The ups and downs of making music

St. Augustine Beach rainbow 

(photo by Mike Marcellino, copyright 2011

Chasing a musical rainbow

I doubt there's anything a person can do that has more ups and downs than making music, that is, creating, recording and performing music.  In our case, it's lyrical poetry music, avant-garde stuff that very few people are doing.  Our listeners often say our music is "unique."  Our music is a fusion of poetry, or lyrical songs and stories, set to music, both played by musicians and composed using computer software.  Depending on the subject or story of the lyrics, the accompanying music may have elements of folk, jazz, punk, hip hop, blues, country or even surf, as in "Bondi beach".  I suppose you could say "Flatbush" is even psychedelic. 

In November, we recorded and released our 8th song, "Taipei subway." 

On New Year's Day we popped up to #42 among the Hot Folk Artists in the world on ReverbNation's charts.  ReverbNation, a leading website for musical artists, has more than 1.5 million artists.  Monday we peaked at #26.  We reached our all-time high of #17 in April. The next two days we were nearly off the chart, only to reach #95 today.  We're #30 on the Top Folk Artists' New York City chart, after peaking at #22 in August after releasing our 7th song, "West of the Pecos".  

I often wonder why I continue to make music, though I do enjoy it.  We haven't tried to sell any tracks yet, other than a self-produced sample CD, "Notebook Writer" for show we did in New York City in the fall of 2010.  We expect to start selling digital tracks and album this month.

But, then, we receive comments like this one from Agata Zak, an actor from New York City -

"Keep up the beautiful work. You are an inspiration to many."

Or, one from Mas Las, a journalist from Algeria - 

"'West of the Pecos' is a masterpiece, the voice, poetry, rhythm and the music." 

And, going back to December 2009 when we first began making lyrical poetry music, from Paul Donohoe, a writer in Australia -

"This (The Walls of Fire) lovely and haunting piece of poetry should be a world wide sensation."

Then I wonder, gee, are they kidding, is this for real?  While people are listening from all over the United States and the world the numbers aren't large - in the thousands, but not yet tens of thousands.

For the record here are our recorded songs so far:

Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings 9-23-2009

been down ta Las Cruces 10-22-2009

Flatbush 11-3-2009

The Walls of Fire 11-11-2009

Bondi beach 11-20-2009

Alphabet cofeehouse 3-13-2010

West of the Pecos 6-7-2011

Taipei subway 11-6-2011

Tomas Texino composed the music on all songs except Flatbush, composed by Randall Leddy who also played  bass.  David Dowling played bass on Amelia.  All songs were recorded in St. Augustine, Florida, except for Flatbush, recorded in Brooklyn, NY.

In any event, thanks to our listeners for joining us on a wild, poetic music ride.

Listen and share our music with your friends (free to stream online).  Like our Facebook Musician/Band.  page.  Help us introduce our music to more people our band to grow.

Mike Marcellino's Facebook Musician/Band page

Here's the link to our ReverbNation music page.  It's free to register and listen and there's a lot of great music on the site.  You can be a fan of our band if you like, and even join the street team, which will be getting some stuff to do this year!

Mike Marcellino on ReverbNation 

Take care, and we love to hear from you, so drop us a note!

Mike and the band

"been down ta Las Cruces" by Mike Marcellino

Organ Mountains, Las Cruces, New Mexico

been down ta Las Cruces

by Mike Marcellino

A soldier's reflection:  From the Cold War to Vietnam and Afghanistan 

Written in 2007 by Mike Marcellino, the poetry song was originally recorded and performed by Mike's first band, Split Peace in Cleveland and again recorded by his new band, the Mike Marcellino Band, accompanied by musician Tomas Texino, composer and producer.

In the piece, Mike recalls living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, a few months after returning from the Vietnam War where he served in the U.S. Army as a combat correspondent and photojournalist.  He sent the winter a tiny trailer outside a small horse ranch in the desert hills near the Mexican border.  His most enjoyable time were walking through the desert hills and escaping to Juarez, Mexico, now one of the most violent places on earth.

You're invited to listen on the music player on Mike's Networked Blog, or visit our band website and be a fan of our new folk band.

ReverbNation

Las Cruces is near the White Sands Missile Range and not far from McGregor Range, near El Paso, Texas.  It was on this range in 1967 that Mike, using a Pentax with a 300 mm lens, photographed in color and black and white the test firing of  Army Hawk missiles. The photos were picked up on the Associated Press wire and transmitted around the world.

For his first person story and photographs, published in "Army Times" and other newspapers, Mike accompanied a Hawk missile battery, part of the 32nd Army Air Defense Command stationed throughout in West Germany to defend against a possible attack by Soviet army during the Cold War.  This was before "the fall of the Berlin Wall" and the Soviet Union, reunifying East and West Germany.

