In July of 2013, I took part in the EAMA (European American Musical Alliance) Summer Composition Program at La Schola Cantorum, Paris.  [For more about this, read my blog post at http://michaelbetzmusic.com/july-2013-eama-paris/]  This was my first experience living in a large metropolitan area for an extended period of time, and so was also my first experience with using public transit on a daily basis.  To get to class, I would take the RER B from Cité Universitaire to Port-Royal.  I found the sounds of the subway to be fascinating, and was inspired to create some sort of electronic piece either based on or utilizing these sounds.  My original idea was to produce a sort of "Hommage à 'Étude aux chemins de fer'", paying tribute to Pierre Schaeffer's seminal work of musique concrète--after all, what better place to write an electronic work using only sounds produced by a train?  Unfortunately, I had not brought a high-quality handheld WAV recorder overseas, and regardless of audio quality, it was impossible to obtain isolated samples of certain sounds (door chime, automated voice announcing stops, etc.) without the interference of people talking and other miscellaneous noises.  As such, I was unable to realize my original idea.  I was not without a recording of the RER B, however, for fellow EAMA student Noah Kahrs (http://www.kahrs.us/~noah/) obtained some field recordings with his Zoom recorder, which he then let me use for this project.

This track combines elements of Dark Ambient and IDM.  I took the 7-minute recording of the transit from Cité Universitaire to Port-Royal and used it as a bed over which various synths and drums weave in and out in a vaguely narrative fashion, punctuated by the automated voice announcing stops.  I did take some license with the narrative element and overlapped parts of another field recording for dramatic effect. The accordion was actually someone playing on the metro. All of the synth sounds are custom patches done in the VST synth TAL-NoiseMaker, and each is somehow inspired by a resonance or other sound heard in/around the subway station or on the train itself.  The breakbeats, in 17/8 time (inspired by the seemingly-regular-but-often-not rhythms of the train), were pieced together from a set of original samples recorded by John Kronlokken.  The final project was produced in FL Studio 11.

RER B (2013)

2015 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards Finalist

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bF_PXin2Qr8

Performed 3 December 2013 at 8:15PM in Urness Recital Hall at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.


Recording Credits:

Violin I - Seiji Cataldo
Violin II - Karen Van Acker
Viola - Josh Wareham
Cello - Omar Macias

I began this movement for string quartet mid-June 2013 and finished it mid-July in Paris, where I was taking part in the European American Musical Alliance program (EAMA). Run by Dr. Philip Lasser of the Juilliard School, the EAMA program is a continuation of French pedagogue Nadia Boulanger’s legacy; among other things, we studied counterpoint, score reading, and keyboard harmony, along with a heavy dose of analysis of Bach.   Written under the guidance of Dr. David Conte, this movement for string quartet is heavily influenced by the contrapuntal focus of the EAMA program.  Nearly all melodic material is derived from a single motive, which reappears throughout the piece in numerous guises (inversion, augmentation, diminution, imitation, etc.).  The varied harmonic palette also presents each appearance of the motive in a new light throughout the course of the piece.  Ending as it began, the work fulfills Dr. Lasser’s notion that all music is circular [see his treatise "The Spiraling Tapestry: An inquiry into the contrapuntal fabric of music."].  Premiered in Salle Franck at La Schola Cantorum in Paris, France.

String Quartet No. 2 (2013) [US Premiere]

"Byte Me" - from "First Feast: DNNR PRTY Spring 2014 CD Compilation"

DNNR PRTY is a student organization at St. Olaf College. Below is the description from the DNNR PRTY Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/DNNRPRTY]:

"DNNR PRTY creates a hub for alternative musicians striving for excellence in their craft and representation. We’re dedicated to promoting community through workshops, discussion, and panels. We look forward to celebrating with a testament to this community with a CD compilation in Spring." 

The entire compilation can be streamed/purchased here: https://dnnrprty.bandcamp.com/album/first-feast-dnnr-prty-spring-2014-cd-compilation

I recorded this track in FL Studio using my Korg RADIAS, Korg Monotron, and custom-modded Nintendo Game Boy DMG-01.

