Song-a-Week Podcast from One Black Rose

"Hakol" Recording

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 19:01:35 PST

The live recording of "Hakol BeSeder, B'eli HaSeder" from Omaha!

It's been awhile since I did a Song-A-Week. In the interim, please enjoy the recording of "Hakol" from the Jewish Federation of Omaha competition, held in January. I'm learning alot just from listening - how absolutely heart-felt performers are when they care about a piece, and just how much I need to learn about orchestration!

#10: "24 Hours"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 06:33:50 PST

24 Hours, a short work for piano and violin by Jamie Klenetsky, about anticipation, anxiety, and the hope of relief.

I've been working on this piece for 2 weeks, and the articulations haven't been notated yet, but I felt that it was important to post this.

"24 Hours" is, as most things I write are, biographical - it is about waiting, anticipating for 24 hours for something dramatic, important, or potentially life-changing. I am a very anxious person, and am confronting many personal issues as of late; hence, the sound of this work is rather disjointed, and in the end, relief simply doesn't come - yet. But you can hear a sense of hope at the end.

This work is rather performable, so if anyone is interested, please let me know.

#9: "Tesserae"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:08:43 PST

Tesserae, a work by Jamie about Jamie, not a song, not quite noise.

(I wrote this a month ago. However, it seems to apply now even more than ever. This song is about emotions - frustration, boredom, but most of all anxiety. And the hope that anxiety will dissipate...somehow.)

Lots of soul-searching. Tesserae are pieces of a mosaic - this song is divided into 4 distinct parts. Morning, thoughts upon waking, the mind wanders, dreads; Day, life in a cube, a scream, longing (as always); Dusk, arrival home, tempered happiness, tempered hope; Dream, stillness, joy, breath. If you want to understand me, just listen.

Lyrics:
1. [morning]
here it comes again
here it comes again
make it a long time ago
never waited around

2. [day]
i've gotta get it back
i've gotta get it back
i've gotta get it back
i've gotta get it back...
i've gotta get it back...
oh
yeah
i've got to get it back

3. [dusk]
oh
oh my child
i dream of this day
for as long as i live
the day when
this
is what i hear
is what i hear
is what i hear
my child...
oh my child
when the wavering is silenced
when the stuttering has ceased
i hear a choir of angels
from far away.

4. [dream]
(choir)

The Brand-New JamieKlenetsky.com

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:06:32 PST

Welcome to the new JamieKlenetsky.com - featuring my music, philosophy, and of course, this podcast. I've been working very hard on this redesign, and I hope you all enjoy it.

If you look at the top navigation, you will find my works (many posted in .mp3 form), my philosophy on music, and a biography, as well as links and contact information. I will hopefully be posting more in the future. The front page of the site acts as a music/site blog.

Please enjoy! If I'm a little slow on the song this week, well, you'll know why.

8: "Hakol BeSeder, B'eli HaSeder"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:53:24 PST

Hakol BeSeder, B'eli HaSeder by Jamie Klenetsky. Finalist, Karen Sokolof Javitch Composition Competition.

This is what I went to Omaha for the past week. This piece was performed live in front of a sizable crowd, by very fantastic musicians. I don't have the recording yet, but I'll post that as soon as I can get it. While I didn't win the competition, I learned a great deal, and hope to be putting those lessons into practice into the next song.

This piece is about 7 minutes long and is essentially about "Beshert" - what will be will be because it is meant to be. It's usually referred to about your soulmate, but my mom uses it for basically everything. I hope you enjoy!

Lyrics:

Sh'ma, yisrael
Hear me.

Hakol BeSeder, Hakol BeSeder.
Hakol BeSeder, B'eli Haseder.
B'eli HaSeder, B'eli HaSeder.

Amen.

#7: "Kono Yoru (This Night)"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:51:06 PST

Kono Yoru (This Night), by Jamie Klenetsky, a spur-of-the-moment choral sketch.
Posting this early, what with the lack of song last week!

I've been feeling a bit sappy as of late, as these lyrics will tell you. This week, I wanted to do an experiment - could I write a "classical"-style piece in a week? Doing the more spontaneous electronic pieces isn't easy, but is certainly more doable than writing notes on paper.

I did it, but it's definitely more of a sketch than anything else. Given a little more time/patience, I'm sure I could turn this into something a bit more substantial. I work in a very stream-of-conscious way to begin with, so it definitely worked out. In any case, it is a choral piece, and I happen to like it. This is for female voice, SSAA, though the recording is of an organ (one day, I'll have my dream choral set).

Lyrics:

Kono yoru (kiete)
Kono yoru
kiete made
issho ni
koko ni iru yo
kono yoru (kiete)
kono yoru
ageku ageku ageku
ima.

