This is a cover I wrote this week of one of my all-time favorite songs from the Legend of Zelda series, the music that plays right at the start of your quest in "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening." Though the melody of this song was no problem to transcribe, the fast, low bass part was very difficult to discern alone, so I should thank soahc0 of YouTube for his or her piano transcription of the song, which was very helpful when I was trying to figure out the notes in the bass line. I should also thank Bespinben of NinSheetMusic, whose piano transcription of the super fast intro I used (well, I transcribed my own bass part, but the high part was his, noteworthy especially as neither parts quite accurately match the original song's intro). The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Eb Clarinet
1 Bassoon
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum (intro only)
1 Set of Temple Blocks
1 Glockenspiel
1 Xylophone
1 Harp
1 Grand Piano
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals) (intro only)
2 Violin Soloists (intro only)
2 Violin Sections (with overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (with overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Section (with overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (with overlaid soloist)

If you enjoyed this piece, I encourage you to hear the original, either on YouTube at the link below or by popping in a cartridge of Link's Awakening into your Game Boy (or just turning it on on your Nintendo 3DS) and starting a new file. The composers for this game (Minako Hamano, Kozue Ishikawa, and Kazumi Totaka) were absolutely brilliant, and deserve your recognition for their outstanding work. The original may be found on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4jt5u4ybx4&list=PLBFE1F3D5C2ABE5FF (intro)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3VXcML6Hf0 (main song)

Morning After the Storm (cover)

This is a cover I wrote of the Overworld music (aka the music from Toronbo Shores, Ukuku Prairie, Martha's Bay, etc.) from "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening."  I'm more-or-less happy with it, but there are a few parts that are muddy that I could probably be able to fix if I had better composing skills.  I'm assuming they are dynamics issues.

I would like to thank the Deku Trombonist of NinSheetMusic, whose own piano transcription of this song proved an invaluable resource to compare to when I was stuck.

I do enjoy the (very similar) Legend of Zelda theme, but I've always preferred this song.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Ocarina
1 English Horn
1 Bassoon
1 Tuba
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Marimba
2 Acoustic Guitars
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)
2 Violin Sections (with overlaying soloists)
1 Viola Section (with overlaying soloists)
1 Cello Section (with overlaying soloists)
1 Contrabass Section (with overlaying soloists)

If you enjoy this song, please check out the original at the link below, or go out there and grab a copy of Link's Awakening (it's available for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, as well as on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console).  Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano, and Kozue Ishikawa created a masterful soundtrack (although this song certainly owes itself to the original Zelda theme by Koji Kondo) that should be experienced by everybody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULyEY_GjSoA

Ukuku Prairie (cover)

This is a cover I wrote of the music that plays while the player is on the File Select screen in "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening."  It was fairly straightforward to write, as the original song is only the same four measures repeated over and over again, but it was incredibly fun coming up with all the layers that I could create to go on top of those four original measures.

Over all, I'm really enjoying how these Link's Awakening covers have been turning out.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Native American Flute
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum
1 Tam-Tam
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Vibraphone
1 Harp
1 Accordion
2 Violin Sections (with overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (with overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Section (with overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (with overlaid soloist)

The original composers for "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" were absolute masters of their craft.  If you enjoyed this song, I highly recommend checking out the original song by clicking the YouTube link below, and I also really encourage purchasing and trying out the game on a Game Boy system or Nintendo 3DS if you've never played it before.  It really is an amazing game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3msymKcgAs

File Select (cover)

This is part of a series of covers I am making of the music from "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening."  This is the music that plays when the mysterious owl in the game is delivering a message to Link.  As the song is so short (just two measures!), I decided to divide the song into nine different covers, one for each dungeon in the game.  Each version highlights the instrument that the player will find in the next dungeon.  This version would play between the game's opening and Tail Cavern, and as thus it highlights the Moonlit Cello.