Mixing: John Kronlokken, Michael Betz
Mastering: John Kronlokken

Byte Me (2014) [from DNNR PRTY: First Feast]

Written 3-6 December 2015.
Tweaked to death and released 5 February 2016.

Hyperprismatic Parallax (2015)

Now streaming everywhere: https://li.sten.to/chadtronicoutro2014

Uploaded due to popular demand from Chadtronic fans!

This is an outro I created for YouTuber Chadtronic (https://www.youtube.com/user/chadtronic/) in 2014.  It was featured in his Oculus Rift videos, which have since been removed from his channel.

Image: old Chadtronic logo, designed by Chadtronic.  Used with permission.

Download

Chadtronic Outro (2014)

Featuring the witchcraft and wizardry of EWQL Hollywood Orchestra.  (And one note of the Garritan Personal Orchestra 4 choir patch; I have yet to acquire a fully-featured choir library.)

What Sorcery Is This?! (2015)

A romantic piano waltz in 19th-century style.  Played by me on a Kawai MP7 using the "Concert Grand" patch.

Waltz: A Final Farewell (2016)

This was one of the original sketches for my orchestra piece “Enclosure”.  I did keep this chord progression in “Enclosure,” but completely changed the orchestration and rhythms, so it is not immediately recognizable.  Here you hear EWQL Hollywood Orchestra layered with Garritan Personal Orchestra 4.

A Rift in Eternity (2014)

This started as a simple chord progression and spiraled into a legitimate composition with some sections that I am rather proud of.  Interestingly, instead of first notating it traditionally and importing MIDI, I sequenced the entire thing from scratch (unlike “Impromptu: Waltzing with Ghosts”). At least for me, this is unusual for a piece with so much going on.  I did make sure to adhere to orchestrations that would work in real life (not just with a sample orchestra), but I also “composed to the samples” in that I utilized the more realistic-sounding samples and articulations, which directed the composition of the piece in real time.  Had I written this without the constraint of having my mockup sound as realistic as possible, I may have made some different decisions.   Most of this is EWQL Hollywood Orchestra, but I did also use Garritan GPO4 and IO for choir and bowed percussion, respectively, in addition to Soundiron Emotional Piano.

Loss and Retribution (2016)

Generic tech-thriller/horror trailer-style music.  Uses a mixture of stock FL Studio synths, Samples From Mars drums, original samples, and public domain 3rd-party samples.

Lockdown (2017)

Here I strove to create that stock sound found in most superhero blockbusters/action trailers as of late.  I used EWQL Hollywood Orchestra for the orchestral sounds.

Saving the World, One Summer Blockbuster After the Next (2015, rev. 2017)

A dreamy little cue for gazing at the sky. Featuring Soundiron Emotional Piano and EWQL Hollywood Orchestra.

Dreamers (2017)

This was from a scoring project I did in undergrad in which I wrote a cue for a section of “The Triplets of Belleville” that did not already have underscoring.  (I think the film is fantastic for its minimal underscoring, by the way.)  Due to copyright reasons, I have not uploaded the version with video to my YouTube channel.  The only audio file I have from the original project contains diegetic sound effects from the movie as well, so I had to redo it.  Since the original was done in Logic on a school computer, and I work in FL Studio, this version is a transcription of the original using different sample libraries (EWQL Hollywood Orchestra for most of it and the Garritan JABB3 accordion at the end).  Since this was actually composed for film, it functions less well as a standalone piece than the rest of the pieces in this playlist.

Cogs and Spokes (2013, rev. 2016)

A ridiculous concept for a game that I would probably play.  I wrote the Latin section in 2010 (an old sketch from high school), then added the middle section and did the LSDJ programming in 2016.  You are hearing the sound of an original Nintendo DMG-01.

