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Two summer ago I was feeling depressed and shit, as I go through a lot, i just don't have the balls to get it diagnosed. So I hit record and started playing as I watched the rain pound on the back window of the studio. What came of this was completely improvised but became one of my favorite things I'd ever created. I kept the original, mistakes and all. I just felt like sharing it. Feel free to critique the piano sound, arrangement or whatever you want. It's likely the most honest thing I've ever done.

Warm Rain

I've had similar experiences before, and am very grateful at how, not only therapeutic making music can feel, but how you can end up taking something awful (the way you're feeling) and produce something that other people can enjoy.

I can totally relate to what you mean by honest-sounding, too; once in a while, it's as if emotion gets automatically converted to sound (like some bizarre midi conversion!).

I really like the music you shared here. To me, it sounds good, so I can't critique it (other than, I'm assuming this was done on an electric piano instead of a 'real' one, in which case I'd like to hear it done again on a real one). I'll raise this issue, at least: you say you were feeling depressed when you came up with this, but there's definitely a few passages in here that sound full of hope. I'm wondering if you started feeling better as you were coming up with it, comforted by the music and being able to express yourself, and that's how the hopeful bits crept in?

Sorry for sounding so new-agey. It's late and I'm tired, that's my excuse. I'll deny all of this in the morning :)

You're not wrong, music should be meant as a catharsis. Maybe I felt better at the end of it, maybe I didn't, but it was expressed and that's the point. I keep a lot bottled up all the time and the piano is one of the rare things that allows me some release. I don't think life should be experienced without sorrow, I just think that it should be acknowledged rather than repressed.

To answer your question I still felt down after but I felt lighter, from releasing those feelings into something tangible. I don't get the same thing as a drummer, and that's why the piano is so important to me. It's also why I don't normally draw too much attention to it and why I respect those that do it out in public. I don't think that I'd have the balls to play something like that in public. Much less songs that I've written that have actual words in them.

That being said I'd like a change of venue for this thread. Malcolm can you move it to Music and Musicans? I don't think I'm done discussing this and it's not really going to be relevant to this section.

I really really enjoyed that.....

Thanks a lot, I'll try to post another one before I leave next week.

Hear, hear!!! (Here, hear?!)

Looking forward to it, either way!!!