Electronic Compositions - Dave Heffner

Looking West to new beginnings. Dave: piano, producer.

DAVEHEFFNER.COM

Looking West

Dave Heffner - songwriter, piano
Len Cagle - sax
Copyright 2015 David B. Heffner

Relationship of C and C#

Ode to Shostakovich

Welcome Abe to our family.

Dave Heffner - Songwriter, Producer
Margaret Abbott - Violin
Copyright 2015 David B. Heffner

Little One

Electro Overture

See DAVEHEFFNER.COM
Dave Heffner - music and production
Margaret Abbott - violin
Tim Breon - classical guitar
Electronic classical or dance.
Copyright 2015 David B. Heffner

Love Is Magic (f. Margaret Abbott - violin, Tim Breon - guitar)

Electronic Smooth Jazz. Meditative electronic song with soprano vocals, guitar, and saxophone creating a relaxing mood. Atmospheric music. Featuring: Anna Rader, vocals; Tim Breon, guitar; Len Cagle, saxophone. See music with a walk through the Swiss Alps: https://youtu.be/I1iGprl1gGo
Written and produced by Dave Heffner. See http://DAVEHEFFNER.COM
Copyright 2016 David B. Heffner

Daydream (f. Anna Rader-vocals, Len Cagle-sax, Tim Breon-guitar)

HULA HOOP (Jan and Dave Heffner - Vocals) Style: Electronic.
The brief lyrics,”Hula hoop, round and round, keep it going, don’t touch the ground” represent the daily grind in which we often find ourselves caught. The musical theme supports this circular motion. I was trying to simulate a funky 80’s, “Miami” style with an orchestrated string build up to the chorus. I like the use of brass “stabs” and a drum/woodblock rhythm that focuses on the off-beat.


Hula Hoop (Jan and Dave Heffner - vocals)

Thanks, Kraftwerk, for your innovative music that caught my imagination years ago.

Plugged In (Ode to Kraftwerk)

Copyright 2016 David B. Heffner
See DAVEHEFFNER.COM

My City (Electro Overture No. 2)

YouTube: https://youtu.be/buw-b9F2pXY. Web site: http://DAVEHEFFNER.COM
Techno track with a house feel. Zone out with the progression.
Copyright 2016 David B. Heffner

Sound Waves (Instrumental) - Techno House

Youtube: https://youtu.be/_2yUdp0Ifi0.  Web site: http://DAVEHEFFNER.COM
Sound of the heart sets the beat to this impressionistic piece that begins with electronic sounds. A real violinist cuts through. The song evolves to traditional jazz sax, followed by piano in a postmodern jazz style. Can you identify the stages of "Life?"

Life (Margaret Abbott -violin, Len Cagle -sax, Dave -piano) Instrumental

Youtube: https://youtu.be/BDEgZqQpfL0. See http://DAVEHEFFNER.COM. Copyright 2016 David B. Heffner. The title is a play on words between a popular musical style today using older low fidelity sounds and how our memories become less clear over time. What better way to end an album called “Plugged In” than with a song in the computer driven “techno” style? I held nothing back in utilizing many technology tricks: swells, rises, sweeps, multi-effects, parallel processed tracks, sub-bass, side chains, and of course, low fidelity sounds. Turn up the volume and enjoy this auditory stew!

Lo-Fi Memories (Techno Instrumental)

YouTube: https://youtu.be/CWM4LeCfyp0. Len Cagle - Tenor Saxophone. Style: Ambient (New Age). Copyright 2018 David B. Heffner. See https://DAVEHEFFNER.COM.
This ambient song, formerly called “new age” style, is meant to be meditative and take the listener on a musical journey. Len and I take the lead together with Len on the saxophone and me using the sound of a Japanese woodwind instrument called the Shakuhachi. The listener will experience a large number of interesting sounds throughout this musical journey, one of my favorite being the sitar. This song is the longest I have written to date, but I believe the length plays an important role developing the mood.