The instrumentation is as follows:

2 Violin Sections (w/overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Soloist
1 Cello Section
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaid soloist)

The original composers of the soundtrack to Link's Awakening made an incredible masterpiece.  If you enjoyed this song, I encourage you to get out there and get yourself a copy of Link's Awakening for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Nintendo 3DS.  It is an experience that mustn't be missed.  You can check out the original version of this song here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nNvlwx9-aw

The Owl (cover) (Cello Version)

Wrote this today as part of a series of covers I am making of the music from "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening."  This is the music that plays when Link is inside a house.  I tried making a cover of this a few years ago to no avail, so I'm glad that my skills at composing and my skills at transcribing music has improved enough that I was finally able to finish a cover of the Link's Awakening house music today.  It's one of my favorite songs from the game, as well as one of my favorite Zelda house themes (the other being the one from the Oracle games).  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Bass Drum
1 Tam-Tam
1 Set of Temple Blocks
1 Glockenspiel
1 Marimba
1 Celesta

The original composers of the soundtrack to Link's Awakening made an incredible masterpiece.  If you enjoyed this song, I encourage you to get out there and get yourself a copy of Link's Awakening for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Nintendo 3DS.  It is an experience that mustn't be missed.  You can check out the original version of this song here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9XF3XVKvUg

House (Link's Awakening) (cover)

Wrote this during Christmas Day when it struck me while I was playing the piano.  I see it as tutorial music for the RPG game I am making, especially during the player's first battle.

I know I haven't uploaded very many songs in the last few months, but I've actually been pumping out a lot of them.  I just need to find some time to upload them all.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Piccolo
2 Bassoons
1 Tuba
2 Snare Drums
1 Bass Drum
1 Glockenspiel
1 Grand Piano
1 Acoustic Guitar
2 Violin Sections (w/overlaying soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaying soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlaying soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaying soloist)

Let Me Show You the Ropes

First new song of 2014!  Wrote this for an RPG I'm making.  The idea originally was for it to be the music specifically for the boss of a power plant, but I'm thinking now that it might just be suitable for any "lesser" boss, perhaps even mini-bosses.  I'm surprised by how...happy it sounds, but I think I can get away with that as long as Yuka Tsujiyoko can get away with happy boss battle music for General Guy in Paper Mario, ha ha.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:
1 Trombone
1 Tuba
1 Set of Timpani
1 Snare Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Set of Temple Blocks
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Grand Piano
1 Rock Organ
2 Square Lead Synths

Lesser Boss Battle

Wrote this back at the end of December for an RPG I'm making, but never finished it until a few days ago.  It will be the background music for a desert town called "Sonorabia," a cross between "Sonora" and "Arabia."  It's nothing special, but I find it enjoyable.  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Alto Flute
1 Bass Flute
1 Oboe
1 Tenor Saxophone
1 Baritone Saxophone
1 Tuba
1 Triangle
2 Bongo Drums
1 Guiro
1 Shaker
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Grand Piano
1 Sitar

Welcome to Sonorabia

Wrote this today for an RPG I'm making.  This will be the background music of O-Koon, a temple in the rainforest south of the Ghost Lands.  The player will go there as part of a larger quest to find three ancient dragons scattered about the continent.  I'm personally quite a fan of this song already; I really like the oboe part.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

2 Oboes
1 Triangle
1 Bass Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Set of Temple Blocks
2 Bongo Drums
1 Rain Stick
2 Conga Drums
1 Wood Block
1 Grand Piano
1 Sitar
1 Upright Bass
1 Rock Organ

Ancient Halls of O-Koon

This is a cover I wrote of the music in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening that plays when you are inside the village store or the witch's hut.  This was one of the first songs from a Zelda game I really enjoyed, so I wanted to do a really good cover of it without treading on the wonderful cover Zelda Reorchestrated made of it years back.  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Oboe
1 Bassoon
1 Triangle
1 Tam-Tam
1 Ratchet
1 Glockenspiel
1 Marimba
1 Grand Piano
1 Violin Soloist
2 Violin Sections (w/overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaid soloist)

If you enjoy this song, please check out the original at the link below, or go out there and grab a copy of Link's Awakening (it's available for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, as well as on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console). Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano, and Kozue Ishikawa created a masterful soundtrack that should be experienced by everybody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55qk0mCo4bc

Shop (cover)

This is a cover I wrote of the music from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening that plays when Bow-Wow is stolen and when you are in the Moblin Hideout.  This is probably one of my favorite covers so far; it was really fun to write, and despite the very small source material I was able to do a lot with it and, at least in my opinion, it wound up sounding really cool.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Piccolo
1 Flute
1 Oboe
1 Bb Clarinet
1 Bassoon
1 Contrabassoon
1 Tuba
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum
1 Set of Temple Blocks
1 Cabasa
1 Set of Handbells
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Grand Piano
1 Pipe Organ w/Pedals
2 Violin Sections (w/overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaid soloist)

