Music
​In collaboration with my son, Gabe Carmona, and his 88k Media/Studio, ​and Sony/Nashville ... We would like to introduce country recording artists, Jessica, John, and Grant Thomas from Tennessee. I would like to thank my other two family members for contributing with lyrics - my youngest boy, Michael Paul Carmona and my daugthter Trisha Carmona.
All of us together and musically, would like to invite you to our recent showcase of our new country songs,
"You Never Say Goodbye." ... "Tony's" ... "Ramblin' and Gamblin"
"The Only One" ... "Ever More" ... "Tennessee Memories"
The Nashville Sessions / Country Music Projects
Proud to announce our songs are on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, iHeart ... and other digital music sites!
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Track: You Never Say Goodbye [Duet] Grant and Jessie
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Written by: Mike Carmona, Gabe Carmona
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Produced by: Gabe Carmona
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Video link: YouTube link - click here
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Mixed & mastered by: Gabe Carmona courtesy of 88k Media®, Carmona88 ASACAP, 2025
About this song, "You Never Say Goodbye":
Is a heartfelt country ballad that captures the bittersweet emotions of love, loss, and the promises we make even when we have to part ways. With soul-stirring lyrics and a melody that lingers long after the song ends, this track speaks to anyone who has ever struggled to let go. Whether it’s a love that was never meant to fade or a memory that refuses to be forgotten, "You Never Say Goodbye" reminds us that some connections are too strong to ever truly end. [Gabe C.]
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Track: Ramblin' & Gamblin'
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Written by: Mike Carmona, Gabe Carmona
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Produced by: Gabe Carmona
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Mixed & mastered by: Gabe Carmona courtesy of 88k Media®, Carmona88 ASACAP, 2025
Another new country song! The final mix is done and can be heard on most music platforms, as of today on Spotify for sure. The vocalist is Jessica from Nashville TN ... it's called, "The Only One" (Always)
This slow ballad below was released on Oct 06, 2025, on most music platforms/apps ... and recorded with the vocalist, Mia; produced by my son, Gabe. Lyrics by Mike Carmona, Trisha Carmona, and Gabe Carmona.
About ... Michael, Gabe, & TM
Hailing from San Jose (Bay Area), Gabe Carmona emerges as a dynamic creative force. This charismatic music producer, known for his infectious personality and deep passion for music, invites each listener on a captivating journey with every production.
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Having been immersed in music from a young age, Gabe's journey began on family band stages, in studios, and with a Casio keyboard. His innate musical talent and experimentation laid the foundation for his future as a music maestro.
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Gabe's dedication to production grew, leading him to create music that hit the airwaves by age 16 and shared stages with industry giants.
From his collaborations with Sony Music Entertainment, Arista Records, Capitol Records ... and many others, his diverse production style spans Pop Anthems, Hip-Hop, Smooth Jazz, Soulful R&B, Country Music, and beyond.
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His production style is as diverse as they come. Gabe's versatility knows no bounds. His ability to organically collaborate and create with artists in-person, online, or live on stage, only further demonstrates his ability to seamlessly blend various genres.
This is truly what makes him truly one-of-a-kind.
Mike Carmona: My music life can be summarized in three instruments, one music workstation, and the guidance from my dad. ​The trumpet was my first instrument, and I played it in my growing up years with my dad's orchestra. As a teen I played it with my brother's band, and with Manuel Donley Y Las Estrellas.
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​​At 21 we were living in California, and I got drafted into the Army. By some miracle I got into the 59th Army band and after four months of band training I got sent to the Canal Zone, Panama - assigned to the 79th Army Band.
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​When I used to play the trumpet with Manuel Donley, I used to sit right next to the drummer, Emilio Villegas. He was so good that I used to look at his tejano drumming style and technique. That might have been for a future lesson. Music works in a mysterious way they say! ​ You see, when we got to California it was hard finding tejano musicians, especially good drummers, and guitar players. None around back then. Keyboard players? Non-existent.
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​​In 1969 I got into an auto accident and couldn't play the trumpet anymore, so my dad bought me a set of drums and then said, "We can't seem to find good tejano drummers, so, you have a week to learn them because we got gig in Sacramento ... and you are playing the drums."​ ​
Introducing my son, Michael Paul Carmona & his new song, "Walls"
Born and raised in San Jose, CA, Michael was no stranger to music and the nightlife. Growing up as a 4th generation musician in the Carmona Music Legacy era, he watched His father and uncles play gigs across the Bay Area wondering when his time will come. After some failed attempts with the trumpet and flute, Michael later found his two instruments: the microphone and the turntables.
