A tribute to a man who excells.

Inspired, in part, by LemKuiper's composition, "For You".


For You
Copyright 2007
Ken Gierke

Lem doing his 'AMsterdam Nights' Porno voice

I wrote part of this wee tune years ago but never did anything with it. I added a bit more and have been trying to do something with this by layering more guitar parts over it but the more I messed with   more...it the more it seemed to sound crappy. I decided it was maybe best left simple and just played it camera. I stuck a capo on just to make it sound a little brighter.

I have made a recording of a duet version of this in MP3 available on my site. www.lemkuiper.com  less

A poem inspired by LemKuiper's composition for guitar, "Dryad".
Visit Lem's channel for more great music.
Posted now as a response to the LiveVideo Ball - Poetry Slam!

Dryad

though midday when first
  more...I entered this wood
the mighty oaks seem shrouded
in the light of dusk

faint notes of an unknown minstrel
waft through the air,
heightening my senses,
my surroundings now in focus

mottled sunlight dancing at my feet
narrows to a shaft racing ’cross my path
glancing from the trunk of one oak,
then another and another

my feet suddenly frozen in place,
I turn to follow its path,
strain to keep it in sight
as it dances to the music

my eyes following that light,
I glimpse a maiden shadowed by an oak,
visible for a moment,
t hen just as soon gone

again she appears, dancing it seems
to the next oak, and the next;
dancing with the light or the trees?
I cannot tell

at once, the shaft of light meets the trunk
of a massive oak and broadens,
diffuses, softens and reveals
lines softer yet

I stand in awe at the sight
of a woman as one with the tree,
a classic beauty, a nymph
awaiting dear friend Artemis

though wrapped in the strength of the oak
she is vulnerable seeming;
unwilling to hold my glance
she turns away, as do I

all that is light leaves my eyes
for a brief moment,
then returns to reveal the dusky scene
that surrounded me moments earlier

standing alone once more,
my feet no longer rooted to the ground,
I step forward and realize
the notes are fading into the distance

Copyright 2007
Ken Gierke  less

This Video is dedicated to one of my first friends here on LV, Lem. It is a thank you for his music which helped in healing me to be the person I was supposed to be. His friendship and an inspiration   more...to make videos. These are photographs I have taken over the years of the moon. Lem told me he loves the moon so what better way to thank him! Thank you Lem, you ROCK and many blessings to you and yours, Rhiannon Rose  less

Fly To Be.

Written and performed by Will Gell and Joanna Lero.

This song features on my CD now available at http://www.willgell.com as well as a MP3 single version. It began life as an odd little guitar   more...solo I was playing around with when I started to think that Joanna would be able to sing to it. I sent her a recording of the solo and she wrote, recorded and performed an astounding vocal. I then asked her to add backing vocals, which she had never done before, and soon the piece took on a whole new feel and I arranged it with the addition of bass guitar and synthesisers on top of the original guitar.

As this was meant to be a quirky piece for my CD there wasn't originally an intention to make a video but with the imagery Joanna's lyrics created it was too hard to resist. We both agreed that a graveyard setting was a must for this video so Joanna took her friend to a graveyard in her hometown Poznan, Poland and shot the outdoor scenes and later filmed the vocal parts separately.

I then spent the best part of three days editing this video together. I'm hardly in it at all!! 8^)

It's a very beautiful and sad song and one which I am very proud to have been part of creating.

Thanks to Asia for being Director on location in the graveyard! 8^)

Very special thanks once more to Joanna Lero for her creativity, patience, co-operation and enthusiasm for this project.

http://uk.youtube.com/user/Joanna4real

http://www.myspace.com/joannalero

http://www.myspace.com/willgell

http://uk.youtube.com/lemintrepid

Lyrics.

now I found my fame
now I am like you
and I'd fly to be the one
I've been growing for far too long

I am taking them
then I fall
only then can I feel your soul

and I'd fly to be
fly to be there
going downwards still I fly in heart away

hate the clouds that swoon so fast
yet I yearn to swim with them
all your words will be forgotten
they will fade but pain will tear

so I'll lay on the ground
feel the earth
wish I saw some real moments there

so I'd fly to the days
cope with breath we'd take
still hear the noise of your fall
last fall, alone

now in silence I will follow your way
now I'm growing with some other flowers
now in silence I have decided to fall with you

and I'd fly to be
fly to be the one
but I grow on your tomb
pulling regrets away  less

Ken (30andout) made a video reply to Lem that I just didn't agree with. So here is my version of what Lem's beautiful music made me imagine.

Second of my little musical interludes with my Admira Princessa.

Finally! I have a decent microphone and can record my acoustic guitars with half decent audio! This is the first in what might be a wee series of guitar solos I have written as I experiment with my mic   more...and mixer. I apologise for the dodgy playing in places.  less

just wanted to say thanks for the song to put lyrics to,,,,,
we had a great time singing it ,, thats the fun part,,,,,,,,
thanks again....oct. hope you like it.....oct.

A poem inspired by LemKuiper's composition "Solitude".

I think Lem's own video is the best graphic for this poem.

