Concert Music

Adventure and Fantasy

Quirky/Animated

A selection of dramatic, tense, ambient, and melancholy tracks by composer Kc Daugirdas

Drama

Selected songwriting projects from composer Kc Daugirdas. 

Songs

This was an assignment at Berklee, but upon listening back, there's some good stuff in there! Please excuse the MIDI playback. :)

Sonata in F-minor [academic exercise]

Music by Kestutis Daugirdas, text by Jurgis Baltrušaitis.

Performed by the Women's ensemble of the Liepaitės choral school, Vilnius, Lithuania, May 2022.
----
The text, by poet Jurgis Baltrušaitis, is an optimistic fantasy that imagines the joys of spring to come (after a Lithuanian winter). This choral setting depicts this feeling of warm relief, but not without surprises, as one reverie gets overtaken by another.

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Po žiemos vargų karčių
Aš pavasarį švenčiu…
Laukiu tolimų svečių…

Šalčiai, pusnys – praeity,
Nes kaitros diena arti,
Saulės pirmgimė marti… 

Didį kraitį ji atneš –
Žemės globį ar bemaž
Visa, ko ilgėjaus aš… 

Ir ko buvo negana, –
Šimteriopai bus pilna
Suliepsnojusi diena… 

Skęs, kas kviestas, spinduliuos
Nors kelius ir audros šluos,
Gal nedaug kas pavėluos… 

Vaikščios viešnios po laukus,
Skins ir uostys žirnikus –
Niekas niekuo nesiskųs… 

Baigsis pokylis vėlai,
Ir svečius migdys mielai
Žalio šilko patalai… 

Ir jų dainos vis aidės,
Saulės kerą palydės
Iki vakaro žvaigždės…

-------
[EN] translation:
After the bitter trials of winter
I celebrate the spring
Awaiting guests from afar…

The cold and the snowdrifts are past
The day of warmth is near -
The sun’s eldest daughter-in-law…

She will bring a magnificent dowry
Fertility to the earth, or at least
Everything that I longed for…

And whatever was lacking
Will be fulfilled a hundredfold
By the blazing day…

All invited will be bathing in sunbeams
Even as the storms wash the roads,
Perhaps many will not be late…

The ladies will walk the fields
Picking and smelling the flowers
No one will have any complaints…

The feast will end late
And the guests will be soothed to sleep
On bedding of green silk

And their songs will echo,
accompanying the enchanting sun
all the way to the evening star...

Pavasario Daina (SSAA, piano)

Main Title for the short film "Lord of Catan", the story of a cute couple getting nasty over a bedeviling board game, starring Amy Acker and Fran Kranz.

This Is Cataaan! [Epic Percussion]

Death is a warm blanket.  From the short film "Lord of Catan".

Silent Sounds

End Credits from the short film "The Lord of Catan".  

Knife in the Heart (End Credits)

This is a concept I came up with a while ago for a previous project.  I think it would be cool to develop this into an audio book.  What do you think?

Rudnosiukas Narration + Music Concept Sketch

Created for a historical Persian product pitch.

The Persian Mystique [middle eastern documentary]

Japan is full of electronic sounds. On a recent concert tour, I became enamored by all of the sound cues in the environment, from self-service checkout counters, to airport boarding, to street crossing, to visiting the restroom. 

This sonic portrait is composed of 5 miniatures, each derived from a single sound effect. I enjoyed exploring these bits of sound as musical motifs, and played with various techniques of layering, warping, and pitching them to create interesting sonic tapestries. 

1. Airport boarding kiosk
2. 7-Eleven self-service payment 
3. Pedestrian walkway signal
4. Hygiene announcement outside a public restroom
5. Train station arrival song + pedestrian crossing chirp

User Interface: Japan (Sound Art)

Performed by Vilnius Chamber Choir "Jauna Muzika" (Vaclovas Augustinas, director).

Winner of the 2022 Vox Juventutis contest (Jury prize, Choir Favorite Prize).

Plaudite, Psallite (SSAATTBB)

Happy Piano Day! A perfect opportunity to test drive the newly released Keyscape felt piano.  This is from a set of piano variations I wrote last year.

