Etude Idea

With new technology on hand i can now make this a greater vanity site than it already is-

I recently got a camera and a means to record myself on my keyboard. Heres an etude idea that i'm playing around with, posted on my youtube account. I think its technically challenging enough to be a real etude.

GO OBAMA

Well, i really doubt there are any republicans or undecideds reading this blog, but for historical reference i'd thought i'd just throw it out there. So there you go- future- i'm a supporter of Barack Obama, i hope he wins, i really do. More than that- i hope that the US will improve its relations abroad, and I hope that it inspires people, i hope that this will move people, shake things and ignite a sense of social progress towards a more humanistic, more egalitarian, more rational civilization.

All hopes.

I feel sometimes that this country is dominated by people who live with half their mind in the dark ages. Gay? horror! muslims? Evil! foriegners? dangerous!

there will always be idiots, thats a given, and there will always be bigots, there will always be racists, xenophobes, homophobes, morons of all stripes and shapes, but i can only hope they dwindle in numbers with the passing of time. Society never changes quickly. People will hold onto their stupid ideas till they're in their graves. Human technology may advance, but the general human wisdom of society will never improve much.

Palin Song

Move over Steve Reich. What an interesting speaking-melody this song has. All jittery and jumbled, fragmented and jazzy.


Anyway, this is fucking brilliant.

Again

Its Fall, again. The third since i started this blog. School again, this time I'm happy to report that I'm taking Spanish. I'm enthusiastic about it, there are lots of similarities with french and i can't help but francify what i'm studing. I've been writing "L'Hombre qui hablar..." things like that. Anyway, I can understand a lot of it already. Hopefully i'll reach a decent level of spoken spanish before my life's out.

In music news, well, theres no real music news. I work occasionally on the third movement of Suburban Scene, i know it could be done in a few days if i actually put energy into it. I just don't have it. I lack a personal drive to finish it up quickly. Maybe things cook better when they're cooked slow? Maybe not. The first and second movements both took me all of two weeks to write, and they enjoyable to write, which is something kinda rare. I work on things piecemeal anyway, a half hour here and there, day to day it piles it up into some 5 minutes of music. Kinda satisfying.

Troy- thank you so much for your conversions of the midi files. I have dozens of these of my dozens of pieces, I'm not going to shove them all your way, don't worry. But I really do need to thank you. They sound beautiful. I'll (re?) post them soon. :)

Midis for My Music

*Edit* fixed the link for mov. 2 so now it actually linking to the second movement!


So here are some basic, mechanical midi files of the two movements of Music for a Suburban Scene finished so far. The third may be on its way soon. Do not hesitate to tell me what you think. I depend on it.... so comment please. Thanks.


Suburban Scene Mov. 1

Suburban Scene Mov. 2

It is true that i've been abscent from this blog. I just havent felt the energy. I've been busy. Other excuses like work and school come to mind. Frankly, i just havent had anything particularly meaningful to say. I feel like I'm stagnating in terms of my musical development a little. I want to stretch the piano in different directions but don't feel incapable at that. What i need is a good electronic keyboard that offers some interesting new sounds to work with.

I've been writing more of Music for a Suburban scene. I'm just starting the third piece, which is the one im most hesitant at adding anything too. Ironically its the piece i know the best when i play it.

Sometimes I feel like this kind of thing is an embarassing mistake, a display of my inability to be fresh or original. Some days I feel confident that my piano works have some merit to them and that they're worth presenting to people. I go back and forth. I like my works, most of the time, if that means anything. The movement of suburban scene has got a solid energy and even virtuositic touches. Its structured, maybe too structured. Maybe bordering on stilted, maybe just poorly structured. Maybe well structured? Maybe its too archaic in format, maybe its refreshing and effective? Is my music a watered down compromise or is it still interesting? I guess you guys can tell me. I'll post it soon.

Camping trip pictures.

woo.