Solitude

A few moments alone with six strings

Therapeutic… free from stress

Whether   more...composing…

Or simply feeling the response

an instrument can give;

reflecting my mood,

punctuating a statement

or drawing a scene,

hoping others can visualize the same

A few moments alone with six strings


Copyright 2007
Ken Gierke  less

The first time I heard this piece, a second melody came into my head immediately.
So I recorded my part over Lem's original track... then I realized that I was making a video! So I video taped myself playing   more...along after the recording was done.
Lem is on the left channel and I'm on the right.

Playing a dirt cheap classical nylon guitar!  less

Lem's latest video is a composition without a title. His request for a title inspired this poem. If I could sing, I suppose these might be lyrics.

http://www.livevideo.com/video/Lem/9689CB5F666D4646BD5A6E780B2C279F/untitled-thing.aspx
  more...
My Life Is Complete
© 2008
Ken Gierke  less

Just me recording a wee idea live on my SLG100S. Any suggestions for a title most welcome! 8^) Might record this properly or expand on it sometime. I ran some reverb on the audio after recording.

Inspired by Lem's composition "Home Again".

http://www.livevideo.com/video/Lem/06836E93758C4D879C87061B8EACB98E/home-again.aspx

©2008
Ken Gierke

My first video of 2008! And my first piece of music recorded in my newly redecorated studio in my new home! Which is actually my old home where I was born and raised! In fact this room I have as my studio   more...was once my old bedroom where I once spent many hours learning to play the guitar in my teenage years. 8^) I took some time out from DIY chores to record and video this today. Much more music to come in the near future! MP3 and sheet music available from www.lemkuiper.com as usual.  less

A musical tribute to my forebears. I have been researching my family history recently and have been scanning in loads of old family photos. I had the idea to write a piece of music to go with the really   more...old ones of those now departed.

In order are, from my father’s side of the family, my great grandfather’s brother William (I think), my great grandfather John, his youngest sister Mary Ann, his other sister Agnes, my great grandfather John again as an older man, my grandmother Emmeline and grandfather Fred, my grandfather’s sister Annie, my grandfather Fred again as an older man, my grandfather’s sister Ellen, from my mother’s side my grandmother Marion and my aunt Margaret, then my father Fred aged 16, my mother’s sister Maisie, my grandmother Marion and grandfather George with my oldest sister (she’s still alive), grandfather George with my father and my sister again and ending with my father once more taken while serving in India during WW2.

MP3 of music “Departed” available from www.lemkuiper.com  less

A poem inspired by LemKuiper's composition, "Carnasserie".
http://www.livevideo.com/video/Lem/303A8E8695A04F5A83CD82032C3F1FD1/carnasserie.aspx

Carswell’s Keep


The wrath of MacLean leaves an air   more...deathly still.
Yet, the walls of Carnasserie stand proudly, still.
It may seem all is gone, but it’s just as it’s been.
To the east and the north, the valley’s still green.
Enter the hall of the Bishop’s grand home.
Secure behind walls of impenetrable stone.
Wait by the fire and keep warm for awhile.
All is in waiting for the Earl of Argyll.
Now to the stairs, as they climb high and steep.
As we watch for our foes from the top of the keep.
We’ll stand here for ages with the strength of our will.
Yes, the walls of Carnasserie stand proudly, still.

Copyright 2007
Ken Gierke  less

I wrote and filmed this tune today. I had a rare chance to play live with no interuptions, cats, kids or washing machines and stuff in the background. My playing is very rough as it's a new piece and   more...I haven't been playing much recently so I'm a bit rusty. Also the sound went a bit funny with this one for some reason. I think the acoustics of my living room are bad. I really need to buy a microphone sometime soon. The title means "Over The Hills".
Sheet music available from my website www.lemkuiper.com. I'll record it properly to MP3 at some point...  less

A poem written to accompany LemKuiper's "October Day".
Hear more of Lem's music at LiveVideo/Lem.
<b>October Day

Soft, diffused…

Yellows and reds
far overhead
hint at sunlight
clinging to colors
  more...still within reach.

Prelude to winter’s gray.


Copyright 2007
Ken Gierke  less

A poem inspired by LemKuiper's composition "Long for the Day".
Find more of Lem's music at LiveVideo.com/Lem.

Long for the Day
Copyright 2007
Ken Gierke

I haven't been doing much in the way of music recently (been busy with other stuff) but I made this wee tune up a couple of days ago and kind of liked it so decided to record it and do a video. It's a   more...very simple thing I made up messing around with D, G and A chords.

MP3 and sheet music available from www.lemkuiper.com.  less

karenWow is a talented young singer songwriter from Poland. I like her original songs especially and when I heard this latest song it kind of stuck in my head. So I decided to mess around with it and   more...see if I could “jam along” somehow.

I processed the audio from her original video then added bass and electric guitar. karenWow has kindly let me use her video as well in order to put this together.

Please check out karenWow at http://www.livevideo.com/karenWow The more encouragement she gets the more she’ll write and perform I’m sure.

Thanks Joanna ;^)  less