More cell phones than people with access to toilets and clean water...

Woke up early. Lot of homework. Little time. A Lot happening in the world right now. The “Sudans” seem intent on catalyzing the next major East-African war in a series of regional tragedies. Cristina Fernandez – president of Argentina – has officially opted to nationalize YPF - the largest oil company in Argentina. Spains's Repsol claims majority ownership of YPF and the choice to nationalize will no doubt have substantial effects on European trade, further slowing the Argentine economic recovery. The supreme court will soon reach a verdict regarding Arizona’s notorious immigration law. And with nearly 6 billion cell phones currently in service there are far more cellphones than people with access to a toilet or clean water.

I visited a friend this afternoon who recently concluded a several week stay in the hospital with complications from cancer and diabetes. She said “I prayed this morning and thanked God for my birthday.” “Happy Birthday!” I told her. “It’s not my birthday” she said. “ I’m just so thankful to have another day of life that it feels like my birthday.”

I went home and held my son and celebrated life. Life is beautiful and today – right now – there are people in every nation and every region celebrating their beautiful and unique life.

-Michael

With All My Love describes the tension between sensitivity to the injustices in the world and gratitude for the beauty and sanctity of life. If you haven’t had a chance to listen to this song I invite you to do so by clicking on the link below.

 http://songsbecomewater.bandcamp.com/album/hypnopompy

What instruments were used in making Hypnopompy?

A wide range of both acoustic and electronic instruments were used to create Hypnopompy. Most of the percussion was composed and recorded using an MPC 1000, which allowed us to use both synthetic drum beats as well as our own samples of various percussive sounds, such as pots and pans, a jar of quinoa, and a microphone scratching a scruffy face to add texture and rhythm to our compositions.

The lead instrument heard in "Luna sin Moonlight" was created by sampling some of the notes of "Pop Goes the Weasel" from this jack-in-the box. The notes were manipulated and rearranged on the MPC to imitate a musicbox. 

This acoustic guitar, most prominent in "Upwards, beyond the Onstreaming," was custom made by Reo Stika of Great Salt Lake Guitar Company to compliment Danny's soft finger picking style.

A Paraguayan folk harp used in "Luna sin Moonlight."  

Christopher Escalante also played trombone and tuba for"With all my Love."

Remember that Hypnopompy is available for download. You can purchase the album at:

http://songsbecomewater.bandcamp.com/

Thanks for listening!

Setting Out To Do Something Unique!

Danny and I were very conflicted about whether or not to set apart the time to record an album together. We are both extremely busy! Danny just finished a masters degree, has a full time career managing programs for a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City UT, and has a family that is his number one priority.  I am fully immersed in a masters program at Yale University in CT, and my wife and I just had our first child - a beautiful boy!  While Danny and I love writing music together, the project at first thought seemed strikingly quixotic if not borderline frivolous. The situation was further complicated by the fact that we live thousands of miles away from each other. In the end we couldn't ignore a growing belief that songs ought to marry music and words in meaningful ways.  We couldn't ignore a call to write substantive lyrics and music.

Before arranging the album we committed to doing something unique.  First, we wanted to marry music and words in meaningful ways.  In other words we wanted to cut out fluffy words, overly abstract images, filler lines, unnecessary rhymes, and write lyrics that have a point - lyrics that are about something that actually matters to us.  We tried to write words that would be accessible to listeners. Second, we wanted each song to explore a different topic.  Some artists get stuck writing about the same thing over and over again.  We challenged ourselves to think and write about different issues.

We hope you will take the time to give our new album a few critical listens and tell us what you think! Click on the link below to listen to the album.

http://songsbecomewater.bandcamp.com/album/hypnopompy

Thanks so much for your support!

-Michael

Hypnopompy is now available for download

The wait is over. You can now listen to and download the entire album at:

http://songsbecomewater.bandcamp.com/album/hypnopompy

Literature in the spirit of "One True Lullaby"

The recent warm weather in CT has brought warm thoughts...