Michael launched his musical career from the ground up, from sitting through rehearsals, assisting with audio set-up, hitting the cowbell on tracks, to driving from city to city being a Family Roadie. This was all part of his recipe for success as it helped Michael thrives in his first gig as a Street Crew Team Member for radio stations in the Central Valley; Hot 104.7fm KHTN and KUBB Country 96.3fm.
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After several months of putting in some work on the Street Team, Michael got his shot to go ON AIR Personality, and “Big Mike” was created that day and Michael never looked back. Big Mike laced the airwaves during his prime time shows that included New Years Eve Top 100 Countdown, Love Jams Show, and Country Backyard Boogie. After years of being on the air, Michael wanted more so he self-taught himself how to spin on the 1’s and 2’s, practicing any chance he can get assisting the DJs in the clubs.
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Not long after, the clubs started hiring Big Mike not only Host, but also to DJ for the night as well. Promoters, Club Owners, and Radio Stations were asking for “Big Mike”, from California, Hawaii, and to Arizona, soon to Las Vegas, NV.
The radio waves were his calling and quickly his name spread around the valley. Big Mike was becoming a household name, and he was picking up gigs quicker than other full-time DJs. He was hired to do shows, concerts, voice over commercials, and gigs out of state. Big Mike also created Party Crasher Entertainment and had a Team of DJs on his Team and would give the crowd what they wanted, a good time!
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With the help of his father, Mike “TEJANOmike” Carmona, and brother, Gabe “Mr. 88k/Bruddah Gabe” Carmona, Michael “Big Mike” Carmona was able to continue his musical experience and collaboration with other Artists in other genres, hopping on a track to spice it up on “La Onda Tejana” remix, and creating Party Crashers Radio podcast.
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Most recently, Michael “Big Mike” Carmona wrote and vocal engineered the track “Walls” with the help of Gabe “Mr. 88k” Carmona and Jinxd. Together, releasing 2 powerful versions that are soon to be lo-fi classics.
Other new and recent Gabe music projects ...
"The next time you listen to your FAV song or to an excellent piece of music, try to separate out the parts and listen to how each of the 'Elements of Music' are being used. Listen for the Dynamics, Form, Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, Texture, Timbre, and Tonality. ​And yes, even our own tejano music uses these elements and criteria in many different forms."
"Over time I assure you, you will begin to understand music more in depth, in more detail, more comprehensively and thoroughly, you will appreciate music a lot more ... and hear it in a whole different way. And love it more holistically. I do." TM
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Music is important in the daily lives of most people in the world and has been throughout human history. Anyone who wants to understand human nature, the interaction between evolution, mind, and society, has to take a close look at the role that music has held in the lives of humans ... and you have to look at the way that music and people co-evolved, each shaping the other. Musicologists, archaeologists, and psychologists have danced and explored all the disciplines together ... to form a coherent account of the impact music has had on the course of social history.
"​Why does music have such power to move us?"
It's because of the way that medium and meaning combine in song, the combination of form and structure uniting with an emotional message. Musical force comes from a sense of form, whereas ordinary speech doesn't have quite that much organization. You can say what you mean, but similarly with painting or with cooking, o other arts, but there is form and design to music. And this becomes intriguing, it becomes something you can remember. Good music can leap over language barriers, and barriers of religion and politics.
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The powerful mix of emotion and cultural evolution in our musical brains produced diversity, power, even history. The study of human behavior has undergone a revolution in the past twenty years, as the methods of neuroscience have been applied to cognition and the musical experience. We can now actually see the brain at work, mapping regions that are active during certain activities. Author, Daniel J. Levitin​​​
"How would you interpret or write a song about ...
Music & Love?"
Love and music are two concepts that have been explored by many artists, philosophers, and poets throughout history. They are both forms of expression, communication, and emotion that can transcend language, culture, and time. Some possible ways to describe love and music are:
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Love is the melody of the soul, and music is the harmony of the heart.
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Love is a song that never ends, and music is the rhythm that keeps it alive.
