By the time I did this most recent version of "And So It Begins," I had purchased a drum machine and a reverb unit. I was sure they would work well for quick demos with a reasonably full (and at least slightly professional) sound. So I started programming and playing back drum patterns as I played my keyboard live, straight onto cassette. I called the method "Demos Direct."

I made a few attempts at this version, testing different reverb settings. I thought this one worked the best. The sound could be better -- the slow strings, much as I love that layer, muddy things up -- and things go off the rails a little after the break as I can't quite keep up with the speed I've programmed for the drum pattern.

I will be trying this on for size again one of these days, bringing together the best parts of all three previous attempts and hopefully finally making the definitive version.

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐓
Recorded directly to 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐘 stereo cassette deck

𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐏𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
Alesis QuadraVerb Plus Reverb Unit

𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒
Roland JV-30 16 Part Multi Timbral Synthesizer
(𝘈𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘗𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰 2 / 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴)
Alesis SR-16 16-bit Stereo Drum Machine

© 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟒, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟔 & 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐑𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐤𝐤𝐞 | 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜

The First Chapter

And So It Begins (Mk. III: January 1996)

Music is a friend, a playground, a way of life. To dabble is satisfaction; to improvise is freedom; to please is joy.

These are my fledgling musical "sins," most of which go back several decades.

And So It Begins (Mk. III: January 1996)

Trecathlus