BitterSweet
A Musical Haiku. Does it sound BitterSweet?
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Day of Thor
Well here it is Thursday (Day of Thor) already and I have not yet gotten around to ranting about something musical or otherwise.
Earlier this week I was presented with an interesting musical challenge, to create a short, one to three minute, piece of music on the theme “Bittersweet”. In addition to be limited in duration, the choice of instruments was also very limited. So testing my metal I starting composing a piece for Flute, Trumpet, Tuba, Vibraphone, Harp, and solo Violin. Last night I finished the composing, with the piece clocking in just a hair over three minutes at three minutes and eight seconds. One additional requirement was that piece be “realized” using only samples from GPO and JABB Sample Libraries. So now I have begun that which is the most laborious part for me, that of “mixing” my composition in Sonar using Garritain's two sample libraries. When I am done, which I hope will be within the week, I will post both the score and MP3 file on my SibeliusMusic hompage. Then I will leave it to you to decide if my piece captures any of the essence of “Bittersweet”.
Ursus Demens
Earlier this week I was presented with an interesting musical challenge, to create a short, one to three minute, piece of music on the theme “Bittersweet”. In addition to be limited in duration, the choice of instruments was also very limited. So testing my metal I starting composing a piece for Flute, Trumpet, Tuba, Vibraphone, Harp, and solo Violin. Last night I finished the composing, with the piece clocking in just a hair over three minutes at three minutes and eight seconds. One additional requirement was that piece be “realized” using only samples from GPO and JABB Sample Libraries. So now I have begun that which is the most laborious part for me, that of “mixing” my composition in Sonar using Garritain's two sample libraries. When I am done, which I hope will be within the week, I will post both the score and MP3 file on my SibeliusMusic hompage. Then I will leave it to you to decide if my piece captures any of the essence of “Bittersweet”.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Am I Crazy?
During my entire musical journey it seems I have always been swimming in a different direction than most of my contemporaries. Or is the fact that I am composer first and a performer second significant? Ergo by definition I am mad. And why does everyone who I tell I am a composer assume I play the piano.
By the way I do not play the piano, well not quite true, but my skills are quite minimal right now. I do not, and have never composed at the piano. The belief that you need to know how to play piano to understand music theory is one of the great lies of the music education. (But you do need to be able to read at least treble and bass clef. Knowing Alto, Tenor and Soprano Clefs also help.)
Am I the only person who prefers transposed (traditional) scores over “C” scores? Am I the only person who can read and transposed score faster than I can a “C” score. Am I a freak of nature because I can transposed almost instantaneously and really basically subconsciously? Why does it seem everyone else has such a hard time (or at least slow down) with transposing instruments? Is any one reading this?
I prefer John Coltrane's “A Love Supreme” album over his “Giant Steps” album.
Give me Don Ellis any day, any time, any place over Maynard Ferguson (The idol of the rest of the trumpet section in high school).
I prefer Eric Dolphy over Charlie Parker, don't get me wrong I dig Parker too. I prefer Dolphy's “Out There” album over his “Out To Lunch” album, but both are excellent.
Miles Davis' “Bitches Brew” album is probably my favorite Miles album.
I prefer BigBand Jazz over Smaller ensembles, but think Don Ellis was on to something with his idea of smaller units working inside of a larger band.
Am I the only person who's first exposure to Stravinsky was to his Oedipus Rex and not one of the three famous ballets?
Schoenberg does not sound “dissonant” too me, in fact he sounds quite “tonal” for the most part.
Am I the only person who takes 4' 33” seriously and does not consider it some sort of ironic comment or oxymoron to say “I have listen to 4' 33”?
Gregorian chat does NOT sound all the same to me, I can distinguish one chant from another.
I prefer CDs over MP3s and I prefer Records over CDs. I still listen to my larger record collection on a regular basis. CDs sound off to me, too “clean” and sterile.
Coffee is an evil and vile thing. Just the smell of coffee can cause me to convulse and regurgitate my last meal.
Good Tea proves to me that God is in his heaven and all is well. However is it virtually impossible to find a good cup of hot tea in the U.S of A.
By the way I do not play the piano, well not quite true, but my skills are quite minimal right now. I do not, and have never composed at the piano. The belief that you need to know how to play piano to understand music theory is one of the great lies of the music education. (But you do need to be able to read at least treble and bass clef. Knowing Alto, Tenor and Soprano Clefs also help.)
Am I the only person who prefers transposed (traditional) scores over “C” scores? Am I the only person who can read and transposed score faster than I can a “C” score. Am I a freak of nature because I can transposed almost instantaneously and really basically subconsciously? Why does it seem everyone else has such a hard time (or at least slow down) with transposing instruments? Is any one reading this?
I prefer John Coltrane's “A Love Supreme” album over his “Giant Steps” album.
Give me Don Ellis any day, any time, any place over Maynard Ferguson (The idol of the rest of the trumpet section in high school).
I prefer Eric Dolphy over Charlie Parker, don't get me wrong I dig Parker too. I prefer Dolphy's “Out There” album over his “Out To Lunch” album, but both are excellent.
