Why this tune? This week’s song is another reminder that inspiration can come from anywhere. Our friend introduced us to the concept of the “parking witch,” to whom you appeal when looking for a space in a crowded place. We invoked the witch last weekend when looking for parking at Union Market in Washington, DCContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Parking Witch”
Category Archives: Original music
Tunes on Tuesday: Fly Away
Why this tune? Tunes On Tuesday revisits one of my January song-a-day songs “Fly Away” from Jan. 23, adding a second verse and bridge to this song for Parashat Metzora ( מְּצֹרָ֔ע ) inspired by a verse about setting a bird free to “make expiation for the house.” I think this is much closer to beingContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Fly Away”
Tunes on Tuesday: The 28th Day
Why this tune? It’s the 28th day of the the January Song-a-Day Challenge organized by Sarah and Kat at Songwriting for Music Educators. I was working on two songs with lyrics for today’s post but wasn’t happy with either. Instead I pulled out the melodica and wrote a short instrumental melody for my daily contribution,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The 28th Day”
Tunes on Tuesday: Bagel Day
Why this tune? January 15 is apparently National Bagel Day, so I couldn’t not mark the occasion with a new song. It’s also the midpoint of the January Song-a-Day Challenge organized by Sarah and Kat at Songwriting for Music Educators. They call this the “messy middle:” “The excitement of the initial challenge may have wornContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Bagel Day”
Tunes on Tuesday: Ain’t Misbehavin’
Why this tune? This Tuesday is also Day 7 of the January Song a Day Challenge organized by the talented team at Songwriting for Music Educators. For today’s song I updated the lyrics of the American classic “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf from 1929. The song entered the public domain on JanuaryContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Ain’t Misbehavin’”
Tunes on Tuesday: Onward
Why this tune? Tunes on Tuesday posts on Wednesday this week to celebrate the new year 2025. The start of the year is also the start of the January Song a Day Challenge organized by Songwriting For Music Educators, Kat Reinhert and Sarah Gulish’s initiative to help music teachers learn the craft of songwriting. IContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Onward”
Tunes on Tuesday: Hanukkah Time
Why this tune? This week’s tune “Hanukkah Time” is brand new, written earlier the same day as this post and the Tunes on Tuesday video. Songwriters are often asked if the words or the melody come first when writing a song. The answer for this one is neither. This song started with that drum loopContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Hanukkah Time”
Tunes on Tuesday: Here I Am
Why this tune? This week’s tune is very much a work in progress, another song in my “Torah Tunes” series inspired by the weekly Torah portion. “Here I Am”, for Parashat Vayera, takes its cue from Abraham’s first response when G-d calls him to sacrifice his son Isaac. The song doesn’t deal with that story,Continue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Here I Am”
Tunes on Tuesday: Stand Right (Election Day 2024)
Why this tune? On this Election Day Tuesday in the USA, I added a new introduction to an old song, hoping to share something we can all agree on. I wrote “Stand Right” soon after returning to Washington, DC in 2010, when I learned about the etiquette expectations on the local subway system. The DCContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Stand Right (Election Day 2024)”
Tunes on Tuesday: Haunted (Not Haunted)
Why this tune? I’m not a big fan of Halloween, but as a songwriter think its worth having some topical material for the season. I wrote the first draft of this song “Haunted (Not Haunted)” in 2023 during the annual 50/90 challenge at fawm.org. It started in a song “skirmish,” an exercise that gives youContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Haunted (Not Haunted)”
Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter 