Artist Bio
Influences: Any good songwriter from Joni, through Dylan to Ana Van Riel
Been writing songs since I was fifteen.... Some 52 years ago.
Songs (53)
Gretel and Hansel 
Soundboard
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@sph May 2022
Thanks Berni!
All the best to you. Hope to hear you again this year! -
@beacon Apr 2022
Thanks Berni! JT Steam also had the same suggestion as you did. Right now I'm still dealing with recovering from my infection and my father's passing, so I'm taking it easy. I'll lurk around for a while and see what's going on, and might join in.
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@beacon Apr 2022
Berni, at your recommendation, I just signed up for Ukulele Underground. Heard of it for a long time but don't know what to do with it. Suggestions? I'm on there as Beacon.
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@dukongp100 Apr 2022
hiya thank yuo for your comment on zenbruddah :)
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@kiffa Apr 2022
Berni, thank you for your comments on "Survivor's Guilt" and "Devil's Advocate". It's always nice to hear that something you wrote was relatable to someone else. You truly flatter me with the CSN mention! There are so many vocal tracks layered in that one line-- if you could hear them individually, you'd hear just how shaky each one actually is lol. Thanks so much for listening!
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@sheilerk Apr 2022
Thank you, Berni, for your listen and comments on Nadia's Dream Song. I hadn't thought of it in terms of a show tune, but I could see it. It's always interesting trying to interpret someone else's music and blend words to it, but it's also always a fun challenge, and Nadia's music lends itself to that so well! :)
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@resonut123 Apr 2022
Thanks for the nice comment on my song: Your Allure.
Just popped in and noticed it, thanks. -
@musicsongwriter Apr 2022
Hi Berni, I'll email you in a minute. Thank you.
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@fourzeroes Apr 2022
Hey. Thanks for listening! I had to focus on using the middle of guitar shapes instead of the top on the ukulele. You have a LOT of songs for me to listen to.
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@pauloramos Apr 2022
Hey, so I got a random message on Facebook from someone who was like "All these people are listening to your songs on FAWM", and I'm like huh? And I log back in for the first time since it all ended and see you tagged me in a thread and now I have a whole bunch of people saying really nice things to me. That's such a kind thing for you to do and thank you, it's lovely that you think my music is worth sharing with other people, and I'm really grateful to you for recommending me to the FAWM community. I hope to see you around next year :)
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@nadine Mar 2022
Happy Birthday!
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@ambroise Mar 2022
Oh I see you quoted Lluis Llach in The A is for ABBA. I play now in a band that used to play L'Extaca. In both French and Catalan.
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@mahtowin Mar 2022
Klingt nach einer interessanten Lebensgeschichte. Und jetzt bist Du in Spanien gelandet, oder?
Dein Schriftdeutsch ist jedenfalls perfekt und hundertmal besser als mein Englisch! -
@jonmeta Mar 2022
¡Feliz cumple!
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@mahtowin Mar 2022
Danke fürs anhören und Deine liebe Rückmeldung!
Dieses Jahr bekommen ich noch so viele Kommentare im März - das ist wunderschön .... aber ich bin ja selbst noch dabei mich durchzuhören und werde mich in den nächsten Tagen mal bei Dir durchhören.
Schreibst Du ausschließlich in Englisch? Die Titel lassen darauf schleissen ... -
@wolfkier Mar 2022
You have your year back. I'll conjur up a couple more for you if you promise to bring more of your magic to the Summer GIMME15 sessions!
Thank you again. You brought many smiles to many people. :) -
@katestantonsings Mar 2022
Hilarious Gimme15 section from you for Bertha’s bash!! Hahaha. Well done…and happy birthday!
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@ambroise Mar 2022
Merci pour ton commentaire sur "la logorrhée sauvage" !
