0:00 Introduction of episode by songwriter Vickie Maris. Podcast co-hosts are Michael Kelsey and Scott Greeson. 

:34 Description of Part 1 of a 2-part episode about Sanity's Edge.

1:12 Check out the lyric video for Sanity's Edge on the YouTube channel, Vickie Maris Music.

1:31 Listen to a snippet of the instrument tracks for Sanity's Edge.

1:40 Vickie introduces the conversation of the behind-the-scenes about the song, Sanity's Edge.

2:07 How the decision was made for the key of the song.

2:27 Michael Kelsey talks about how a song can originate from trying a chord that's new to you or writing in a key you don't typically use in your song writing.

4: 25  Scott Greeson provides reference to instrumental songs on the Wabash Gypsies album that were written in DADGAD tuning. "I was going for finger positions and tones." Scott Greeson

5:06 Vickie Maris describes how the song pulls together the topics of anxiety and depression.

5:44 "It feels like the words were given to me, and the chords came fairly easily." Vickie Maris

6:10 A favorite memory of recording the scratch vocals. Here's a YouTube short that features the voice of Courtney Von Drehle as he talks about the recording of Sanity's Edge. 

7:24 Scott Greeson discusses music talents of Courtney.

7:48 "When someone is going to play something (in studio) you have to set the mood." Michael Kelsey

8:29 "That bass line is always important when somebody's doing something - whether you're singing a vocal or you're playing an instrument - you can really set the tone just by that bass guitar and what it's doing." Michael Kelsey

9:08 Scott reflects on the evening in the studio while Courtney was tracking the part for Sanity's Edge.

9:19 "It was a magical evening for me." Vickie Maris

10:43 Setting the mood in the studio.

11:08 The process of quickly adding a bass line so that it would be in the mix when Courtney recorded the accordion track.

12:57 Any one of Courtney's three passes through the song during tracking would have been fantastic to use.

13:31 Scott talks about the range of sounds an accordion can produce. Michael talks about Courtney bringing out the soul in the accordion.

14:05 Courtney and Vickie met at accordion camp in Portland, Oregon. It's hosted by the Rose City Accordion Club.

15:00 Vickie talks about Michael creating a beat boxed click track for the recording of Sanity's Edge.

15:51 Sample of the beat box click track that was used in the recording process.

17:00 Vickie discusses when the idea came to her for adding the gang vocals on the final chorus of the song.

16:16 Vulnerable sharing about depression and anxiety.

19:00 Scott discusses how Vickie was able to include the voice of Lee Anna Atwell on the song. She recorded her part at REC Room Recording in Lafayette, Indiana.

20:00 Lee Anna suggested that Vickie add a track of her voice responding to the gang vocals.

20:48 "If someone feels moved to say something, chances are it is important." Michael Kelsey

21:05 Lee Anna learned Courtney's part on the melodica for the album release concert.

21:42 Hear a sample of the live performance (room audio captured by the camera) of Sanity's Edge during the album release concert for Another Universe.

https://vickiemarismusic.com

https://scottgreesonmusic.com

https://michaelkelsey.com

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, Sanity's Edge, by Vickie Maris.

Album: Another Universe

:20 Vickie Maris, podcast host and songwriter, describes the short preview that just played and introduces accordionist Courtney Von Drehle. He played the accordion track on Sanity's Edge. It was recorded in May 2022 when the Kelsey Greeson Project was masterminding in Indianapolis, Indiana.

1:17 Brief description of the listener feedback that is included at the end of the episode. It's a reaction to the song, Sanity's Edge. You will also hear the music bed for the song (with the vocals removed) at the end of this episode.

2:46 Snippet of the band playing Sanity's Edge during the album release concert.

2:54 Vickie introduces Courtney Von Drehle, accordionist, music arranger and educator

3:18 Courtney talks about the studio experience at the studio of Michael Kelsey Music Production.

4:03 Audio sample (from an iPhone video) of the beatbox click track that Michael had established before we started recording the scratch vocals.

4:35 Process of Vickie calling out the chords for the creation of a bass track.

4:52 Audio snippet (from iPhone video) of Vickie singing scratch vocals and playing acoustic guitar to the beatbox click track.

5:03 Courtney talking about the rehearsals of the past few days during our music mastermind week.

5:38 "Like listening to music being dependent on mood; playing music is also dependent on mood." Courtney Von Drehle

6:17 "It felt like I was connecting... connecting with the music and with myself." Courtney Von Drehle

7:09 "We had a magical night."

