"The Impossible Girl", a.k.a. "Clara's Theme"....  another Murray Gold composition from Doctor Who arranged for two pianos (plus a hand) by Jimmi Thogerson who does a brilliant job with these arrangements (which is why I play so many of them).  I did flesh out the arrangement a tad... adding a bit more bass, changing the dynamics a bit and ignoring a tempo change to keep it around Lento.  My arm still isn't 100%, so this seemed a perfect little test seeing as the dynamics never really escalate above piano (p), so I didn't have to apply much pressure at any point during the 3 separate recordings.   The Hohner was shipped freight from L.A....  ON IT'S SIDE!!! (I would have shot the individual responsible for that f@%#-up), so it's a bit out of tune... especially in the lower register (A2 is REALLY bad.... luckily A#2 is nearly a half-tone flat, so I used it instead).   All rights are the property of Murray Gold and The BBC.

Hardware - Hohner Schwarzwald Grand Piano, 3 DPA-4099P Mics (on soundboard), 2 Audio-Technica AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Mics (horizontal dispersion)
Software - Avid Pro-Tools 11, Steinberg Cubase 7, iZotope oZone 5... Oh, and Cakewalk Sonar X2... but only for the upload to Soundcloud.

The Impossible Girl - M.Lowery - September 2013

A little something for Halloween.  This is the main theme for the popular HBO show "Game of Thrones"... composed by  Ramin Djawadi and arranged by Mark Fowler for solo piano.  Mark does a much better job with the performance of this arrangement...  I opted to slow it down and make it a bit more atmospheric.

Hardware - 1928 Steinway B Grand Piano, 3 DPA-4099P Mics (on soundboard), 2 Audio-Technica AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Mics (horizontal dispersion).

Software - AVID ProTools 11, Cakewalk Sonar X3, FabFilter Pro-Q

Game of Thrones - Piano Solo - M.Lowery - October 2013

For my dear friend Sondra, who will know why I dedicate this specific piece to her.  This is a simple piano cover of a Tangerine Dream composition used in the film Legend.  Nothing special other than the nostalgia it brings to me and those in my tribe.

Hardware - 1928 Steinway B Grand Piano, 3 DPA-4099P Mics (on soundboard), 2 Audio-Technica AT4050 Multi-Pattern Condenser Mics (horizontal dispersion)
Software - AVID Sibelius 7 (Arrangement & Composition), AVID Pro Tools 11 (Recording), iZotope Ozone 5 (Mastering Effects), Overloud BReverb 2 (Reverb Wash)

The Dance - Tangerine Dream Cover - M.Lowery - Oct.2013

I've been working on this cover for nearly 25 years.  I've never felt any of my attempts were worthy...  still feel the same about this one... BUT...  it does have something going on that I can't quite grasp so I'm setting it free to see what happens.  Coincidentally, it also happens to be David Sylvian's birthday for another 30 minutes, so....

My cover of Japan's 1981 masterpiece "Ghosts".  Happy Birthday Mr. Sylvian... and thank you for everything.

Hardware : Moog System 55 Modular, Sequential Circuits Prophet 5, Oberheim OB-x, Roland Space Echo Analog Tape Delay, Audio-Technica mics, Kenton Pro 2000 MkII CV to MIDI Converter, AVID Mbox Pro

Software - AVID Pro Tools 11, AVID Sibelius 7.5, Steinberg Cubase 7.5, Arturia SEM-V, iZotope Ozone 6, iZotope RX4, SONY Spectralayers Pro 3.

Ghosts - (Japan Cover) - Modular Mix - M.Lowery - February 24, 2015

I have numerous voice sample libraries that I have never used for anything more than a simple aah or ooh pad so I figured it was about time to learn how to use the darn things....  I've also recorded the lead vocal track (the old fashioned way), but I want to give it another go first...  Anyway...  I don't really know how to classify this piece....  Gothic Gospel, Soul Metal???  I basically just took the original Hozier arrangment and 'churched' it out a bit more...  2 separate grand pianos (The Steinway for it's bright high end and the Bosendorfer for it's extra octave down on the left) 2 Hammond B3 organ tracks, oe of which got the rotary treatment, plus church bells, a raunchy guitar amped bass and an even raunchier bass amped guitar... oh... and the sampled choir which I am actually pretty proud of.  If you listen really close you might be able to make out the gregorian chants I threw in the mix for the fun of it.

This mix SUCKS....  I am completely aware of that.  Actually I haven't really mixed it yet... I just threw all 17 tracks into Audacity and rendered it...  It won't be this muddy after it's gotten a proper mixdown....   but it won't be nearly this dark and dirty either as alot of te distortion will get phased or dissipated.  Anyway... keeping it private cause I don't care for a lawsuit and it still has a long way to go anyway...

Cheers!

TMTC - Mix Test 5 + Sampled Choir - M.Lowery

A (semi)-acoustic cover of New Order's Regret for my dear friend Nicholas's birthday.  Not completely done yet, but it's listenable.

All instruments and vocals performed and recorded by myself on Sunday, July 24, 2016... but I had to scrap the piece I had been working on for the past two weeks, so forgive the one day delay.

