Song of the Week: August End

August End, by Jon Schmidt

What the song's about: Saying good-bye to summer.

Why I picked it: Fall came early this year. Today I put on a jacket before heading to work for the first time since winter reluctantly went into hibernation mode. I wanted to pick a song that had a very Autumn-y feel, so I scrolled through my iPod, hoping a song would jump out at me. Luckily, "August" starts with an A, so I didn't have to search for long.

Best line: My favorite part of the song starts at 1:27 on the video below, and goes to about 1:47. Most of this song is calm and steady, perfect for taking a drive through a canyon or tree-infested street to enjoy the changing leaves, but then 1:27 hits, and it's like you suddenly remember all the wonderful things about fall: a new school year, football season, jackets, hot cocoa—you've heard me make this speech before. I just can't find anything to be be sad about this time of year.

Mood trigger: If you're the summer type, this song will probably make you think of everything you're saying good-bye to—tanning by the pool, weekly barbecues, baseball games, freedom. But if you're the fall type, it'll give you that warm fuzzy feeling that just isn't possible when it's hot outside.

Random observation: This isn't one of my favorite Jon Schmidt songs, so I don't listen to it that often. I'm glad I took the time to give it a listen today, though. Except now I'm bummed that it's not in any of his piano books. Don't you know you're not allowed to release songs without releasing the piano music, too, Mr. Schmidt? You have no idea how much time I've spent scouring the internet for sheet music to some of your songs. Which I would happily pay for, by the way.