January 2013 Blog Posts (5)

Shady Grove, my little love,

Shady Grove I say,

Shady Grove, my little love,

I'm bound to go away.

I fell in love with this old American folk song many years ago, in a version by Clarence Ashley, I think. Or maybe Pete Steele. And while still in my early 20's, as a grad student at Wesleyan University (studying Ethnomusicology), I became actually haunted by it and, as is often the case with me, felt almost compelled to respond with music of my own.  I got…

The single most challenging thing to me as a composer and what I hope to improve the most in my compositions is 'return.' Some of the best music I have heard begins and ends the same way, and often repeats initial themes throughout. Return coheses a piece like nothing else and seems to me to be a key element of  compositional mastery.

To everyone requesting scores: I'm now offering my scores. Just go to my profile information and find the link URL for the Music Scores list. Each week when I publish a new piece on my free podcast, I'll also email the score to everybody on the list. There's also information in my profile about how to find my free podcast.

At the time I composed this, in 2004, Scott Joplin, the greatest ragtime composer of all time, and a great influence on me, would have been 137 years old if he was still alive. I've taken inspiration from him to compose this piece, which is in a progressive rock style, but with lots of syncopation and motifs inspired by this wonderful American composer. Hope you enjoy!

http://youtu.be/PNUZwc4SGZE

Episode 26 The Red Seal

"Shareesh, it's the Seal."

"Oh! Greetings, Mr. Seal - I did not know it was you - a great pleasure, sir!

May-I-put-you-on-hold-sir? - Thank-you!"

The Red Seal's left ear was assaulted instantly by really, really bad music. The Red Seal, the City's preeminent super hero,

waited, listening to 'Tic-Toc-And-The-Time-Bandits'.

"New Deli Delhi Deli - Super heroes for hire, Special this week - 'Tic-Toc-And-The-Time-Bandits'.

They…