VEGANGELICA

Hi, The Band Midnight,
Thank you for giving your feedback on my lyrics. You are right, I do sometimes repeat the same line over and over frequently. This was actually intentional in "Avatar" because I was hoping it would have a humorous effect. The whole song is supposed to be a joke song, because I am describing the avatars of some of the people currently part of MB. Plus, MB members often complain about so many songs that are posted being cliche love songs, so I wanted to make a gushy love song that isn't actually real...a spoof of a love song, if you will.

Hey, I noticed you haven't gone to the Community section yet (look below the Artists' Corner) to post you own thread in the Introduction section. If you do this, then the whole community will know you have joined! More people will also learn, then, about your band's desire for original lyrics.

I visited your teen band's website and enjoyed listening to your cover songs (such as "Stairway to Heaven," "Pieces of Me," and "Schools out for Summer"). It is wonderful that you all are using your musical skills together in a band and performing professionally at such a young age! I am impressed. When I was 13-15 years old, I would have been too shy to even consider playing in a rock band (although I played violin in ensembles, but somehow that is different, probably since one is less exposed:-)
--Erica

VeggieLover

I just spent the last hour of my life reading your entire thread, laughing and frowning etc. I've been a vegetarian for more than 3 years now (vegan for 6 months, sadly, not longer) but have recently been struggling to stay that way. Your lyrics definitely reinforced my convictions! Though incredibly long, your songs capture a certian imagery without relying on metaphors, which while effective seem to me to be overused. Very inspirational overall I'd say, though I'm having trouble hearing them in my mind's ear. I'll have to listen to a few of your recordings when I get the chance.

VEGANGELICA

Hi, VeggieLover,
Thank you for reading the whole thread. You are probably the first person to do so at MB! It makes me happy to hear that the lyrics reinforce your convictions, because I am writing my songs partly to share my vegetarian journey with other vegetarians or those who are interested in vegetarianism, hoping the songs will remind them that they are not alone.

I was a "spontaneous" vegetarian, by which I mean that when I first became vegetarian in 5th grade, I didn't know anyone who was vegetarian and I didn't even know the term/concept. (My vegetarianism that first time only lasted one summer until the public school lunch program began again.) I know it can be hard in an animal-eating society to reduce the consumption of animals, even when one really wants to (and my philosophy is that any reduction is better than none). Every time I turn on the TV, there is either a commercial for some hamburgers, steakhouse, fish, etc., or a newscaster gnawing happily on the ribs of some corpse at a pork fest (which are frequent in Iowa, where I live). For most people, eating animals is a non-issue.

You are very right...my songs are incredibly long by most song standards! And you are also right...and I am pleased you noticed...that I have not used any metaphors at all in the songs I've posted (except for "Free"). I actually love metaphors and enjoy using them in poems, but with the vegetarian songs I am trying to be bluntly realistic. One person wrote in the thread that the songs seem "too death," which amused me, because of course the songs ARE all about the killing of animals!

I'll be curious what you think when you hear some of the lyrics (like "Dichotomy," "Free," and "Wring") as songs with your real ears and not just your mind's ear! I am preparing to re-record all the songs I've posted using improved hardware (and hopefully improved singing and playing, too). Still, what I have posted should give you a good idea of the basic sound of the songs.

Thanks again for reading the thread. I look forward to reading what you will (I hope) post in yours!
--Erica