Ibby VK shares his musical gifts to uplift your spirits
Dubai local celebrity helps fans get thru self-quaratine
DUBAI, UAE, March 24: In these anxietyridden times, where can we turn for comfort? Music, of course! While everyone is more or less trapped in their residences for the foreseeable future, Dubai-based local artist Ibby VK, one of the country’s fastest rising independent musician who’s making waves in the local music scene through his original compositions, has been sharing his musical talents on social media in the hopes that it will provide some entertainment or peace of mind to his fans and people in general. This movement has sparked a new genre, which some Hollywood celebrities have aptly named “quarantuning.” Here, Ibby VK has suggested three things to help you get through this difficult time with the help of music:
1. Quarantune
Ibby has prepared a list of songs that you can listen to and play on Spotify or any music streaming apps or sites while staying at home working or spending time with your loved ones. “If you want a calm and peaceful mood then this could be your playlist. This is a perfect time to reflect and plan about your next few months. These songs can help you stay in focus and take you to a little retreat. I’d like to listen to these songs to get me to the tranquil mood, songs like Hollywood’s Bleeding by Post Malone, Breathe by Lauv, Knees by Bebe Rexha, Majbour by Nassif Zeytoun, Paint it, Black by Ciara, of course my own composition - Where We Belong, New Divide by Linkin Park, Before I Go by Guy Sebastian, Bawadda’ak by Hussein Al Jassmi, Fireflies by Owl City”
2. Quarantose (Composing a music in the time of quarantine)
There is no other perfect time to warm up those vocal chords and practice your musical talents whether by playing a musical instrument, writing new music, or pyour own vocals. Make this time as an advantage for you to cope up with your musical hobby. Here are some of Ibby VK’s tips on songwriting:
a. Start with the title (bold). Starting with a title will help you stay focused on a single idea in your song. Create a phrase of one to six words that sums up the heart of what you want to say. Or look for an interesting phrase that suggests a situation or emotion to you. Try using an image in your title to give it more interest or an action word to give it energy.
b. Make a list of questions suggested by the title (bold). Start by asking yourself what you want to say about your title and what you think your listeners might want to know. Make a list of questions. Your list might include: What does the title mean? How do you feel about it? What happened to cause this? What do you think or hope will happen next? You’ll need three to four questions.
c. Choose a song structure (bold). Many of today’s biggest hits rely on a song structure like this: Verse / Chorus / Verse / Chorus / Bridge / Chorus. Some add a short section called a “pre-chorus” or “lift” between the verse and chorus to build anticipation. The verse, pre-chorus, and chorus each have an identifiable melody, one that the listener can recognize when it comes around.
d. Choose one question to answer in the chorus and one for each verse (bold). We’ll focus on the chorus first since it’s the most important part of your song. Select the question you want to answer in your chorus. Write down a short phrase that expresses your answer. Look for images and action words to bring your answers to life. What is the singer feeling, thinking, or saying? What emotion is the singer feeling and how would you describe it? Is it warm or cold? Dark or light?
e. Find the melody in your lyrics (bold). Choose one or two of the phrases you came up with in Step 4. Say them out loud. Now say them again with lots of emotion. Exaggerate the emotion in the lines. Notice the natural rhythm and melody of your speech when you say the lines with lots of feeling. This is the beginning of your chorus melody. Play with it until it feels comfortable.
f. Begin to add chords to your chorus melody (bold). Try a simple, repeated chord pattern. Play with the melody and chords until you find something you like. Record yourself singing and playing (or just singing) – even if it’s only on your smartphone. Be sure you get it down so you don’t forget it.
g. Finishing a song (bold). So now you have your song idea in place, you know all the parts you need and you’ve picked a structure. Superb. At this point there are infinite ways to reach the finish line. It’s the magic that makes songwriting so special: there’s no ‘best’ way to do it. The best songwriting process is your own process. The only way to figure it out is to take time, sit down and build it.
3. Quarantuning
The effect of this virus has affected the music and entertainment industry here in Dubai and globally. “Most of the venues and shows here in Dubai are either closed or postponed for safety precautions which clearly affected my regular shows and performances however I am still optimistic of the fact that I still can reach out to my fans and followers through social media, and perform live with them.”
Starting on Thursday, 26th March 2020, at 7PM, for half an hour, Ibby VK will go live on his IG/Youtube (IG: @ibbyvk | Youtube: @ibbyvk) to connect with his fans and followers, interact and grant some song requests at the comfort of their home. This is Ibby’s way to entertain and uplift the spirits of Dubai residents who are majority in self-quarantine mode. At the end of the day, all we need is a little love and music to get through this pressing time!
His latest album “One Man Nation” is now available on https://www.ibbyvk.com/ one-man-nation and can be streamed on Spotify, Itunes, Anghami and more.