Interpreting Cover Songs to Make Them More Personal

One of the highest compliments I’ve ever received from a venue was, “Dennis makes cover songs sound like his own.” This feedback resonates deeply with my approach to music. When I perform a cover song, my goal is not just to replicate it, but to infuse it with my own style, making it natural and authentic to me. This personalization process is integral to how I connect with my audience, whether at weddings, corporate events, or private parties.

The Process of Ownership

My journey to ‘own’ a cover song is meticulous and crafted with care, ensuring that each performance is not just a rendition but a reimagining that reflects my musical identity. Here’s how I do it:

1. Recording the Original: I start by recording the song, allowing me to play it back in sections. This helps me meticulously transcribe the harmony, melody, and rhythm, ensuring I understand its foundational elements.
2. Choosing My Key: The next step involves deciding on the key that best suits my voice and style. This choice is crucial for making the song feel like a natural extension of my musical expression.
3. Integrating Lyrics and Music: I then write the music out next to the lyrics on a single sheet of paper, if possible. This helps me see the song as a whole and internalize its structure and flow. Sometimes I’ll even reharmonize the piece for artistic effect, such as this cover version of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.”
4. Recording My Performance: Recording myself performing the song highlights areas that may need more work or parts of the song I haven’t fully made my own yet. It’s a reflective practice that helps refine my interpretation.
5. Creating Charts for the Band: For performances involving my band, I make charts for the members, ensuring we’re all aligned in the song’s new rendition. This collaboration is key to a cohesive and harmonized performance.
6. Listening and Refining: Finally, I listen to both the original versions and my own renditions, often in the car on the way to a gig. This not only helps with last-minute memorization but also with absorbing the essence of the song, allowing me to present it in a way that’s uniquely mine.

The Joy of Connection

Allowing couples and event planners to request up to three songs per event has significantly expanded my repertoire. This practice has introduced me to an array of music, pushing me to adapt and grow as a musician. It’s a lot of preparatory work to truly ‘own’ a cover song, but the effort is immeasurably rewarding. It enhances the performance, ensures I remain connected to the song for years to come, and most importantly, it allows me to uplift and connect with people through the universal language of music.

In every performance, my mission is to uplift, inspire, and bring joy through music. By personalizing cover songs, I aim to share not just the melodies and lyrics but a piece of my spirit, making each event a memorable experience for everyone involved. This process of making songs my own is not just about musical adaptation; it’s about creating a bridge between my soul and my audience, fostering a shared moment of musical transcendence.