Today, in part, the Army uses McGregor Range to practice urban warfare in a desert setting.  They call it "urban ops pursuit."  These soldiers and others like them are certainly tuning up for fighting in the Afghanistan War.  Some will die or be wounded in service to their country.

US Army National Guardsmen from C Company, 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Regiment, dash out of a building in pursuit (US Army photo)

Meanwhile, here are the lyrics of a song written by a soldier just back the the Vietnam War, the nation's longest war, taking the lives of more than 58,000 American troops.

been down ta Las Cruces
by Mike Marcellino

been down ta Las Cruces
by Mike Marcellino

been down ta Las Cruces
one time,

down ta
sundown wine
color slide pictures
of mists rising from
the dusty brown
tumbleweed town.

been down ta Las Cruces
down ta the circle
of six can't stand up inside
trailers
beside the coral
sleeping in the afternoon.

been down ta Las Cruces
down ta walking
desert brush hills
with mountain lions
and pretty fast rabbits.

been down ta Las Cruces

waiting for spring

down ta
Sunland Park

quarter horses

getting lost in
Juarez,

lost in Juarez.

been down ta Las Cruces
down ta

inside

my worn,
torn
second field forces
jacket
sittin' in

the backyard
sun beatin' down
makin' me feel

warm again.

been down ta Las Cruces
one time.

Copyright Mike Marcellino, 2007

Year in Review: Mike Marcellino debuts with "Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings;" rises to #49 among Top Folk Artists in New York City

Love song to aviator Amelia Earhart, lost over the Pacific in 1937

Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings

Listeners comments:

Just listened to Amelia Earhart, Soft Silver Wings.....I love it. It's funny what you said about not having to do anything but listen. The music was so atmospheric; all I COULD do was listen....Beautiful - Julia Chapman, Bristol UK

Mike, if she were here your tribute would be painted on her left wing; her right wing would have inscribed the names of Nobel peace prize winners - Clarice, Grand Rapids, MI

Since releasing their first song in September 2009, Mike Marcellino with Ensor has risen to #49 of Top Folk Artists in New York City and in the top 6% on Global and National charts of ReverbNation.

Mike Marcellino, words, vocal

Tomas Texino - mandolin, composition and production

Recorded in St. Augustine Florida

Other songs of Mike Marcellino with Ensor -

Las Cruces

Flatbush

The walls of fire

Bondi beach

The lyrics - 
Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings

by mike marcellino

Amelia Earhart,

Love your picture

in flight.

Love your goggles,

love your lips.
Love how you circled the world,

single handed.

amelia

amelia

amelia.

Like that leather

air cap.

You’re a goddess, a woman,

soft white,

ahead of your time,

such afterglow

night

in shinning armor.

Meet me on a northern coast,

not far from the equator,

above the island

where they made King Kong.

Your Atlantis, risen

in my South China Sea.

amelia

amelia

amelia.

Oh, your last flight.

Oh your last flight.

What a night.

Looking at your picture

in my book,

soft silver

soft silver

wings.

Your lips, painted colors

light, pretty pink.

Those eyes,

imagine,

sigh.

Your nails, natural,

fingertips.

Taking you with me.

amelia

amelia

amelia.

Soft silver

soft silver

wings.

"Courage"
Courage is the price that Life extracts for granting peace.

The soul that knows it not, knows no release.

From little things.

Knows not the livid loneliness of fear.

Not mountain heights where bitter joy can hear

The sound of wings.

How can life grant us boon of living, compensate

For dull grey ugliness and pregnant hate

Unless we dare

The soul’s dominion? Each time we make a choice, we pay

With courage to behold the restless day,

And count it fair. 
- Amelia Earhart, 1927

You made the crossing

not alone.

Meet you over the Atlantic.

amelia

amelia

amelia.

Soft silver,

soft silver,

wings.

copyright Mike Marcellino amelia earhart, soft silver wings 2009

To listen -Mike Marcellino with Ensor bandsite on ReverbNation

The making of music

A band of brothers
by Mike Marcellino

Eight weeks ago, a writing and musical journey began when I again hooked up with an old Army buddy, Tomas Texino.  We served in the Vietnam War together.  Tomas makes a mandolin sing, plays guitar, writes fascinating and funny stories about bluegrass music and whatever else he feels like, like stuff about Rozz Savage rowing around the world and playin' a one-on-one game of basketball against his buddy Bill Monroe shootin' at a hoop that comes outa the trunk of Bill's Cadillac.

My friend played in a cool bluegrass band, "Salt Run," for many years out of St. Augustine, Florida. Never forget our time together as far up in he mountains in Virginia as you can get, for the Carter Family Memorial Concert years ago.

This September, I found Tomas once again after a 10 year absence and we began to see what we could do with some of the poetry songs I'd written.

