Original music – Page 6 – Oren Levine, jazz pianist and songwriter

Tunes on Tuesday: At Sixty

Why this tune? I wrote the first draft of this song early in 2023, soon after I turned sixty. I wanted to express some of the strangeness of reaching an age that had always seemed so far away. I liked the music but realized that the original lyrics were not delivering the story of heContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: At Sixty”

Tunes on Tuesday: I Love You, Shut Up

Why this tune? I’m sharing Tunes On Tuesday on Wednesday this week (after the long US President’s Day holiday weekend). The idea for “I Love You, Shut Up” started in a conversation among friends where someone in the group may have overstepped the bounds, leading his partner to say “I love you, but shut up.” The storyContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: I Love You, Shut Up”

Tunes on Tuesday: Improbable

Why this tune? I’m spending time this month reviewing and revising songs I have written or started to write, as part of a larger goal to plan out some recording projects for the next year or so. I wrote the first draft of “Improbable” in January – one of my song-a-day creations inspired by aContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Improbable”

Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Wander

Why this tune? I’m writing this from Los Angeles, where I spent a few days attending the Grammy ceremonies and schmoozing at a series of pre-Grammy parties and mixers. The trip was an outcome of the award I received from the ASCAP Foundation for my song “Let’s Wander.” I came to LA in part toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Wander”

Tunes on Tuesday: City of Refuge

Why this tune? This week’s tune is another in my “Parsha Songs” series inspired by the weekly Torah portion. “City of Refuge” was inspired by the commandment in Parashat Masei (מַסְעֵ֣י) to establish “cities of refuge,” as described in Numbers 35:11 “you shall provide yourselves with places to serve you as cities of refuge toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: City of Refuge”

Tunes on Tuesday: The Changes

Why this tune? I’m continuing the song-a-day challenge I started at the beginning of January, managingto write at least part of a song every day. Today’s contribution is “The Changes,” which started from another phrase on my song ideas list: “sending more condolence cards thanwedding wishes.” That led to this self-referential tune about aging asContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: The Changes”

Tunes on Tuesday: Let Go

Why this tune? I’m starting the new year with a challenge, to write a song a day (or at least part ofone) through January. This challenge is hosted by Sarah Gulish and Kat Reinhert of “Songwriting for ME.” They provide resources and support for music educators who want to write music and teach those skillsContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Let Go”

Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Resolve (2024)

Why this tune? Tunes on Tuesday starts the new year with an updated version of a song I wrote last New Year’s Eve. It’s a twist on the concept of New Year’s resolutions, calling for us to resolve to “not resolve at all.” It’s really a love song, where the singer implores their love toContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Let’s Resolve (2024)”

Tunes on Tuesday: Thanksgiving With Uncle Rob (2023)

Why this tune? We celebrate Thanksgiving in the US this Thursday, so I’m marking the day with my song for the season, which I wrote in 2011. The version you’re hearing in the video is the 2016 recording with Aaron Myers, which you can find on your favorite streaming services and YouTube. I’m thankful forContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Thanksgiving With Uncle Rob (2023)”

Tunes on Tuesday: Hallmark Movie Marathon

Why this tune? This week’s tune is another collaboration I posted to the FAWM 50/90 community (fawm.org), which closed on October 1. My new songwriting friends David Graham and Vaughan Ray Daniel sent me lyrics for “Hallmark Movie Marathon,” and I took up the challenge of writing a Hallmark-movie worthy pop song around their gentleContinue reading “Tunes on Tuesday: Hallmark Movie Marathon”