“I am home. I am alone. I am on strike and I am working harder than when I am at work. I’m home and now I’m isolating. Social distancing rather. There is a virus. A pandemic sweeping across the continents. I am lucky. I have shelter. I have food. I have loo roll. I feel grateful. I feel helpless. I feel broken.”
These are songs I’ve been writing in March 2020 at home in Liverpool as a global pandemic of the Coronavirus Covid-19 surrounds us. Currently we are being advised to take social distancing measures. Chances are, this isolation period will be ongoing. Currently I have 3 finished songs, another song is a poem by Paul Daly which I set to music on 18th March . Songs are not themed around the pandemic. (I don’t think). There may be more if I’m stuck at home. Who knows. 🙂
Update 1 April 2020: There are now 6 songs complete. See the full list below.
Every Wednesday I will upload a recording of a song along with accompaniments so you can learn, record and upload/publish a version of them and tag me @onurorkut. (Sheet music for these songs will be available to purchase later in the year.) You will find videos below. Enjoy !
SONG #7: 29 April 2020 “Summer”
Who is your “summer” ?
SONG #6: 22 April 2020 “Second Chance”
I struggled with the lyrics a lot with this one and Simon Macaulay has been so patient with me (and so generous with his time) and helped me shape them a great deal ! Thank you Simon !
And thanks to everyone who wrote, arranged, recorded, listened to my little songs so far…. I feel humbled and very very grateful….
Here is “Second Chance”
SONG #5: 15 April 2020 “Coffee”
Finally an uptempo number! Lyrics again by Paul Daly. Yes I do drink too much coffee 🙂
SONG #4: 8 April 2020 “A Ray of Sunshine”
#song time!
Lyrics of this song is by Paul Daly. We had a few editorial chats about harsh syllables and the title of the song.
Kaan arranged it for 3 vocal parts (Yes I sang them all!! – Apologies). Ipek Bozkurt dialled in to our rehearsals to discuss “to key change or not to key change” (verdict = NOT to key change!!). Kaan then recorded the piano parts in #ankara. He sent me the dots for the vocals and I sang thousands of versions (trying to find times when seagulls are quiet!!)… We worked to a metronome to minimise problems in synchronisation. (Those damn consonants).
I sang all vocals here in #liverpool. Kaan then edited some of the tracks and I mixed them here in #liverpool again.
I am truly grateful for the opportunity and the technology that allows us to create something (however small).
I hope you enjoy it… Sing along to it…. And/or record a version of it
SONG #3: 1 April 2020 “The Song You’ll Never Hear”
Here it is. Another collaboration with Kaan Yüksel all the way from #Ankara. There are backing tracks in two different keys on my YouTube Channel. Record your own version, tag, share . . . Enjoy…. 🙂
SONG #2: 25 March 2020 “When You Smile”
#song 2 from “#Songs in the time of #Isolation” is here. This time my collaborator is a very good friend of mine and an amazing pianist Kaan Yüksel. Kaan and I performed in many shows and concerts together since high school. This is not the first time we’ve collaborated internationally but it has definitely been the most challenging and the most fun. His musicianship is unparalleled and his friendship is very dear to my heart. Special thanks go to Ipek Bozkurt 🙂
This is my rendition. There are two backing tracks in two different keys on my YouTube Channel. Feel free to use these to record your own renditions and tag @onurorkut on social media when you publish.
I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I enjoyed creating it.
SONG#1: 18 March 2020 “Kiss Me Goodbye”
This first song is tentatively called “Kiss Me Goodbye”. The piano part was recorded by my dear friend ipek bozkurt in houston/texas. Ignore the ‘watermark’. 🙂 There are three videos. 1 is me singing 2 Is a backing track 3 is a backing track with vocal guide. Once you’ve learned the song, feel free to use the backing track below to record and share your version… If you need the backing track in another key, please contact me
Kiss me Goodbye Backing Track
Kiss Me Goodbye Backing Track with Vocal Guide
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