Elearning World podcast

This is a song about how ordinary everyday life can mean you miss small things that are actually important, and how it's easy to take for granted the things and people around you, and it's not until these things are gone you realised how incredibly important they were, and are.

This song is written by Mandy Boots (mandy DOT boots22@gmail.com. Production by Stuart Mealor. Recorded in Darwin, Australia using Apple Logic Pro. Mandy Boots: Vocals, Guitar(s). Stuart Mealor: lead guitar, drums, bass, synths. Mixed and mastered by Stuart Mealor, using Lurssen Mastering Console. Mandy’s SoundCloud page is here: https://on.soundcloud.com/VHHBiVPWVHbXKRSPA

This is a cover version of the song made famous by The Mama's and Papa's - it's a classic 1960's song, very simple, but a lovely melody :-) Jules has a nice voice, that reminds me of the 1940's british singers during the war.

This is a 'light' or fun song (written completely on guitar). It's about an interaction with a specific girl in Darwin (who shall remain nameless) and my realisation, as if it should be needed, that image and appearance are relatively unimportantly, and what really matters is personality, behaviour, kindness, and basic manners.

This started out as a demo about a girl called Taylor, a person who turned out to be pretty arrogant and not very nice, so that's where the lyrics came from. This is the 'unplugged' version, so is arranged with mainly acoustic instruments.

This song is written about relationship breakdowns, presented with a somewhat ironic perspective. The music grew into something reminiscent of 1980's pop, with echoes of Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, and similar. Not an altogether bad thing I guess? Like a number of my songs these days it develops from one musical theme into a different one towards the end, and gets a bit manic, lol.

Lyrically this is an incredibly simple song - which feels right given it's simple meaning. The song is to my two daughters, and my feelings around the facts I didn't have any great desire to have children, but now I have them they truly are the most important people in my life, and have fundamentally changed who I am. So I guess it's also a song which may resonate for many other parents too.

This song is about being on your own, and lonely, and finding it difficult to interact with others due to past experiences.

This is a little song about the irony of when people see you, and what's you're doing, and say "You are living the dream." And what they don't see, below and underneath, is something completely different and quite the opposite. It's more directly about relationship troubles, and finally understanding how one person can simply use another.

This song always makes me smile because the sentiment and meaning is so utterly sad and frustrating, but the actual tune (and video) is so bouncy and amusing - but I really like that contradiction, so it's almost like getting two things for the price of one you know?

This song is about watching your children growing up, and realising that one day they will be faster, smarter, and have way more energy, and accepting that you will not see their whole life, and they will experience and achieve things after you are gone - which is sad - but because we love them we can celebrate their life in advance - and let them know how much we would have enjoyed sharing those...

Well, this song is certainly a bit unusual. It's quite a powerful piece of music, and not a standard "song" as such. The lyrics revolve around what it's like to live with someone who has depression, even if you don't recognise it as such at the time. So the music is supposed to be equally dark. Music to slash your wrists by? Hopefully not! But definitely music to reflect upon.

This song was written after a couple of mornings when I woke up and realised I had been dreaming about the one person in the world I never want to think about ever again. It felt like torture - even when I am asleep I can't get away from it. The true meaning of a nightmare. So a number of people have said to me "Ahhhh, dreaming of you, that must be a nice song all about love." Errrrr, nope, quite...

This version of Pluto is composed in Apple Logic Pro, and predominantly uses instruments from the AMAZING Spitfire Audio LABS - thanks SO much gals and gals over there - there is no way I could realise the music I'm making here without such incredible and freely available instruments like these. LABS instruments used on this Pluto 2022 version include: Foghorn, Trumpet Fields, Strings 2, Astral Fo...

Although Holst didn't compose a piece for Earth for his Planets Suite, I decided after adding Pluto that I needed to add Earth also. I've tried to keep a similar orchestral feel for this to fit with the others pieces in Planets 2022.

Although Holst did not compose music for Pluto (he composed the Planet Suite during 1914 and 1917 and of course Pluto was not discovered until 1930), and it has been re-classified as a Dwarf Planet, for my generation Pluto WAS a planet(!) and so I've added this unique piece to Planets 2022.

My re-interpretation of Mars, by Gustav Holst. Such an iconic and recognisable piece of music, it was a challenge to create something inspired by it, but not just sounding like it! Hopefully I've some up with something new and interesting?

My re-interpretation of Venus by Gustav Holst from his amazing Planets Suite.

My re-imagining of Saturn by Gustav Holst from his Planets Suite.

My re-imagined version of Gustav Holst's Saturn, from his Planets Suite.

My re-interpretation of Gustav Holst's Uranus, from The Planets Suite.

This is my re-imagining of Neptune by Gustav Holst.

My re-imagining of Mercury by Gustav Holst.

A song about how we struggle when relationships are hopeless.

Sometimes, musically, simplicity says it all. Communication is key, and without it there can be no path to happiness.