John Dandrea

This is one of my favorites - musically it takes me back to Berlin and to the job I did there so long ago.  There's something about the steady beat and the orchestrations of this song that gives me good visual images of those times.

I love both photos that I chose for this song - the album cover is the older, more mature woman and inside here, could be the same woman earlier in time.  It fits with the theme of this song, this is the way I think of you - of  her.  In  the chorus part, it's a comparison of the game  "musical chairs"  to the randomness of  life with the nearness  of  death  which can occur at any given moment without warning - something you think about more when in  military service.

This is a relationship song, showing how true love changes and matures over time.  The essence of this song is about commitment, and not allowing feelings to rule the relationship.  Feelings change by the day or by the hour - what's needed is the firm commitment and dedication that will provide the security that both partners need, and that requires a conscious decision - a force of will.

Musically, I wrote this song as a mellow acoustic guitar ballad with minimal extra instrumentation.  I imagined it as one of those quiet songs that comes from the heart, and from an understanding of  the levels of sacrifice,  hard work, and giving that makes a relationship last.

Diana Princess of Wales, was always a very special source of inspiration for me.  Truly, she was the "People's Princess" and like the rest of the world, I just seemed unable to move on following that tragic loss.   Yet she inspires us still.

There are some songs that I very consciously sit down to write - usually lyrics first followed by a melody, sometimes the other way around.  With this instrumental song, and the use of EZKeys by Toontrack, a setting of songwriter and the patterns called "Lovesong"  caused this to just come about.  It felt as though her personality was creating the melody -  which was happy, content, peaceful, curious, and excited all at the same time. 

This song's from the perspective of a man who had to stay at home while his wife was the soldier , who was deployed into a hostile area.  As  women gained the freedom to serve in combat areas,  this particular situation is  more common.  It inspired me to think about such a role reversal.

I thought about the hardship for the family and relationship, the worry for her safety, the sheer distance from home. . . . The husband  wanting more than just a letter or video that only confirmed the danger.  This song is dedicated to soldiers everywhere who choose to serve and to endure the trials of military life - and to bring attention to the enormously high suicide rate among veterans, largely unknown to the public.

This song is very special to me, because it was my very first online collaboration effort.  Mikael is from Sweden, and we met while online at a music forum, reviewing our recordings.  We decided to try a song together - Mikael had written and recorded the beautiful music of this song and had the name "Silence".  He asked me to write lyrics and to record vocals for it.

We posted the song for  review, and received many nice comments.  We went on to collaborate on numerous other songs.   I was always amazed and impressed with Mikael's skills in recording beautiful instrumental work and also in producing a really great mix.

This is a simple, light acoustic piano song.  If I had to compare it to one of my favorite artists' styles I'd say perhaps a James Taylor or a Gordon Lightfoot song.  I wrote this during a rough patch in my life, which is what a lot of songs are written about, and we usually need  down time in order to spring back.  Abigail added beautiful vocals for this song.

I feel that this song has a nice place on this album.  It's another  romantic ballad but shows that a truly good relationship can be such a joy - that you can really appreciate the blessing of being with that right partner in your life.  I was also pleased to find a special photo that visually matches the feeling I had while creating the song.

This song came about from my first vacation visit to the Outer Banks in North Carolina, a vacation long overdue.  With work so stressful, I had to force myself to slow down and the ocean was the perfect medicine.  The waves, the sunset, the boats.... it was truly a spectacular week and no wonder that it inspired me to write this song.

The lyrics were what was going through my mind at the time - that the constant pursuit of material things in life was such a waste of time and energy.   Getting  away from work and other responsibilities was good for the soul.  The song adds a more upbeat feeling to the album and provides another day-at-the-beach visual to enjoy.  This photo also says it all!

I was always fascinated by lighthouses, the sea, rocky shores, and sailboats.  They add such a color and beauty to the view of the water.   I so admire the incredible and unique beauty of  the ocean,  the beach and the song of sea birds in tune with the crashing of waves onto the shore.

This song is a mellow piano tune with a beat.   I wanted to create a relaxing instrumental backdrop for the beach scene, with lyrics that were meaningful and hopefully worth remembering -  such as:  "there's something to be said, for a Rock of Gibraltar type of friend..."   This is my kind of song, strong in visuals, lyrics you can ponder,  and a tune that's easy on the ears.  

This one is so personal that it's very difficult to write about.  There are 4 songs that belong back-to-back, written as one story over a period of time.  Over on Album 5 there is "Dakota's Song" and "Walking With Angels", and then here there is this song followed by  "Whispering Goodbye".

These songs encompass a special time in my life, involving two amazing women who came to mean so much to me.  In this song, I wrote about two women who were college roommates and who were  the very best of friends.  The tragic loss of Dakota shattered the lives of all who knew her.  But she lives on in those around her and for us, she's always present.  This song is a tribute to their special friendship.