If you enjoy this song, please check out the original at the link below, or go out there and grab a copy of Link's Awakening (it's available for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color, as well as on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console). Kazumi Totaka, Minako Hamano, and Kozue Ishikawa created a masterful soundtrack that should be experienced by everybody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7XTkUyXLAA

Moblins!!! (cover)

This is a cover I wrote of the complete version of Ballad of the Wind Fish from The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening.  In other words, this is the Ballad of the Wind Fish as the player hears it at the summit of Mt. Tamaranch after they have collected all of the Instruments of the Sirens.  Keeping true to the original source material and the game's plot, I made sure to limit the instruments in this cover to the eight Instruments of the Sirens.  The two exceptions to that are a French Horn, which I added to sort of mask the issue of the Conch Horn not having a big enough range for its part, and an Ocarina, which I added after observing that in the actual sequence in the game Link is clearly playing his ocarina along with the instruments, even though we cannot hear it; this Ocarina helps to mask the wretchedly high, un-cello-like cello part (seriously, the original composers should have considered using a viola instead).  To avoid angering purists, though, I'm also uploading a version without the ocarina.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Ocarina
1 Conch Horn (w/overlaid F Horn)
1 Snare Drum
1 Triangle
1 Glockenspiel
1 Marimba
1 Harp
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)
1 Cello (soloist)

You can find the version without the ocarina here:

https://soundcloud.com/user2569375/ballad-of-the-wind-fish-1

The original composers of the soundtrack to Link's Awakening made an incredible masterpiece. If you enjoyed this song, I encourage you to get out there and get yourself a copy of Link's Awakening for the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, or Nintendo 3DS. It is an experience that mustn't be missed. You can check out the original version of this song here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H9YBMtCv-A

Ballad of the Wind Fish (Complete) (cover)

Wrote this for an RPG that I am making.  Well, that I am on-and-off making.  There are a few rough patches here and there, but I think overall this song works nicely.  It is supposed to be the background music for a village in the Ghost Lands, inhabited by ghosts and other deceased individuals.  The name of this song of course comes from the Fields of Asphodel, a region of the Greek underworld.  Because the Fields of Asphodel are, well, grassy, and the Ghost Lands are grassy, and the Fields of Asphodel like this village are full of ordinary folks, I thought the name would be fitting.

I am very pleased with my new Kontakt pipe organ samples.  Also, I did something weird here, and layered my Kontakt djembe samples on top of my Garritan djembe samples.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Alto Flute
1 Bass Flute
2 Trombones
1 Tuba
2 Djembes
1 Buffalo Drum
1 Glockenspiel
1 Grand Piano
1 Upright Bass
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)

In the Fields of Asphodel

Wrote this earlier this year but never published it.  This is a cover of the song "Pink Cloud Cave" from the game "Earthbound" ("Mother 2" in Japan) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System.  Earthbound had tons of great (albeit short) tunes, but Pink Cloud Cave took the cake for my favorite song in the game.  It was fun trying to take Earthbound's bizarre instrumentation and rework it for actual instruments!  This cover's instrumentation is as follows:

1 Piccolo
1 Flute
1 Alto Flute
1 Oboe
1 English Horn
1 Eb Clarinet
1 Bb Clarinet
1 Tenor Saxophone
1 Baritone Saxophone
1 Bassoon
2 F Horns
1 Tuba
1 Fusion Drum Set
1 Vibraphone
1 Celesta
2 Violin Sections (w/overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaid soloist)

If you'd like to check out Hirokazu Tanaka's excellent original piece, please click the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJBk8uw3P0U

Pink Cloud Cave (cover)

Wrote this cover waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2010, before I had Garritan instrument samples.  What I did today was swap out the Sibelius samples for my Garritan samples, since this song always stuck out on my iTunes album due to its lower quality samples.  This is a near-accurate cover of the music in "ClueFinders 3rd Grade: The Mystery of Mathra" that plays while you are answering science questions in the Lost City of Numeria.  ClueFinders 3rd Grade had ridiculously good music, in my personal opinion, but its condition as a child's educational PC game has caused its soundtrack to be very underrated (if not forgotten).

