Stop: Start: Pause: aka 'My left boot fell off the other day, woah babe!'
Did you ever have a bootlace come undone while you were walking?
Of course you did.
Did you ever in your life find that things weren't working out as you expected?
Of course you did.
Stop: Start: Pause: is a musical reflection of hiccups, knock-backs, challenges and 'good runs'.
You know how sometimes you just get into a groove and it feels 'real good'?
And then sometimes, you just can't find a way forward.
It's very frustrating.
When you get a good run at something, it's very rewarding.
Suddenly you get a new idea - but does it fit with what you're working on?
Does it improve things or make things worse?
What we ultimately want is progress. It makes life worthwhile. It's affirming. It feels good.
A smooth run is a rare thing - for anyone.
As a musician, I've had my share of Stops & Pauses - my latest pause lasted decades, the pause between starting my composing of music when I was about 10 years of age, and the re-discovering a real passion about doing that again just recently.
You'll find a string of pauses in this piece.
Sometimes you just want it to settle into a groove, at other times it feels less unsettled, more at ease with itself.
Does this reflect your own ups and downs of life?
Does it seem like your bootlace keeps coming undone - still?
After nearly 4 minutes, this piece takes off, and you kind of feel it dances. But even that doesn't last. Then it turns into a minor key - pleasant enough but still unsure of itself, just like I was when writing it.
So listen and share with me how this piece makes you feel, so that I can tune in to your feelings.
And thank you for listening.
Here is the music...
Your response to my music is welcomed below...
© QJ 2024. All rights reserved. PRS registered.
I don’t think I was on your wavelength, QJ. Felt like I was listening to something from a nearby dimension slightly out of phase – think the SF show ‘Fringe’. I’d have liked a broader tone-scape to represent changing moods.
Very interesting, Chris. The ‘tone-scape’ as you call it was based largely on some of my personal ‘favourites’ from the ’80s. My own mood hadn’t changed a lot at that time: that was to come a decade or so later. Thanks for the comment. Really appreciated.
Loved this as a stand alone great composition QJ. More like this please xxx
Thanks Phil. I will endeavour to write something else in this vein.
Well QJ! You asked for it! I feel especially adrenaline fuelled this morning and just wanted you to light the touch paper and let it soar. The match kept failing to work. Once it caught, the flight was too short! I was expecting a rainbow of colours and new, brilliant sounds……. Let it be! xx
I wrote this piece based on how I feel a lot of us experience life. It goes in stops, starts and pauses. We talk about success, purpose, the meaning of life. But I don’t believe that anyone has a smooth ride. There’s no such thing as a carefree or trouble-free life. (Do let me know if I’m wrong). One of the very strongest reasons I’ve been drawn back to composing music was that I got to a place where I really understood particularly how my verbal communications over the years haven’t always landed as I intended them to. But I genuinely think that my music really does SPEAK for me!
In writing your comment, Anthony, you’ve added one line that I was unaware of when composing this piece, but is actually SO TRUE for me. It’s the line, “The flight was too short!”
I say I’m on my eighth career now, but I never really thought that any of the previous careers were too short. But one of them definitely was.
Here isn’t the place to talk about that, but I must thank you, Anthony, for hearing that in my music. You’re obviously a true interpreter and for that I’m grateful.
Thank you, my friend. x
It is interesting. I hear something that would be great background for an Action Detective Drama / Comedy Film. Not really as a ‘stand alone’ piece. The Detuning is always exciting to my ears when done with polish. I think you were having fun exploring CHORD CHANGES outside the norm with this one.
Thanks for listening and commenting. The detuned synth is a Prophet 5 plugin (nowhere near as good as the original) that I had just bought when I started working on this piece. It reminded me just how much I loved the Prophet when it first appeared late ’70s, and has continued to be my fave synth to this day. I never owned one – too expensive – but we hired one in on many an occasion because they would simply enhance almost any track. Chord Changes are my meat and veg.
Love the contrast of the acoustic guitar against all the electronic instrumentation. The long tailed delay on the electric piano was cool. I was working on some illustrations for my book and this tune was a great backdrop for that…
thanks Steve. I wondered if anyone would say they liked that combination. When I thought ‘Guitar’ I immediately steered away from electric because I can’t really play like I used to and the virtual electric sounds really don’t appeal to me. So when I discovered that acoustic guitar offered a great sounding counterpoint, I was delighted. Glad you like it too, and that the piece works as a backdrop to your illustrating.
Right QJ , have listened to this many times now, and again with its trademark QJ stamp, I feel this piece slots comfortably into a detective/ mystery thriller film soundtrack!! Nothing is resolved, leading the listener wanting more of the same disturbing plot s to be revealed…. but never getting there 😳.
It’s the never getting there that I was channelling with this piece. They say there’s nothing worse than never having tried, so I’m delighted that I put in the effort and gave it my best shot – and enjoyed (or am enjoying) the journey. I have no regrets, but it’s easy to think, ‘I never actually made it’!
Stop Start Pause is rich in delightful & quirky moments. The enticing recurrent plucking guitar theme brings an element of Pat Metheny to my mind. I also found myself revisiting a pinch of infectious melody from the soundtrack of Malena by Ennio Morricone. QJ’s work is far more contemporary & I really did enjoy the many respectful nods to strata of sound & music interwoven along a common pathway. One little sound that amused & stuck in my mind came at 1:14. Passing racers is a theme park? So succinct and dare I say enchanting. I wanted to see them in the real. Thanks QJ.
As usual, great comments from you, my friend. Insightful, helpful and truly descriptive. Many thanks.
I quite like this piece. It’s quirky, un expected and upbeat. Not my usual response! I like its energy.
Thanks Jo
I appreciate your having taken the time to listen, and I like that you like its energy, etc.
Lots of love