Bill Rootes – Piano & MIDI Programming

Music composed & arranged by Bill Rootes
Recorded, produced & mixed by Bill Rootes at Rootes Studios
Mastered by Luke Finlay at Primal Mastering
Album Art by Sarah-Hope Mil-Curreen

Piano Soundscapes Vol​.​1

Melody For Sarah​-​Hope

Melody For Sarah-Hope

Bipolarbear

5 + A Day

Ice Cream, Jelly & Cluster Chords

Performed by Leon Chen.
MIDI Score Video (Revised 2021 Pre-Production Piano Version) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDBe8ywdVwI 

2nd Revised 2018 Orchestral Version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dusiwLsd-k&t=0s

5 + A Day (Live Performance @ Royal Academy Of Arts London Dec 2018)

My award winning piece from the 2019 Douglas Lilburn composition competition at the Auckland University School of Music. Thanks heaps to everyone who was involved in this magical night! 

Voice/Percussion - Melissa Tsoi
Flute - Leon Reynolds
Cello - Joshua Taylor
Conductor - Bill Rootes

This particular composition touches upon the common human fault that is denial. Every day we subconsciously create our own internal realities to cater towards a more ideal version of ourselves when we look into the mirror. This more often than not provides the necessary prerequisites for other people to decide how they may perceive you and your existential purposes, genuine or otherwise.


“Never Have I Ever…”
Words & Music by Bill Rootes

Never have I ever robbed a blind man blind…
Nor have I called a deaf man a fool…
Never have I chosen madness over mind…
Nor have I ever told a lie, told the truth!

Never have I ever truly fallen in love…
Nor have I danced with the devil…
Never have I ever taken drugs or alcohol…
Or any mind numbing chemicals for that matter!

Never have I stolen from a friend or an enemy…
Nor have I cheated my way through an exam…
Never have I ever committed infidelity…
Nor have I ever played an incorrect note!

Never have I ever tried to sleep my way to the top…
Nor have I ever spun the bottle…
Never have I ever bungee jumped off a bridge…
Never have I forgotten who I once was!

Never have I sold illegal seashells by the seashore…
Nor have I ever raised my hand to a loved one!
Never have I ever stood up for what I believe in god damn it!
Nor have I ever gone back on a promise I went back on…

Never have I ever said that this was truly the end…

Copyright © Bill Rootes 2018

Never Have I Ever (Live Performance @ Auckland University October 2019)

Performed & recorded by James Liu.

A slightly abridged as well as reduced solo piano version of 'The Thrills Of Trypophobia' that I put together for the Llewelyn-Jones piano composition competition during late winter of 2021. (Video uploaded same day as competition)

Official recording - https://soundcloud.com/bill-rootes/ice-cream-jelly-cluster-chords 

MIDI Demo + Score - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16veYpS3_-U 

The Thrills Of Trypophobia (1st Pre-Production Version) (MIDI Demo + Score) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_kktghUPGg

Ice Cream, Jelly & Cluster Chords (Live Performance October 2021)

My piece from the 2020 Douglas Lilburn composition competition at the Auckland University School of Music. Thanks heaps to everyone who was involved in this project!

Piano - Pascal Harris
Violin - Mark Bennett
Cello - Joshua Taylor

A brief word on ‘Pennies Before People’ by Bill Rootes (Sunday 10th October 2020)

This piece of music touches upon the ongoing debate within humankind between the constant collapsing economy and the concern for the welfare of the people that live within it. Despite the lack of lyrical content to make this immediately evident, the constant changing between serenity intertwining & yet a growing sense of harmonic & melodic divide of the music exists throughout the piece. In this example the music gently represents the spinning sound of a recently dropped coin as to represent a sense of giving back to those who need help the most.

