Unfortunately the mp3's here are mostly realized with sound samples through MIDI, but good quality samples. When I get some live recordings, I'll happily post those too.
Worked Brass is my latest piece. (March 2010) click the "Worked Brass" set further below to see the scores and hear the movements.
About the Sounds Samples
I got the Complete Composers package from www.soundsonline.com during one of their sales in late December 2009. "Worked Brass" is the first set here that uses these amazing very high quality samples. Beyond brass, the library of samples is exhaustingly huge. From choir, to Chinese ehrus -- I"m gonna have a lot of fun.
Around 2002, I purchased the entire first edition of the Vienna Smphonic Library which provided the
most excellent, to date, orchestral sound samples you could buy for MIDI
realization. However, back then (now being 2010) they were quite hard to use.
I also have the Dan Dean Productions Solo String Library which you can hear in
the 2003 Tracey Lullaby. (I'll most likely phase this library out of my usage, with the biggest complaint being lack of dynamics for articulations. For instance, there is just on pizzicato sample dynamic... forte, etc.)
Some other renditions are done on my tireless and uncomplaining performer, my Yamaha S80
Synthesizer. If I hit the big time or people start to perform my works, I'll
post non virtual recordings.
To view the scores of my works, you must install the Sibelius Scorch web
plugin software for your web browser.
Sets
Tracey and the Vampire
An original musical narrative story with ME as the narrator. Uses original themes for each character, including the Tracey Lullaby theme. This was very much conceived with Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" in mind.
Selections 1 and 2 below are the main piece. The others are just the raw musical takes with out any narration.
Pictures for an Online Exhibition
"Pictures for an Online Exhibition", was written for the requirements of meeting the informal, amatuer composition contest hosted by fellow members and contributors to the sibeliusmusic.com chat page. From a set of 3 paintings, each composer was required to write some music depicting what he or she interpreted or saw in the painting.
The first painting "The Artist's Halt in the Desert" shows a group of weary travelers most likely in North Africa or Arabia.
The second painting, "The City" depicts an expressionist urban city scape.
The last painting, "The Grand Canal, Venice" depicts just that. A very romantic painting.
Voting for scores was open to the general public: anyone who viewed the scores and emailed in their votes for the anonymous entries was welcome. Votes were 3pts for first, 2pts for second, and 1pt for third. Of the 11 entries, mine placed 3rd.
Concert Band Suite
As a former low brass man in highschool, I loved the concert season. The sounds of a wind ensemble are hard to resist. My March was my first arrangement for largish ensemble. The other movements are not ready for the world.
Tracey Lullabies
Written for my pookie as an annual Valentine's gift.
Serenade for String Orchestra
This is my vehicle for learning how to write music for a full
string section. A touch of 19th century, yes, but I love Tchaikovsky and you can
hear his influence. Serenades traditionally too are a great excuse for making
happy, pretty music. So far, two movements have surfaced. (A work, long in progress).
Competition Entries
I have competed in a few informal internet based music competitions hosted by the Sibelius Music community members themselves. There is no official award or recognition from bigger music circles, but to us it counts! As of yet, I haven't submitted any of my music to a more offical competition (in an academic sense). Heck, my music has hardly been played by real people!
Worked Brass
Presenting Worked Brass for Brass Quintet in four movements, “Dedicated to and Completed for My Friend, David Hammond in Honor of His 40th Birthday.”
Worked Brass, a new title for the complete Quintet, had it’s beginnings in the movement known as “Energetico.” I have been working on that piece since 2003 as an idea of alternating 6/8 and 3/4 meter. I had the first melodic and supporting material fleshed out to mm. 36 and even a bit more to mm. 55, but it sat incomplete and I didn’t know what to do with it, but I did like the main melodic content. It’s a bit “modal”, meaning it sounds almost Renaissance in the harmonic progression, but its syncopation and rhythm are definitely modern. The “Fanfare” is also another piece I have had sitting on my virtual back burner for a long time too, since 2004. It’s a “tritone-ie”, jarring herald, and recently added dramatic, clustery chords, but it also had had only stuff to about mm. 17 before I put it aside back when.
The two inner movements, "The Dasha Lilt" and "Katya's Journey" are named after David's adorable and amazing girls, Daria and Kathryn.
Everything else!
Music that is not in a group. A bunch of lose little ditties!
Genres
String Quartet
Music for classical string quartet (two violins, viola, cello)
Concert Band
Music for a large ensemble of Winds and Percussion. (wood winds, brass, percussion, and extras.)
Chamber
Music for a varied, small number of players.
Orchestral
Music for a large ensemble of symphonic musicians
Piano
Music for the piano.
Choral
Music for an ensemble of human voices.
Guitar
Music for the guitar (traditional, electric, folk, or classical six strings)
Miscellaneous
Music that is not yet categorized, or does not need categorization.
Electronica
Music intended to be rendered and realized by synthetic or electronic, non acoustic means.