No.3 (from Variations for piano in Cm)

Rainbows And Butterflies [vintage dreamy]

Dainava Beets:

Marija Čyvaitė
Vidas Kulbis
Daina Polikaitytė
Vincas Rušėnas
Gabriukas Urbaitis
Lina Žmuidzinaitė

Dir. Kęstutis Daugirdas

Sukurta Moksleivių Stovykloje, Dainava MI, 2014.

[MAS 2014] Dainava Beets - Pasėjau Dobilą (Found Percussion Ensemble)

A tribe of dimwitted barbarians partakes of a gluttonous feast, while a rival clan tries various schemes to steal their juicy wild boar.

Barbarian Boar Envy

A magical flight of fancy, built around the mystical, metallic sound of a Tibetan singing bowl.

Chrome Balloon [Soaring Magical]

Adam heroically saves his bro from a parasitic love interest.  The epic original soundtrack from the thrilling, (melo)dramatic conclusion of JewDate: The Webseries.

Watch the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmBHWWz3BKA

Composer Kc Daugirdas: www.daugirdasmusic.com
Composer Akhil Gopal: www.akhilgopal.com

Suburban Superhero [Epic Orchestral Adventure] - with Akhil Gopal

Late night delirium turns demonic.

From the original score of the award-winning short film LORD of CATAN starring Amy Acker and Fran Kranz.

http://hamstervalhalla.com/the-lord-of-catan/

Exhaustion And Madness

Ateities žaliavimai [festival concert band] - LIVE

This was the final creative project of my master's program at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre.  It is a harmonic exploration around the axis of the key of D, visiting both the light and dark sides of this key center. The recording is a reading session by the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Chiaroscuro [symphonic orchestra] (Lithuanian National Philharmonic Orchestra reading session)

A little girl's dream world is full of terrifying creatures that feed on her fear.  Will she find the strength to vanquish her demons?

Only A Dream [Spooky Adventure]

"Winter Fantasy" is a piece in three movements that imagines a secluded cabin during a winter storm.  The first movement depicts a sparkling snowfall on a frostbitten field.  At first, it descends lightly, but soon becomes relentless, blanketing the scene with a melancholy isolation.

Instrumentation: Flute, viola, cello, and classical guitar.   Premiered by Carlyn Lloyd and the Weird But Wonderful Quartet at the Morton Arboretum's Chamber concert series, February, 2016.

Winter Fantasy I. Snowfall (for flute, viola, cello, guitar)

“The Singing Revolution,” is a 5-movement choral cantata that traces the Lithuanian struggle for freedom from the USSR, premiered with a chorus of 1,400 singers and symphonic band at the UIC Pavilion.

I. Tiek metų kentėta - Dainuojanti Revoliucija ("Singing Revolution")

II. Į rytojų - Dainuojanti Revoliucija ("Singing Revolution")

III. Baltijos kelias - Dainuojanti Revoliucija ("Singing Revolution")

IV. Tu Prisikelei - Dainuojanti Revoliucija ("Singing Revolution")

V. Tikekime Vienas Kitu - Dainuojanti Revoliucija ("Singing Revolution")

An energetic marching band fanfare.  Imagine the home-town band celebrating yet another heartland triumph.  Hooray!  Classic and fun. :)

March [military band fanfare]

Iš Kalėdinio koncerto "Mes girdėjom angelus" (2016.12.04)
Juozo NAUJALIO muzika
Adomo JAKŠTO eilės
Kęstučio DAUGIRDO aranžuotė instrumentams
---------------
From the "Angels We Have Heard On High" Christmas Concert (2016.12.04)

music by Juozas NAUJALIS
lyrics by Adomas JAKŠTAS
instrumental arr. by Kc Daugirdas
---------------
choras "LOS ANGELAI"
vadovas / director Kęstutis Daugirdas

Luisa Cartagena - Flute
Vicente Ortiz-Gimeno - Clarinet
Akhil Gopal - Trumpet
Frederick Johnson - Organ

Tyliają naktį - [choras "LOS ANGELAI"] - 12-4-2016

Another on-the-spot creation from the Holiday Family Jam series... This one is probably my favorite.  Šar kills it again on vocals, and I play piano.