The reason why this is a "near-accurate" cover is that I wasn't as good at doing covers back in 2010 (that was the year I started writing music on the computer), and as I was listening to it today I noticed that the mallets part is slightly off.  In addition, the Sibelius drum samples had a bit more punch in them, and unfortunately some of that has been lost transitioning to Garritan samples--if you listen to the original song (and my original cover, if somehow you had the opportunity to), you will find that the drums are a lot more prominent.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Set of Andean Panpipes (not quite Mayan, but whatever)
1 Oboe
1 Contrabassoon
1 Timpani
1 Set of Temple Blocks
1 Egg Shaker
2 Bongo Drums
1 Guiro
3 Conga Drums
1 Gong
1 Woodblock
1 Xylophone
2 Marimbas
1 Grand Piano
1 Pipe Organ
1 Violin (soloist)

For the aforementioned reasons, the original song does not exist by itself on YouTube.  However, if you'd like to hear the original, it plays in this video at about 3 minutes and 33 seconds (3:33) in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4qzpysAVIE

Scientific Method (cover)

Wrote this today.  It is a cover of the song that plays when you in the museum in Game & Watch Gallery 3.  I was playing through the game recently on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and was surprised by how good this song (as well as a couple of other songs) was.  I thought it deserved a cover, so I decided to make one for it.  It was a bit of a struggle making this, because there were so many instrument combinations I wanted to use but the source material isn't very long.

Anyway, the orchestration is as follows:
1 Oboe
1 English Horn
1 Drum Set
1 Mark Tree
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Harp
1 Grand Piano
1 Choir
1 Harpsichord
1 Acoustic Guitar
1 Bass Guitar
1 Violin
1 Viola

If you enjoyed this song, please check out the original by Noriko Nishizaka here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RAUfz7l-k4

Museum (cover)

Wrote this today.  It is a cover of the song that plays during the modern version of Turtle Bridge in Game & Watch Gallery 3.  I was playing through the game recently on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console and was surprised by how good this song (as well as a couple of other songs) was.  I particularly like the last 8 measures, which I find quite moving (especially for such a simple game!).  It always makes me want to help make sure Toad can do his best taking packages to Princess Peach, because those packages might be very important!  Anyway, I thought a cover of this song would be pretty cool, so I decided to make one for it.  I hope you enjoy it!

Anyway, the orchestration is as follows:
2 Flutes
1 Oboe
1 Eb Clarinet
1 Baritone Saxophone
1 Bb Trumpet
1 Trombone
1 Tuba
1 Set of Timpani
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Set of Temple Blocks
1 Drum Set
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Grand Piano
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)
1 Cello

If you enjoyed this song, please check out the original by Noriko Nishizaka here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIHP3kBxaik&index=21&list=PL6akIKaXBeU37DDkxZ_jPfRzaU596yIQF

Turtle Bridge (cover)

This is a cover I wrote yesterday of the music that plays in the lobby of Booster's tower from "Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars."  The name of the track on the Japanese soundtrack is "Welcome to Bukki's Tower."  This song has always been a favorite of mine and I was very disappointed when there weren't any covers of it on YouTube (save for the always great OverClocked ReMix one by McVaffe).  My cover isn't as awesome as I wish it could be (it is mostly just a straight up re-orchestration with a single variation with piano), but it works.  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Soprano Saxophone
1 Tenor Saxophone
2 F Horns
1 Brush Drum Set
1 Pair of Bongo Drums
1 Pair of Claves
1 Pair of Maracas
1 Tambourine
1 Harp
1 Grand Piano
1 Harpsichord
2 Violin Sections (w/overlaying soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaying soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlaying soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaying soloist)

The original song was written by my favorite video game composer of all time, Yoko Shimomura.  You can check out the original on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKO78067rxQ

Welcome To Booster Tower (cover)

Wrote this on April 25th, but I didn't post it until now.  This is a cover I wrote of the song "Tubba Blubba's Castle" from Paper Mario.  When I started composing I really wanted to do a cover of this song, but I wound up finding it too difficult at the time and gave up.  This last week, I finally decided to give it another shot.  The result isn't super special, but it satisfies me to know that I've finally done a cover of one of my favorite songs from the original Paper Mario game (which, when I first wanted to do a cover of this song, was my favorite game of all-time).  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Oboe
1 Bb Clarinet
1 Tenor Saxophone
1 Baritone Saxophone
1 Bassoon
2 F Horns
1 Bb Trumpet
1 Tuba
1 Set of Timpani
1 Snare Drum
1 Triangle
1 Bass Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Glockenspiel
1 Harpsichord
1 Accordion
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)
2 Violin Sections (w/overlying soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlying soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlying soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlying soloist)

