Tag Archives: adrian miller

What Have I Been Doing Lately?

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“Hey Corey, what have  you been doing lately?”

Now I like being busy but I’ve noticed that over the past three months I’ve been getting busier and busier and looking at my diary for the next three months it’s even busier again.

My normal response to being asked that question is “what haven’t I been doing lately” however, since my last full post “Absence Makes The (Blogging) Heart Grow Fonder” on July 29th, it’s safe to say that I’ve been doing a lot of activity.

Activities such as:

  • Working on my CD Project
  • Learning news songs for FIGJAM and my solo shows
  • Writing more songs with Adrian Miller and Jeff Smith
  • Starting up the Open Mic @ The Brunswick Hotel
  • Completing my 2010/2011 APRA Live Performance Return
  • Completing my 2010/2011 Tax paperwork
  • Competing in FOOM 2011
  • Entering in the UK Songwriting Competition (with Adrian Miller)
  • Playing Bass with Joe Man Murphy at the Semaphore Music Festival
  • Auditioning for Australia’s Got Talent

Of course, in between all of this I have been playing loads of gigs (as you can tell with my CS Gigs updates) at night and working through the day at Pro Advanced Media.

“When do you sleep?” I hear you ask… Hmmm, no wonder my blogging has been few and far between of late.

I had a profound realisation recently. I rediscovered the fact that our lives are essentially the sum total of all of the choices that we’ve made and will continue to make until we die.

With that in mind, this would mean that right now, I am the way I am because I’ve made it that way, not through some external influence.

My hectic life is my choice and therefore I can also choose a less hectic life. How I achieve this is another story however, I’m in love with the idea of a more balanced life.

I’ll see what I can do to make it happen.

Peace,

Corey :)

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SCALA Songwriting Workshop Tonight

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I’m going to be one of the special guests along with good friend and songwriting partner Adrian Miller, for the last SCALA Songwriters Workshop for 2010 starting at 7:30pm sharp tonight at the Higher Ground Arts Cafe.

It runs for about 2 hours or so and in the first hour of the workshop, Adrian and I will talk about “The Joys Of Collaboration” in which we’ll feature two of our songs we’ve recently written together.

In the second hour all attendees will get a chance to play one of their original songs to the group for constructive feedback and encouragement and it’s all for a gold coin donation.

It happens tonight at Higher Ground Arts Cafe at 7:30pm sharp. If you’re in Adelaide I’d love to see you there.

Peace,

Corey :)

(When You Gonna) Stop Tearing Me Apart – Live

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Last Thursday night I performed at the SCALA Open Mic Network Showcase and I was fortunate enough to have two of my songs put to video.

This first song “(When You Gonna) Stop Tearing Me Apart” is a C. Stewart/A. Miller collaboration which deals with a different way of approaching a relationship based song by the protagonist wishes a relationship to end rather than the cliched concept of wishing an unrequited relationship to begin.

Enjoy…

(When You Gonna) Stop Tearing Me Apart
©2010 C. Stewart / A. Miller

Why is it taking you so long to leave me?
Why have you let this thing drag on for years?
Why do you keep giving me this feeling
That I can’t wash away with my tears?
Instead of saying goodbye

When are you gonna stop tearing me apart?
When are you gonna stop breaking my heart?
All I want to know, are you going to let go?
When are you gonna stop tearing me apart?

When did you stop even wanting to love me?
Was there not something that I could have done?
And what makes you keep wanting to stay here
When you know that all meaning has gone?
Instead of saying goodbye

Chorus

When I look into your eyes I see nothing
I can’t even recognise who we were
As we walk down this road leading nowhere
Will you ever realise where we are?

Must I wait for another lifetime
To escape from all this misery?
Is there a chance that you might reconsider
And make up your mind to leave?
Is it time to say goodbye?

Chorus

Stop tearing me apart
Stop tearing me apart

This song was inspired by the title which suggested the overall story which then suggested the lyrical content.

I’ll put up the second video “Mountain Top” tomorrow.

Peace,

Corey :)

Everybody Has A Story – A Song

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This song first started out as a musical idea inspired by me mucking around on the piano which I then hammered out on Logic. Adrian and I then nutted out the lyrics in a separate 3 hour session.

The interesting thing about this songs writing process is that it wasn’t until the very end when we stumbled upon the song title that both Adrian and I knew roughly what the song was about.

There were many times that we both stared blankly into the computer screen not knowing where to go to next however, we triumphed and this is the end result…

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Everybody Has A Story
© 2010 C. Stewart/A. Miller

Somewhere in someone else’s story
I had a minor part to play
I was the kid standing on the corner
Watching the passing parade

Nobody noticed me
Nobody noticed me, but I was there

Where am I when the spotlights shining?
I’m a thousand miles away
I’m the guy standing in the shadows
When they’re handing out accolades

Nobody notices
Nobody notices, but I am there
Nobody notices
Nobody notices, but I am there

I may not be famous, stand out in a crowd
Or shout from the rooftops, noisy and proud
But this is my story and I want you to know
What is important and what can be let go
Stop what you’re doing, a moment or two
I’ll tell you something that I think is true
The more that you listen the sooner you’ll see
That everybody has a story, yes, even me

Someday in another lifetime
On any given day
You might ask me what I was doing
What it was that I had to say

Did you notice me?
Did you notice me? While I was there
Did you notice me?
Did you notice me? While I was there

Everyone does have a story to tell, we just need to take the time to listen to it.

