Time, Not a Circle or a Line

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I've been working on this piece for a few years. It was originally 2 unrelated pieces until a couple months ago when it struck me to try to put them together.

time, not a circle or a line
not a movement or a —
not a moment not a stream flowing by…

I hold a moonbeam in my hand
my feet upon the sand
let the waves come and take me away

time, not a circle or a line
not a movement or a —
not a moment not a stream flowing by…


Recorded using Garageband with a nice electric piano.
Then I had fun and created this version of it as well, using Garageband's built-in instruments. I basically duplicated the piano track and messed around with the notes.

I'll be posting some more piano pieces shortly. I borrowed the piano... and having a deadline sure makes me productive. I've learned something important about myself.

Tower in the Fog: Coursera & Soundcloud

It's been a while since I've said anything here! No worries, blogosphere, I continue to attempt art.

Recently I heard about an online service, Coursera, which lets you take free courses (or you can pay for an official certificate of completion). They have a great course on Songwriting from the Berklee College of Music. It's just wrapping up its last week, and it's been completely worth it.

The first few weeks go over writing verse (lyrics), talking about point of view, the in/stability of the story and how to express this through line lengths, rhyme schemes etc. -- super useful factors I'd never, uh, factored in to my songwriting. I've only ever written songs when something struck me, and it 'just goes from there'. While this is a fun way to do things, especially seeing as I'm an amateur and this is a hobby, this course taught me the extent lyrics can change when you play with number of lines and consonance rhymes and etc.

The last couple of weeks of the course look at melody, and how notes in relation to the base chord, coming in at the bar or on the downbeat, and so forth, can create a stable/unstable feel.

One important concept discussed several times is that of 'spotlighting'. Basically, if you want something to look awesome, one way to do this successfully is to diminish the things around it. If everyone has a spotlight everyone is important, and, you know, when everyone is special, no one is.

Taking the course is an inspiration because, yeah, I get to play with lyrics and melody and learning this stuff is awesome -- but also, there's a community. You can talk with people in the forums and learn how small a fish you really are, but they're all supportive, and some have awesome stuff for download on Soundcloud.

Soundcloud!

I've come across it before but never used it. Now I am. You can find me here:
https://soundcloud.com/emkayas

Check out my latest piece, Tower in the Fog. The melody kind of 'came to me' with a few sessions but the lyrics I had to work really hard at. I mean, 'invoke' and 'fog' can rhyme but it's actually hard to put verbs at the end of phrases. Unless you're Yoda.

I'm going to have to shut musical me in a box for a while as I concentrate on my writing (so much time and so little to do -- wait, stop, reverse that). But this beast will not be contained long! Muahahah!

Shoot

I used a Planet Photoshop tutorial on Refine Edge for this one. Then I had fun.

Sir Beetle

This homage to a metallic beetle I once met was created using this Planet Photoshop Tutorial.

Working with 3D might be more pain than it's worth. But for Sir Beetle, anything.



By the way, I haven't abandoned this blog, nor have I ceased creating images or music. I've been -- to put it delicately without too much affront to my fragile ego -- lazy. As I re-enter a productive stage, more tidbits of talent shall appear on this excellent blog.

Backyard Birdie

Naomi's Theme

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Naomi is the main character in a fantasy trilogy I am writing. She loves music, she sings, and her forte is in piano. I wrote book 1 in 2009, and started book 2 for NaNoWriMo in November (2011). Sometime during then I sat down at the piano and thought, if Naomi had a theme, like in a movie, what would it be like?

I actually came up with the main melody sometime last year, but I had not written it down or recorded it and thus forgot it. Recently, while hiking, I started humming a tune and realized it was this one. As I started working through ideas for Naomi's theme, I once again spontaneously remember this tune, and it influenced what I came up with.

I don't know if it was because I had an idea behind the meaning of the piece, or what, but it came swiftly to hand. I had the basic elements after a couple short piano sessions, and only had to iron out the order and some specific parts. It's still not completely finished, there are a couple of places I play differently every time, as I am still seeking the perfect progression.

In working to develop Naomi as a strong character, I'm glad she has a theme, and hope you will like it as I do.

Dancing Clown

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I came up with this song while still working on Dark Sea. It's rather short, so I'm still trying to expand on it, but I like how it is now.

(Not to say I didn't make mistakes in the recording, or that all parts have been ironed out.)