“Plant the Seed” ~ Release Day!
Hello Friends,
Today is RELEASE DAY for my new song, “Plant the Seed.” Join me in the Kitchen and I will share a lyric video and more.
Index
NEWS:
THIS MONTH’S MUSIC: “Plant the Seed” OFFICIAL RELEASE
UPCOMING SHOWS
FEATURED NON-PROFIT: Life Pieces to Masterpieces
Used with permission
News:
I am looking forward to several upcoming shows.
May 14, Tuesday: Lincoln Library, Lincoln, MA (open mic feature)
May 24, Friday: Club Passim Campfire Festival (in the round)
June 15, Saturday: One Broadway Collaborative, Lawrence, MA (songwriter showcase)
June 25, Tuesday: The Optimist Café, Jaffrey, NH (dinner and a showcase)
August 24, Saturday: Peterborough, NH (family-friendly solo show)
August 31, Saturday: Rindge Historical Society, Rindge, NH (open mic feature)
All show details can be found at upcoming shows.
This Month’s Music: “Plant the Seed” (Lyric Video)
© 2024 Tom Smith (ASCAP)
Lyrics in comment below.
Have you ever thought about why you plant a garden even though it may be more cost and trouble than buying the same produce from a market? That was the inspiration for this song, against the backdrop of bigger things that keep me awake at night — the challenges of being a parent and a teacher in a world where kindness and justice cannot be assumed.
Last month, in my April “Kitchen Musician”, I shared a demo video of this newly written song. The response was very positive, so I sent it to my friend Erik Balkey to see if he had any interest in sharing it with Folk Radio DJ’s. Every month, Erik compiles songs that relate to relevant and timely topics. He calls this series of compilations “Folk Now”, released and promoted by his company, Hudson Harding Music. Since May is the month for planting gardens in many locations in the United States, he asked me if I could record the song in time for his May release, which was less than a week away. So I quickly recorded the song in my home studio, with separate tracks for voice, two guitar parts and bass guitar. We both thought this simple folk song was served well by equally simple, folky accompaniment. Erik and his talented audio engineer Glenn Barratt of Morningstar Studios, Philadelphia, PA, mixed and mastered it. Gratefully, this was accomplished just under the deadline, and as of yesterday is in the hands of folk radio DJ’s throughout the country.
Erik likes to have a video to help with the promotion, so I recorded the above lyric video. With about an hour of time and a $0 budget, I took a video selfie on one of my daily walks on Wilson Mountain Reserve, in Dedham, MA. It is just me singing along to the track playing on my phone in my shirt pocket. You can catch a glimpse of the Charles River behind me. The hardest part was holding up the video camera without shaking too much. To view Erik’s full playlist for all of the songs on the May “Folk Now”, click this link.
For as little as $0, you can download this track on my Bandcamp Page. You can also play it on pretty much every streaming service. Here are a few direct links: Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, Amazon Music, or Pandora.
The cover art is entitled “Planting Our Future” and was created by the folks at Life Pieces to Masterpieces, an organization that serves boys living in Washington, DC’s most underserved Ward 7 and 8 neighborhoods, plagued by concentrated poverty and lack of cultural exposure. They were kind enough to grant me permission to use this as the cover art for for this release. You can learn more about this organization in my “Featured Non-Profit” section below.
Plant the seed, my friends!
Tom
(If so inclined, I invite you to leave a comment by scrolling to the end of this page.)
Featured Non-profit: Life Pieces to Masterpieces
“Life Pieces to Masterpieces develops character and leadership, unlocks potential, and prepares Black and Brown boys and young men to transform their lives and communities, with creative expression and ‘each one teach one’ mentoring at the core. We prepare our young men to become catalysts for positive change in the world.”
“Every aspect of our boys’ lives is affected by systemic racism – from being negatively labeled, devalued, isolated and neglected in school to the over-incarceration of their fathers, uncles, and brothers. Life Pieces offers a safe sanctuary for the Black boys and young men growing up in Washington, DC’s most poverty-stricken and volatile neighborhoods.”
“At Life Pieces, we are changing how Black boys see themselves; we are changing how the world sees Black boys and young men; and our Black boys and young men are helping the world discover our shared humanity.”
Join me in supporting Life Pieces to Masterpieces.
Tom
May 3, 2024Plant the Seed
Words and music by Tom Smith (ASCAP)
© 2024 Peabody Hill Publishing (ASCAP)
My garden, Labor without end
Most of my time spent with insects and weeds
But When I count the cost
Against what would be lost
I plant the seed
I plant the seed
I plant the seed
My children, Worries without end
I give all my sails’ wind to help them succeed
But when I count the cost
Against what would be lost
I plant the seed
I plant the seed
I plant the seed
Justice can’t be given with closed fist
It’s on a long list that’s not guaranteed
When I feel burned out
Overcome by doubt
I plant the seed
I plant the seed
I plant the seed
Plant the seed
Plant the seed
Plant the seed
Pat Kenneally
May 3, 2024Tom, this is so beautiful and moving. Brought me to tears. Bravo. Pat
Tom
May 3, 2024Thank you for listening deeply, Pat. Let’s get together real soon.
Joe Fredette
May 4, 2024Just Beautiful! Thank you for planting this seed and so many others Tom. Also for drawing attention to Life Pieces for Masterpieces – what a great organization!
Tom
May 15, 2024Thanks Joe. I appreciate that.
Steve Rapson
May 4, 2024Hi Tom,
A lovely song. Your video is brilliant in its simplicity. A clever use of economical current technology.
Steve
Tom
May 15, 2024Thanks Steve. Amazing what you can do when you don’t have a budget. 🙂