Click below to hear “Friend of a Friend,” a song by John David Parsons
INTERVIEW WITH JOHN DAVID PARSONS
Briefly explain how you make your music.
I identify with the computer more than I do with a real instrument, so it’s always a challenge to push myself toward more organic sounds. In this track, the guitar and the vocals are the only real instruments. Bass, orchestra, horns, percussion and drums are all generated by the computer. I know, sad, right? It’s getting easier to get realistic sounds out of a software simulation. Having an orchestra in your song is no longer reserved for the A-list musicians with a big studio budget. Music production is more democratic now.
What inspired you to write this song?
A difficult breakup inspired this song. The main lyric explores the circular nature of being in a relationship. ”A friend of a friend, who once was his woman’s man…” Basically, I am the friend of my girl friend, and I was once was the man in that woman’s life.
What do you think makes music a powerful medium for storytelling?
Most people would consider eye sight as the most important of the five senses – and I would agree. For that reason, I think reading a book evokes stronger imagery than watching a movie. In the same way, I believe listening to a song evokes more emotion than looking at a painting. Music is a powerful medium for storytelling because it leaves so much interpretation open to the listener. The same song can have different meaning to different people, and that makes the story deeper and more detailed. Because the meaning of a song is not written in stone, the listener can mold its meaning to connect with them in any way that is most effective.
Most people would consider eye sight as the most important of the five senses – and I would agree. For that reason, I think reading a book evokes stronger imagery than watching a movie. In the same way, I believe listening to a song evokes more emotion than looking at a painting. Music is a powerful medium for storytelling because it leaves so much interpretation open to the listener. The same song can have different meaning to different people, and that makes the story deeper and more detailed. Because the meaning of a song is not written in stone, the listener can mold its meaning to connect with them in any way that is most effective.
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