7:58 Vickie reflects on Courtney's description of the recording session, and also the masterminding activities of the week.

8:36 Courtney talks about how we all got on the same page in the rehearsal for the music for the May 2022 concert that we played in Lafayette, Indiana - USA.

9:08 Vickie discusses the feeling in the room (the studio) when Courtney was laying down the accordion track.

9:28 Courtney talks about the flexibility of recording, and how everything was connecting. "When you turn on the record button, you want to capture magic!"

10:15 Vickie reflects on the naming of the album, Another Universe, and how the studio was a bit like "another universe."

11:25 The speed at which the lyrics and melody came to Vickie. She relates it to how quickly the accordion part came to Courtney when he recorded his part.

12:27 "This particular song has been out of my hands all along." Vickie Maris

13:25 Courtney talks about how Vickie has had intuitive feelings about how the song could be helpful to people.

14:00 Vickie gives a thank you to Courtney for recording the accordion track for the song.

15:22 Music segue to the Vickie's interview with a friend who had listened to a rough mix of Sanity's Edge. (This part of the recording was captured on a voice memo app in a phone from an echo-y room.)

15:26 Vickie interviews a listener about how Sanity's Edge spoke to her when she heard it. "The song understands exactly what I'm feeling." 

17:24 "I felt like I was a receiver of the words. It was coming to me in a dream. I woke up at 4:30 am, and knew I had to get a guitar and a pen in my hand and start writing it down." Vickie Maris - about Sanity's Edge

Note: The music under the interview at the end of the episode is a version of the studio recording with the vocals removed.

https://vickiemarismusic.com

https://scottgreesonmusic.com

https://MichaelKelsey.com

Music video with lyrics - Sanity's Edge

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, On the Mountain by Vickie Maris. Album: Another Universe :35 Hear a sample of the instrumental track for On the Mountain. :54 Songwriter Vickie Maris introduces the episode. Her co-hosts are: Michael Kelsey, recording engineer and producer; Scott Greeson, co-producer. 3:40 Music segue, "On the Mountain" 3:48 We're all connected to each other. Vickie talks briefly about synchronicities that happened in the writing and recording of the song. Increased awareness helped her notice these. 4:57 You can hear the studio-recorded version of On the Mountain out in Spotify. 5:05 Music video of a live performance of On the Mountain being played by Vickie Maris, Michael Kelsey, Scott Greeson, Courtney Von Drehle, Lee Anna Atwell and Greg Brassie. 5:47 Music segue to interview. 5:53 Vickie starts the conversation with co-hosts, Scott Greeson and Michael Kelsey. 6:05 Scott Greeson talks about the origin of On the Mountain and asks Vickie to tell the backstory. 6:35 On the Mountain is Vickie's second song she had written. 6:59 Scott, Vickie and Michael Kelsey talk about performing for their various senior banquets and breakfasts back in high school. 7:44 Fast forward 20 years and Vickie starts songwriting again. 8:01 Vickie sells her American-made Guild guitar when she lived in Iowa. 8:30 The backstory of On the Mountain and how it connects to Connemara ponies and a pony farm in the mountains near Charlottesville, Virginia. 13:46 Michael Kelsey talks about Vickie picking the right chords for writing On the Mountain; also his surprise that On the Mountain wasn't a part of the songwriting spurt for the album. 14:35 Michael discusses how the chords, melody and lyrics showed him what Vickie was feeling when she wrote the song. He responded with the guitar parts and other instrumental tracks. 15:25 Scott discusses one of the May rehearsals and his reveal that the song felt brand new. He mentions that this song was a precursor of things to come even though written years ago. "The soul of the songwriter that you are is reflected in that song. It's the birth of you as a songwriter." 16:11 Vickie shares about something her songs have in common. Spending time in silence each day; especially during times of stress. 17:00 Scott talks about Vickie's professional career in the corporate world and in academia. "It took the quiet time to discover who you are as a musician and a songwriter that's really reflective in this album. Then Michael helped you give birth to the songs." 17:39 Vickie reflects on an epiphany she had after a moment of silence about giving herself permission to be a musician first rather than saving music for the leftovers of her day. 18:50 Scott talks about Vickie's reflection videos that she created daily after spending 100 days of adding 30 minutes of silence to her daily routine. 19:30 You can find the playlist of reflection videos when you go to YouTube to the channel, Vickie Maris Team Development: 20:07 Vickie shares another synchronicity moment about the timing of the day Michael was working on the mix for On the Mountain, Vickie without knowing he was working on the mix, she had chosen to wear an old Connemara pony polo shirt. 21:30 Vickie's thank you to the guys for sharing in the conversation. 21:42 Vickie sets up the closing music - the practice session (recorded on a phone in the living room) of On the Mountain with Michael Kelsey, Vickie Maris, Scott Greeson and accordionist, Courtney Von Drehle. 21:56 Practice session of On the Mountain with one voice, three guitars and one accordion. Thank you for listening, and for sharing the podcast! Show co-hosts and album producers: Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, Easy To Love (Love Letter From an Enneagram 7) by Vickie Maris and Michael Kelsey.
Album: Another Universe