Boba Tea Tycoon 2: Delivery Runner Melee (2010, rev. 2016)

VIDEO: [https://youtu.be/UVl4XUGm2Ns]

I present to you my remix of everyone's favorite anonymous 13th-century banger.

The title translates to "summer has come in" in the Wessex dialect of Middle English.

Featuring Fluffy Audio's Rinascimento sample library.

Image: Hildegard von Bingen, from "Liber Divinorum Operum"

Sumer Is Icumen In [Remix] (2018)

Kitty Cat Klub 07.25.18

[Music video here: https://youtu.be/cuFYQgJpRpA]

Just for fun.

I made about 80% of this last Halloween (2017) and then didn't release it. Decided I might as well finish and release it this Halloween (2018).

ｓｐｏｏｐｙｗａｖｅ．ｍｐ３ （２０１８）

Premiered by the composer 11.29.11 at 8:15pm at Urness Recital Hall, St. Olaf College.

Fanfare for Prepared Piano (2011)

All of the music from the brand-new Petronic Arts tower defense game Arcis + bonus, never-before-heard content!

Download Arcis below:

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.petronicarts.arcis

Read about the creation of this album:

michaelbetzmusic.com/arcis-audio-creation/

Michael Betz - composition, production
Nathan Tornquist - Arcis concept, programming, and art 

Arcis: Main Theme (2012)

Arcis: Main Theme (Hardcore) (2012)

This bonus mix of the Arcis Main Theme was created using only the Arcis sound effects. I allowed myself to play the samples at pitches other than the original pitch, to tweak EQ, and to add reverb or other effects, but in such a way that each original sound effect is recognizable.

----------

All of the music from the brand-new Petronic Arts tower defense game Arcis + bonus, never-before-heard content!

Download Arcis below:

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.petronicarts.arcis

Read about the creation of this album:

michaelbetzmusic.com/arcis-audio-creation/

Michael Betz - composition, production
Nathan Tornquist - Arcis concept, programming, and art

Arcis: Main Theme (Chillout SFX Mix) (2012) [Bonus Track]

Alan Dunbar, baritone
Mary Jo Gothmann, piano

Recording from 8.6.2018 premiere at Westminster Hall, Minneapolis, MN.

Commissioned by the Source Song Festival for their 5th anniversary

Peruse and purchase score here: http://www.sourcesongfestival.org/resource/a-purple-ravelling

Text: Athena Kildegaard, from "Course"

"A Purple Ravelling"

Anyhow, with no warning, the radio
powdered away to a low buzz, a pewter
undertow of sound, then with one loud
rasp across the sky, a shimmer of light
pure as anodyne, the car went silent
lost in a high-pressure zone, then a low,
enough to turn the sky inside out,
ravel it before my very eyes. I drove on
along the section line, corn in rows
vary-less as if someone had crossed the road
enervated and mathematical and had
lost themselves in this parallel universe.
Lost myself, anyhow, in watching across
instant repetition, row, row, row, rain
nervously slanting across the windshield
going nowhere, going right on down the road.

About the Piece:

This song was commissioned by the Source Song Festival for the opening concert of their fifth annual festival. A requirement of the commission was for the song to relate to Minnesota in some way. In this case, I have set the text of Minnesota poet, Athena Kildegaard, whom I became aware of through accompanying her daughter, soprano Anika Kildegaard.

The poem is an acrostic; the first letters of each line, read from top to bottom, spell a phrase from Emily Dickinson’s poem number 219. It should be noted that an acrostic is a visual device: the reader of the poem perceives it through the same sense they use to experience the poem, which is what makes it effective. An aural acrostic is not experienced by the listener unless they have the score and are made aware of the process behind it ahead of time. 

I wanted to reflect the acrostic in my setting, since it is the structural backbone of the poem. To do this, I ran the phrase “A Purple Ravelling” through a musical cipher, which assigns a letter of the musical alphabet to each letter of the Latin alphabet. Many composers have used ciphers throughout history; I chose to use Arthur Honegger’s cipher, due to its inclusion of chromatic notes and for my personal bias of liking his music. I used the resultant pitches to set the first word or syllable of each line. The resultant pitches reduce to a seven-note set, which, in addition to opening and closing the piece, informs intervallic and motivic content as well.

