So my ‘net wanderings today led me to an interesting tidbit I’d never known before. Composer Leigh Harline, most famous for When You Wish Upon a Star, donated his services to the 1960’s movie, Man’s Search for Happiness. What a cool way to give back as a composer.
Of all the Disney song’s, When You Wish Upon a Star is the definitive classic. It’s actually not one of my favorites in terms of melody or arrangement, but I marvel at how perfectly it is able to capture that emotion of childlike wonder. The one where you truly believe that if you just wish hard enough, all your dreams will come true. Amazing what a simple song can do.
The song I’m posting today was actually a similar attempt at emotional reconstruction. I had a friend, back in college, who I was pretty close with. She’d come over to study or chat. One time she had a request to sing a couple of hymns, and so I broke out the piano while she sang along. After she went home, I had this distinct feeling of appreciation for her companionship. It wasn’t necessarily a romantic feeling, but I remember feeling impressed at how much I enjoyed the time we spent together in such simple activities.
I gave myself a personal challenge to try and write a song that emulated that emotion. It ended up being one of my semester projects, so I had to produce and mix it in the 20 or so studio hours we were allotted. My professor liked it quite a bit, especially the dual modulation technique.
I don’t know if my friend knows that she was the inspiration for the song. I guess if this thing ever shows up in a Disney film, I’ll tell her.
Thanks for posting the MP3 of “When You’re Here.” I’d really enjoyed it when you first shared it with me in college but had lost the song file when I was transitioning to post-college life, and now I have it again!
Let me know if you make much progress on Buble’s “Everything.” It’s one of my favorite songs, and he makes the sound so effortlessly.
Can you say grammy? Seriously…what a talent. I was listening to talk radio yesterday and they had an entrepreneur’s segment and he had on a guest that had started up a music business in Yorba Linda. It’s basically just a school of music, but it was so interesting how he had put together the business. I’ll see if I can send you the transcript, but it totally made me think of you. The guy running the business? Just a 26 year old kid with a music degree from Vanguard university.