I come from Poitiers, a little university town not far from the french atlantic coast, north of Bordeaux. Have been only twice in Canada. Does your profile says you live in spain ? -
@dzdandcunfsd Mar 2022
I have a brother in law... well technically an ex one that I kept when he divorced my terrible sister that was from a small village on the other side of the country in what is Borno now. He loved it, but also had some horror stories. His entire immediate family came to the US in the mid-90's. They were lucky to escape what was to come in the next few decades. I'll just say his father had some strong opinions on foreign influence making it a worse country than it was during their civil war(s).. that would of probably been around the time you were there.
He did teach me a few "greetings" :D in one of the many different languages he speaks (I think there's 10-11 in Borno alone)... might be why I nearly laughed myself to death hearing your bit LOL... I'm not 100% sure what was said, but I did recognize pieces haha. -
@gm7 Mar 2022
Happy Birthhday...on your 68th spin around the sun...my 68th is May 1...you had a head start on me. lol
Cheers and all the best -
@timfatchen Mar 2022
Happy birthday Thursday (now that was a near-miss, the 31st of March!) Oh to be 68 again...
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@dzdandcunfsd Mar 2022
I was just helping Wolf out with some extra ears on the mix of Bertha's b-day bash and just had to say your confused about his roots Nigerian prince almost killed me... I laughed myself into a choking fit and shed some tears... it would have been a fine way to go though. I was ready to accept my fate :D
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@ambroise Mar 2022
Merci pour ton commentaire sur "les trésors des pirates". J'aime beaucoup ton avatar Facebook. ;-)
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@billwhite51 Mar 2022
changed....Catalunya
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@katestantonsings Mar 2022
What struck me the most about his videos is how the children that have so little can still find so much joy. The people seemed more appreciative with a sense of community--things many lack here in the states. I found it proof that material possessions do not bring happiness.
I second Garry--your comment was eloquent and thoughtful! Thank you! I've thoroughly enjoyed my collaborations with him!! -
@billwhite51 Mar 2022
2 different guys failed to come through on finger to fame so i finished it nysef and gave it another name
https://billwhite.bandcamp.com/track/the-last-of-the-arrogant-rock-and-roll-singers i gave the finger to fame when my band wanted to sign with hearts manager. i quit the band, moved to boston . the manager signed another band. they had one hit and are still playing it. -
@gm7 Mar 2022
Wow, thanks for the eloquent and thoughtful comment on "Prairie Prayer"...i couldn't have expressed it better and probably couldn't!!
Kate has a great voice and she always elevates any song to another level. -
@nancycunning Mar 2022
Thanks so much for listening and responding to so many of my songs. I’ve really enjoyed listening to your work on FAWM and on youtube. I’ll definitely look for you next year. Do you plan to do 50/90 as well? I was thinking how much I would love to send you a first pass of a song and have you do the next pass. (I’m still not quite sure if that’s what a corpse or a morph is or if they are the same) I have the feeling that one of your many talents is taking something that has potential and turning it into something great.
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@katestantonsings Mar 2022
https://publicdelivery.org/makoko-floating-school/
This is the A-frame structured school that collapsed.
That makes me sad about your garden :( I grew up in the country and know how precious nature is. -
@katestantonsings Mar 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69Zdov3NQ0s
Here's the channel. He and his wife do video blogs about her home country. They're fascinating. -
@katestantonsings Mar 2022
Thank you for your comments!! I was just watching a YouTube channel documenting their experiences in Makoko on the canoes and gondolas outside of Lago, Nigeria. They were traveling by boat to a bar on stilts. THEN, I went down a rabbit hole and was reading about these schools they built on the water for the kids there. I didn't even know that place existed before coming across the video. :)
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@billwhite51 Mar 2022
ive been vegan for 35 years. the meat is sickening but temporary until my red blood count is high enough to risk surgery. i take it like medicine.
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@mikeb Mar 2022
Thanks for the comment on 'Groundhog Day'! Its a familiar theme!
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@wolfkier Mar 2022
here>>>> https://fawm.org/forums/topic/12981/
:) -
@billwhite51 Mar 2022
irv cisski was the owner of the coffeehouse where i first started playing my songs in the very early 70s. i just wanted to use his name. the general is a fiction who evolved from my sense of guilt when, after 35 years as a vegan, i succumbed to the doctors orders to eat meat before i died of oxygen deprivation caused by lack of red blood cells.
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@kahlo2013 Mar 2022
Thanks, Berni! I appreciate that you stopped back!
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@crisp1 Mar 2022
I previously commented on Gretel and Hansel and on Don't Tell Me a Story. The first made me laugh out loud and the second was one of my favorites from this FAWM. I just listened to them both again, though, and enjoyed them as much the second time around.
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@audrey Mar 2022
I want to thank you for your recent addition to the Recommendation Thread. I too added Paulo to my watchlist.
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@crisp1 Mar 2022
Thanks for listening to three versions of Somewhere East of Nashville. I'm sorry to tell you, Berni, that you missed one! Maybe the last one? Down at the bottom? And thanks for your comments. Now, I've listened to six of your songs already and I'm happy to listen to more, but why don't you pick three that you are happiest with and tell me the titles and I'll check them out.
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@n24 Mar 2022
Thank you so much for all your kind comments, I’m so sorry to hear about your friend, it’s always a tragic thing to lose someone that way… it’s a hard topic to write about but I’m glad you felt the song was good
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@infilktion Mar 2022
Fishman - A Wind Waker Sea Shanty is the tale of Link in the Videogame "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker". I am glad you enjoyed the song!
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@tuneslayer Mar 2022
I'll mail you some more information about the meaning of GNU
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@tuneslayer Mar 2022
I like those two lines you dropped on my soundboard. It could definitely be the start to a good song, whether or not it's that same melody.
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@wolfkier Mar 2022
ok... but the rules may be slightly different..
and the results well let's see..... :)
Watch your notifications! -
@wolfkier Mar 2022
This is our just completed GIMME15. https://fawm.org/songs/137066/
Here are the rules and mayhem that created it:
https://fawm.org/forums/topic/12954/
please consider. -
@wolfkier Mar 2022
if there was just one more GIMME15 would you play again? asking for a friend.
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@n24 Mar 2022
Thanks for all your thoughtful comments! FAWM seems to be over and done so quickly, I’m super pumped for next year!
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@tuneslayer Mar 2022
I see you've been corresponding with @wylddandelyon about filk. It's a wonderful community, there are active groups all over the UK and Europe and I think you'd fit in well
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@calumcarlyle Mar 2022
Well, i didn't notice many inconsistencies (none really, if you leave out the weird episode where he's played by a different actor), as long as you see them in the "right" order, well, that's what my mate Steve says, and we did watch them in the order he suggested, and it turned out to be pretty unique. I particularly loved the two part finale though, especially that one where it's just the two of them in a room.
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@jtsteam Mar 2022
Thanks for the comments! In particular, I'm glad my Simulation Error song wasn't completely incomprehensible as I feared it would be :). (I've since tweaked the lyrics a bit and will wait patiently for a Season to use it...)
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@wylddandelyon Mar 2022
Filk is the music of science fiction & fantasy fandom. The origin of the word is commonly accepted to be a typo mad long ago, though there were other proffered origin stories once upon a time. Filk is also the name of a thriving folk+ music community, people who love words for the most part, and science and wordplay and magic. The songs go from songs of community like this Dead Dog Filk Song to songs set in the fictional worlds of the many stories we read or watch, to anything and everything else that filkers love and choose to sing in filk circles. Filk also refers to the song circles we do, whether at conventions, in people's homes, or on Zoom.
