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-   -   Ibll start the ball rolling (http://www.notation.com/vb-forum/showthread.php?t=1855)

David Jacklin (dj) 02-24-2005 02:21 PM

I guess this one comes under &
 
I guess this one comes under "alternative". It's a song from a musical called "Howard Winston's Last Flight" that I wrote 'way back in 1987, but which I'm re-vamping for a possible new production.

The show was not successful, for a number of reasons (short rehearsal time, poor choice of lead actor, other things), but I am very proud of the music and I think that it's some of the best work I'll ever do. It's an allegory, about fantasy and dreams and the need for them. Unfortunately, we got reviewed by a critic who had no trace of fantasy or dreaming about her. Last I heard, she covers the real estate beat in Vancouver, now.

This is a very gentle, reflective ballad from the second act, where the two love interests, Lily and Howard, are sitting at night on a hill over looking the town and a lake. She points to the reflections in the lake and says: "Oh, look, it's like stars there ... and stars there!" But, Howard is lost in his dream-world.


<center><table border=1><tr><td>http://www.notation.com/discus/icons...hment_icon.gifHoward, It's Beautiful Here.
2_12_Howard It's Beautiful Here.not (433.7 k)</td></tr></table></center>

Mark Walsen (markwa) 02-25-2005 05:12 PM

Hi David, Thanks for gettin
 
Hi David,

Thanks for getting the ball rolling by sharing one of your favorites of your own works. Among many composition techniques, this piece illustrates how meters can frequently change in a fluid way. Being a notation kind of guy, I also like how meter changes look in a score :-)

It's a good feeling to look and hear back at music one has written a couple of decades ago and still find a friend there.

Cheers
-- Mark

Tim Fatchen (flyingtadpole) 02-26-2005 05:07 AM

I wish I could change metres i
 
I wish I could change metres in so fluid a way, David. My current short project is driving me nuts and taking hours (is it worth it? probably not). A specific query on drums, which are my downfall. How did you work them out/set them up? laboriously? one at a time? live at keyboard? with a mouse?

I also admire your persistence in getting things staged. But really, do you think the critic deserved _quite_ so bad a punishment?

Regards
Tim

http://music.download.com/internetopera in search of singers!
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Sherry Crann (sherry) 02-26-2005 05:40 AM

Howdy David, You certainly
 
Howdy David,

You certainly do have a way about the metre changes. I'm impressed http://www.notation.com/discus/clipart/happy.gif

Some of the rest of us mortals try out and edit drum patterns, or beat things into the keyboard and then untangle them in Composer. I love this program.

Tim, I found a really helpful drum resource for some of the stuff I do for our youth group at church. It's at WWW.MIDIDrumFiles.com They have some free midi files of drum and rhythm patterns for download, and you can sign up for a series of emails where they send you about 10 patterns/email, along with some tips and stuff from other folks who use them. They even linked to the MidiNotate Composer page in one newsletter, saying how cool the software was! (and no, I wasn't the one who did that) It might be worth checking out.

So David, back to the original question: how do you do yours? I'm also curious as it seems I'm always the one in our church group to have to do the drum sequencing, and I am not a drummer. Methods, tips and tricks are gratefully accepted http://www.notation.com/discus/clipart/happy.gif

ttfn,
Sherry

Tim Fatchen (flyingtadpole) 02-26-2005 05:50 AM

Thanks Sherry for the drum tip
 
Thanks Sherry for the drum tips (you're a soundfont of information here).

Regards
Tim
PS> I played the bass drum at primary school, does that count (1-2-3, 1-2-3, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7,)? Hey, I can play "The Drummers" on recorder, or used to be able to...

Mike Mandaville 02-26-2005 09:54 AM

David, this is a beautiful med
 
David, this is a beautiful meditation which reminds me of the music of Sergio Mendez, and I would like to thank you for posting it here. I myself haven't yet prepared anything to post, though I will be doing so in the future. I like the blues, and since I just learned how to do pitch bends, I guess I'm just about ready to get started.

David Jacklin (dj) 03-03-2005 02:52 PM

Hi, guys: Lifting my head u
 
Hi, guys:

Lifting my head up from my deathbed, here (not really, it just feels like it (excuse me while I blow my nose)), thanks for your comments on Howard, It's Beautiful Here.

About drum tracks: The show is from 1987, so that pretty well pre-dates (affordable) MIDI sequencing. Thinking back, I guess I played the originals onto multi-track tape pretty much freehand, using some analogue synths and some FM stuff, then have transfered them onto MIDI tracks since by step entry.

To be honest, when I first laid down this number, I didn't really notice the time changes: it was a "flow" thing. The show was a very "impressionist", flowing event -- somebody accused my music of sounding like Stephen Sondheim meets Philip Glass. I couldn't see how that was a criticism.

So, no special technique really for drum tracks. I just let it happen.


Fred Winterling (harbor1) 06-02-2005 04:16 AM

Very skillful, David! After f
 
Very skillful, David! After first watching the notation as it played the first time, I listened to it twice more without watching and could not even feel the meter changes. Nice job! Fred Winterling.

David Jacklin (dj) 06-04-2005 01:10 PM

Thanks, Fred. As I said above
 
Thanks, Fred. As I said above, the show that piece is from is very special to me, and I appreciate any kind remarks I get on it. We got a right s**t-kicking from the critics when it debuted!

David


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