The original song by Yuka Tsujiyoko is pretty great.  You can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-JT4BTDUdU

Tubba Blubba's Castle (cover)

This is a cover I finished yesterday of the song "N's Castle" from the game Pokémon White (it also appears in Pokémon Black).  This song blew me away when I first heard it in the game, and I was very excited when the idea struck me to do a cover of it.  It really is one of the Pokémon series' best songs.  A lot of the notes in the song were actually much too fast for me to distinguish, so the help of Dr. Pamplemousse's sheet music transcription (found here: http://www.ninsheetmusic.org/download/pdf/1734 ) was invaluable, although there was still a lot that I had to work out myself by ear.  Anyway, this is a pretty straight cover, but it's nice to hear the song break from the limitations of the (relatively poor) Nintendo DS audio samples.

The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Set of Timpani
1 Bass Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Vibraphone
1 Choir
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)
2 Violin Sections (w/overlying soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlying soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlying soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlying soloist)

The original song by Shota Kageyama is always fantastic.  If you'd like to check it out, you can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSr5J9zCo-w

N's Castle (cover)

Wrote this a few days ago.  It isn't anything that special, largely because I didn't have my digital piano to really experiment with different melodies or tunes (which is why there's very little variation in that xylophone part).  I like the feel of it, though, and every time I hear it I like it just a little more.  It was a fun experiment in writing a piece that was more synth-heavy than mine usually are.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Wood Block
2 Taiko Drums
1 Xylophone
2 Synth Pads
1 Synth Bass
1 Violin
1 Viola

Walking on the Sidewalk to the Grocery Store

I guess you could say this song is at least 8 years in the making.  The piano/guitar line in this song is something I came up with in 2007 (if not earlier), and is actually one of my earliest compositions for the piano, but I've never really been able to figure out what to do with it until I finally worked it into something good this evening.  It's based on a dream I had way back then of a boy who lost a feather he kept with him while on a family trip, and as he chased after it he wound up on a monochrome field at an impossibly steep incline.  At the top of the hill is an abandoned city and clock tower named "Pandoria," and at the bottom is a vast forest home to living skeletons and a turtle wizard.  The boy had to team up with the grumpy wizard to figure out how to escape the mysterious world before he and his parents suffered a terrible fate (I think his parents were turned into velociraptors or something and the boy was turning into a griffin).  It was a pretty vivid dream and a good one at that, and it inspired quite a few early songs that have never really been revisited since.  Anyway, this song was arranged in the style of a video game song (so it repeats), and was originally intended all those years ago to be a part of a music suite for Pandoria.  This song was the movement about that crazy-steep hill.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Bass Flute
1 Ocarina
1 Set of Timpani
1 Snare Drum
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Marimba
1 Piano
1 Guitar
1 Choir
1 Accordion
2 Pad Synths

Fields of Pandoria

Wrote this yesterday.  It is a cover of the song "Ice Path" from Pokemon Gold, Silver, and Crystal, I believe by Junichi Masuda.  This song has always been one of the more popular Pokemon songs, but for good reason.  It's one of those songs that I pushed my Game Boy Color up against my ear to listen to back in the day.  I feel like the redone version in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver didn't really do the song justice.  One thing I was surprised by in the redone version though was the drum line, which wasn't really prominent in the original version.  I still don't really feel it in the remake, but it was an interesting idea so I thought I'd come up with my own drum line for my cover.  I can't not think of Jynx when I hear this song.

I don't quite recall what the instrumentation for this song was since I don't have it up in front of me now, so I'll have to leave you guys with that.

