I’ve made a couple of cool demo videos for you to take a peek at these two works I’ve got on the burner right now… š
First, a look at “Ayre of Grievances” for flute, violin, and viola (a digital playback demo of just the opening section):
Second, here’s a short example of a cool sampling piece I’m putting together: “Tonal Eclipse”
Enjoy, and keep an eye out for the finished works soon!
I’m back in my basement studio with my native flute, handpan, and my viola to experiment with the AudioKit L7 looper app! (I love AudioKit’s app SynthOne, too–I highly recommend checking it out!)
Ideally, I would use headphones and record the sound properly, but I wanted to see how the app handled a spontaneous “live” sort of settingā¦. Enjoy this randomly improvised, modern passacaglia, and expect more musical experiments to come… š
By the by, be sure to check out my single Chant de Grenouille sur la Lune if you like this kind of sound.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of hearing my ātarot piece,ā The Oracle, come to life in Barefoot Recording Studio in Hollywood!
The work is a 12-minute exploration of the human condition as told through the symbology of a tarot deck. Itās written for five musicians, who each represent an important natural element: piano (Tree of Life), violin (Fire), cello (Water), flute (Air), and clarinet (Earth).
Many thanks to the following people for making this possible: Agnes Schwartz (violin), Pola Benke (cello), Liz LaCoste (flute/piccolo), Ryan Glass (clarinet), Masako Klassen (piano), and David Martinez (engineer).
Iāll announce when the recording is ready for release. In the meantime enjoy these photos from our recording session!
I was thrilled to discover this morning that my April 2019 album Legend Seekers won the Silver Medal for Outstanding Achievement in the composer/composition category of the Global Music Awards!
I am so honored (and validated)!
If you havenāt already, go take a listen to Legend SeekersĀ today!Ā
It’s out now!! This project has been roughly eight years in the making, since the time I finished writing “Leviathan of the Ancient Deep“… and this album itself has taken about a year to complete. It was all worth it–I learned so much in the process and I think we’ve got a really superb collection now! š
Thank you to everyone who made this possible: musicians, backers, and everyone else who patiently rooted for me.
In a world where adventure calls and the intrepid answerā¦ where the daring explore a mystifying world of Dream and Thoughtā¦ where heartbreak twists into furious desperationā¦ where virtuosic fits of funkiness stare brazenly into the face of dangerā¦ where forgetfulness drives discovery and hopeā¦
In this world, Leviathan ā a creature that haunts the Ancient Depths ā lies in wait to strike upon those that seek its legendary might!
āLegend Seekersā Album Notes
Who will win this contest of wills? The stirring waves bear witness to this eternal struggleā¦
Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!
Today’s tune for flute/piccolo, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano is “An Experiment in Aleatorism & Formula” from 2016.
Using 50 tarot cards to create the framework, there is both an element of chance (in that the process of drawing the cards and their placement in the 5 separate tarot spreads, is all random) and an element of āforeordained knowledgeā (or pre-compositional structure).
āThe Oracleā has thus emerged as a multi-faceted, deeply layered, story-driven reflection of the human condition.
I totally dig the intersection of free-will or chance and structural formula at which Art’s uniqueness can emerge… š
You can read more about my inner processes at this post.
Enjoy a recording below, as well as a demo “music video” after that. š
“The Oracle” can be performed by an advanced ensemble. Get the sheet music here! And stay tuned for our new work of next weekā¦
Enjoy this latest educational video, describing my thought processes on how I approach setting asymmetrical text to music as I work on finishing my Bros. Grimm Song Cycle!
Don’t forget you can check out the other videos in this series here!
Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!
Today’s tune was composed in 2017 for my friend, violinist Payman Eliahoo, and his son, who (at the time) was a beginning clarinet student. As I was putting it together I built the entire work off of the opening feel of the piano part and simply let it unfold from there. It pretty much wrote itself once I had the opening bars down. š Upon listening back to the work in completion, I dug around a little and came across the Italian story of Aradia,Ā daughter of the moon goddess Diana and Queen of
the Old Religion. I was so struck by the charming nature of this feminine messiah figure that I felt like the legend and this new work fit together perfectly.