In One True Lullaby I write about my desire to feel and communicate honest and clear emotions toward those with whom I engage.  I also explore the courage that commitment requires and the inherent beauty of honest and supportive commitment.  I want to share a few quotes from eloquent writers who have pondered similar themes.

“Intimacy requires courage because risk is inescapable. We cannot know at the outset how the relationship will affect us. Like a chemical mixture, if one of us is changed, both of us will be. Will we grow in self-actualization, or will it destroy us? The one thing we can be certain of is that if we let ourselves fully into the relationship for good or evil, we will not come out unaffected.”
-Rollo May

"Truth is beauty, beauty truth."
-John Keates

“Some things are only real because they represent what we think. When we learn the truth and think it, the old reality is no longer real to us and loses its hold on us. The truth sets us free.” 
- C. Terry Warner

“Everybody is original, if he tells the truth, if he speaks from himself. But it must be from his *true* self and not from the self he thinks he *should* be. ” 
- Brenda Ueland

Thanks for reading and listening.  Be well.

-Michael

New Song: Luna Sin Moonlight

Very Pleased to release this song.  Danny and I poured dozens of hours into composing and arranging this piece.  Soon we will talk more about both its meaning and its unique composition.  For now we appreciate you taking a few minutes to just take in the song.  Thanks for listening! Please share with your friends!

-Michael

One True Lullaby

"One True Lullaby", The words

dedicated to Jodi 

Take your time
but do it now
Lock yourself in a darkroom
where the evidence can resound
If you feel the most lonely
when you're among your own
It's time to peer at the problems exposed
when you develop your doubts

Sketch yourself
Draw a face with no eyes
You call for my name
but you should listen to your own advice
That writing songs is easy
Unless you avoid all lies, so
I wish I could creep into your mind
and sing you one true lullaby

Sing that...
Fear will take your hand
and guide you far from here
but I will stand and hold
to the hope that we feel

Videos and magazines
make everything look easy
Videos and magazines
make true feelings seem trite and rusty
Burn the words and pictures
Burn away the lies
Life's not a game of cards or dice
Create the future with your own decisions

Fear will take your hand
and guide you far from here
I will stand in shallow water
Because I'm afraid to go too deep

I will take your hand
and hold you close to here, and

I will take your hand
and hold you close to hope, and

I will take your hand
and hold you close to me

And I will take your hand...
I will take your hand

Listening notes

"One True Lullaby is a deeply personal song that seeks to convey my desire to communicate honestly with people whom I love. The song reflects the idea that we only experience honest emotions when free from self deception. It is challenging to convey honest emotion and I sincerely "wish that I could creep into your mind and sing you one true lullaby." While writing this song I had to rework the words over and over because it would begin to take on a tone that was exaggerated and melodramatic. I felt that a melodramatic or over-romanticized tone would dilute the meaning of the song. I wanted the words to be honest and simple."

-Michael


"One True Lullaby is a sincere and beautiful love song. For me, it is also the scariest song on the album because it exposes a lot of the fear and insecurities that come with being in a committed relationship. As frightening as the concept of isolation is, opening up to another human being fully and completely can be just as frightening. This song always gives me chills."

-Danny

Contributing literature to "One True Lullaby":

Bonds That Make Us Free - C. Terry Warner
The Courage To Create - Rollo May
Arm The Children - Arthur Henry King

Thank you for your interest in Songs Become Water!

This blog will be used as a space for us to share more fully and intimately the thoughts and feelings that have informed our songs. We do not intend to interpret our songs for the listener nor to tell the listener how the song should make him or her feel (our lyrics are not intended to be coercive and a distinctly didactic voice is incongruous with our vision and mission as songwriters). While our Lyrics are personal, we believe that they explore themes that are universal in nature and therefore relevant to many listeners.  We hope our songs will rekindle or catalyze thoughts and feelings about important topics and by so doing enrich your personal quest to find beauty.

With Love,

Michael Escalante and Danny Jasperson