My cover is of the "Game Boy Sounds" version included on the Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver soundtrack, which was the first official release of Gold and Silver's music.  That version was made to be a throwback to the original song on the Game Boy Color; however, the original is still a little different.  You can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byuqAIbzaWQ

Ice Path (cover)

Started writing this last night but finished most of it today.  This is a cover of the music that plays when you are viewing the Piklopedia (it's basically an animal and plant encyclopedia) in Pikmin 2.  The song is either by Kazumi Totaka or Hajime Wakai; the two were a team for the game's music, so I can't quite say who wrote it, although I actually might go on a limb and say it was Totaka (this sounds lightly similar to the styles heard in Link's Awakening and Yoshi's Story).  I must profess that this cover isn't much more than an update to the sound samples, but this is actually one of my favorite video game songs of all time so I really didn't want to change it (and I couldn't come up with a way to improve it).  I hope my sub-par strings samples don't ruin it in the high register.  I've wanted to do a cover of this song for years, but my transcription skills weren't quite there yet.  I also did a jazz version, but it isn't that different from this version so I probably won't upload it.

Off the top of my head, I'm not entirely sure which instruments I used here, so I'll just leave you guys with that.

This is one of my favorite songs on the planet, so I encourage you to take a listen to the original.  You can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ihknTHRZ1k

Piklopedia (cover)

Wrote this earlier this week (maybe last week), but Sibelius crashed while I was adding the finishing touches, and I didn't return to it until today.  There isn't much to say about this piece.  It's just one of my many attempts to write something in a major key.

The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Alto Flute
1 Bass Flute
1 Tenor Saxophone
1 Pair of Maracas
1 Jaw Harp
1 Xylophone
1 Glass Marimba
1 Piano
1 Bass Guitar
2 Synth Pads

Major Joy

Wrote this two days ago, I think.  It is a cover of the music that plays in Joke's End in "Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga," originally composed by Yoko Shimomura.  This song really struck me when I first heard it years ago on the Game Boy Advance and it still is to me one of the most memorable GBA songs, if only because of how eerie it is.  If you aren't familiar with Joke's End, it was basically a palace or castle of some sort made of ice.  I think this song is called "Elemental Palace" on the official soundtrack though.

The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Set of Handbells
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
3 Glass Marimbas
1 Harpsichord
1 Pipe Organ (w/pedals)
3 Synth Pads

The original by Yoko Shimomura is quite creepy, and actually inspired my song "Tower of Mirages" a few years ago.  You can find the original Joke's End song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Atv7UWUK_A

"Tower of Mirages" can be found on my SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/user2569375/tower-of-mirages

Joke's End (cover)

I started writing this song two days ago and finished it today.  It is a cover of the music that plays in Beanbean Castle in "Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga."  The song is originally by Yoko Shimomura.  I did enjoy this song as I played the game, but I forgot about it until recently and was quite pleased with how nice it is.  I felt it deserved a re-orchestration treatment.  I think the Superstar Saga soundtrack is interesting because, like the original Kingdom Hearts, it represents a Yoko Shimomura soundtrack before she became wildly popular as a composer.

The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Alto Flute
1 Alto Saxophone
1 Set of Timpani
1 Snare Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Harpsichord
1 Accordion
1 Cello Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaid soloist)

The original is quite nice for a Game Boy Advance song.  You can find Yoko Shimomura's song on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kaQaWoOTDg

Beanbean Castle (cover)

I came up with this on the piano yesterday and did my best to remember it and transcribe it today.  It was much better that time on the piano, but it didn't turn out too bad.  The name comes from how it was intended to be a song written in G Lydian, but then almost everything was actually in F Phrygian, ha ha.

The instrumentation is as follows:

2 Oboes
1 Oboe d'Amour
1 English Horn
1 Bassoon
1 Contrabassoon
1 Glockenspiel
1 Marimba
1 Piano

Not Quite Lydian

Wrote this today.  I've been wanting to make it for several years, actually.  It is a cover of the music that plays in the Crystal Palace in "Paper Mario" for the Nintendo 64--a popular song, to be sure.  It was originally written by Yuki Tsujiyoko.  I...guess I don't have much to say about it for having wanted to write it for so long.  I didn't want to make it a super-straight cover, so I added a few things here and there.  Nothing major though.