Balto Vėjo Žinios Ėjo (from the Kes and Šar first-take series)

A reimagining of the classic Christmas carol "Silent Night" for a cappella chorus. Arranged by Kc Daugirdas. 

To purchase the track, visit: https://kcdaugirdas.bandcamp.com/album/silent-night

All proceeds from sales of this song will be donated to the Salvation Army USA for their programs supporting the poor, disadvantaged, and formerly incarcerated. 

Learn more here: www.salvationarmyusa.org 


Performed by Kc Daugirdas and Jett Kwong Kelly 
www.daugirdasmusic.com 
www.jettkwongkelly.com

Silent Night [SATB a cappella arrangement]

"Tavo vardą rašau" for SATB / piano / strings  
Performed by the Dainava Chorale led by Darius Polikaitis
Chicago, IL, April 30, 2017

Music by Kęstutis Daugirdas
Poem by Jonas Strielkūnas
------------------------
Tekstas:
Tavo vardą rašau
Ant šerkšnotų miškų.
Prisimink ir pašauk
Sutartuoju laiku.

Žengia briedžiai giria
Iškilmingai, lėtai.
Ir šviesiam vakare
Atsispaudžia daiktai.

O platumas žiemos!
Ir nė balso aplink.
Amžinybės namuos
Tu mane prisimink,

Viskas lieka gyventi
Širdy, atminty.
Ir maldauju tave:
Nebebūkim šalti.

Nebebūkim, prašau,
Nei pikti, nei žemi.
Prisimink ir pašauk,
Jei tiki dangumi,

Jei tiki ta giria,
Seno briedžio ragu,
Jei ir tau vakare,
Sniegui šviečiant, ilgu.

Tylutėliai pašauk
Pro gaudimą laikų.
…Vien tik vardą rašau
Ant šerkšnotų miškų.

Translation:
I'm inscribing your name 
Upon the frosted woods
Remember me, and call me
At our chosen hour.

The moose stride through the forest
Majestically, slowly.
And all things imprint themselves
Upon the bright evening.

Oh, the expanse of winter!
And not one voice around.
In the halls of eternity - 
Remember me!

Everything remains living
In the heart, in memory.
And I implore you - 
Let's not be cold anymore.

Please - let's not be
angry or low.
Remember me, and call me,
If you believe in the sky

If you believe in those woods,
In the antler of the old moose,
If the evening - as the snow glows -
Feels long to you, too.

Call me quietly
Amidst the tolling of the ages
I'm inscribing your name
Upon the frosted woods.
--------------------------
For the score to this piece, please contact the composer, Kęstutis Daugirdas.

Tavo Vardą Rašau (SATB chorus, piano, strings)

A piano theme from the short film "Blue City".

Blue Man Theme (Piano)

Musical score for the animated short film "Log Boy," the story of a grumpy alpine lumberjack who tries to catch a mischievous little log that won't leave him alone. Film by Fernando Enrique Puig Munoz at Ringling College of Art and Design.

Log Boy [animated comedy score]

Verdi-style Italian aria composed for the short film "Blue City".  Featuring tenor Elijah Hopkin and mezzo soprano Kaley Eaton.

Il Sogno Vivremo - Italian Aria

A scene from the short film by David Birdsell.  The henchmen's plot to steal a car is interrupted by an naive, angelic boy, bouncing a ball down the street, which allows the middle-aged and melancholy "blue man" to drive away without incident.  Followed by more intriguing plot developments, of course!

View the movie: http://youtu.be/vD0AkkMkfS0

Henchmen, Hope, and Hardship (from Blue City)

originally created for the ALS-TDI Foundation (Lou Gehrig's Disease research), depicting the bullet-like inevitability of the progression of this disease, and asking for support to find a cure.

http://vimeo.com/22245817

License this track online at AudioJungle: https://audiojungle.net/item/cowboy-meditation/16583337

Cowboy Meditation

Winner, 1st place, Lithuanian National Culture Center 2018 Composition Contest

Sutartinės are traditional Lithuanian multi-part songs and have been recognized by UNESCO as “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in 2010. This piece expands upon a traditional Lithuanian sutartinė: “Užaugo liepa,” a story of a linden tree and a woman’s reverie.