I could have chosen to use a cipher of my own devising, but decided not to, since I thought it was important to have an outside stricture controlling the setting, just as the Emily Dickinson poem controls the original poem. Furthermore, this idea of a force outside of one’s control is present as the storm in the poem, which causes the narrator to enter a reverie of sorts. 

The text consists of three sentences, alluding to the ternary form that so many songs utilize. I saw the first sentence as being thematically distinct from the second two, so my setting does not reflect ABA form but loosely resembles a recitative and aria. I chose to favor text painting and sonic imagery over trying to contort the poem into repetitive, tuneful phrases; I believe this best serves the mercurial nature of the original text.

A Purple Ravelling (2018)

Words and music by Michael Betz.

Commissioned by Dean A. Genth and Gary W. Swenson for the Mason City High School Concert Choir.

Recording from MCHS Vocal Music Department's 2017-2018 CD, "Listen." Recorded by Comprehensive Sound Services. Joel Everist, conductor; Rachel Everist, pianist.

Photograph provided by and copyrighted by Dean A. Genth. 

----------

Commissioners’ Note:

When we asked Michael Betz to accept a commission for a composition about bullying, we were aware of the existing robust catalogue of quality choral works addressing this subject. But we envisioned something more, something deeper that would enable to listener to more fully understand the issue of bullying—from the victim’s standpoint, yet also from the vantage point of the perpetrator. After interviewing dozens of students from Iowa’s Mason City High School, his alma mater, Michael fashioned a work that combined gymnastic complexities of music and agile poetry of lyrics to let us know that there is no single meter, key signature, rhythm or style that will completely address the variegated social phenomenon called bullying. No simple, singular solution exists. But all paths forward, all journeys to understanding, all solutions to sadness begin with the same step: first and foremost, we must listen.

Dean A. Genth
Gary W. Swenson

----------

About the Piece:

When I was first approached by Dean and Gary about this commission in the summer of 2016, I found the subject matter and scope to be overwhelming. I felt that I had a charge to try to singlehandedly resolve the issue of bullying through a piece of music—a daunting task, to say the least. 

I wanted to write something that wasn’t trite or didactic—something more timeless in nature that acknowledged the complexity of the issue at hand. Finding a text that fit these requirements was difficult. Much of the text about bullying is contemporary and not in the public domain, and tends to address bullying toward a specific group of people, as opposed to looking at it from a universal viewpoint. As such, I elected to write my own text. Early in the compositional process, I collected the thoughts of the MCHS Concert Choir. I sorted their words and phrases and saw recurring themes of compassion and understanding, which were guiding principles as I created the text, ultimately leading to the title: “Listen.” 

Any opportunity to wield my art in a community-oriented way that might cause people to think about something differently is not only a great privilege but a welcome reminder of why I do what I do. I am honored to have been commissioned to write this piece and to be the conduit of this message. 

----------

Text:

Listen!
Listen to the sound
What do you hear?

I hear an echo
An echo of my thoughts
Reflecting back your words

I long for silence
Give me silence
Give me peace
Silence

I heard a storm blow
I heard a storm blowing 
Through the wilderness

And through the bitter wind
The sound of many voices
Crying out in fear

And now I hear a voice
Not calling from the storm but
Deep within myself

I know I have no choice
The time has come to salvage
Beauty from the mud

Picking up sticks and
Picking up stones
Scattered like arrows
Broken not on bones
But souls
(Resilient and scarred)

To build a shelter
Or a ladder to the sky
To lift your head
Above the clouds

And see the rain above
The one who shot the bow
And help them climb
The ladder too

For now I know the pen is 
Mightier than the sword
The word is sharper than 
The blade

I’ll climb the ladder and be brave enough to land
The fall

Through all this pain and fear
I have a recollection
Of how to empathize
And be aware

That all of us are broken
And all of us have cried
All of us have spoken truths and
All of us have lied

Understanding
How to stand above
The things beneath
Our will to love

Listen!

