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Tom C. Reed's lifelong connection with music began at home, where his father introduced him to timeless legends like Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, and Duke Ellington. From singing duets at the age of six to performing in school choirs and learning multiple instruments, music became an inseparable part of his life. Today, that passion shines through in "Let's Make It So", a thoughtful and uplifting single that blends reflective storytelling with imaginative musicianship. The song encourages listeners to embrace life's uncertainties with hope, transforming moments of self-reflection into an inspiring anthem about making every moment count.

The Inspiration Behind "Let's Make It So": "Let's Make It So" carries a powerful message about embracing life's uncertainty with hope. What personal experiences or moments inspired you to write this song?

The themes of uncertainty, challenge, fears, romance, etc. are recurring in my music. These are things I've experienced over and over in my life and they are common to all of us! During the lyric writing process, I follow my memories or experiences and those of others I’ve known. I don’t usually have a story or theme for the entire song, but one can present itself as the music comes alive. “Porcelain Doll” and “Together” (off “From The Basement Pipes”) were both exceptions to this process. For “Let's Make It So”, I was focused on the human will and resolve.

With “Let's Make It So”, the first verse speaks of meeting someone new and sensing something from them but thinking I may have misunderstood. There's a smile or gesture and my imagination begins to churn. Attraction is so magical, and we should make the most of the experience.

The second verse talks about recognising the importance of the present. We learn that days are special because we say they are and we find a place where we belong. It’s magical! I sensed a change as I moved, and I’m hearing a song in my head! I watch my every step but I have doubts and I want to push through them, though I want to remember the decisions we make.

In the third verse, I'm speaking of the serendipity of life, the randomness, the kaleidoscopic transformations, moment-to-moment. I'm often asking myself of the meaning of events or realisations. For me, this can take time to come into focus, and sometimes, I have to push through and will my objective a reality.

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Crafting an Emotional Journey: The song feels like a journey, beginning with self-reflection before building into an uplifting anthem. Was that emotional progression intentional from the start, or did it develop naturally during the writing process?

My writing often begins with chords. I begin adding things after that. With “Let's Make It So”, the words came into focus after developing the structure and arrangement of the song. Then after the melody and lyrics begin taking shape, emphases and nuances find their way.

The chords came in spurts and pieces. That's often how it happens for me. The bass line came next and it sort of rolls along to keep the piece moving, just as it should. I created all the sections and played them for Andy, then realized I wanted something in the beginning, so I added the opening chords. I still hadn't developed the melody or lyrics. Andy arranged the sections I had given him and he made a recording. When I listened to it, a melody emerged, and I began writing lyrics.

Obviously, I'm an introspective, reflective person. That's how I face life every day and within each day. This song does describe a journey because that's exactly what life is. We're faced with one question after another, and there's often no logical sequence to it. Life continues to unfold and reveal one challenge after another.

Is there an intentional sequence to the lyrics? I think I’ve talked about that. I should just say that this is how this song came to be and it wasn’t “intentional” or pre-determined. For me, music must flow somehow. Truthfully, I don't know how it's supposed to work and I’m not completely sure how it works for me!

The Art of Unexpected Harmony: Your composition features several unexpected harmonic choices, including the flattened B, the A-flat major chord, and a later key modulation. What inspired these musical decisions, and how do they support the story you're telling?

I wouldn't want to make the mistake of pretending to be some sort of “technical” musician. I would say I’m eclectic and I look for ways to be unique. I like twists and turns. I really enjoy music that surprises me and I want to surprise my listeners. Having a key modulation or accidentals helps to provide surprises. I really don't want the listener to get to a place in a song before the song gets there.

My chord progressions are not as common as some, but truthfully, using a B-flat, along with an A-flat major chord in the key of C, isn’t that far off the highway!

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The Meaning Behind the Chorus: The chorus, "Let's make the time that we have feel like dreams coming true," is incredibly memorable. What does that lyric mean to you personally?

Of course, for me, I'm really talking about making the most of this present moment. I can't say that I always do it but I recognize the wisdom and I try to keep it in mind.

Building the Song's Soundscape: The balance between calm keyboard textures and dramatic guitar moments creates a cinematic atmosphere. How did you approach arranging the instrumentation to achieve that emotional contrast?

This is really a question that we should discuss with “the Doctor”. Andy did the arrangements based on my songs. For decades, Andy has played in theatre productions, and I'm sort of a theatrical singer. In that way, no one should be surprised at the result. The theatrical side is something that’s apparent in the video and I’m planning to develop it further.

Songwriting Without Boundaries: Your music blends familiar blues-inspired foundations with adventurous harmonic twists. How would you describe your songwriting philosophy, and who are some of your biggest musical influences?

I think I've gotten into this a little bit earlier I might be able to add to what I've said.

For me, it seems that an artist absorbs creativity from others and extrapolates to create some personal originality. It’s like a smoothie, a soup or stew!

My sense of rhythm and harmony comes from progressive rock, jazz rock, prog rock, art rock and a fairly extensive exposure to classical/symphonic music, “Big Band” artists and “mainstream” school choirs and bands. I've been interested in music since I was very young. I guess I've soaked up a lot of things from a lot of different places. Could I be more sophisticated, more technical? There's no doubt about that! But I hope I make it interesting for technical, sophisticated listeners without completely abandoning those that aren't. I’d like to “stretch the ears” of the listeners.

My influences are somewhat broad. I like The Beatles, of course! Then there's The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Perry Como, James Brown, Peter Gabriel, Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Gino Vannelli, Joni Mitchell, Robert Palmer, King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant, 10CC, Godley and Crème, Weather Report, Miles Davis, Snarky Puppy, Björk, Radiohead…. Maybe you get the idea…

Connecting with Listeners: Many listeners may find their own stories reflected in "Let's Make It So." What emotions or conversations do you hope the song inspires after people hear it?

I think the idea that we can make our own “magic” is what I’d like the lasting message to be. Again, it’s not that I think I always do it, it’s that I think that’s “the target”. Let’s make it happen!

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Moments from the Studio: Looking back at the recording process, was there a particular moment in the studio when you realized the song had become something special?

I actually felt it when I was working on the melody and lyrics. The second phrase of the first verse, with the movement of the melody taking off and saying something different. In the studio, it comes during the playback. You don't really know what you have until you hear it back. Of course, there's a lot more that can be done in the mixing and mastering processes.

What's Next for Tom C. Reed? What can fans expect from you next? Are there any upcoming releases, collaborations, or projects that you're excited to share?

I'm planning to release more singles, and I'm also looking at some sort of multimedia show that could be fun. Besides that, I have ideas for songs laying around and I have some new ideas that are also in development. If I can generate a little bit of positive cash flow, I'm hoping to record, release and perform more music!

As for live performance, I'd love to share the music and when the time and place is right, I hope you'll come and see us! I’m hoping to make each show a special, all-inclusive event!

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Turn Dreams Into Tracks

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