A quick demo improvisation, showcasing my personal digital orchestra. This is 100% unedited. Auto-mastered by Soundcloud.

For David P

This captured my feelings as I watched the invasion, thinking about the Ukrainian people and what they must have felt waiting for the next shoe to drop.

Ukraine

(This version got messed up in bouncing to SoundCloud; i think one instrument got dropped, as well as other problems. Please see the reupload version.

The moment I heard David Hilowitz's Mandoline Guitarophone patch I knew I needed a version that covered the full range beyond the capabilities of the physical instrument. So using the original patch, I set out to create it, reusing the various samples in other ranges slightly different ways, to give a very playable full-range instrument.

I paired it with VenusTheory's Volitions patch, itself an extended-range patch based on violin samples.

This was *supposed* to be a quick demo of the two patches together. I didn't intend to write a symphony.  It turned out to not be so quick, as I explored the possibilities for sketching out orchestral ideas (hence the name; it isn't really an orchestral sound per se). The combination allows me to both play stacatto/percussive and sustained parts based on how I play the notes. This is all from a single improvisation session. 

I may take these ideas and edit/extend/revise them. There are a couple ideas in here from the piece I was writing for my sister Susan's memorial service, if we are ever able to hold it. My WIP on that was unfortunately lost, but the key theme lives on in this piece, and I think it pairs nicely here.

I think the only editing in this version is removal of a few bars of silence between sections that I found too long. I put multiple instances of each instrument to add a bit of fullness, and boosted the base/midrange a bit

The new orchestra (broken upload)

The moment I heard David Hilowitz's Mandoline Guitarophone patch I knew I needed a version that covered the full range beyond the capabilities of the physical instrument. So using the original patch, I set out to create it, reusing the various samples in other ranges slightly different ways, to give a very playable full-range instrument.

I paired it with VenusTheory's Volitions patch, itself an extended-range patch based on violin samples.

This was *supposed* to be a quick demo of the two patches together. I didn't intend to write a symphony.  It turned out to not be so quick, as I explored the possibilities for sketching out orchestral ideas (hence the name; it isn't really an orchestral sound per se). The combination allows me to both play stacatto/percussive and sustained parts based on how I play the notes. This is all from a single improvisation session. 

I may take these ideas and edit/extend/revise them. There are a couple ideas in here from the piece I was writing for my sister Susan's memorial service, if we are ever able to hold it. My WIP on that was unfortunately lost, but the key theme lives on in this piece, and I think it pairs nicely here.

I think the only editing in this version is removal of a few bars of silence between sections that I found too long. I put multiple instances of each instrument to add a bit of fullness and boosted the bass/midrange a bit.

This is the full version. An earlier version lacked the prelude and was messed up in various ways.

The New Orchestra (reupload)

Walking through the woods on a foggy Halloween night..

I have always enjoyed the fog (except when driving or sailing).
And I have always enjoyed the woods at night. I’ve never found them scary, but mysterious, yes.

My first composition done on my iPad. I had hoped for a more extended version, but spent a lot of time learning how to use work new tools (no musical keyboard, Cubasis iPad DAW).

But Halloween is here. Time to move to another theme.

Image: Based on a photograph I took at KPH historic maritime radio station in Point Reyes, reimagined through MidJourrney AI.

A walk in the fog

Susan's Theme

An improvisation I I did a few weeks ago, revoiced from the original piano+strings layered sound.

The Aftermath

Horror and outrage at what was about to happen to our country.
Prelude to a planned album of horrors.

Prelude -- The Swamp King -- DRAFT MC

Just a quick improvisation while composing a tweet about improvisation.

A calm place

Unedited raw improvisation. It's hard for me to focus on arranging and editing right now, between maintaining my health and temporary role as kitchen gnome for my family for isolation reasons. Not to mention watching this crisis unfold in all its inept, avoidable glory.

Waiting for the Surge

Exponential Sadness March

Raw improvisation in the brass, then parcelled it out to the rest of the orchestra.

2020-04-15

It's much too soon for this reopening, and now we're paying the price with tragic record numbers of new cases.

Too Soon

Sad clowns making us sad.

This was laid down in one take; I then assigned the different parts to the various reed instruments, transposing up or down an octave as appropriate. I did transpose one short section in the 1st Basoon by a 3rd for a more interesting harmony.

The Opening (of the Circus)

Improvisation on reeds while waiting for my groceries to be shopped. Unedited.

The COVID Shuffle

Retired developer, trying to turn improvisation into music.

Bob Kerns

Pinned to spotlight

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