On this final day, I mulled a couple of options before deciding to go with something positive to close out the month. This is a song about actively trying to re-frame your thoughts and focus on the positive. It’s very easy to to dwell on things that make you anxious or angry or worried, and it takes effort to think about what makes you happy. This song uses a different mode — A mixolydian — and with the two modes that are closest to major/Ionian (Lydian and Mixolydian) I always struggle to keep the tonal center locked on the root note. Here, I think there’s not much danger of your ear hearing the song in D, though.

This one was recorded with the Zoom Recorder to capture the acoustic guitars (there are two of them), using the XY pair, the SM-57, and the guitar’s pickup to blend a good mix. Similarly, the vocals are via the SM-58 into the Zoom recorder. The electric guitars and bass are from the BOSS interface. The drums are Superior Drummer. The piano is the Grandeur piano library, but I only sequenced it instead of playing it on my keyboard.

Lyrics

This doesn’t come very easily to me, because I’m not perfect
I have nothing to do but think of the ways I could change
But I’m tired of being consumed by fear and outrage
And I think that this would be a fair exchange

I’m gathering up reasons to smile
I’m gathering up reasons to smile
This isn’t my strength, and it might take a while
Still I’m gathering up reasons to smile

So I think of all the little things I see that make me happy
Like seeing my kid reading books in the middle of the kitchen floor
Or thinking of growing gray with my wife together
And making music with friends, and so much more

I’m looking for a reason, a reason to smile
I’m looking for a reason, a reason to smile
I’m looking for a reason, a reason to smile
I’m looking for a reason, a reason to smile