:00 Sample of the upcoming content about the vocal workout of recording Easy to Love, a song on the album, Another Universe.

:20 Music and introduction of episode

:46 Sample of Easy To Love - live performance by band during Another Universe album release concert by Vickie Maris

1:01 More details about title of song, Easy To Love

1:38 Intro of the episode sponsor, Teach. Inspire. Connect.

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vickiejmaris
Website mentioned about the Everything DiSC or The Five Behaviors workshop with the band: https://everythingdisc.com/vickiemaris

3:03 Inspiration for the song came from a fascination with learning about personality types. Vickie is an Authorized Partner - Everything DiSC and The Five Behaviors. She talks about facilitation of team development workshops, staff retreats, and executive education sessions that incorporate the DiSC profile and other content in the Everything DiSC and/or The Five Behaviors portfolios (both are Wiley brands).

3:48 Team workshop available about team communications and team roles that incorporates the music of the band.

5:23 How to inquire about the workshop with the band: https://everythingdisc.com/vickiemaris

5:38 Welcome to listeners of the podcast!

5:51 An invitation to share out the podcast.

6:01 Description of the hashtag: #teachinspireconnect

6:35 Seque to the conversation about the song, Easy To Love.

7:01 Vickie describes her fascination with the Enneagram personality profile. She introduces her husband, Scott Greeson, co-producer and co-host of the show.

7:34 Vickie introduces Michael Kelsey, recording engineer and producer of the album, co-host of the show. He's the Enneagram expert of the group.

9:14 Description of mind mapping the ideas for the song and then, writing Easy To Love.

10:12 Scott talks about how 8 of the first 10 songs came really quickly, and then Easy To Love shows up as another song that needs to go on the album.

10:34 Michael discussed how a song can come easily when the pressure to songwrite has been removed.

11:05 Vickie share how the song was about 8 hours old when she took it to the studio to record scratch vocals. It was enough for Michael to create a demo track with his voice. Vickie practiced to the demo and was more prepared for singing the keeper vocals a couple weeks later. She and Michael were co-writers on the song.

12:09 Michael talks about how they took the starting point of the song, where they knew something was there to work with, and then switched a few things around as they were laying down the vocal track.

13:17 Vickie talks about the experience of recording the keeper vocals and at the same time, leaving open space for the guitar responses Michael was envisioning as responses to the lyrics.

13:56 Michael reflects on the value of letting the guitar do the talking for a bit.

14:44 The group talks about playing the song live at the album release concert.

14:50 Scott shares one of the lessons for songwriters about trying out several different lyrics, and how "the whimsical simplicity of the lyrics is what sealed the deal."

15:24 "You just know it when you hear it." Michael Kelsey talking about songwriting.

15:54 Sometimes people will work best under pressure. 

16:18 Scott discusses the value of the songwriter having a level of trust in the producer / engineer.

17:10 Thank you to Michael Kelsey for the introduction to the Enneagram.

17:30 Ending moments of our live performance of Easy To Love.

Thank you for listening, and for sharing the podcast!

Show co-hosts and album producers:

Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com

Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com

Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, We Are Enough by Vickie Maris.
Album: Another Universe

:00 Sample of the upcoming conversation about the vocal workout of recording We Are Enough, a song on the album, Another Universe.

:50 Music and introduction of episode

2:10 Intro of the sponsor, Etsy shop: heartsongllamas. The "We Are Enough" t-shirt and the physical copy of the cd of Another Universe are available in the shop. Use the promo code PODCAST15 for a 15% discount.