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Love is the sound of two hearts beating as one, and music is the echo of their feelings.
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Love is the harmony of two souls, and music is the symphony of their dreams.
These are just some examples of how love and music can be described. There are many more ways to express these ideas, depending on one’s perspective, experience, and creativity. Writing love songs is an art that requires creativity, skill, and emotion. Love songs are a way of expressing one’s feelings and experiences in a musical form that can touch the hearts of others. Writing love songs is not easy, as it involves finding the right words, melodies, and rhythms to convey the message and mood of the song.
There are different types of love songs, such as those that celebrate new love, those that declare eternal devotion, and those that lament lost or unrequited love. Each type of love song has its own challenges and techniques to master.​
PLUS: Writing love songs is an art that requires creativity, skill, and emotion. Love songs are a way of expressing one’s feelings and experiences in a musical form that can touch the hearts of others. Writing love songs is not easy, as it involves finding the right words, melodies, and rhythms to convey the message and mood of the song.
There are different types of love songs, such as those that celebrate new love, those that declare eternal devotion, and those that lament lost or unrequited love. Each type of love song has its own challenges and techniques to master.
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Some steps that can help you write a love song are:
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Choose a topic that inspires you and reflects your personal experience or perspective on love.
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Decide on the tone and style of your song. Do you want it to be slow and romantic, upbeat and cheerful, or sad and melancholic?
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Think of a catchy title or hook that summarizes the main idea or emotion of your song.
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Write the lyrics for your song, using rhyme, imagery, metaphor, and other poetic devices to make your words memorable and meaningful.
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Add music to your lyrics, using chords, melodies, and harmonies that match the mood and message of your song.
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Revise and refine your song until you are satisfied with the result.
I would add, "Writing love songs is an art that can be learned and improved with practice." You can also get inspiration from listening to other love songs and studying how they are written.
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A FOOTNOTE: On the left are the lyrics to an old ballad I wrote back in 1995, it is old! But, songs that I put on the shelf years ago can be brought back to life by revising them over - and over. They can be improved by changing the melody, the chord structure, even the tempo and genre, until you get to the finished product - the finale.
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[For copyright purposes, I always date and initial my work, I also save all the original copies of the same song. Just a habit of mine.]
The above song: Songs primarily have a message, send a message, deliver a message, even make emotional statements, indeed. What am I trying to say with this new song? It's about three people. A married couple. And the husband has a girlfriend. The first two verses of the song are sung by the husband; the bridge is sung by the girlfriend to his wife. Oh oh.
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The husband sings the last two verses, followed by the girlfriend repeating the bridge again ... the song ends here. The lyrics are not done yet but it's about 85% complete. I do not have a melody for it either because I always write the lyrics first. My own bad habit again. Oh, my wife said that was the worst song I have ever written. LOL. Hello.
Finally, as a musician and songwriter, I try to write songs that mean something in human terms and in life - to both me and the listener. That statement can be hard to understand in its simplicity. By that I mean, I want my original songs and arrangements to be able to stand on their own, to be of sufficient quality that any decent singer could sing them.
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Few of the truly timeless, transformative classic songs have "weak spots" that a singer must "sing around." In my opinion, it is the songwriter's job to take their inspiration and wrap it in a package that magnifies; that enhances the final song. A "poorly wrapped" song conveys little or none of its original magic, no matter how genuine the inspiration. And a song with no "guts" is just a wrapper. The craft of songwriting is like cutting a gem. Bad songwriting hides or distracts from the inspiration, good songwriting amplifies it without overpowering it.
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In my opinion, all this information is true. Yes. But, writing tejano songs for our genre and tejano music industry is somewhat ... let's use the word, "different". How can that be? "I think it's because of our tejano music roots and diversity, including our culture and the history of our pioneers, conclusively, it makes our storytelling and songwriting techniques more meaningful, more honest, more heartfelt, and truthful and genuine. Our songs come from the heart."
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If you are writing a song now, and as a precaution, don't write if you're not thinking about anything related. Or at least, don't get attached to what you're coming up with. Wait for the inspiration - for the right second - wait for the right minute - or go get it somewhere else. Work on it a little. Do a great job on it. Finally, think about what music has meant to you, what new songs mean to the tejano audiences across the country, and to the world.
[Written in part with Mike Raghead/Living Music / TM]