Miles Davis' “Bitches Brew” album is probably my favorite Miles album.
I prefer BigBand Jazz over Smaller ensembles, but think Don Ellis was on to something with his idea of smaller units working inside of a larger band.
Am I the only person who's first exposure to Stravinsky was to his Oedipus Rex and not one of the three famous ballets?
Schoenberg does not sound “dissonant” too me, in fact he sounds quite “tonal” for the most part.
Am I the only person who takes 4' 33” seriously and does not consider it some sort of ironic comment or oxymoron to say “I have listen to 4' 33”?
Gregorian chat does NOT sound all the same to me, I can distinguish one chant from another.
I prefer CDs over MP3s and I prefer Records over CDs. I still listen to my larger record collection on a regular basis. CDs sound off to me, too “clean” and sterile.
Coffee is an evil and vile thing. Just the smell of coffee can cause me to convulse and regurgitate my last meal.
Good Tea proves to me that God is in his heaven and all is well. However is it virtually impossible to find a good cup of hot tea in the U.S of A.
So I ask again: Am I crazy?
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Concerto for Trombone and Jazz Band.
First I would like to again thank everyone who took time to listen and especially those who gave me feed back on the first movement. Be assured that I still have all of your comments and will refer to them when I revised the first movement and as I work on the second and third movements.
Now, however, I am at work on the second movement. Since this is a Jazz piece I have been working on the “head” which is almost finished. So at this point I am working through organizational possibilities for the piece. Like the first movement it will contain a fair amount, but maybe not as much, improvisational space as the first movement. So the problem I am wrestling with is should I include either improvisational and or written solo sections for instruments other than the featured Solo Trombone?
So what say you? Since this is a concerto for Trombone and Jazz Band I think it is permissible to be quite a bit more relaxed about such things, id est having some one other than the featured soloist take the spot light for a short period in the overall design, than one would in a more traditional concerto setting. I am considering doing this for two reasons, one artistic and one piratical.
The piratical reason is that the solo trombone had to do a lot of blowing in the first movement and will need a chance to rest his chops. And this rest is needed as he will again be asked to carry a heavy load in the third and final movement.
The second artistic reason to provide contrast and departure from the trombone during the relaxed (slower) second movement. I should point that the solo trombone will still be heavily featured in the second movement with both written and improvised solo sections. If it is helpful the second movement is in a moderately slow ¾ with swung eights, sort of a slow Jazz Waltz in A minor (A Dorian) in a 64 bar AABA form.
Comments? Ideas? Thoughts? Questions?
Thank you.
Ursus Demens
Now, however, I am at work on the second movement. Since this is a Jazz piece I have been working on the “head” which is almost finished. So at this point I am working through organizational possibilities for the piece. Like the first movement it will contain a fair amount, but maybe not as much, improvisational space as the first movement. So the problem I am wrestling with is should I include either improvisational and or written solo sections for instruments other than the featured Solo Trombone?
So what say you? Since this is a concerto for Trombone and Jazz Band I think it is permissible to be quite a bit more relaxed about such things, id est having some one other than the featured soloist take the spot light for a short period in the overall design, than one would in a more traditional concerto setting. I am considering doing this for two reasons, one artistic and one piratical.
The piratical reason is that the solo trombone had to do a lot of blowing in the first movement and will need a chance to rest his chops. And this rest is needed as he will again be asked to carry a heavy load in the third and final movement.
The second artistic reason to provide contrast and departure from the trombone during the relaxed (slower) second movement. I should point that the solo trombone will still be heavily featured in the second movement with both written and improvised solo sections. If it is helpful the second movement is in a moderately slow ¾ with swung eights, sort of a slow Jazz Waltz in A minor (A Dorian) in a 64 bar AABA form.
Comments? Ideas? Thoughts? Questions?
Thank you.
Ursus Demens
Thursday, January 05, 2006
So Far
Well for reasons I am not going to share, the year 2006 Anno Domini so far has been a pretty miserable year. It actually started to go down hill on the 31st of last year, but that is a long and boring story. On to music.
I continue with my struggles to learn/understand Sonar and the whole sequencer paradigm. But I am making progress and at some point I expect to release a torrent of MP3 files. So for the time being I am offering up my newest MP3 using the Garritan Jazz & Big Band (JABB) sample library:
"A short cruise through the semi-abandoned side streets and alleys of L.A during the wee hours of a hot mid-summer's night":
Note this is a new MP3 file mixed and uploaded on 01/05/2006. Love to hear your thoughts on this piece and/or the MP3. Hell, just would love to hear that people are listening.
Ursus Demens
I continue with my struggles to learn/understand Sonar and the whole sequencer paradigm. But I am making progress and at some point I expect to release a torrent of MP3 files. So for the time being I am offering up my newest MP3 using the Garritan Jazz & Big Band (JABB) sample library:
"A short cruise through the semi-abandoned side streets and alleys of L.A during the wee hours of a hot mid-summer's night":
Note this is a new MP3 file mixed and uploaded on 01/05/2006. Love to hear your thoughts on this piece and/or the MP3. Hell, just would love to hear that people are listening.
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