Well DOne! &mdash 05/06/07 - 09:23:41 AM
You have created some very listenable music here. I am not the one to give detailed critique on this, I do not know anything/enough of this pentatone music, I just sit still and enjoy! I instantly did think of Kitaro and his albums Silk Road, one of which I own and like. An inspiration of yours? (His website is http://www.kitaromusic.com/ if anyone is interested.) Thanks for sharing (a sure DL)! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for your kind comments &mdash 05/06/07 - 10:20:12 AM
I don't know Kitaro, but I thank you for the link so I can go and hear some of that music. I have been doing a bit of experimenting in this style of music, and don't have many finished products that reach the standard I feel they should be at to post, so I appreciate your comments on this piece very much. [ Reply to This ]
Nice sound scape_____ &mdash 05/06/07 - 09:49:12 AM
Kristine you put this together well. I enjoy a synth breakfast now and then and you delivered. The layers are kind of synthetic but not un- pleasing. This reminds me of some of my new age music I made some years ago with an old Yamaha DX7. Thanks for taking me back there for a moment.
I enjoyed and thanks for sharing,
mvh : ) [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for listening. &mdash 05/06/07 - 10:25:11 AM
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Glad you came to listen. The sounds are quite candidly synthesized on this piece, as you point out. I'm still working to get some warmth and emotion in the midi instruments, and that may take me a lifetime to figure out! [ Reply to This ]
Gong Show &mdash 05/06/07 - 10:37:37 AM
the huge gong is SO awesome - i love your stately creation!
it's a wonderful exotic dish - delicious to the ear.
anne [ Reply to This ]
I love the gong, too. &mdash 05/06/07 - 02:27:06 PM
I have a Nepalese gong that my son just used for a percussion ensemble at school. It's nice, but I still like the big sound of this software gong for this piece. Thanks for coming over and listening. I also appreciate the time you took to make comments. See ya round! [ Reply to This ]
sounds authentic to me &mdash 05/06/07 - 11:14:16 AM
Very nicely done, Kristine! You've managed to acheive what sounds to me like a very authentic oriental feel.
This isn't a criticism or even a suggestion, but I noticed that the instrument you use when the pentatonic melody comes in (it has a quasi-plucked string quality) has a fairly prominent overtone that, when it plays "la" in the pentatonic scale (do-re-mi-so-la) sounds like a major third above the fundamental note, so you get the unexpected sound of a "di" (i.e., do sharp, in this case an F double sharp) over the "la" (D#)... if that makes any sense. At least I think that's it (?). I would guess it's the sort of thing that you can't change (even if you wanted to, which I don't think is necessary), but it is slightly disarming, or interesting, depending on how you look at it!
Good to see you back and posting again! [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for listening! &mdash 05/06/07 - 03:28:02 PM
I always enjoy getting comments from you. To be honest, I didn't even notice that particular overtone in the mix until you pointed it out (My student teacher says emerging research says that girls focus on fundamentals and boys focus on overtones when they listen, thus the reason more boys have difficulty 'matching pitch' than girls [also why boys think the music teacher is persecuting them, and the music teacher thinks boys are being stubborn] but I digress.) I'm not sure I could 'take it out' of there, because I'm sure it's caused by a sympathetic situation with one of the lower voices doing a pedal point (which I can't even hear on these speakers, by the way, and which may not even come through on the mp3 version I've posted.) I'm glad though, that you take the time to listen critically - that's one of the reasons I'm so pleased when I see you've left a comment on a song of mine. Thanks! [ Reply to This ]
Boys &mdash 05/06/07 - 03:45:46 PM
If more boys than girls find it harder to match pitches, my theory would be that it has to do with boys being more reluctant to sing in general - my daughter's school choir has something like 20 girls and 5 boys, and we get an average of 40-50 young women auditioning in voice for admission into our School of Music, and maybe only 5-8 young men - and I think the more you sing, the better you get at matching pitch. Also, and this may be more far-fetched, but I think higher pitches may be easier to match than lower ones... not sure about that, but that seemed to be the case when I taught sight-singing (which I haven't done in something like 14 years, so I may be mis-remembering!).
Interesting discussion, though!
By the way, I agree with paul f. page's comment below about maybe stretching the ending out more--it felt slightly abrupt to me too.
Cheers! --- ClarkRoss.ca is now welcoming visitors from distant planets -- Apply within [ Reply to This ]
overtones... &mdash 05/07/07 - 08:38:01 AM
I'm so glad composer Clark can articulate Music Theory--because even though I have a degree in music, I can't carry on an intelligent discussion about Theory--I just know what I hear! (Is there something somewhere that talks about how people who struggle with Mathematics also struggle with Music Theory?)
Anyway....I, too, heard that overtone upon first listen yesterday and thought how cool it was that you employed that device! I can never remember the sequence of overtones, but it's always a very intriguing thing to listen to--especially in the context of Oriental music.
I really like this composition, Kristy--it's a lovely, rich tapestry. Glad to hear you posting again, too! :)
[ Reply to This ]
Misty - glad you stopped by &mdash 05/07/07 - 10:33:45 PM
I actually taught freshman theory for three years in the recent past. About half of my class one year was math majors trying to get a fine arts requirement in, and music theory would do it for them. They could write exercises like crazy, and everything was always correct. One of them said he treated theory like 'math you can hear', and the theory rules like mathematical formulas. Hey, it worked for him. I still have trouble hearing that overtone in this piece, but in a reworked instrumentation, It stuck out so much that I changed it, because it bothered me so much, since it never resolved. Thanks for commenting. I'm always pleased to know musicians I respect have enjoyed one of my songs! [ Reply to This ]
Silky! &mdash 05/06/07 - 01:36:32 PM
Rich expansive feel. Nicely captured cultural feel. Pleasant ambience.