MIDI Demo + Score - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUnMHbraQuQ

Pennies Before People (Live Performance @ Auckland University October 2020)

Music & Lyrics Arranged by Bill Rootes
Co-Produced by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Recorded at Blackleaf Studios by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Mixed & Mastered by Matt Grossman
Album Art & Additional Artwork by Michael Gee & Victoria Basham
credits
from The Audio Perception Project, released 20 March 2015
Bill Rootes - Guitars/Bass/Drums 

The Audio Perception Project

Gravity Bloodclot

Music & Lyrics Arranged by Bill Rootes
Co-Produced by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Recorded at Blackleaf Studios by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Mixed & Mastered by Matt Grossman
Album Art & Additional Artwork by Michael Gee & Victoria Basham
credits
from The Audio Perception Project, released 20 March 2015
Bill Rootes - Vocals/Guitar/Bass/Drums/Keys
Jess Eden - Back up Vocals
Angela Jonasson - Back up Vocals
Miranda Turnbull - Back up Vocals
Matt Grossman & Josh Chapman - Additional Noises 

Cunning Stunt

Two songs from my 1st & 2nd records performed live acoustic style at the Verona café a while back.

Video Courtesy of Jastazia Eva Jordan.

Original 2015 Full Band Album Version (Cunning Stunt) - https://soundcloud.com/bill-rootes/05-cunning-stunt 

Original 2017 Full Band Album Version (Mind Over Madness) - https://soundcloud.com/bill-rootes/mind-over-madness 

Cunning Stunt & Mind Over Madness (Live @ Verona Café - Jan 2025)

A song from my 2nd record performed live acoustic style at the Verona café a while back.

Video Courtesy of Jastazia Eva Jordan.

Original 2017 Full Band Album Version - https://soundcloud.com/bill-rootes/veterans-of-the-bottle 

Veterans Of The Bottle (Live @ Verona Café - Jan 2025)

A live acoustic version of a song off my upcoming 5th record performed at the Portland Public House during late August 2025.

Recording & Image courtesy of Jastazia Eva Jordan.

Wear It With Pride (Live @ Portland Public House August 2025)

from Cultures Of Abbreviation, released February 4, 2017
Music composed & arranged by Bill Rootes
Co-Produced by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Recorded at Blackleaf Studios by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Mixed by Matt Grossman
Mastered By Luke Finlay at Primal Mastering
Album Art by Jessica Lee Eden

From Cultures Of Abbreviation, released February 4th, 2017
Bill Rootes - Guitars/Bass/Keys/MIDI Violin
Ryan "Jesus" Wallace - Guitars
Matt Grossman - MIDI Drums

Cultures Of Abbreviation

60 Second Fuckover

from Cultures Of Abbreviation, released February 4, 2017
Music & Lyrics composed & arranged by Bill Rootes
Co-Produced by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Recorded at Blackleaf Studios by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Mixed by Matt Grossman
Mastered By Luke Finlay at Primal Mastering
Album Art by Jessica Lee Eden

From Cultures Of Abbreviation, released February 4th, 2017
Bill Rootes - Vocals/Guitars/Keys/Bass
Ryan "Jesus" Wallace - Guitars
Matt Grossman - MIDI Drums

Mind Over Madness

from Cultures Of Abbreviation, released February 4, 2017
Music composed & arranged by Bill Rootes
Co-Produced by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Recorded at Blackleaf Studios by Bill Rootes & Matt Grossman
Mixed by Matt Grossman
Mastered By Luke Finlay at Primal Mastering
Album Art by Jessica Lee Eden

From Cultures Of Abbreviation, released February 4th, 2017
Bill Rootes - Guitars/Piano/Bass/MIDI Violin & Drums
Ryan "Jesus" Wallace - Guitars
Dan Fordyce aka “Sober Dan” – Trumpets

The Glory Of A Mans Laughter

From Diploma Electronic, released November 2, 2018
Bill Rootes – Vocals/Piano/Synthesizer Programming

Music & Lyrics composed, arranged & performed by Bill Rootes
Recorded at Unitec Mt Albert by Bill Rootes
Mixed By Bill Rootes at Unitec Mt Albert
Mastered & Restored by Luke Finlay at Primal Mastering
Produced by Bill Rootes
Album Art by Victoria Basham

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