I am a musician.  My background includes Southern Gospel and Bluegrass Gospel.  I play lead guitar, bass guitar and a little mandalin.  I've been playing for 27 years.  As far as my LEO background, you can check my profile.  Keep up the singing and be safe on the road.

 How about a recording/mastering engineer?  That count?  I are ed-ju-macated and actually went to that there recordifin' school.

I know, I know "freakin' knob twirlers".  We never get any respect, the band always wants more this or that in their headphones, and like it or not, there are just some things I cannot fix "in the mix".   LOL!

 ccso8462, that combination is very logical, as they all share some of the same progressions and key structures.  The only thing that makes them stand apart is the arrangement and rhythm structure.

I do a little singing but nowadays it is mostly Karaoke. Was in a band many moons ago. I sing mostly Country and Contemporary

I am an accomplished musician and singer and I sang lead in a National Show band for 10 years. I was also a dedicated law enforcement officer, who became entangled in the clutches of departmental politics.  I hit an inmate ( with cause) I readily admitted to it,  because was I right with what I did. I found myself ousted in discrace.... But also received what I guess you might call a "dishonorable" retirement. Not much compensation for someone like me.... I am Branded.

I came here to give you something.  As a musician songwriter, I have written many, many songs, including many about my passion for law enforcement and the people that do it. Here are some lyrics that somebody in good standing in law enforcement should be singing.  If I do it, It looks like sour grapes... If you do it... People might understand why we do what we (you) do. I have the music to go with this, but if you pick up a guitar and play any simple melodie, you will find that it works.... The message and importance is in the words not the music:

HE DRIVES DOWN THE MAIN STREET OF TOWN....AND HE WAIVES AT ALL THE MERCHANTS, AS HE SLOWLY LOOKS AROUND...AND HE TRIES TO HOLD THE TEARS BACK, THAT ARE BUILDING IN HIS EYES... AND HE WONDERS IF THEY UNDERSTAND... THIS TIMES HE WAIVES GOODBYE.

FOR 20 YEARS HE'S BEEN OUT ON PATROL... AND TODAY WILL BE HIS LAST DAY, CUZ THEY SAY HE IS TOO OLD.... AND TONIGHT THEY'LL HAVE HIS DINNER, AND HE'LL RECEIVE HIS PLAQUE... BUT COME TOMORROW MORNING, HE WON'T BE COMING BACK...

HIS WIFE HAD LEFT HIM SEVEN YEARS BEFORE... SHE SAID THAT HE WAS MARRIED TO A JOB THAT HE LOVED MORE... AND SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T TAKE IT, THE STRESS WAS MUCH TOO HIGH... SHE NEVER KNEW WHEN HE'D COME HOME, OR IF HE'D EVEN TRY...

NEXT MONTH HE'LL BE FITFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD... AND HE'S GONNA LOVE RETIREMENT, OR SO HE HAS BEEN TOLD.... BY A ONE YEAR ROOKIE OFFICER, WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.... THAT WHEN YOU TAKE THE JOB AWAY, YOU TAKE PART OF THE MAN.

HE WALKS OUT OF THE STATION ONE LAST TIME.... AND HE TURNS AROUND AND FACES IT, AND SOFTLY SAYS GOODBYE... AND AS BE SLOWLY WALKS AWAY, HE WONDERS WHAT HE'LL DO.... BUT ALL THE INDICATIONS ARE, HIS LIFE'S ALREADY THROUGH.

Good luck and keep your head down,

Branded

Branded says ...

I am an accomplished musician and singer and I sang lead in a National Show band for 10 years. I was also a dedicated law enforcement officer, who became entangled in the clutches of departmental politics.  I hit an inmate ( with cause) I readily admitted to it,  because was I right with what I did. I found myself ousted in discrace.... But also received what I guess you might call a "dishonorable" retirement. Not much compensation for someone like me.... I am Branded.

I came here to give you something.  As a musician songwriter, I have written many, many songs, including many about my passion for law enforcement and the people that do it. Here are some lyrics that somebody in good standing in law enforcement should be singing.  If I do it, It looks like sour grapes... If you do it... People might understand why we do what we (you) do. I have the music to go with this, but if you pick up a guitar and play any simple melodie, you will find that it works.... The messeage and importance is in the words not the music:

HE DRIVES DOWN THE MAIN STREET OF TOWN....AND HE WAIVES AT ALL THE MERCHANTS, AS HE SLOWLY LOOKS AROUND...AND HE TRIES TO HOLD THE TEARS BACK, THAT ARE BUILDING IN HIS EYES... AND HE WONDERS IF THEY UNDERSTAND... THIS TIMES HE WAIVES GOODBYE.

FOR 20 YEARS HE'S BEEN OUT ON PATROL... AND TODAY WILL BE HIS LAST DAY, CUZ THEY SAY HE IS TOO OLD.... AND TONIGHT THEY'LL HAVE HIS DINNER, AND HE'LL RECEIVE HIS PLAQUE... BUT COME TOMORROW MORNING, HE WON'T BE COMING BACK...

HIS WIFE HAD LEFT HIM SEVEN YEARS BEFORE... SHE SAID THAT HE WAS MARRIED TO A JOB THAT HE LOVED MORE... AND SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T TAKE IT, THE STRESS WAS MUCH TOO HIGH... SHE NEVER KNEW WHEN HE'D COME HOME, OR IF HE'D EVEN TRY...

NEXT MONTH HE'LL BE FITFTY-FIVE YEARS OLD... AND HE'S GONNA LOVE RETIREMENT, OR SO HE HAS BEEN TOLD.... BY A ONE YEAR ROOKIE OFFICER, WHO DOESN'T UNDERSTAND.... THAT WHEN YOU TAKE THE JOB AWAY, YOU TAKE PART OF THE MAN.

HE WALKS OUT OF THE STATION ONE LAST TIME.... AND HE TURNS AROUND AND FACES IT, AND SOFTLY SAYS GOODBYE... AND AS BE SLOWLY WALKS AWAY, HE WONDERS WHAT HE'LL DO.... BUT ALL THE INDICATIONS ARE, HIS LIFE'S ALREADY THROUGH.

Good luck and keep your head down,

Branded

 

 

Thankyou , Branded.  this is a great piece of work.  We appreciate you sharing it with us.

I beat the skins and play on that 4 string thing =D

Sang in a Steely Dan cover band in Ireland, now lead singer for The Puppets in VT.

branded like your song, sounds familiar, you should add a line

"then no one wants you"

Concert tubist/euphonium

FMason says ...

Sang in a Steely Dan cover band in Ireland, now lead singer for The Puppets in VT.

Ireland? Been there in 2006. Time of my life! Right in middle of Dublin riots!

mostly acoustic guitar, rhythem, a little lead, sing, and write.

mostly play classic rock, and some recent pop-ier stuff, i love bluegrass, country and basically anything you can make sound good

I freakin rock out on the kazoo ...  here I am on the way to meet the rest of my jug band 

Rythym  guitar  /  lyrics

I have played the piano for 13 years, the French Horn and Trumpet for 8 years.  I was All State Band 2 years and All State Orchestra for 1.

Drummer (mostly electronic these days because I live in a condo....just sold a huge Roland kit and downsized to a Yamaha).  Brass...trumpet, trombone, French horn,etc.  Own a couple of guitars that I can't play.  Singing?  Not even close!  I can hear the tiniest of imperfections in music, voice, etc until it's MY voice coming through MY ears.  It's like I'm tone deaf!

bj