2:38 Sample of the song, We Are Enough (without vocals), followed by a blessing of the listener by Vickie as she says thank you for listening and she reminds you that you are enough.

3:23 Vickie shares the story about how the song, We Are Enough, came into being. She was looking in her coffee mug as it sat in the sink, and several of the lyrics started pouring out - including a line about "mug of moring." At the same time, her husband, Scott Greeson, was purchasing a coffee mug for her as a gift.

8:04 Vickie and Michael Kelsey discuss the vocal workout in the studio for the keeper vocals. "You're trying to get the right feel...If someone is thinking about the message too much, you might forget about the natural feel. How it needs to come across. It takes someone to remind you to keep it conversational." Michael Kelsey

9:17 "Just the silence -- not hearing anything. Letting the music be in silence is as equally important as saying something." Michael Kelsey

9:55 Vickie and Michael talk about building the right groove, and the creation of beatbox click track to personalize the foundation of the song.

11:02 "Beatbox is the quickest way to get a groove!" Michael Kelsey

11:27 Vickie talks about how she paused during the recording of scratch vocals of a few of the songs to rest within the neat groove established by the beatbox click track.

11:50 Scott and Vickie talk about the message being conveyed in the lyrics of this song. "What you are in any given moment is enough." Vickie Maris

13:27 Vickie talks about the experience of working with session player, Mike Rojas, at Compass Records in Nashville, Tennessee. Mike played piano on this song. He also played piano and organ on South Bend, and organ on Is It Tomorrow.

14:30 Music snippet and wrapping up the episode.

14:45 Listen to a snippet of We Are Enough as it is being played during the Another Universe album release concert.

Thank you for listening, and for sharing the podcast!

Show co-hosts and album producers:

Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com

Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com

Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, South Bend by Vickie Maris and Scott Greeson.
Album: Another Universe

:00 Intro of the podcast episode about Track 8, South Bend, on the album, Another Universe.

To see links for the album, Another Universe, in many of the streaming services, visit: https://vickiemaris.hearnow.com/another-universe

:45 Back story about South Bend, starting with discussion about the version of the song that had been played by the band, Scott Greeson and Trouble With Monday.

1:20 Changing South Bend to a different key before going to the recording studio.

1:39 Encouragement by recording engineer / arranger, Michael Kelsey, to record the song in a different arrangement than how it's been played out for live audiences.

2:24 Introduction of co-hosts, Scott Greeson and Michael Kelsey, and the topic of the podcast episode

2:50 A shout-out to friend and fellow singer-songwriter, Joe Peters.

3:23 Mention of S.A.M.I. - Songwriters' Association of Mid-North Indiana, http://samisong.com

3:37 Description of 2-disc album, Collaboration. 

4:12 Vocals for the songs on the Collaboration project were recorded at REC Room Recording at TAF (The Arts Federation) in Lafayette, Indiana.

4:58 Joe Peters asked Vickie Maris to sing, Nature's Acts of Wrath (Spotify link) by Joe Peters (melody) and Frederick Michaels (lyrics). Michael Kelsey played the instrument tracks.

5:35 Introduction of the new accordion, Petosa Little Pro XT. Vickie Maris played an accordion track on Nature's Acts of Wrath (Soundcloud link), recorded and mixed by Michael Kelsey.

6:25 Thank you Joe Peters and Frederick Michaels!

6:33 Thank you Michael Kelsey!

7:13 Asking the trees for input about how to sing the song, Nature's Acts of Wrath.

8:13 Thank you Scott Greeson!

8:40 Conversation about Track 8, South Bend, on the album, Another Universe.

9:35 Go Irish! Commuting to and from the University of Notre Dame for an executive education position.

10:32 Scott Greeson describes that he and Vickie were born the same hospital just a few days apart.

11:11 When you called, it was always, "a little bit south of South Bend."

12:17 Writing a song in a way that others can relate to the story even if they don't know the history behind the lyrics.

13:13 Scott taking care of Vickie's farm and livestock while she was commuting to work.

13:57 Using a smartphone as a songwriting tool.

14:50 South Bend was a part of the song group for the first recording session when Vickie thought the project was going to be an EP.

15:17 Writing other versions of South Bend during a coaching session the year before.

15:35 Interesting how songs take on a different identity.

16:09 Point of encouragement to songwriters about giving freedom to the musicians around you to interpret your music.

17:04 Michael Kelsey talks about creative value in writing a song in a different key from the original.