You would be welcome to join a filk gathering as a musician (or just a listener). If you're interested, let me know and I'll help you find the online filks. -
@daveyboy103 Mar 2022
Thanks for the feedback on Feels Real but I am sorry to report there are no female voices on there, I must have been channeling my feminine side
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@gilhari Mar 2022
Thanks for your thoughtful comments!
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@timfatchen Mar 2022
wrm I keep forgetting to finish the End lyrics/chords etc. And I'll post the chorded stuff up on the song too when I get there. Issues here.
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@frogspawn Mar 2022
@frogspawn thanks you for those nice comments on the @pointlessaccount/@frogspawn post-FAWM FAWM. And will ooze over @timfatchen to return the compliment, because he owes me for not taking over his mind for more than 24 hours.
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@billwhite51 Mar 2022
"There is a real Edith Sitwell feel to this piece."
i know a bit about her but am not versed in her poetry, could you point me to a title with the feel of maddies lyric? -
@billwhite51 Mar 2022
clarifications
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@guatecoop Mar 2022
Goodness, you were prolific this FAWM! Thanks for your comment...now for my listening!
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@wylddandelyon Mar 2022
Yes, I'm still around, most days anyway. I didn't take down the link to the unfinished painting; It can be found at
https://i.imgur dot com/MXC44VJ.jpg
I'm not sure how soon I'll be finishing the painting, I'm still pretty focused on music, so you're welcome to use the unfinished image in the meantime. -
@billwhite51 Mar 2022
hi bernie,
thanks for all you listening and your always astute
comments. here are some responses to things
mentioned. any dress she likes was originally written
for my daughter who grows out of her clothes too
fast. but i lost the lyric and rather than reconstruct
it i wrote a different song around the title phrase.
hi bill its curtis is a true story about a friend who
died of aids, but the final call was a 2 way call.not a
machine message. the box set of the song is
ber;in alexanderplatz but in real life it was some
mini series soap opera that i cant recall. last man
standing is a total fabrication that developed
from the opening lines. not based on or inspired
by anything. just writing a scene for an imaginary
movie, finally, i believe full time buskers should be
salaried by the city's dept of tourism.
again...gracias mi amigo
bill -
@kahlo2013 Mar 2022
Of course and thanks!
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@nancycunning Mar 2022
I was thinking how your songs remind me of Stan Rogers songs. Two I particularly thought of are The Idiot and White Squall. Bricklayer's Dream feels like the same sort of independent thinker/worker. and The Closest Call and Never Forget You're Irish have the same kind of attention to detail in the face of trauma that White Squall has. Looking forward to listening to lots more.
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@marthie Mar 2022
Thank you for listening
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@bjunker Mar 2022
Comments on "Enough" -- exactly! Thanks for listening!
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@bjunker Mar 2022
Thanks for the thoughtful take on Second Chance!
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@bjunker Mar 2022
Bernie! Thanks for listening to Weather Report!
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@nancycunning Mar 2022
I’m so glad that your comments brought me back to your songs. I’ve loved everything I’ve heard and am thrilled that there are so many more to dive into. You asked about my Eight Day Meeting song. It’s based on my Dad’s mother’s mother’s father. When I first decided I wanted to write, I wrote a first draft of a novel about him. It’s been so exciting to figure out that what I really want to write is songs. I’m completely hooked and so excited to have wandered into FAWM and into your universe of stories - including ones about real and imagined characters. Feels like we might be laboring under the same illusions.
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@hmorg Mar 2022
Thanks for the comment on "Wireweaver's Theme"! What you describe made me think of this video game that I've been playing lately called Horizon Zero Dawn, where primitive people live in a post-apocalyptic world which is also inhabited by machines that look like animals. Your description brought to mind this one specific bit from the game where an evil cult is unearthing an ancient machine of war. So, that's pretty cool.
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@hmorg Mar 2022
Thanks for the comment on "The Trepid Dark Upon Thy Face"! Yeah, I went form over function with the vocals there (which can itself be a function sometimes, as I might have mentioned last year), but at least my enunciation is good enough to follow while reading the lyrics. And I managed to get some pretty nice layers there.