Well, out came "Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings" about the fearless aviator, just in time for the release of "Amelia," starring Hilary Swank.  I didn't know about the film, but got a MySpace message from her cousin, saying she liked the piece and that she isn't biased and thinks Hilary will win another Academy Award.

Haven't seen "Amelia" yet.  Was waiting for my special invite to a private screening.  The film kinda got ripped up by most critics, but then that's why they call them critics.

Tomas played mandolin on the song, composed it, threw in a bass. Singer songwriter David Dowling was on his guitar for the recording at a house in St. Augustine.  We had dinner together; it was a beautiful night overlooking America's oldest city the Spanish settled in the 1600s.  That recording night was priceless.

Along the way I got back to my first love - surfing.  Body surfed nearly every day for five weeks.  Caught one four foot wave and shot right out the curl.

Then Tomas and I did another piece, "Las Cruces," about living on a tiny horse ranch in the desert hills in southeast New Mexico, near the border.  It brought me back to wandering the streets of Juarez, Mexico, just a few months after getting out of Vietnam and the Army.  I had served as a combat correspondent and photojournalist and met Tomas as he worked helping refugees build a new life and a new village.  They called it "civic action" back then.  I think we need a lot more "civic action" and a lot less killing in places like Afghanistan, Iraq and the streets and Army bases in America.

To record "Flatbush" with musician Randall Leddy I left the surf and  hopped a train to New York City.  Randall's father served in the Special Forces in the U.S. Army.   "Flatbush" is about a writer's view of life in the West Indian neighborhood in Brooklyn.  Special thanks goes to Randall's wife, Stacy Rock, a very talented, emerging singer songwriter.  Yes, that's her read name and she comes from a small  town in the middle of Montana.  Now she's making passionate, music in New York, mixing her classical background with pop,, rock  and folk.

On the way to Brooklyn, I had sort of a homecoming in Baltimore were I was "born and early raised" (a phrase from a song I wrote, "Full moon Baltimore" recorded by my first band, Split Pea/ce in Cleveland).  I performed a solo gig without music at the Baltimore Hostel for a poetry series, "Last Sunday, Last Rights," put on by Pat King, the go to guy for Outsider Writers, a writers' cooperative I've been a part of the past couple of years.  After all these years, I discovered the original "Washington Monument" isn't in DC but in Baltimore.

When I got back down to Florida, limping as my left calf kept freezing up, Tomas and I finished work on our band's fourth song, the hardest one to do - "The Walls of Fire."

In "The Walls of Fire" I traced the sacrifice and courage of American soldiers from the Civil War through World War II, Korea, Vietnam  Iraq and Afghanistan.  We started on it before my trip to New York City but it sounded just too sad.

Tomas figured that Irish tin whistles were just the sound to turn horror into a band of brothers tackling anything and everything thrown at them.  Mandolin and a drum are also in the piece.

Now, I'm wonderin' just what's going on.  In eight weeks, the Mike Marcellino Band has reached 64 among the Top Folk Artist in New York City on the ReverbNation charts.  Not sure what that means, except there are 400,000 bands on that music site and we also rose to 654 in the United States and 965 in the world.

We reached a milestone today, recording the 9000th play on our MySpace music site.

We appreciate people listening and reading the lyrics.

We released "The Walls of Fire" on Veterans Day.  It's an important piece to us, taking us back to 1968 when we served together in Vietnam.  Not sure how we survived; just lucky.  Many of our brothers in arms didn't.

Looking down the road, we hope to put out our first CD, play some paid gigs. No matter what happens with the band, I'll be getting a surf board by spring.

A national award winning newspaper reporter and congressional and mayor aide, I now have my sights set on being a rock star.  Trouble is my eyesight is fading.

We do appreciate people listening to our music and especially their comments.  We hope you'll continue, some day buy a CD or pay a few bucks to hear us play.

After the release of "The Walls of Fire" on Veterans Day I was surprised to get a comment on ReverbNation from a musician, Destination Dawn from Ocala, Florida.

Later I found that "DD" is the Top Alternative Artists in the world on ReverbNation with tens of thousands of fans.  She wrote this about our band -


("Flatbush") Cool spoken word!!!Great music and interesting revelations!!! 


("The Walls of Fire") has great background music and effects that befit the deep revealing words. You have an intriguing style. 


Wishing you all the best and much continued success with all your endeavors!!!
Much Love, 
DD


Hope DD doesn't mind that I included her last sentence.  Her comments are both very sweet and quite encouraging.  


Didn't ask her if she makes any money from her music though.


By the way, thanks to the modern techie miracles I finally figured out, you may listen to Mike Marcellino  right on the ReverbNation Widget on my Networked Blog, "The Point of the Whole Thing."  


Here I thought a "widget" had something to do with croquet.

Band of brothers, by Mike Marcellino, copyright 2009