This night (disappears)
Until this night disappears
together, be here.
This night (disappears)
Finally, finally, finally,
now.

Happy New Year!

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 05:48:14 PST

Between catching up with old friends, going to parties, and watching plenty of bad movies, I decided to take a break this week. Don't fret - I'll be back to posting music next Monday!

I'd like to thank everyone for their support with this site. I've gotten a lot of positive feedback and encouragement. I didn't realize how crazy I was for starting Song-a-Week, but I've kept it up so far, and have hopefully written some pretty cool stuff for you all to enjoy!

On Wednesday, January 9th, I am heading out to Omaha, NE for the Karen Sokolof Javitch Composition Competition, where I am a finalist. It's pretty scary, but very exciting. A wonderful way to start the new year!

Have a Happy New Year and I'll see you in 2008!

#6: "Living the Night"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 20:13:26 PST

Living the Night, by Jamie Klenetsky, hopefully as meaningful as intended.

After a rather long day of soul-searching, coupled with Sweeney Todd and a full moon rising, I felt this come to me rather suddenly. I needed to go to sleep, work the next day, but absolutely had to record this before it was gone. It's a bit of a love letter, a bit of a plea, a bit of a promise. Lyrics aren't italic, because there are lots of them.

Lyrics:

upon the sky
the moon, it shines
and it appears
to move to me
i know that it
is just the clouds
i wonder just
what sky you see.

my starry eyes
are in the skies
and this night brings
them clarity
perhaps you look
with reverence
i wonder just
what sky you see.

/
my only love
is compromised
by obsession
not realized
what is this "thing"
i'm reaching for
what is this light
i must know more
/

the night is clear
and silent, dear
despite the lights
heaven i see
the day is long
and apathy
set in until
the stars were free

my starving eyes
look toward the skies
and this day brought them
clarity
from what, the question
you may ask
the answer i can't
dare to be.

/
my only love
is compromised
by knowledge i don't
realize
what is this "dream"
i'm reaching for
what is this light
you've seen before
what is this light
i must know more
/

its half past ten
and time again
to lay my head down,
sleep in shame
but i persist
into the night
i will not let this
end the same

my groping eyes
gasp at the skies
they long to long
they long to be
and there you are,
living afar.
i wonder just
what sky you see.

#5: "The Game"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 08:57:13 PST

The Game, a song by Jamie Klenetsky about baseball.

That's right, this is about baseball. I suppose the lyrics could make it about most things, but this is a song about the Mitchell (a.k.a. Steroids in MLB) Report. Baseball has always been an important part of my life, and the report made me numb; players you grow up with, idolize, using steroids and HGH, it just made me sick. I had to write something about it, so here we go.

It's meant to sound old, kind of like it is coming out of a radio, hence the static. Numbness, hence the flatness. The percussion kind of sounds like someone typing on a keyboard. Perhaps this is a reporter working into the wee hours of the morning, writing his take on the Report. In any case, this song is simple and rather sad, I think. I like it, and I think it expresses my feelings about this well. I still love the game, but I wish I didn't.

Lyrics:

Boy, what have you done
what have you done to me?
My boy, don't you think that
everybody believed in you?

We wanted to love you
And maybe, some still do.
We wanted to love you...

Those hot, heartbreaking nights,
to which I swore each day
Shining there in the lights
Gathered around to watch the play.

We wanted to love you,
and maybe I still do.
We wanted to love you...

I know it's about you
It was never a game.
Who knows,
maybe, to stay,
I would have done the same.

I wish that you could see
you were a hero.
But I wanted you to
be made of flesh and bone.

We wanted to love you
And sadly, I still do.

Layout Update

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 09:37:16 PST

A quick note - I updated the layout for better usability. Note the new "About" section, the easier-to-read text and links. I'll add more to the side-bar as time goes on. Please leave comments to let me know how you like this redo!

#4: "Commuter's Dream"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:42:30 PST

"Commuter's Dream", by Jamie Klenetsky, conceived on the Midtown Direct.

I'd been struggling for a week and a half in my attempt to come up with a piece for week #4. I thought of a couple of more pop-type songs, they were pretty good but nothing was gelling. Then I saw an amazing show and came back home on a very late train. It was cold and damp, and you could tell who lived where by their faces - the brighter the face, the closer they lived. The tired ones lived further away.

I take the train to work every morning, luckily a short ride, but I've made the commute to New York before, and it can certainly take a toll. I used to daydream on those rides, fading in and out of sleep as so many do.

