Yaiza Varona's Comments

Hi Yaiza, and thanks for your kind comments about my work. Snow Pilgrim uses Tonehammer's "Forgotten Voices - Cait" library, which is excellent. I routed the vocals through a "reversed" patch on Cubase's convolution reverb. I think the percussion was from EW Stormbreakz, though I can't remember at the moment.

I'm so pleased that everyone seems to like Euphoria! It's a track on my album, and I had assumed it would not be accessible because it was so long and jazzy - but that seems to have been its strength. People's tastes are not easy to predict, and it's probably best not to try :)

Thanks again, and I look forward to hearing more of your music.
Mike

What a beautiful experience !!! amazed!! Love each one of your tracks, one of mi favorites is: Hotel Paradise!

Had to post a second time to say that Gomyra (Gremlin Hair Morning) is great! I know someone who does bellydancing here in the UK, and I would love to have got a gig writing music like this :)

Hi Yaiza,

It's been very interesting listening to your work - there's a lot of originality here. I really liked "Coffee Blue Aroma" and "Sweet". Working through the others now.

Your comments about "Not What I Had In Mind" resonated with me - the same thing has happened to me quite a few times :) A small number of these became published works, but most are sitting on my hard drive, glowering at me... I think they still want to escape but I won't let them out until they behave.

Hi Yaiza,

I like your language regarding composing - especially "coffee blue aroma". A bit "groovy & funky" - dance theatre style. Keep on moving!

So long
Ben

Thank you for your note.

I wouldn't call my comments on your music particularly "deep," but I can't just say "I liked that" or "I didn't like that." Those kinds of comments wouldn't be of much use to you, would they?

P.S. The dog is here with us under hospice care. We're trying to make quality time the dominant goal over adding length to her life.

Part 2
"Gomyra (Gremlin hair morning)"
While I would almost rank this with "Hotel," there is so much variety in its constant changes that I am never tempted to change the channel (so to speak). Plus there's those harkenings back to the melody of "The Cat in the Hat" that keep me listening for other possible "references" -- an interesting musical way of those implying those "coffee break with a coworker or our baby smiling for one tiny instant from the craddle. " moments of your description.

"Coffee blue aroma"
Nice and hypnotic. I love the muffled instrument that first appears at :18 and next at 1:03. I find myself listening harder, focussing on that sound like someone who's ears are plugged and is struggling to clear them to hear better. The garbled male voice that enters at about 2:07 brings up the same imagery to me. (My only disliked part was the drum and high tin whistle-like instrument (2:34-2:52); this just sounded thin and unsatisfying to me.)

"The Eyes"
This one's a real change of pace from all that came before it (assuming there's any connection, such as if these were all on an album). If that were the case, this would be -- to me -- the wrong piece to end with. This is either the least developed of all the pieces or is simply lacking some human-feeling aspect. I really don't know. But I say this all coming to it after all the ones above. When heard within this group of songs -- such as between "Sweet" and "Cat" -- it feels right as it is and very fitting. (So just understand that my impression of this was very much tied to where it fell in the order in which I heard it among your other posted pieces.)

Yaiza, I'm finally finding the time to give a really good listen to your posted pieces. And -- be forewarned -- I can be verbose!

Part 1
"Not What I Had in Mind"
What can I say? The didgeridoo is an entrancing addition to this piece and its arrangement.

"Sweet"
I love the way this lulls me into its world: at first in a narro way (melodically/harmonically) and then is pulls more and more from other levels until it has me completely.

"The Cat in the Hat"
I'd love to have been in the audience for this one! Not sure how original (or not) the melody is, but with a fun piece like this it doesn't really matter. This piece has grabbed me from the first time I visited your page. (I hope that doesn't come across like a backhanded compliment. It's cewrtainly not intended that way.)

"Hotel Paradise, Viccolo ..."
This wasn't of as much interest to me as the above, but I suspect that's because I'm not drawn in by this style of music (more repeated chord progression than melody), but I did really like the beginning at 1:47 because it was a welcome contrast for me.

Hi Yaiza,

It was so nice to chat to you the other night. I very much enjoyed listening to all of your music.
I like the way you use different cultural influences, sounds and motifs that all blend together into your own musical style.

Keep in touch!
Marie-Anne

thx.. for listening.. have good day..

hi Yaiza, Very thanks for your sweet comment :) my composition doesn't belong any movie I imagine the picture and I composed it:) I'm using cubase sx 5 for my music projects for my orchestral works I use eastwest symphonic orchestra gold xp vsti . I like your workss too and find it very interesting and your musics also include ethnic themes and elements importantly I very like coffee blue aroma)

One small note: I personally love spoken word....I would love to hear your written intro/description of Hotel Paradise spoken before the music starts, or perhaps over one underlying tonic tone.....just a thought. It's a charming discription. MM

Hi Yaiza, sorry I didn't get to you yesterday....had a computer problem. This old computer is nearly out of storage space and I had to delete tons of my kids' games last night to clear the disc.....it was too full to even operate. Anyway, here is the info I wanted to tell you about, in terms of selling. Nimbit is the one that is recommended by ASCAP to its members. Derek Sivers recommends Reverbnation and I've read others who say that is probably the single most important online tool for indie artist marketing. I discovered the Bizmo a while back. You can set up an on line store free (you can add it to any web page you control....ditto for Reverbnation) but for thirty dollars a year, you can do a limitless number of songs on a world wide network of download sites....all the majors everywhere.
Listening to your music, I understand your membership in the World Music group....Cat in the Hat sounds very Klezmer like...Grimlins has a mid-Eastern flavor to me and Hotel Paradise sounds what? Asian? Do you use computer generated sounds? I like the clarity and uncluttered sense of your music....
One note, you cannot submit the same song to online download sites thru multiple third parties. If you do, they'll be rejected automatically. You have to settle on one and stick with it. Hope this helps. Martha Maria

Thanks for the friend ad. I'll get back to you tomorrow with that info as well. My husband is waiting for me right now. I liked "Not What I Had In Mind." Will have time to listen to more tomorrow. Also agreed with what you wrote about compositions being born from what are initially 'mistakes.' I find that quite a lot....the accidents turns out the best. Nice meeting you. Bye, Martha Maria

Hi Yaiza! I just posted "Walpurgis Night" we talked about. Many thanks for having a listen :-) Rudi

Thanks Yaiza,

Elves was composed in "american style", there is much fantasy background.
I will buy your album on Amiestreet. It would be a practice among composers. Don't you?

Hi Yaisa, thanks for the offer of frendship. Great music too. Quite different from mine, and refreshiingly original. Did you ever manage to listen to mine? I'd be interested to knnow yyour thoughts.

Cheers,

Simon

Thank you for your kind words re: waltzes. I had more fun writting them than you can imagine. I hope they bring a smile to your face.

Ehr, soy de Colombia pero de momento vivo en Alemania, ya que estudio aca. No estudio Musica, como podrias pensar, sino psicologia. La musica es mi unico hobby.
Hmm espero que algun dia tenga suficiente dinero extra para comprarme el paquete de Samples de EQWL ;dicen que son de las mejores en el mercado. Eres de origen vasco? Tu nombre no suena muy espanol.

Hmm, I am originally Colombian but as of now I´m studying Psychology in Germany, not music, as you might think. Music is my only hobby.
Hopefully one day I will be able to get my hands on the samples by EQWL. They are one of the best in the market.

By the way, are you of Vasque origin? Your name doesn´t sound very Spanish.

Greetings/Saludos.