Peace,

Corey :)

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Running Out Of Love – A Song

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Pen and Paper
Image by Kristian D. via Flickr

“Running Out Of Love” is the third song that I’ve collaborated with Adrian Miller on and the first re-write we’ve done together.

This song was actually a half finished piece I had languishing in my archives for a few years called “All Out Of Love.” I loved the melody and the chord structure but the lyrics were something that I needed help on.

First of all the title needed to be changed as “All Out Of Love” reminded me of an Air Supply song far too much and secondly, the story of the song was a little muddled. This is where Adrian’s magic worked the best, he changed the title and sorted out the story and we both rewrote the lyrics to fit in with the new direction of the song.

I absolutely love it now and recording it gave me some fantastic piano practise. The best of both worlds really.

Enjoy,

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Running Out Of Love
© 2010 C. Stewart/A. Miller

Chorus
I’m running out of love
Running low on love, it brings me down
I’m running out of love
Running low on love, I’m empty now

I know that I have tried so hard
To show you how I feel for you
And you may feel the same way but
I’ve got no way of knowing that it’s true

Chorus

Another cold and lonely night
Staring at each other through the silence
Going over things that might
Have happened if we only took a chance

What happened to our love?
I’ve tried to work it out
So many little things
Are standing in our way
What happened to our love?
What’s it all about?
Is there anything, anything that I can say?

I’m running out of love
Running low on love, I’m empty now

I have so many half finished songs in my songwriting archive that are in dire need of re-writing, I’ll be busy collaborating for many years to come. Bring it on!

Peace,

Corey :)

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Back To Basics – A Song

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“Back To Basics” is the second song that I’ve collaborated with Adrian Miller on and it’s also my first multi-tracking effort using Logic Pro 9 on my home studio setup.

The song evolved from a conversation that we had in which the concept of having too much choice in this world was discussed. From that conversation the first two lines of the song were born and the rest was written from there.

Enjoy,

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Back To Basics
© 2010 C. Stewart/A. Miller

There is so much choice out there
I could so easily lose my way
I could give into temptation, find a new sensation
Each and every single day

There is so much noise out there
I can’t hear a single word you say
There is no communication, but too much information
Swimming around in my brain

Chorus
Let’s get back to basics, keeping only what we need
Let’s get back to basics, what is it we really need?
Let’s get back to basics, looking for simplicity
So let’s get back to basics

It’s a complicated world
It’s so hard just keeping up with the pace
Could it be that maybe, everyone’s gone crazy
Or am I just a hopeless case?

People just don’t seem to care
About anyone else but themselves
No one takes the time to simplify their lives
And compassion can take care of itself

Chorus

You don’t need to try it, you don’t need to buy it
This need to just acquire, it only gives us nothing but trouble
You don’t need the clutter just to make yourself feel better
You cannot take it with you after all is said and done

There is so much choice out there
I could so easily lose my way
I could give into temptation, find a new sensation
Each and every single day

Chorus

Peace,

Corey :)

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Things Are Better Now – A Song

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“Things Are Better Now” is the first song written as a collaborative effort between Adrian Miller and myself as mentioned in my earlier post “The Joys Of Collaboration.” The idea for the song was born out of the first two lines which were swirling around in Adrian’s head for a period of time:

Whenever the glass is half empty
I reach for a bottle and fill it to the top

The lines remind me of something Tom Waits would write, it sounds negative but in fact it outlines a very positive message with the rest of the song attempting to reinforce the sentiments of that message, that “things are better now”

This recording is also my first real attempt at putting something down in my home studio. The drum backing may be slightly naff but all in all, I’m pretty happy with it.

Enjoy,

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Things Are Better Now
© C. Stewart/A. Miller 2010

Whenever the glass is half empty
I reach for a bottle and fill it to the top
I never let misery get me
I treat myself gently, I tell my tears to stop

I keep myself moving
Get through it somehow
I’ve been as far down as a man can go
But things are better now

Whenever I start to feel lonely
I know that it’s only, a matter of time
Till somebody new recognises
That I’m full of surprises, of a very nice kind

Chorus

Once upon a time
I was lost along the way
I could not ease my mind
But that was yesterday
Now I’m looking forward to what each new day brings
Yeah things are better now

Whenever the glass is half empty
I reach for a bottle and fill it to the top
I never let misery get me
I treat myself gently, I tell my tears to stop

Chorus (x2)

Things are better now
Things are better now
Things are better now

Watch this space, there’s more to come.

Peace,

Corey :)

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