Performed by Milda & Terese Andrijauskaite of Baltos Varnos
Score video here: https://youtu.be/0eYx9izsN9Y
Download score here: https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/20965049

Užaugo Liepa (Up Grew The Linden Tree) - Lithuanian Folk Song for SSAA and piano

A wintry ballad about joining hands and spending time together.

Music by Kc Daugirdas
Lyrics by Sandra Avižienytė

Performed by Agne G
Produced by Kc Daugirdas

To purchase the album: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/agneg

Duok Man Savo Ranka - Agne G ft. Kc Daugirdas

According to the Navajo tradition, the spirit of life has two parts: Mother Earth, and Father Sky.  In Asia, we find "yin" and "yang".  In this piece, I sought to explore these two forces.  It divides into 3 short movements:

1. Mother Earth
2. Father Sky (no pause)
3. Finale

Mother Earth is effervescent, joyful, warm, improvisatory, and immanent - all around.

Father Sky is serene, focused, expansive.  His theme is a 12-tone row, being composed one note at a time, goal-oriented and cerebral.

In the finale, the two forces interact and transform each other.  
--------------------------------------
Recorded live at Pickman Hall, Cambridge MA.

Soprano Saxophone: Vitalijus Lisovskis
Cello: ?
Piano: ?

composed by [<-]

"Mother Earth, Father Sky" [LIVE] (soprano sax, cello, and piano)

The main title sequence from "Scoutin' for Skunk Ape," a forthcoming animated short about two buffoonish brothers from the deep south hunting the mythical "Skunk Ape" in the backwoods.  

Film by George Oliver Haney, Steven Archer Phillips, and Kevin Luan Lu.  Featuring Matt Bruer on the banjo.

Scoutin' for Skunk Ape - 1. Main Titles

Scooter and Jub get excited when they see the reward ($$) on the "wanted" poster.  

From "Scoutin' for Skunk Ape," a forthcoming animated short about two buffoonish brothers from the deep south hunting the mythical "Skunk Ape" in the backwoods.

Film by George Oliver Haney, Steven Archer Phillips, and Kevin Luan Lu. Featuring Matt Bruer on the banjo.

Scoutin' for Skunk Ape - 2. Hot-Diggity!

This is the score from "Dragon-Sayer," an animated short about a breathless herald with a speech impediment who tries to warn the local castle that a dragon is approaching.  

Dragon-Sayer (Medieval Village Tune)

When you want to express the obvious thing, here's the song that will say it for you!  

Take it with you! Available for download!  

Ft. Alex Brown on 80s shred. (https://soundcloud.com/abrownmusic)

Some of our influences:
Peter Gabriel
Paul Simon
Toto
Michael McDonald

Lyrics:

Can you feel it, deep inside
You're my burning desire
Can't nobody do what you do
You heat me up with your fire

(I can take you to a better place,
Let me set the pace, you're gonna love it)

Baby, I love you, you know I want your body
Gimme a chance and I won't do you wrong
I'll take you away and I'll show you how to party
Do it all night long

I can't get you out of my mind
Want you closer to me
Only you can touch me that way
You get my lovin' for free

(Baby, buckle up, just in case,
We're going to outer space, you're gonna love it)

Baby, I love you, you know I want your body
Gimme a chance and I won't do you wrong
I'll take you away and I'll show you how to party
Do it all night long

Lyrics by Kc Daugirdas
Music by Kc Daugirdas and Patrick McArthur

Baby I Love You (Kc Daugirdas + Patrick McArthur)

Quirky introductory theme for a sitcom.  The ending melts into the main title song, hence the fade.

Opening the Door [Sitcom Theme] (w/ Patrick McArthur)

Kc Daugirdas

Pinned to spotlight

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