing to have done with my life. And it continues to give me pleasure.I hope Natural Rhythms does the same for you, along with the chat.

So here’s another 30 minutes of relaxing chat, fun, observations and music for you.

If it’s your first time here, I encourage you to give it a go. I talk for the layman – you won’t need any musical training to enjoy this podcast.

If you like this episode there’s another 140 odd for you.

I’ll repurpose some of this content in the future – probably into and ebook or a listening book on songwriting (perhaps) and maybe memoirs of a songwriter, or observations on life..

So, have I piqued your curiosity? I hope so.

If you’ve been with me for a while, tuning in to my podcast, thank you so much. I love the fact that music engages us and connects us in a positive manner.

Merry Christmas to you all.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Pete