Scary Movie Music - 7/22/2010

When I think of musicians – when I think of musicians whose music I have heard and fallen in love with – I think of them as melodies – their themes – I don’t really think of them as people at all. Music itself is so much more memorable than the human being behind it – how often have you heard a song that you know and love and yet have forgotten who wrote, sang, performed it etc.?

Music is one weird ass thing

[audio:scarymoviemusic-72210.mp3| titles= Scary Movie Music - July 22, 2010 Development|artists=music2work2 ]

I’ve decided to spend the next few months working up a number of themes that have been developing over the years. Instead of casting around for new ideas – I’m going to focus on polishing the ones I already have.

This piece is called Scary Movie Music and was one of the first music2work2 themes ever developed. It has a load of stories attached to it – and yes - one does involve the murder squad. In my head there are 4 different string parts – a few guitars and a whole bloody brass section – I’d really love to hear what a French horn could do to the melody.

Tonight was the first time I’ve played it in about 6 months and it is a little ropey to say the least. The audio track comes from the midi recording as I buggered the analog track but you should get the idea.

There are two other themes that I have in mind to develop, one from my Andy the Barman days and one for my Mum!

If you're building a music2work2 library - you can download this development using the widget below.

Playing Again - Wendi 720

I cannot describe - (although clearly I'll have a shot at it!) - what it is like - not to play - or I guess more appropriately - when you can't play. [audio:720-wendi.mp3| titles= Wendi theme - July 20, 2010 Development|artists=music2work2 ]

I'm not talking about an injury or about Golf - I'm talking about a blockage - I'm talking about the creative process.

I'm beginning to get a handle on mine - having listened to the amazing Elizabeth Gilbert - I wish it was slightly less intense -however -I'm very thankful that it is there at all.

The nearest analogy I can come up with is a writer who's pen - for some reason or other - stops writing. They can see the ink in the barrel - there's no malfunction with the ballpoint or nib - and yet - nothing comes out.

I imagine the writer looking at the pen - initially with curiosity, then frustration and then usually kinetic energy - shaking it and banging it on the desk. And then I imagine the pen splitting open and the ink exploding over the writer's face - leaving them ridiculous with nothing to record the event.

When I don't play - the ideas stay in my head - it's as if - if they can't get out one way - they'll explode and create a new way out - it's fucking bizarre - but actually kinda logical in a way.

I've worked out how I want to move forward and it involves further development of the themes I've been working on over the years. I have a lot of good reasons as to why this makes sense which I'll write about at some point.

Here's a development of Wendi's G Minor theme - no tempo - just the first time I've played in 4 weeks - I think it's sounding pretty cool.  You can download the track by joining the mailing list using the widget below.

Image Credit: C Explosion by mary.streepy - Flickr

New Piano Development - June 9

...it's funny - I thought for sure that there would be some of the New York Jets theme in here - but no - none at all - I really dig the piece though. [audio:june9-core.mp3| titles= June 9, 2010 Development|artists=music2work2 ]

Split into a number of different themes:

1/ Opening intro - concludes with a resolution of a theme I've been working on for a while - sounding good...

2/ This is a blues development in D minor

at 16 minutes I must have hit a button on the Roland and a string patch comes in - bizarre - it soon goes and the blues comes back....

3/ The third theme at 18 minutes - the G major development again - this is definitely written for a second part - I'm gonna loop this when I get a chance...

at least two instruments in here - there's a lower register melody as well as a higher register string like melody - plus there's room for a lead as well - I like the establishment of the left hand at 23 minutes....

4/ New theme - driven off the left hand - a minor development of the G major theme

5/ Typical positive out theme - I like how the ending is relatively positive - it works with the optimist in me...

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