Regret - Acoustic Mix - M.Lowery

L.v. Beethoven's final movement from his final (completed) symphony.

Performed and recorded (the old-fashioned way) May 2013-July 2016.  Still not where I want it to be, but not as muddy as I expected seeing as there are 164 individual tracks.  Everything except the organ that substitutes the choir and solo voices was recorded live, using the actual instrument.  The organ I want to record for the final piece is in Germany and I haven't had the time nor the finances to do that yet.

Dedicated to my Father, Rev. William T. Lowery, Sr. on this, the occasion of his 90th birthday - October 25, 2016.  Happy Birthday Pops!

Hardware - TOO MUCH TO LIST like I normally do, so I'm not including manufacturers and models...  Piccolo flute, alto flute, oboe, A clarinet, Bb clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, double horn in F, basso horn in Bb, trumpets (Bb and D), tenor and bass trombones, timpani in D and A, violin, viola, violoncello, double bass, audio acoustic mics, AVID Mbox Pro.
Software - AVID Sibelius 8, AVID Pro Tools 11, Steinberg Cubase 8, iZotope RX-5 Audio Editor, iZotope Ozone 7, Waves plugins, Native Instruments Kontakt 5 with Project SAM's Organ Mystique library.

Project Nine

Project Nine - Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125, Mvt. 4 Presto

My attempted remake of Alexandre Desplat's orchestral composition for the final H.P. films.  I got to play around with some interesting instruments that I've never played before (quart bassoon, contra-alto clarinet, wagner tuba, baritone oboe, bass flute)... so, that was fun.  I took liberties with the orchestration since I have no clue what Desplat actually used for orchestrating it.  I'm actually kinda proud of this piece...  and that is a rather rare occurrence.

Cinematic Experiments

The Deathly Hallows (Cinematic Orchestral Cover)

A study on Mykola Leontovych's Ukrainian Bell Carol.

Recorded November 17 through December 25, 2016 between Scherzo Studios and U4ia Productions.  Mixed December 25 and 26, 2016 at U4ia Productions.

Poetry In Chaos - M.Lowery - 12 - 25 - 16

This one broke my heart...

Sleep well my Princess.

Recorded between 2013 and 2015...  had to add the horrible fake violin solo to the end as it was the only track I hadn't gotten around to yet.

Obviously, I do not own the rights to this piece...  it was an exercise in orchestration and performance.  All rights go to John Williams and George Lucas/Disney.

For The Princess - M.Lowery - Dec.2016

For my little sister on her birthday.

Possibly the hardest piece I've ever recorded...  Tempo, key signature and time signature are nearly non existent which makes it even more difficult to piece it all together when you're the only performer.

8 solo violin, 4 solo viola, 3 solo violoncelli and 1 contrabass played with nearly every conceivable articulation and method.

On the plus side....  it's nearly noise, so who's gonna know if I screwed it up? 

Happy Birthday Minta

Loomers Spheroid - M.Lowery - Dec.2016

John William's was commissioned to write the anthem for the 1984 Olympics in L.A.  This is the result....  or a rather poor cover of it by myself.

Just wanted to post something positive to start the year off on the right note with the hopes that it doesn't become the nightmare it has the full ability to become.

Again, I don't own the rights to this composition...  this is just my arrangement and performance of Mr. William's masterpiece.

Olympic Fanfare - M.Lowery - Jan.2017

Davy Jone's Music Box - M.Lowery - May 2018

Cover of Don McLean's classic by the same name.  Arranged and recorded for my little sister's birthday today (Dec 28, 2018).  Dedicated to her, of course... but also to a dear friend whom left us far too soon on Christmas day....  So... this one goes out to Minta and Bobby and everyone, everywhere creating art from their own inner turmoil.

Vincent - M.Lowery - Dec2018

Simple arrangement of the Louis Armstrong classic.  Still needs a lot of work, but it's listenable.  Happy Birthday to my Mother, Patricia.

All The Time In The World

Ok....  this is possibly the first piece I have put up here that I am truly happy with, which is why I am putting it up before I go any further with it.  This recording only includes the string section of my arrangement for this piece.  The final version will be a full symphony orchestra with a male choir, boys choir, organ, percussion, bass guitar and synthesizers and will run about 16 minutes.  This is the reason the string arrangement is a little weak (which is ironic, seeing as the mixdown includes 30 separate  tracks - 4 solo violins and 2 ensemble violins for the 1st violins, 2 solo and 2 ensemble violins for the 2nd violins, 4 solo and 1 ensemble violas for each of the two violas,  2 solo and 4 ensemble cellos and 4 solo contrabass.)  

This is dedicated to my adopted family, The House of Sonic.  Even though we see each other rarely, you are all still in my heart and my soul and I love you all.

Hardware - Yamaha SY-77 Music Workstation
- Crescent Blue Electric Violin

Software - Image Line FL Studion 10.9 
- Presonus Studio One
- AVID Sibelius
- Native Instruments Kontakt
- Vienna Symphony Library Pro Series Sample Set

Michael Lowery 1

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