Just for fun, I spent the first two weeks in January 2022 doing this. Very Lo-Fi attempt at Sgt Peppers using one mic, a yamaha keyboard, a Cajon, and my guitars. could have been done better, but what the hell, I had a good time doing it.
A splendid time...

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

Fixing a Hole

Getting Better

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

With a Little Help From My Friends

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Written: 2005-06/2023-25
Duration: ca. 33'
for orchestra (3 (dbl Pic.), 3 (dbl Eng. Hn.), 3 (dbl Bass Cl.), 3 (dbl C-bsn.); 4,3,3,1; timp +3; hp; kybd; strings)
Written for JoAnn Falletta and Mostly Modern Orchestra in honor of Mostly Modern Festival’s fifth season
For more information: https://robertpaterson.com/journey-of-a-dragonfly
Video: https://youtu.be/hZOVmC9R82M

PROGRAM NOTE
As a child, my parents vacationed at a summer cottage in Maine by a small lake. Often by myself, I would sit on a giant boulder and watch the lake and the wildlife for hours.

One day, a beautiful bright-winged dragonfly flew across the lake and hovered before me. I was startled and intrigued: its long, slender blue body glistened in the sunlight. Finally, it began to fly around the perimeter of the lake. It stopped every few minutes and hovered in place, almost as if waiting for me to follow it. I followed the dragonfly until sunset, imagining a world in which only the dragonfly existed, on its own terms, within its own world.

Years later, I hiked around the Niagara Gorge near Niagara Falls and explored Devil’s Hole Park. There is an opening on the side of a cliff called Devil’s Hole Cave. Interestingly, early Native Americans called it the Cave of the Evil Spirit and foretold subsequent disaster to anyone who dared enter the cave. The combination of the lake, the dragonfly, and Devil’s Hole Cave all came together and helped crystalize the idea for this work.

Journey of a Dragonfly begins as the sun rises; a foreboding darkness looms in the background, contrasting the Dragonfly’s graceful entrance into a world filled with the excitement of being alive. A gust of wind carries dandelion seeds skyward alongside butterflies and rainbow-colored wildflowers. Butterflies land on flowers before the Dragonfly ventures through a dark forest and emerges, only to be chased by five blackbirds. Weaving back and forth to try and escape, the Dragonfly flies into a narrow crevice as two of the blackbirds collide with trees. While still being chased, the three remaining birds retreat as the Dragonfly discovers a dark hole leading to a tunnel. The dragonfly speeds down the ghoulish tunnel and emerges at the end of the tunnel at the side of a cliff, hovering in place. It looks around in horror and sees a gigantic cavern and then Devil Town. After flying through Devil Town and witnessing tortured souls, a bomb factory, Attorney Alley, and the Devil’s Saloon, off in the distance, the Dragonfly sees Satan’s House on a hill and decides to explore. The Dragonfly enters the house and sees the Devil Child, the Devil Mother, and the Devil himself. Suddenly, the Devil Child catches the Dragonfly in a glass jar as the parents prepare dinner in the kitchen. The Dragonfly eventually manages to escape, only to be chased by the Devil Child and then by a group of hellish bats. After a chaotic chase, the Dragonfly finds the tunnel and speeds back toward the world above. Finally free, the Dragonfly finds a flat rock to rest. The tale concludes as the Dragonfly falls asleep, the sun sets by the lake, and the evening fades to black.

Journey of a Dragonfly was written for JoAnn Falletta and Mostly Modern Orchestra in honor of Mostly Modern Festival’s fifth season.

– RP

Movements:
1. The Lake: Sunrise
2. Dragonfly’s Entrance
3. Chase: Blackbirds
4. Descent Into The Underworld
5. Devil Town
6. Satan’s House
7. Trapped
8. Kitchen
9. Escape
10. Chase: Bats
11. Ascent To The World Above
12. The Lake: Sunset