Eternity (feat. Len Cagle - tenor saxophone)

See YouTube: https://youtu.be/k8lcaOI2eYM. Marlowe Jacques - violin, Bruce Klepper (soundcloud.com/bruce-klepper-1) - string arrangement, Dudly Ulysse (soundcloud.com/ocsol) - drums, Dave - synths. Style: progressive electronics. Copyright 2018 David B. Heffner. See https://DAVEHEFFNER.COM.
Xanadu was a real place created for the leisure time and hunting of Kubla Kahn, but my song was inspired by the mystical poem of the same name by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, that I once memorized for the challenge. Many of us have thought of an ideal place to be, only limited by our imagination. I tried to capture the environment of the poem that is further enhanced by the rich harmonies in the string arrangement by friend and classical composer Bruce Klepper. This song introduces eighth grader and amazing violinist Marlowe Jacques playing three violin track layers. Classically trained, he adapted immediately to the electronic environment and wearing headphones to record. Dudly Ulysse wrote two drum tracks: one, a lighter Caribbean style, and another, with a heavier kick drum.

In Xanadu (feat. Marlowe Jacques - violin, Bruce Klepper - string arrangement, Dudly Ulysse - drums)

Go to YouTube: https://youtu.be/e0sE3pWjtbA. Style: progressive electronic. Copyright 2019 David B. Heffner. See DAVEHEFFNER.COM.
My school years were difficult, beginning with my Kindergarten teacher, who used to frequently say to me and my parents that I was “non compos mentis.” Not until many years later, did I find out it means “not of sound mind.” So how did that little kindergarten brain work, now that I have 20 plus synthesizers at my disposal? Take a listen.

Non Compos Mentis (Not of sound mind)

Len Cagle - saxophone, Dave - vocals
Are your deepest thoughts the higher ones in the frontal cortex or your primal ones in the medulla of the brain? This composition explores this question musically.

Deep Thoughts (feat. Len Cagle - tenor saxophone)

See https://DAVEHEFFNER.COM. Classical piano combined with an old spiritual, electronics, to a hip hop beat.

Old Jeremiah (electronic spiritual)

Youtube: https://youtu.be/0fPw6ax7i6U.  Lucy Henry - flute, Marlowe Jacques - acoustic violin, Dudly Ulysse - drums, Jan Heffner - vocals, Dave - synths, producer. Drummer Dudly Ulysse presented a complex “trap” drum beat to me that, after much experimentation, resulted in a flute and violin duet. Although trap is used in hip hop, this piece took a contemporary classical direction in style. Marlowe and Lucy had to play precisely to make the music work and stay synchronized with this challenging rhythm.

Trapped (acoustic flute & violin duet + electronics)

A SONG ABOUT OUR WORLD.  YouTube: https://youtu.be/lhdzlevx6SE. Website: https://daveheffner.com. Always wanted to write a song for pipe organ. As in an orchestra, the oboe stands out nicely in a crowded field. Featuring Susan Kieren, Rochester, NY - oboe with assistance by Jon Dexter, State College, PA. Dave Heffner - Roland RD-2000 for Pipe Organ and Grand Piano with the rest of the electronic sounds programmed with Xfer Serum in Pro Tools.

Mysterious Ways (ft. Susan Kieren - oboe) Dave - keyboards

Creating "ear candy" with electronic music. Dave on piano and synthesizers.

High Voltage

Colorado Songwriter, Electronic Musician, Producer. ASCAP member. Ballads, Dance, Rock, Electronica, Jazz, Hip Hop, with a mix of everything else. All original compositions with live artists on most tracks. Piano study began at 5 years old, continued through university study and incorporated with electronic music since the introduction of MIDI. Have taught, consulted and composed electronic music. Primary platform is Pro Tools, with which I also do training and consulting. Open to collaboration. More information at my website.