This is an electronic piece, long (8:30m!) and hopefully meaningful in some way. The commuter waits in the snow for the train, upon entering he tries to lull himself to sleep, where he has a wonderful daydream - only to be rudely awakened by the crowd. I think this piece paints a picture; it's certainly my most ambitious idea in a good while. I strongly recommend listening to this on it's own, in a quiet room, without distractions. I hope you enjoy it.

#3: "Live Love"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 07:50:19 PST

"Live Love", a choral composition by Jamie Klenetsky, as performed by the San Fransisco Choral Artists on June 24, 2007.

I won second place (a first for me) in the SFCA's "New Voices" 2007 Competition, but being unemployed at the time, I was unable to fly out to California to hear the performance. Fortunately, I finally got the recording! The SFCA is a wonderful choir, they have a bell-like sound that I just love, and I am so glad to finally hear how my work sounds in person.

This is my first live recording of a composition, so I hope you enjoy it! It's quite short, but it's good! The lyrics are in both English and Pali - this is based off of a Buddhist wedding vow, plus a verse from the Metta Sutra. The English lyrics:

Happiness comes sure as the morning;
Darkness comes sure as the night.
Meditate thusly:

To say "love and compassion" is easy
To live love is not easy

I wish to live love with you.

#2: "Angels on the Ground"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:51:06 PST

"Angels on the Ground", by Jamie Klenetsky, Song-A-Week #2.

A week ago, three inches of snow fell overnight. It was beautiful - I live at the foot of a mountain, so the combination of forest and snow is pretty amazing. It fell throughout the morning, and I felt like a little kid, sticking out my tongue to catch a snowflake.

I fear what we are doing to the planet, and it's true, Thanksgiving was a 60 degree day. But for one morning, things were as they should be - a stunning snowfall, giving me back a little bit of hope for the world.

In "Angels on the Ground", I tried to paint a portrait of my walk through the snow that morning, as well as my cautious optimism. Note that my voice was very weak when I recorded this, but somehow I think it worked out better that way. This was written entirely in Ableton Live 6.0, featuring a whole bunch of audio effects, some free VST plugins, and me. I really hope you enjoy it.

Lyrics:

you told me that we won't be left behind
i thought that it was simply peace of mind...

(chorus)
but i can see it now
the angels on the ground
i didn't think that it could happen now

i thought that it would never come again
i thought that it was coming to the end

(chorus)
but i can see it now
the angels on the ground
a little bit of hope falls from the sky

a little bit of snow falls from the sky
a little bit of hope, though god knows why...

but i can see them now
the angels on the ground.

#1: "breathe"

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 08:29:41 PST

Breathe, by Jamie Klenetsky for the "G.A.M.E." album

This song was written for an online collaboration called "G.A.M.E.", electronic works inspired by video games in some way. "Breathe" is very inspired by a game that has a great deal of meaning for me, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. This song evokes uplifting moments, happy memories.

"Breathe" was written using Finale 2003 and Ableton Live 6.0, using a number of free VST plugins and samples. It was originally intended to have a vocal track, but I replaced it with the treble Chinese flute (I think the vocal part was a bit too ambitious for me!). Corresponding lyrics:

I walk these fields, long forgotten
Singing songs we've longed to hear
I walk these fields long forgotten
And I do so without fear.

The days grew shorter and shorter, and nights were longer than e'er before.

[chorus]
Finally, I am free
I had forgotten what it meant to be.
To the wide open sky
Breathe deeply.

I traveled the roads, long and winding.
I traveled the roads awaiting a sign -

The dances went on for hours, and I can hear laughter in the night!

[chorus]

I can breathe, I can breathe [x2]
The way it should always be.

Enjoy!

The Official Start of Song-A-Week is...

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 10:35:26 PST

November 19th.

Next Monday, Song-A-Week will begin. What does that mean? Every Monday, I will post a new song to this blog, which you can subscribe to in a Podcast. The songs will vary dramatically in style and length, and hopefully some of them will actually be good songs! This is an experiment, so please bear with me.

Watch out for it next week!

Welcome to the Song-a-Week Podcast

alaria@gmail.com (Jamie Klenetsky) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 08:16:10 PDT

My name is Jamie Klenetsky. I'm a 23-year old professional web designer, but my real love is music, specifically composition. I write classical, pop, and things in-between...when I can force myself to focus! Having a job has made it hard to force myself to write.

That's where this podcast comes in. I'll attempt to write a new song/piece every week, in whatever style I choose. Some weeks might be an electronic pop vocal song, others might be a 2 minute long violin concerto - who knows? I'll accompany these works with a blog post explaining how I managed to write the song of the week.

I'm planning on having a new song posted every Monday. I'll need a bit to get started, though. The next post you see here will be the beginning of Song-a-Week!

On your right, you can see a "subscribe to feed" button - click on this to subscribe to the podcast. And wish me luck.