Why this tune?
I wrote this week’s song on the last day of this year’s February Album Writing Month (FAWM.org). FAWM is an annual virtual gathering of songwriters (amateur and pro) from around the world, writing, sharing and collaborating for a month. The stated goal is to write an album (14 songs). It’s a very informal group, not a competition, so the “goal” is more of a personal challenge. I had 11 songs the morning of the 28th, so I set my own challenge to write three quick ones in a day to get to 14.
I found a song prompt “harmony” on the site and went back to the style of the Great American Songbook for the song. I think this tune wouldn’t sound out of place in the 1920s or 30s, but I don’t think it has to sound old-fashioned today. This classic AABA form is easy to write to and offers a way to tell a simple story in a compact structure. What do you think? Is there still space in today’s musical landscape for new songs in classic styles?
You can hear more from this year’s FAWM on SoundCloud, and more music on my website
and YouTube channel.
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 