The original request was for a piece for clarinet and violin, something that Payman could play with his son. But I felt like a flute would actually go really nicely with the clarinet part. So the original instrumentation is for Flute (opt. Violin) and Clarinet, with Piano.Ā Of course, though, as opportunities came to play this sweet little work, for ease of programming, I created a string version of the work, too — for Violin, Viola (or opt. Second Violin), with Piano.
It’s a really charming work for students of late beginner to intermediate ability! Get the sheet music for the original woodwind/string version here, and the all-string version here. And enjoy the recording below…
(This recording is currently only available via CBTTF Records.)
Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!
Today’s tune kicks off the Christmasy-slash-Holidays edition of these four Thursdays in December.
Sadly I have yet to hear this lovely little song for SATB and solo instrument performed with real musicians; I can only give you a tase of its beauty with the midi demo below… But, hopefully, one day, a choir will be willing to bring “Cradle Song” to life….
āCradle Song (of Maryās Beloved)ā is a 3-minute-long work for SATB choir with either brass or woodwind instrumental solo (the solo part is available for either the original Bb Trumpet or C Flute, Bb Clarinet, or F Horn).
The text, adapted from the 1901 poem of the same name by Patrick K. OāHoran, is a sweet lullaby sung by Mary, mother of Jesus, to her ābeloved little Oneā of the āHoly, Immortal, Ineffable Name.ā
The minute I stumbled on this sweet poem in 2015, I knew I had to set it to music!
As you listen to the demo, try keeping the lyrics in mind:
Sleep, O my little one, quietly sleep,
Angels shall guard thee slumbering deep.
White wings about thee
Enfolding that flame,
Holy, Immortal
Ineffable Name.Sleep, O my little one, quietly sleep,
Heaven’s high hosts around thee shall creep.
All love and glory,
Beauty and grace —
With kiss of a mother–
rest on thy face.Sleep, my beloved, my little one sleep;
No crying be heard: O stir not nor weep.
A bright Star is shining
Above thy dear head,
And to this poor shelter
The great Kings are led.Sleep then, my Kingly one, gently and still.
See how thine angels watch on each hill.
Here is thy mother
Close, dearest heart:
I shall be with thee
When shepherds depart.Sleep, O my little Lord, darling one, sleep.
“Cradle Song (of Mary’s Beloved)” can be performed by a choir with advanced ability. Get the sheet music here! And stay tuned for our work of “Holiday Frivolity” next week…
Welcome to #NewTuneThursday!
I have a definite fondness for this week’s tune. “Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie” was originally composed in 2008, during my years of graduate study. It was part of a general, semester project, with the requirement that we each compose an original work for soprano, flute, cello, and piano. I’ve always had a thin forĀ Stravinsky, and I had recently run across a darling little work of his for soprano and piano, called “The Owl and the Pussycat.” So, combining the idea of that song with my love for the Bros. Grimm and other such tales, “Fair Katrinelje” was born!
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie is a comedic dialogue. Our hero, Pif-Paf-Poltrie, is out to seek the hand of his beloved, the Fair Katrinelje, in marriage. Being the gentleman that he is, he approaches in turn each member of his belovedās family to ask their permission. Father Hollenthe, Mother Malcho, Brother High-and-Mighty, and Sister KƤsetraut all respond in turn similarly ā
essentially, “If itās all right with everyone else, itās all right with me.”
Later on, I had an opportunity to set another Bros. Grimm tale, “The Old Beggar-Woman,” Ā for soprano and violin. So, my ultimate goal (which I hope to accomplish very soon) is to include these two songs in a longer song cycle, featuring 5 more tales set to music that features the soprano and is accompanied by rotating accompaniment of piano, cello, flute, and violin (think, “Quartet for the End of Time“…)
This amazing workĀ can be played by anyone with advanced ability. Get the sheet music here! And stay tuned for our featured work next week…
