part of my heart
Part of My Heart is about the strong and tender feelings of a father for his baby son as he sees and holds him for the first time and watches him grow. The title was adapted from a quote André recalls reading in the early days of parenthood and which describes exactly how he feels as a father: “Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
Part of My Heart was written by André on January 7, 2006, following a recording session with Glyn MacLean of Oikos Music Limited. Glyn was so impressed with André’s playing and singing style that he encouraged André to give thought to writing a song of his own. André returned home from the studio at 10:30pm that night and in half an hour the lyrics were all but complete; the final few verses were added a day or two later, as was the music. He says that this song came together quickly because it was a song that was “just waiting to be written.”
André performed the song in public for the first time at a Singer-Songwriter showcase on February 2 and appeared on television in TVNZ’s Close Up while performing at the New Zealand Music Month musicians showcase in Masterton on May 4 (went to air May 10). André would like to secure funding to record and release it as a new single one day.
The mp3 recording currently available is only a draft demo recording produced for submission into songwriting competitions.
reviews & awards
“André, the world should not be denied your talent. Your music is wonderful.”
— Glyn MacLean, Oikos Music Ltd, New Zealand
“I loved your song, it was beautiful.”
— Corinne Ambler, Close Up, TVNZ
(TVNZ were filming during a live performance in May 2006.)
“Part of My Heart is an outstanding ballad lyric. The chorus is absolutely amazing. You write very professionally, the words flow together well, and the message comes through clearly. With a professional production, this could be an incredible song. We are interested in working with your material.”
— Joe Adams, Nashville Song Service, Tennessee, USA
“You have been selected as Runner Up and Suggested Artist in the February and April 2006 rounds of the Song of the Year song and lyric competition respectively. Song of the Year receives entries from all over the world and only the top entries achieve this status. Congratulations on your great songwriting!”
— Jennifer Fowler, Song of the Year, Texas, USA
“Your song is a world class ballad that has immediate appeal both lyrically and melodically. This piece must be released and you should on the strength of this and other tracks you will no doubt produce get a publishing deal. I am very proud of what are achieving and am glad to have had a small part in the early days of your musical development.”
— John Mullon, London, United Kingdom
(John Mullon was André’s high-school music teacher.)
Emotional impact 10/10 (Strong): “Your lyrics describe your feelings and take the listener into a state of sensuality. Both melody and voice have the power that will make you remember the song and the performance. This song comes straight from the heart.”
Technical evaluation 10/10 (Excellent): “The vocal has a measure of heart and emotion that are poured into the memorable performance. The colorful instrumentation gives the song a very unique and original sound. The piano stands out from the rest of the instrumentation and is perfectly performed for this song. The structure is right on target and has tremendous flow. Your production is first rate for demo purpose.”
Marketability 8/10 (Excellent): “This is a very well performed song in every aspect. You show excellent style and emotion. This is a true asset to your product and should be highly accepted by potential buyers.”
— Professional Critique Service, Song of the Year, USA
“Your music is exceptional and I truly wish you the best of luck in the music industry.”
— Tony Reynolds, www.tonyreynolds.net