18:07 Trying out a new song idea in different tempos, different keys and other variations.

19:02 Scott Greeson talks about a life lesson learned during the songwriting of the song, South Bend.

21:44 Wrap-up of the conversation about South Bend, Track 8 on the album, Another Universe.

Thank you for listening, and for sharing the podcast!

Show co-hosts and album producers:

Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com

Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com

Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, Stars, by Vickie Maris
Album: Another Universe

:00 Intro of Track 9, Stars, by Vickie Maris on the album, Another Universe.

To see links for the album, Another Universe, in many of the streaming services, visit: https://vickiemaris.hearnow.com/another-universe

:40 A behind-the-scenes conversation about the ballad, Stars. 

1:22 Scott Greeson talks about the guitar lick in this song, "a guitar lick from Heaven."

2:33 Info about the marriage of a lyrical hook and a musical hook. 

3:28 Background about the song, Stars, and when it came about during a time when Vickie was taking guitar lessons with Raul.

4:23 Vickie added lyrics to the instrumental to help in remembering how to play the guitar riff.

5:09 Finding a happy place in your mind to help with staying focused while recording the scratch vocals and guitar parts if you're intimidated in the recording studio.

6:15 Michael Kelsey discusses how sometimes the best chord structures come in a song when you're "feeling your way through the dark" on the guitar. 

7:08 ... waiting for the song to be "organice all the way through."

7:35 "When I'm adding the instruments, everything tells you what is next."

7:42 "Vickie, that's your psaltry, slow dance song!" - Jenny

8:00 Scott Greeson talks about how Michael has a knack for letting a song speak for itself. The production and the instruments enhance the lyrics.

9:25 Vickie modified the lyrics (after having performed the song with the other lyrics) before going into the studio to record the song.

10:14 Vickie shares about the experiences of playing "Stars" for live audiences, and needing to get the new lyrics memorized.

11:20 To songwriters, it's ok to bring a song in for recording even if you are not able to play the song all that well. You can let a session player do the playing of the instruments as long as you have an outline.

12:20 Michael Kelsey talks about the outline of a song. 

Thank you for listening!

Show co-hosts and album producers:

Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com

Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com

Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com

Show notes for the episode about the creation of the song, Is It Tomorrow by Vickie Maris and Michael Kelsey
Album: Another Universe

:00 Intro of episode about Track 10, Is It Tomorrow

:52 Intro of your homework assignment!

:56 Take a listen to any of our songs in your favorite music app such as Spotify, Pandora, YouTube or other apps. After listening, take an action such as adding the song to a playlist. To see links for the album, Another Universe, in many of the streaming services, visit: https://vickiemaris.hearnow.com/another-universe

3:13 An invitation to search on the music of Scott Greeson and Michael Kelsey and listen to their songs too.

4:00 Conversation between Vickie, Scott and Michael about the inspiration for Is It Tomorrow.

4:33 Recognizing a potential song hook when it is spoken.

5:00 An honest recounting of the early morning conversation when Vickie was writing Is It Tomorrow.

6:20 Recording of the scratch vocals in the studio.

7:20 Scott mentions that he thinks the song has a sound that is similar to the artist, Shania Twain.

7:53 Vickie pushes beyond "choir girl" style to sass.

8:38 "When you're feeling a lot of emotion about something, write it down!"

9:24 Michael suggests that the song is about frustration in a playful, humorous way. "A reminder to not take things too seriously."

10:09 Scott was hearing that a Hammond B3 organ would be a great addition to the song. He contacted Matt Coles in Nashville, Tennesee who arranged to bring in session player, Mike Rojas, to Compass Records to play keyboards for Is It Tomorrow (and also South Bend and We Are Enough).

11:15 The organ and piano was recorded in the same studio in Nashville where Shania Twain and Mutt Lange had worked on Shania's breakout record.

12:00 One of the synchronicities of the recording of the album!

12:25 Scott's summary of relationships and how people have been mentioning they can relate to this song.

13:20 Check out the song, Is It Tomorrow! https://vickiemaris.hearnow.com/is-it-tomorrow

13:50 Homework reminder: share a takeaway from listening to the song or from listening to this episode of the podcast.

Thank you for listening!

Show co-hosts and album producers:

Vickie Maris ... https://vickiemarismusic.com

Scott Greeson ... https://scottgreesonmusic.com

Michael Kelsey ... https://michaelkelsey.com

Official lyric video - Is It Tomorrow