Following the balance of Equinox, today’s #MusicalMinute returns to the vagaries of chance and probability within the boundaries of PCS 6-z29.  I am intrigued by the similarities of Pitch-Class sets and Ragas, and am constantly looking for ways of merging musical ideas and styles.  This could be fertile ground for ambient minimalism.  What do you think?

23 Sep 25 After Balance

As the summer fades to memory it is always energising to have a few days of autumnal sun to walk in.  The air is fresh and comfortingly cool.  Today’s #MusicalMinute provides a little late September warmth with a french horn accompanied by a marimba.  Interestingly, the skeleton of this melody has been with us every day this month.  What do you think?

24 Sep 25 Lingering Glow

I have heard it said that, “Philosophically, silence is more than just a lack of sound—it’s a space for reflection, mindfulness, or even tension, where the absence of noise amplifies thoughts, emotions, or awareness of one’s surroundings.”  This gives me a whole new understanding of Cage’s 4’33”.  Can silence be evoked by sound?  What do you think?

27 Sep 25 Heavy Silence

The nights are definitely getting colder!  To my mind this calls for dark brass and low pizzicato basses.  The inexorable passage through time — and another mood is evoked.  Regular listeners will know that these #MusicalMinutes represent a musical adventure of the imagination, anything can happen!  It’s like a concert being shared daily, one minute at a time.  What do you think?

26 Sep 25 Cold Descent

Today’s #MusicalMinute started life with the seed idea of Sharper Air, marimba accents and pizzicato strings — using pitch-class set 6-z48.  The result, yet another unique piece of music conveying a moment in time.  When much discussion focusses on limited resources and scarcity I become more convinced that abundance mentality is the way forward.  What do you think?

25 Sep 25 Sharper Air

28 Sep 25 Tense Horizon

As the energy of summer dissipates, autumn has settled in and is applying the brakes ready for winter.  Tomorrow, another month will come to a close and provide more lessons for next year.  At the moment, all I can see are large numbers of cycles within cycles, each interacting with the others in a complex way.  What do you think?

29 Sep 25 Settling Season

Today’s #MusicalMinute brings September to a close with a feeling of tranquility — much of the energy has dissipated.  Looking back, I’m not sure I succeeded in creating ambient minimalism, but that is all part of the learning process.  Looking forward, I still have three months to perfect the plan for 2026.  Any tips?  What do you think?

30 Sep 25 Quiet Closure

Welcome to October!  For the last few years I have traditionally used this month to explore the octatonic scale.  However, as I have recently been playing with pitch-class sets I thought it would be interesting to discover what can be done with octachords.  It won’t be long until the first frosts appear — sparseness and space.  What do you think?

01 Oct 25 First Frost

After yesterday’s very sparse #MusicalMinute I thought I’d some background noise.  Today’s pitch class set, 8-z15, is played as a block chord on the strings.  Ideally, I would like this to be played by a synth representing circumstantial atmospheric ambience.  This would free up live musicians during a performance.  What do you think?

02 Oct 25 Brittle Leaves

I started composing daily pieces and posting them onto SoundCloud at the beginning of 2013.  By posting daily I am tweaking, experimenting and developing a thought, idea or event in time.  I am endeavouring to show that there is no limit to that creative spark that lies within each of us.  So much of what we do nowadays is about instant return, I am about evolution not revolution (although each month starts with a clean slate).  Join me on my journey to 10,000 (18 May 2040!!!)

Over the years I have found the Soundcloud community to be extremely supportive and encouraging.  It’s great to have a Global Mastermind of musical adventurers.

Thank you!

New tracks tagged #MusicalMinute