Journey of a Dragonfly for Orchestra

Let It Be Me

Glory

I think this is the one where I used a classic soul progression. The packaging at the start that imitates a DJ scratch rhythm came when I accidentally touched a mi goreng pack of noodles around the mic and it fit so I used that. The stop start is influenced by ‘I Try’ by Macy Grey. Then a trademark 4 layers of cello for the chorus. It’s 4 layers cos that’s how I get the cellos to have enough power that I want. First time doing a vocal ’staccato’ sort of chorus like ‘Work Song’ by Hozier which is my fave Hozier song cos’ maybe I’ve overplayed ‘Take Me to Church.’ At the end a brief bit of funk. I remember trying something more complex but the classic James Brown sort of funky riff worked better so I used that.  The second verse is influenced by the production of ‘Hold On’ by Bishop Briggs with the claps. Then, a neopolitan chord for the bridge.  The last chorus has the 2nd chord flattened like ‘Imperfect For you’.  Also a harmonic minor scale being played by the synth lead which reminded me a bit of Just Like You Imagined by NIN. So we’re not lyrically referencing 300 anymore but musically referencing it. The horns are a new addition which I did just based on … what I thought might sound good. The verses/bridge are new but the chorus is from last year. Oh yeah I did reference FNM's Ricochet for the bridge. King for a Day is Spiderman's fave FNM record. Should just hired as a consultant when their biographies are due. Correcting people like, "nah it was a sunny day when that event happened." Yes, the weather is important. Details are important.

Speaking of mi goreng which I discovered in my 1 year of boarding school in Australia. “I do hope my overpriced education doesn’t offend you.” I remember looking at it and thinking it was strange that it had no broth. Then, tasting it and going “ this is amazing.” It’s wonderful how an Indonesian noodle brand has gained popularity in Australia. Other than that, I do miss the meat pies and Shapes (they are a good snack). It was also at boarding school that I discovered Meri lewa which was played once a week by the PNG boys.

Give Me Release

Hank Rusch's new single, "Laid To Waste," tells the story of a man blissfully aware that he's just another conquest in a woman's lustful pursuit. Undeterred, he is drawn like a moth to a flame, finding himself unable to resist the pull of her vortex of passion. The song is rich with references to addiction, highlighting the compulsive nature of his desire. Hank’s growly vocals sound even grittier on this track, as if there's an extra cubic yard of gravel adding raw intensity to his voice. Powerful chords, big drums, Hank really hits the groove on this one.

LAID TO WASTE
by Hank Rusch

Laid, Laid to waste
I wanted it all she'd only give me a taste
Laid, Laid to waste
I took a sip I took a step, I fell on my face

Well, I remember she came pretty well armed
With Stiletto Heels and a bullet bra
Peroxide hair, with dishwater roots
I started chargin' like a bull comin' out of the chute

Her skirt was so tight it couldn't get much higher
Her thighs were rubbin' so hot I thought they'd catch on fire
She shot'em all down one by one
But I was cocked and locked like a ... a loaded gun

She's a hundred proof
You got to dilute
You can't just take her down straight
She's a witches brew
She'll put a spell on you
She'll make any good man break

Laid, Laid to waste
I wanted it all she'd only give me a taste
Laid, Laid to waste
I took a sip I took a step, I fell on my face

We danced all night then we went to her place
I followed her home behind her BSA
Exhaust and Chanel was all I could smell
My heart was rockin' like a pumpjack well

When we got in the door we started huggin' and kissin'
That's when I knew it was pure ignition
She bit her lips and she moaned and moaned
We kept on doin' it all night long

It was just a drop
It hit the spot
It had me ruttin' like a stallion
But the tables turned
and soon I learned
I just had enough to just hold on

It was a lethal dose
I went comatose
I've never ever had that kind of lovin' before
Just one hit
and that was it
I got to go back for more

Laid
Laid to waste now baby
You laid me to waste
Ohhhhhh! You laid me to waste now baby
You laid, you laid, you laid, you laid, you laid
You laid me to waste
You laid me to waste now baby
Ohhhh! and I can't get enough
You laid me, You laid me, You laid me, You laid me to waste
You laid me, You laid me to waste,
Ohhhhhhh! baby

Laid To Waste

Phoenix

Captivity is not about heartbreak — it’s a chilling descent into real psychological imprisonment. Identity is stripped away, reality rewritten, and freedom itself begins to feel dangerous.

Drawing on captivity trauma theory, Stockholm Syndrome, and behavioral conditioning, Exzenya transforms her voice and production into a cinematic portrait of control and isolation. The track opens with a haunting reinterpretation of the folk refrain “Down in the valley…” delivered in a rare, resonant low vocal, paired with hollow wind that feels like a broken transmission through an old radio. From there, the song builds into a dark, minor-key arrangement where vocals climb into plaintive highs, mirroring the push and pull of despair and yearning.

Captivity isn’t just a song — it’s a haunting story set to music. Opening with the ghostly echo of “Down in the valley” and a chilling wind, Exzenya pulls listeners into a dark world of isolation and control. Her deep, resonant lows and emotional highs make every line feel like a cry from the inside of a locked room. Cinematic, eerie, and unforgettable — this is storytelling that feels like a film score trapped inside a pop song.

FFO: Billie Eilish, Halsey, Aurora, Lorde
Tone: Dark, haunting, emotional, surrendering

Getting Better

SpukSchreibMaschine

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