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@timfatchen Mar 2022
Okay. digging through the post-FAWM shambles of notebooks, keyboards, leads, paper scraps and manuscript paper...I found I'd started Beginning but not got far. Your preferred lyric/chord format fine, but there'll even be a LEAD SHEET! And mirabile dictu, a vocal score with accomp...tonight, tomorrow, whatever..
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@roddy Mar 2022
Thanks for your comments they are really appreciated. The organ sound you asked about was from GarageBand.
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@timfatchen Mar 2022
I'm lost. have I sent you the melody+chords for End?
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@sheilerk Mar 2022
Thanks for taking a look at little Curiosity’s song. It really would be nice if it got music… maybe someone who makes music will stick it in his back pocket for a moment when he’s bored…, who knows, it could happen.
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@tukayandryan Mar 2022
Amazing! I taught drama and English at NSB for a few years!
Yes there is still a great folk scene in the county. We are very lucky to be part of it. -
@kahlo2013 Mar 2022
Dear Berni, thank you so much for all of your comments, support, FAWM friendship, and collaboration! I hope I will see you on 50/90 and look forward to hearing more of your FAWM songs over the next few week! Love your work and thoughts and connections! Liz
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@tukayandryan Mar 2022
Congrats on smashing the finishing line! Looking forward to listening to more of your songs this month!
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@timfatchen Feb 2022
Struck a chord for sure. At this point in FAWM, I think one comment is worth 9 in the the first day! Thing is, your lyric summed up just how I'm feeling, including the anger. And I think that runs through a whole lot of people. I no longer detect any "oh we'd better give him what he wants for fear of offending". Tonight or tomorrow for the melody/chords. I didn't realise how simple the song actually is (that's what happens when you look at a page of notation which is exactly what you played...incomprehensible at first sight!~)
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@timfatchen Feb 2022
beginning of the end: Berni, the recording is Eb Minor (6 flats!). I have a super-rough notated midi so i can easily rejig without getting bogged right now into full cleanup, so let me know what key you'd want it in. Dm or Em seem the logical closest!
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@wylddandelyon Feb 2022
My "They Were All About the Men" now has a demo. A rough one, admittedly, but it's here: https://fawm.org/songs/130907/
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@klaus Feb 2022
Thanks, Bernie for the comments. 50 songs already? If you keep up this pace in 50/90 you'll post - hang on, I have to get my calculator - yes, as I expected, a lot more than 50 songs. :) Cheers.
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@mattwdunn Feb 2022
Thanks for the kind words on ‘Brighter than a million suns’. My brother wrote the lyrics and he tends to put obscure references in. Romas Kalanta was a 19-year-old Lithuanian high school student known for his public self-immolation protesting the Soviet regime in Lithuania. Budd Dwyer was an American politician who committed suicide at a press conference on live TV. It’s not an overly cheerful lyric
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@sw1n3flu Feb 2022
(Thanks for commenting!!)
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@sw1n3flu Feb 2022
I took a morning off work to watch the last episode of LOST so I avoided any spoilers….. it was awful. Spoilers would have been better.
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@kahlo2013 Feb 2022
Yes! You can add any music to any song that is already online - you can also create dummy songs with just a title an lock it and then add music and lyrics after the 1st! And seriously, you should be out and about enjoying the cafes and wine and people watching.
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@apolez3 Feb 2022
https://fawm.org/songs/130623/ Listen here to the 'D Minor Chord' in flamenco.
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@timfatchen Feb 2022
okay, I'll grab "end" but warning it will be pretty rough this late in FAWM!
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@kahlo2013 Feb 2022
Ah… how cool! No wonder I thought it might be an oboe or bass on but it didn’t really sound like either but no GB instruments sound like real instruments so that’s why I just thought some sort of double reed sound. Cool that it is a Japanese fiddle!