Listen (2018) - MCHS Concert Choir

Recording from 18 January 2013 reading at 4:45 PM in CHM 140 at St. Olaf College.

Recording Credits:

The St. Olaf Orchestra (2012-2013)
Student Conductor – Jesse Brault

Program Note:

Nocturnal Music (2012) is a transcription for string orchestra of Two Movements for Wind Quintet (2012). The piece is a study on how far minute amounts of melodic and harmonic material can be stretched. The primary sonority of the first movement is a minor-major ninth chord. The omnipresent motive of the descending half-step is a result of the chord being revoiced so that the interval between the third and ninth of the chord changes from a minor ninth to a major seventh. This concept of “resolving” a dissonance to a lesser dissonance is present throughout the first movement. The jazz-influenced second movement features the dominant seventh sharp ninth chord, but retains melodic motives and certain harmonic passages from the first movement. The augmented scale sinuously weaves throughout both movements, and is the final tie that binds together two highly contrasting sections of music.

In adapting the wind quintet for strings, I strove to retain as much of the original material (notes, structure, etc.) as possible. When I found out that the St. Olaf Orchestra might be able to premiere the first movement at a chapel service, I realized I needed to change the ending slightly so that it would fit with this program. The original Mvt. I ends on a split-third chord; I felt that the piece should have a better sense of closure if it was to be performed on its own, so I added an alternate ending that extends the music by 3 measures, and ends on open fifths. This, while still an ambiguous tonality, provides a better sense of resolution.


Nocturnal Music for String Orchestra - I. Dusk (2013) [Reading]

"The Video Game Ref" on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/videogameref

"The Video Game Ref" on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/videogameref

Buy the single + sheet music + bonus track:

http://store.michaelbetzmusic.com/album/the-video-game-ref-theme-song-single-sheet-music-bonus-track

Lyrics:

So you want to buy some games,
But they all just seem the same:
Boring, dull, or really lame.
Well, you need a guy to make a call.

You’re completely out of cash,
Tired of playing only Flash,
Can’t judge treasure from the trash,
Well, we’ve got a guy to make your call:

The Video Game Ref!

He will teach you all you need
To own at games like Centipede.
He will show you the delights
Of pixelated 8-bit sprites.

He’s bringing back the ghosts of the past
To send the new games PACking,
‘Cause leaping barrels and saving princesses
Is what your life is lacking!

We’re going in to find out
If they’re in or they’re out
Or just particularly foul!

The Video Game Ref!

Album Credits:

Michael Betz - words, composition, guitar, vocals, production


"The Video Game Ref" - Theme Song (2011)

This track has been complete and festering on my hard drive since 2014. I added an intro and a couple of cuts, but beyond that it is unchanged. Featuring hardware (Nintendo DMG-01, Korg Monotron) and samples.

I honestly don't know what genre this is... 120bpm (seems like an unpopular tempo for EDM subgenres), uses chiptune elements, kind of dark/dirty/glitchy. If anyone knows, let me know.

CT 940617 (2014, rev. 2020)

Now streaming everywhere: https://li.sten.to/cursedcommercialsthemesong

This theme song is featured in YouTuber Chadtronic's "Cursed Commercials 13" and onward.

Purchase on Bandcamp: https://michaelbetz.bandcamp.com/album/cursed-commercials-theme-song

Theme song video: youtu.be/T35uTxr6hOw
Instrumental track video: youtu.be/UzKi-lLTVuM

Music, lyrics, orchestration, vocals, recording, and production by Michael Betz.

Cursed Commercials Theme Song (Instrumental)

Now streaming everywhere: https://li.sten.to/cursedcommercialsthemesong

This theme song is featured in YouTuber Chadtronic's "Cursed Commercials 13" and onward.

