A bunch of my songs, most improvised, many unedited, none really ready for release, but rather than let them sit on my hard drive...

I hope someone gets some enjoyment; I enjoyed creating them.

My music (Playlist)

Photograph

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)

I wrote a song about the best-selling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and the decluttering folks on YouTube liked it, so I made it better!

The KonMari Song: More to Life than What You Own

Despite the odds, despite the risks, we must prevail; we must get the message through.

This is the result of a class on traditional analog synthesis I took from Coursera.

My process was a bit different than what I'm accustomed to. It started from a classic 40-bar Etude format (intro, groove, breakdown, climax, outro), the core of which I laid down as a single improvisation, and creating new sounds and textures to layer, and finally expanding it by repeating and varying sections.

I created all sounds in the piece using the Sonar 2 synthesis plugin. I am more experienced with other forms of synthesis, such as FM and sample/wavetable based approaches, but I found Sonar 2's ability to have parameters modulate other parameters gave me a lot of ability to tune the behavior of the sounds, including how they respond to velocity and how they vary across the range.

Cataclysms and Catch Phrases

Urgent

Here's a snippet of us noodling on It Never Entered My Mind by Rodgers & Hart. That's me singing, Brian Moran on guitar and Braulio Barrera on cajon.

Noodle Never Entered My Mind

Conducted by Jebat Kee and performed by members of the Shepherd School of Music orchestra. Recorded on 10/23/16.

Beltway 8

Samples of my original score for the documentary "Saving the Great Swamp - The Battle to Defeat the Jetport" by Scott Morris. 

Dan Egan - Trumpet
Thomas Frey - Clarinet
Kyle Comer - Guitar
Joanna Duncan, Emmy Tisdel - Violin
Tonya Burton - Viola
Fanny Spangaro - Cello

Local Lifestyle

This is a demo of one reason for choosing a particular key, for a Quora answer.
The same section is repeated, once in the key of C, then in G.
Listen closely to the bass. (You may need headphones, depending on your computer speakers).
The first section is muddled, because C puts the bass out of its effective range.
Putting it in the key of G makes it work.  Bringing it up an octave from the original would lose some of the impact of the deep bass.

Quora Answer

Key Demo

I Wanna Be With You

This dazzling track is from an album that Prudence and Dan just added to and revised and which is available at:

https://danchouinard.com/

I think it's SENSATIONAL; gets right at the core of the style, Prudence with heart and clarity and Dan with that boundless imagination coupled with his unique ability to sound like he has three hands.  Simply MAGICAL!

3 's Wonderful

The piano is Alicia Keyes's sampled grand. This originated as an improvisation to explore the piano's range of sounds for my daughter, who ordinarily plays our Casio PX-110.

Reflections on a Rainy Eve (v1)

Performed by the Shepherd School of Music Symphony Orchestra on March 22nd, 2019. Conducted by Ben Manis.

House of Stairs

Do You Know Who I Am

Do You Know Who I Am?

A quick improv I  did just because this voice was sitting there wanting to be played with.

Urgent

Bob Kerns

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