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@billwhite51 Feb 2022
i dont think anybody is going to show up at that guy's funeral
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@ajna1960 Feb 2022
'You Suck Me In' has been musicated ! https://fawm.org/songs/134302/
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@arthurrossi Feb 2022
I would like to thank you soooooo much for the great pop-rock song that you created for "Walking down the line". The melody is so gorgeous and the chorus is totally memorable. In this context, also a BIG THANKS to "Queen Beaver" for the awesome background vocal in the chorus and for contributing to make this song become something truly exceptional... Wonderful arrangement and performance! Thank you very, VERY much for this fantastic song, I LOVE it!
And Bernie, I wish you a great trip to France and a wonderful time in the "capital of love"... Au revoir et a bientot! -
@pauloramos Feb 2022
Hey, thank you so much for your lovely comments on my songs, I'm so pleased you like them. Song 13 has been written, so just one more to go. How you've managed to pull out 43 songs, I will never know! That's an incredible feat. You look like you're on track to hit 50? Enjoy the rest of your FAWM-ing!
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@kahlo2013 Feb 2022
Paris? Lovely! I’ve only been to Paris twice but have wonderful memories of great times there! I hope you have a wonderful time away and I will miss your contributions during the last weekend of FAWM! Thanks for all of your lovely comments and collaborations! Always so appreciated and treasured!
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@pabrizzer Feb 2022
glad you got a laugh out of my zong berni - that was certainly its intent - i listen a lot by hitting the random play button and comment when i can say something 'nice' - synth and drum machines drive me crazy and i rarely last more than 5 seconds - i have to be honest and say that band in a box leaves me cold as well - i avoid song writing comments and usually just say i like it if i do - i am a great believer in aesop's donkey story and i'll not be carrying my donkey to market
43 songs - will you get to 50? -
@markg Feb 2022
Thanks for listening and laughing to my songs. I appreciate your comments.
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@skibum1066 Feb 2022
Really like both your "Dust" song and Your Hansel and Gretel" song(In spite of the NSFW ending!) Really like the complexity of the rhyming of Gretel and Hansel. and the switch to the word "cowboy" in the second chorus of "Dust". You are indeed a wordsmith.
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@skibum1066 Feb 2022
Berni, Thanks for your comments on my songs "Sound of Silence" and also "Dust". I added to the comments in "Dust" and labeled it a "First Fruits" song (once I understood what "first fruits" meant). Both of those songs could have been written by a Buddhist, My personal "awakening" was actually more like a Buddhist "satori" experience than a typical "born again" Christian experience (although I did finally grasp the nature of God in that experience). The "Dust" song references words spoken at Christian funerals-"earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes". Christian spirituality and Buddhist spirituality really aren't that different (even though Buddhists don't officially believe in God).
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@max Feb 2022
Hi Berny, you're on a roll aren't you! So many great songs you have here on FAWM.
Thank you so much for the comment on my accent. So glad you hear you saying it has a Southern English feel. Means a lot. But no idea what makes me sound that way. I'm Dutch and lived in the Netherlands all my life. There are many expats in Amsterdam in the singer songwriters scene coming from all directions. So I do get to hear all the different American, Scottish, Welsh, Australian, Irish and UK accents on a daily basis. Makes it even harder to define my own accent. So your comment makes me very happy. Thank you.
Happy FAWMing. Aiming for 50? -
@arthurrossi Feb 2022
Hey Berni! Thanks so much for your lovely and profound comment on the "walking"-lyrics and for the linguistical hint, I have already corrected it... :-) It would be a great pleasure and honour to me if you gave it a try...
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@thedutchwidows Feb 2022
Having finished my skirmish song in 15 minutes and feeling very smug with my speed, your words were very much where I was with my four-track machine about two minutes later when I had to dismantle the whole thing to make a wheel spin to make the play head work. I like the simplicity, but not the lack of reliability!