Purchase on Bandcamp: https://michaelbetz.bandcamp.com/album/cursed-commercials-theme-song

Theme song video: youtu.be/T35uTxr6hOw
Instrumental track video: youtu.be/UzKi-lLTVuM

Music, lyrics, orchestration, vocals, recording, and production by Michael Betz.

Lyrics:

So things for Chad weren’t going well
He thought he’d read a good luck spell
But he misread and then he fell
Under a curse

Transported to a creepy castle
Forced to watch Cursed Commercials
‘Til the end of time

Now they may be cursed
But they’re not the worst
They’re often kind of funny

He’ll watch them first
And then converse
With help from (With help from)
With help from Wraps the Mummy

CURSED COMMERCIALS!

Cursed Commercials Theme Song

Now streaming everywhere: https://li.sten.to/dont-crush-my-8-bit-dreams

Inspiration struck Wednesday, June 19, 2013 at 1:00AM.  Approximately 17 (non-continuous) hours of work later, this funky chiptune track was born.  Created in FL Studio 11 as per usual.  All of the synths I used are free VST plugins: ymVST, Synth1, Magical 8bit Plug, Tweakbench Toad, Tweakbench Triforce, and TAL-Noisemaker.  I wanted to use Tweakbench Peach to complete the trio, but it just didn't fit into the song (though I guess I could have forced it).  I did, however, use stock FL Studio effect VSTs, including the wonderful Gross Beat, which can be heard executing the stutter at the end.

Don't Crush My 8-Bit Dreams (2013)

Michael Betz is a composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Mason City, IA, currently based in the Twin Cities, MN. His compositions are not limited to the concert stage and have appeared in a variety of media, including Android apps by developer Nathan Tornquist and the YouTube series Chadtronic. As a keyboardist, he is comfortable in a variety of musical contexts and maintains an active performance schedule as a jazz pianist, collaborative pianist, and sideman (recently appearing with the Fringe Pipes and George Faber). He also performs as a solo improvisational synthesizer player and has played Twin Cities experimental music series such as Drone Not Drones, the Tourniquet Noise Series, and Khyber Pass Thursdays. Betz served as principal percussionist in the St. Olaf Band and St. Olaf Orchestra and continues to make appearances with local ensembles, including the Wayzata Symphony Orchestra and Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. As a chorister, he is the bass section leader with Magnum Chorum and also regularly sings with MPLS (imPulse), Aliro Voices, and PopUp Choir. He teaches private piano, guitar, and and beginning orchestral string lessons through the Minnetonka Music Academy.

Betz is a recipient of the American Composer Forum’s Jerome Fund for New Music grant. His orchestra work Enclosure was awarded Honorable Mention in the Minnesota Orchestra Composer Institute. Four of his works have received finalist designation in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. He has also received recognition in calls for scores from the Solo and Chamber Timpanist’s Initiative and Symphony Number One. He has received commissions from the Source Song Festival, Magnum Chorum, St. Olaf College, and Mason City High School, among others. His music has been performed in Europe and the United States and has been heard locally in many Twin Cities classical music venues such as Westminster Hall, Antonello Hall, Studio Z, the Baroque Room, and the Schubert Club Courtroom Concert Series. Performers of his music include Aliro Voices, RenegadeEnsemble, Neoteric Chamber Winds, pianist Mary Jo Gothmann, baritone Alan Dunbar, flutist Yoshi Weinberg, the Vine Orchestra, the St. Olaf Band and St. Olaf Orchestra, Una Vocis Choral Ensemble, the Mason City High School Symphonic Band and Concert Choir (IA), and chamber ensembles from the University of Iowa and Roseville Area High School (MN).

Betz holds a B.M. in Theory and Composition from St. Olaf College, where he studied with Timothy Mahr and Justin Merritt. He also studied composition with David Conte at the EAMA-Nadia Boulanger Summer Institute. Betz is a member of ASCAP and the American Composers Forum.

Popular tracks by Michael Betz