MMario -- but are goosebumps really a critique, or simply a reaction? ;-)

~~~

Okay, anywhooo.... Let me take the plunge and see if the suggestion I made above (about asking for specific help) works :-).

This is one of the songs I've written that I really like, but I wonder if it could be better (as Melvin said in part one, sometimes we enjoy our work so much, we don't notice how bad the imperfections are).

I wrote it as a gift for a neighbor for her baby shower -- I gave her a framed printout of the score, along with a baby rattle version of a rain stick. When I emailed her the midi, I got news back that her older daughter was trying to learn it, so she could sing it to her baby sister -- but she didn't say how easy the song was to learn.

This is one of the songs where my father informed me that the words don't match with the tune. And one of the little niggling things that bothers me is that in a couple of places, in order to make the midi play the way I hear it in my head, I've had to tie some notes so they extend past the end of a measure. Could that be contributing to my dad's ear confusion? Do any of you guys have the same confusion? And if so, what are some ways to fix it? ("Any tailors in the house")

I'll put the lyrics first:

THE SONG THE RAINDROPS SING
by Ann Magill

Sweet daughter mine, never you fear,
Though cold winds blow across the sky.
Listen close and you will hear
The rain is singing "Lullaby":

"Lulla, lulla, lulla. Baby, don't you cry."
This is the song the raindrops sing
In the quiet of the night.

Sweet daughter mine, oh hush your cries
Hear my heart beat with love's refrain.
Dream your dances through the night
To the sweet music of the rain

"Lulla, lulla, lulla. Dreams can give you flight."
This is the song the raindrops sing
With the wonder of the night.

~~~

Well?

MIDI file: SARAH'~1.MID

Timebase: 192

Name: The Song the Raindrops Sing
Text: By by Ann Magill
Tempo: 090 (666666 microsec/crotchet)
TimeSig: 3/4 24 8
Start
0000 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 59 110 0094 0 59 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0128 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 69 110 0256 0 69 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0256 0 64 000 0224 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 59 110 0160 0 59 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 67 110 0160 0 67 000 0032 1 65 110 0094 0 65 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 59 110 0094 0 59 000 0002 1 60 110 0528 0 60 000 0240 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 60 110 0094 0 60 000 0002 1 62 110 0160 0 62 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0098 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 59 110 0190 0 59 000 0194 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 67 110 0190 0 67 000 0002 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 64 110 0094 0 64 000 0002 1 65 110 0190 0 65 000 0002 1 67 110 0094 0 67 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 60 110 0160 0 60 000 0032 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 65 110 0160 0 65 000 0032 1 62 110 0094 0 62 000 0002 1 64 110 0160 0 64 000 0032 1 59 110 0160 0 59 000 0032 1 60 110 0544 0 60 000
End

This program is worth the effort of learning it.

To download the latest version of MIDItext and get instructions on how to use it click here

ABC format:

X:1
T:The Song the Raindrops Sing
M:3/4
Q:1/4=90
K:C
DG2FE2|ED2B,C2|-CGE2F2|A3FC2|DE5|G2FD2F|D2B,2C2|
FD2EG2|FD2B,C2|-C6|F6|-F2DE2C|D2E2F2|EE2C2B,|
-B,3F2G|-GDE2EF|-FGE2C2|DF2DE2|B,2C4|-C7/4||