Week 15.1

Context*:  Running from a gang of percussionists in a giant cavern

Emotion*:  Heart racing, head pounding FEAR!

Other: "Drums in the deep"

I think this one came out well.  I need to get some more full orchestra percussion samples.  I had an awesome set sampled in a church, but I seem to have misplaced it during my musical hiatus, post Berklee.  Lots of deep choir bits, lots of tension.  The pattern is a Bmin-Cmin4-Fbmin-Ebmin4-Fmaj, or i-ii4-iii-iv4-V(1:30), not a standard progression but the 4ths make it fit (no, those aren't sus4, just drop the 5th, or you could look at it as a carry-over from the previous chord.  Without gettin all technical-like.)

Yeah, like I said, I feel that this one worked out well.  I'm going to attempt to do Tuesday/Thursday updates.  I need to get myself into the habit.

~græy

Week 14.2

Context*:  A kitten playing
Emotion*:  Silly and happy
Other:  a meow at the end

The hardest part was getting a cat to meow into the mic.  Usually, it's no problem, screaming over the smallest inconvenience is a daily occurrence.  Sometimes they scream for no reason, then forget they're screaming.  This time I had to go find a sound effect, because they just would not make a sound, like some kind of kitty oath of silence for their monastic order.
This one's simple, ABC sections, I went with some 'playful' sounding instruments, glockenspiel, toy piano, some silly choir bits and a grain synth I made special.

Week 14.1

Context*:  Watching the Geminid Meteor Shower
Emotion*:  Awe
Other:  Majesty in silence

I think this one went well.  The french horns bring some of that wonder and majesty.  The bells are the shooting stars.  I could have created more space, but I thought that focusing on the majesty and wonder aspects would do well.  Something we haven't really explored here.   I tried to create some space, keeping the harmonies relatively thinned and the instrumentation simple.
Sorry for the hiatus, it's been busy and rough.  I'll do my best to make up for my missed weeks.
~græy

Week 13.2

Context*: giant monster fight!
Emotion*: Explosions, destruction
Other: A cry for each beast

This one was fun.  I created a different vocalization for each monster, out of a variety of different bits and pieces, just like they did in 'ye olde days' of sound engineering.  The plot of the piece is pretty straightforward, the two characters come together, clash, and one is victorious.  I wanted to keep with a largely orchestral instrumentation, since Akira Ifukube created so much drama with the original Godzilla score.  This one was much longer, but that didn't fit with the story.
Anyways, something near and dear to my child-like heart

~græy

Week 9.1

Context*: 70's gritty cop drama

Emotion*: 70's gritty cop drama

Other: 70's gritty cop drama

The theme to our hypothetical 70's gritty cop drama shows all the drama, all the action, all the mirrored aviator sunglasses and top-down; violently colored sports cars, all the drama, all the racially insensitive sidekicks, all the action, all the drama, all the thinly veiled TnA, and all the drama from your favorite television programme.  Our mustachioed caucasoid hero probably drives a car.  He probably wears sunglasses and doesn't play by the book.  He probably gets the girl.  And he probably solves crimes.

Synths horns, synth pads, rhythmic synths and strings.  I tried to make it high intensity and cheesy.  Like a delicious mixed-cheese casserole.
It was nice to do something cheesy, instead of the abstract artsy submissions.

~græy