R.J. Maunton: Gratitude
R.J. has been playing music regularly since 2nd grade, beginning with the piano. Although the piano remains one of his two dominant instruments, he loves learning to play any instrument. R.J.’s second dominant instrument is the trumpet (and its varient the Flugelhorn). While at Principia Upper School, he had the opportunity not only to improve his playing but also to explore song writing. His senior project was a culmination of his musical experiences throughout high school. He and his best friend and brother in all but blood, Brian Ward, set their minds to task and produced four songs in the smooth jazz style. It was vastly enriching, and they are honored to present you with one of those songs here. R.J. continues to play music whenever he can both in organized groups and for his own enjoyment while Brian Ward is enjoying a successful career in music which he plans to continue after graduating from UNT with his Bachelors in music.
Gratitude
Lyrics:You give me peace and heartfelt joy
Every time you’re near
Always kind and so sincere
The love you show is clear
This I share, my gratitude
I love you
R.J. Maunton
Hey man, thank you so much for writing and producing this song. I really love it. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but for me it seems to touch this deep inner sense of harmony. In accord with the title and inspiration of the song, it instills a sense of gratitude for this, and every, pure expression of Soul :)
I loved the form, too. Simple and beautiful. It really fits with the theme of gratitude — which is such a basic and essential thing.
Thanks for sharing your expression with us!
I very much enjoyed the horn work at the end, allowing for contemplation of the elegant simplicity of the lyrics. Well done!
Hey RJ,
I loved your piece. Interesting form…just 6 lines of lyric with no repeats…very simple and clear…ending with the horn. The tonal change on line 5 really gets your attention…used to great effect. The stratospheric jump on “I love you” works too. Well done…do some more.