The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Oboe
1 Glockenspiel
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Vibraphone
1 Glass Marimba
1 Harp
1 Choir
1 Drawbar Organ
1 Pipe Organ (w/pedals)

The original by Yuko Tsujiyoko is a great song.  You can find it on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqFIcdJ5VdE

Also, it would be important to mention that one of the reasons this song took my a few years to write is because I had trouble transcribing it.  This recent sheet music by Tangy was invaluable: http://www.ninsheetmusic.org/download/pdf/1877

Crystal Palace (cover)

Wrote this today.  Finally wrote a happy song, ha ha!  This is in A Lydian.  I wrote it in a relatively short amount of time, but it's actually a bit more ambitious than most of my more recent songs.  I almost didn't have it repeat, but I was getting a little tired of composing and was starting to have a composer's block, so I was a little lazy and used a repeat.  I was thinking this might be good for RPG music for a village anyway, so maybe it isn't bad that I used the repeat, ha ha.  I can hear the influence Joe Hisaishi has had on me in this song, it sounds very Hisaishi-like, heh.  Anyway, this was a blast to write.  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Tenor Recorder
1 Bass Recorder
1 Oboe
1 F Horn
1 Tuba
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum
1 Cymbals
1 Xylophone
1 Celesta
1 Contrabass

Le quotidien

Wrote this today.  It is a cover of the music that plays in the second Rock Star level from Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards.  Originally written by the highly talented Jun Ishikawa, this song is simply called "Ruins" on the official soundtrack.  There are a LOT of songs I really love from Kirby 64, but a lot of them feature very complex drum rhythms that I'm not skilled enough to replicate.  This song has always been quite memorable for me, so because it was one of the few songs without crazy beats I thought I would do a cover of it.  Whenever I think of Kirby 64, this is one of the first things I think of, even though it only played during one level.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:
1 English Horn
1 Bassoon
1 Bagpipe
2 Didgeridoos
1 Tambourine
1 Pair of Handbells
2 Tubular Bell Sets
1 Glockenspiel
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Vibraphone
1 Electric Guitar
1 Choir
1 Pipe Organ
2 Violin Sections (w/overlaid soloists)
1 Viola Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Cello Section (w/overlaid soloist)
1 Contrabass Section (w/overlaid soloist)

The original song by Jun Ishikawa is an absolute classic.  You can find it on YouTube right here, give it a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BfvrlZQW9s

Ruins (cover)

Wrote this a while back for an RPG I'm making.  This will be the music for the first area the player must pass through after leaving the opening town.  I have mixed feelings about this song, but I'm not quite sure how else to improve it, so after a good long while I'm finally uploading it.  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Alto Saxophone
1 Tenor Saxophone
1 Baritone Saxophone
1 Tuba
1 Set of Timpani
1 Snare Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Set of Tubular Bells
1 Xylophone
1 Marimba
1 Harp
1 Grand Piano
2 Violin Sections
1 Viola Section
1 Cello Section
1 Contrabass Section

Beginning of an Adventure

Wrote this a while back for an RPG I'm making, but never really got around to uploading it until now.  This will be the music that plays inside this one abandoned lodge high in the mountains.  I really like how it conveys a fitting sense of aloneness and coldness.  The instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Oboe
1 Bb Clarinet
1 Bassoon
1 Glockenspiel
1 Grand Piano
2 Violin Sections
1 Viola Section
1 Cello Section
1 Contrabass Section

Cold Fireplace in a Cold Cottage

Wrote this in May for an RPG I'm making.  I didn't upload it initially because I thought it sounded a bit muddy, but on re-listening to it I don't hear anything wrong, so I'm uploading it now.  It will be the music for a rainforest located in the foothills and mountains in the southeast corner of the Ghost Lands, where there are so many spirits floating around that they look like clouds passing between the trees.  I actually came up with this song while I was writing my cover of Bottle Grotto from "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening," and I'm sure anybody who has listened to my Dungeon Cover Project will recognize a few notes here and there on the Bonang.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Native American Flute
1 Rain Stick
4 Conga Drums
1 Shaker
1 Bonang Set
1 Angklung
1 Glockenspiel
1 Grand Piano
1 Sitar
1 Choir
2 Violin Sections
1 Viola Section
1 Cello Section
1 Contrabass Section

