My post title is a lyric line from my song “You Were There.” Click the blue link below to hear my newest arrangement. I am working on my vocal and plan to finish it soon.

YOU WERE THERE #2 KARAOKE-Copyright 2014 by J Unger

Link to other story about this song:

#197 YOU WERE THERE – PART 1

“My music is my inspiration”

I love all of my older songs and have continued to work with a talented musician named George to create beautiful new arrangements for many of them.

A month ago, George and I began working on “You Were There #2.” Within one session, the arrangement was almost finished and it was completely breathtaking for me. But then I wrote a new song, which I named “My Shining Star.”

My newest song eclipsed the older song. I put “You Were There #2” aside until last week when George and I completed it. This gorgeous arrangement was another winner for me and I’ve already begun singing vocal lines for it.

My singing voice has not been very strong. But in spite of my eyesight issues and depression, music just continues to swirl around me. Because of music, I am completely inspired.

And as I’ve said before, with music I’m never alone.

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Recently, I purchased a classical guitar due to George’s encouragement. I gave my old one from college to my daughter who enjoys playing it.

For over two months, I made numerous trips to guitar shops and probably played at least 100 guitars. Early on, a relatively inexpensive, lightweight guitar stood out for me. It was made in Spain by a company named Cordoba. It had a brighter sound that appealed to me and I liked the idea that it had a built-in electric pick-up.

It has been fun playing my lightweight nylon guitar!

The sound is a nice complement to some of my songs, although I still feel much more attached to my steel-string Lowden guitar.

Lately, I have been doing many guitar recordings to add into my songs. On my newest arrangement of “You Were There #2” I wasn’t sure which guitar to use, so I recorded both of them. In almost all of my arrangements, George also plays a keyboard guitar.

George liked the sound of both my guitars, so the arrangement actually has three guitars in it.

Below are recordings of my guitar with some other arrangements. I have the guitar louder so I can hear it clearly to check my editing.

Click the blue links below to play audio:

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THE DOOR #3 GUITAR-Copyright 2014 by J Unger

RAINBOW THROUGH MY TEARS GUITAR-Copyright 2014 by Unger

EVERY SEASON #2 GUITAR-Copyright 2014 by J Unger

MY SONG UNSUNG GUITAR-Copyright 2014 by J Unger

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My post title has a lot of different meanings for me. In my apartment I celebrate when I’m alone because I seldom am. Usually, I have one of my children home with me. I love my two sons, but the silence I crave is broken by the sound of video game gunfire.

It’s when I’m truly alone, that I feel free to sing aloud and enjoy the solitude.

And on a side note, I believe it’s far worse to be with someone you don’t want to be with, than to be alone!

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I’m taking a break from performing until my eyes improve. Here I am courageously singing without my guitar!

When I wrote the lyrics to “You Were There,” both my parents were still alive. The line of “I’m not alone” reflected how much both of them were deeply ingrained in my life.

Although I shared every aspect of my life with them, I kept my marital woes pretty much to myself. My parents knew my marriage was empty and there was no reason to discuss it with them, because I never believed there were any options for me.

So throughout my adult life, I clung to my parents where I received tremendous love and encouragement.

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It was especially difficult when my parents lived with me for a year before they went into an assisted living facility. I carried tremendous heartache because I was grateful my husband accepted it, while at the same time our marital problems were clearly in view.

It was interesting when I remember how my mother was more excited to remember my anniversary with a gift to me than my husband ever was.

The words of “I’m not alone” carry a new meaning now that both my parents have died.

When my mother’s dementia began to increase, I remember feeling like a small child who was lost in a huge department store. I was terrified.

But then I learned that I needed to become the parent because it was my mother who was actually the lost child!

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My song “You Were There” reflected that shift. It was quite difficult, but eventually I adjusted to the new person my mother became. And I marveled at my own strength.

I was not able to alleviate my father’s suffering, though I desperately tried by searching for different doctors and procedures that might help him. When my father gave up and wanted to die, I prepared myself once again to “be strong” and do what was required of me.

These days, I’m not feeling nearly that strong. Perhaps as a result of my irritated eyes, I am extremely vulnerable and depressed. When I remember the love from my parents, I feel even more alone because I miss them in so many ways. But then the blessing of my music fills my heart with their love and my sadness ebbs away . . .

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© Judy Unger and http://www.myjourneysinsight.com 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Judy Unger with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.