Cloud Forest

This is a cover I wrote today of the music from the seventh dungeon in "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons," the Explorer's Crypt.  It sounds a bit odd, but I think in a way it matches the quirky feel of the Oracle games.  This was always my favorite dungeon song from Oracle of Seasons as a kid.  I may make this a part of another cover project if I wind up making covers of enough Oracle dungeons.  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Shakuhachi
1 Alto Flute
1 Bass Flute
1 Set of Panpipes
2 Bb Clarinets
1 Bb Bass Clarinet
2 Bassoons
1 Contrabassoon
1 Tuba
1 Snare Drum
1 Bass Drum
1 Tam-Tam
1 Marimba
1 Vibraphone
1 Harp
1 Grand Piano
1 Pipe Organ (w/Pedals)
1 Violin
1 Viola
1 Contrabass Section

Unfortunately, like Link's Awakening, the original composer of the music in Oracle of Seasons is never directly named in the credits and is difficult therefore to credit; however, in place of a formal credit of his or her work, please appreciate the composer's work and give their original song a listen here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJFiZTQA3xQ

Explorer's Crypt (cover)

Wrote this cover today of the music for the sixth dungeon from "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons," the Ancient Ruins.  I have a few mixed feelings about this cover, most particularly the grace notes, which are a bit muddy, so I might go back and fix a few things up later.  But I'm happy to finally have made a cover of this song!  I was originally going to make one way back when I wrote my cover of Tarm Ruins (where this dungeon is located), but at the time I didn't have any world instrument samples and decided that this song needed to have a bit of a middle eastern feel to its instrumentation to be satisfactory.  So it's nice to be done with this.  It might become a part of an Oracle dungeon cover project if I make enough covers of the dungeon music from the Oracle games.

Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Flute
1 Mijwiz
1 Oboe
1 English Horn
1 Bb Clarinet
1 Bb Bass Clarinet
2 Trombones
1 Bass Drum
1 Pair of Crash Cymbals
1 Tam-Tam
1 Tambourine
1 Duff
1 Arabian Frame Drum
1 Bendir
1 Xylophone
1 Grand Piano
1 Oud
2 Violin Sections
1 Viola Section
1 Cello Section
1 Contrabass Section

Unfortunately, like Link's Awakening, the original composer of the music in Oracle of Seasons is never directly named in the credits and is difficult therefore to credit; however, in place of a formal credit of his or her work, please appreciate the composer's work and give their original song a listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17e1CDhZXIw

Ancient Ruins (cover)

This is a cover I wrote today of the music that plays whenever you are inside a house in "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons" or "The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages."  It's one of the first songs I ever taught myself to play on piano, but I never really thought to make a cover of it until I heard it playing on my girlfriend's 3DS today while she was playing Ages on the virtual console.  I think the original is very pretty, but at the same time a tad annoying (it uses a shrill pitch that is often also used in the music outside the house, causing an irritating lack of contrast).  Anyway, the instrumentation is as follows:

1 Gong
2 Bongo Drums
1 Set of Wind Chimes
1 Wood Block
1 Marimba
1 Harp
1 Grand Piano
1 Accordion
2 Violin Sections
1 Viola Section
1 Cello Section
1 Contrabass Section

Unfortunately, like Link's Awakening, the original composer of the music in Oracle of Seasons is never directly named in the credits and is difficult therefore to credit; however, in place of a formal credit of his or her work, please appreciate the composer's work and give their original song a listen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYhczz6_FZo

House (Oracle duo) (cover)

I primarily write classical music with a touch of world and electronic traits.  My "spherical" music style, as I like to call it, is mainly a mixture of impressionism, minimalism, and drone (i.e. Grouper) styles.  It highlights and emphasizes rhythms and patterns surrounded by a "sphere" of music.  As a sphere, its intent isn't to lead somebody somewhere like most "linear" music, but rather to envelop the listener in a bubble of fluctuating, building, and resonating sounds.

My music is most inspired by the music of Philip Glass, but I also count Joe Hisaishi, Yoko Shimomura, Troels B. Folmann, and Maurice Ravel as major influences of my work, as well as a great deal of Zelda music.  My favorite genres of music include classical, electronic, jazz, video game, soundtrack, alternative, and world.

I write my music using Sibelius, and I use Garritan samples for my instruments.  I grew up playing the oboe, and as such a lot of my music has an affinity for woodwinds.  I'm also a big fan of marimba, didgeridoo, and pipe organ.  Despite what Soundcloud might suggest, my favorite keys to write in are the Phrygian modes, not minor keys, though when I do write in minor I strictly stick to natural minor.

Lazy Labyrinthodont

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