Peace,
Doug [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for stopping by &mdash 05/06/07 - 11:36:21 PM
I debated the title I gave this, because it DID feel 'bigger' and more expansive than 'Silk Brocade', so my husband suggested, "The Japanese Fleet Sails Out of Hitokappu Bay" (That's where the Japanese set off from to bomb Pearl Harbor.) What a kidder. After that suggestion, I decided to just leave the title alone, but thanks for listening, noticing, and commenting. [ Reply to This ]
Dusk... &mdash 05/06/07 - 01:54:43 PM
...on the Old Silk Road...
Nice ambience. Very evocative...I really enjoyed when the melodic part kicked in...so Asian sounding...Love the cymbal work...like gongs in the distance...This is a very nice composition Kristy. Kind of new gae cinematic...contemplative...
Be well! [ Reply to This ]
Arrrggh! &mdash 05/06/07 - 03:07:06 PM
That's supposed to read: "new AGE cinematic..."
---
"We are put upon this earth a little space that we might learn to bear the beams of love." (William Blake) [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for stopping by &mdash 05/07/07 - 04:23:00 PM
I'm glad you enjoyed the Asian sounds and the gong sounds were appropriate. Sometimes I think I use them too much, but they're just so much fun...
This kind of music is beginning to come easier to me as I work on it. Thanks for your positive comments.
[ Reply to This ]
Smoothe as... &mdash 05/06/07 - 01:58:25 PM
...Silk. I am a big fan of the whole tone scale. It's hard to go wrong no matter what you play! You've done a really fine job sustaining the general flavor of this composition from its first note to the end. I imagine a rather grand landscape, perhaps inside a Buddhist temple with lots of gold and jade and candles and incense. Very grand, very peaceful, very prayerful. My advice: just leave this completely alone. You have done such a superior job on it.
Paul
(one minor suggestion: take a v-e-r-y long fade at the end. It seems just a bit abrupt. You can sustain the feeling even further with about 30 seconds of very VERY gradual drift-off. ... Otherwise, what a delight this piece is.) [ Reply to This ]
Oh no... &mdash 05/07/07 - 10:11:09 PM
You've revealed my secret! Any pentatonic scale avoids those clashes of half steps. That's why it's used a lot in music education when we do ostinatos or improvisation - Any pattern sounds decent on the xylophone as long as the player sticks to those five tones. I appreciate your description of the grand landscape. I can see it, too, now. I appreciate your comments, and you may note that others feel that last note should be sustained a bit longer, as well. It's already done, here at home. Maybe not worth a repost, but definitely an improvement. Thanks for listening! [ Reply to This ]
Very pleasing to the ear &mdash 05/06/07 - 04:14:08 PM
I have no idea what a do pentatone is, but this sounds very pretty and mysterious, but calming. It reminds me of the _Come to the Quiet_ album by John Michael Talbot. Very cool ssounds, Kristy. [ Reply to This ]
Roxy - &mdash 05/07/07 - 10:40:57 PM
I'm always so glad when you listen to a piece I've written, and then leave those wonderful, uplifting comments. I used to listen to a lot of John Michael Talbot, but that was when I was listening to LPs, so it was awhile ago. Maybe his music was a subtle influence on this composition. i'm glad you enjoyed it! [ Reply to This ]
Hi Kristy: Nice and misterious..... &mdash 05/06/07 - 10:05:02 PM
like the Far East seems to me....also rather excited on my upcoming trip to China in a couple months, my first real time experience with that Country, besides Chinese food. Very interesting and very different from Western music, as different from Bach as it can be, yet also beautiful. To my amateur ear, your piece sounds fantastic! You have not posted in a while and I hope you are able to do it a bit more often.Thank you for sharing. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for stopping by &mdash 05/08/07 - 04:06:56 PM
A trip to China? How wonderful! Of course, I'm sure the music will sound VERY different from this. The main Asian elements in this music are the 5 tone scale and the 'plucked' sound of the melody instrument. But those two elements by themselves are enough to suggest the orient to many of our amateur ears. I'm glad you enjoyed the music. Maybe when you come back, you'll be able to post some of your own musical expressions of China. [ Reply to This ]
the crouching tiger and the hidden dragon &mdash 05/07/07 - 07:17:10 AM
this is the crouching tiger and the hidden dragon discussing the winds and playing with swords ;) [ Reply to This ]
the crouching tiger and the hidden dragon &mdash 05/08/07 - 04:12:53 PM
Wow, what an intriguing picture to go along with the music!
Thanks for listening and for your comment. [ Reply to This ]
very &mdash 05/07/07 - 10:09:14 AM
nice. i really like this. i have no critiques: sounds are all very synthetic but perfectly chosen, i love the windchimes. what did you use for that? a really beautiful piece. thanks for sharing. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for listening &mdash 05/08/07 - 04:29:22 PM
I'm glad you liked the windchimes. They are part of the orchestra drum kit that came with the orchestral instruments jampack. There are three variations on the chimes, including ascending, descending and general wash of sound. I think that deep inside, I'm really an 'auxilary drum parts' person, because I really enjoy playing around with that stuff. Thank you for your kind comments. [ Reply to This ]
now &mdash 05/08/07 - 05:59:57 PM
Certainly has an Asian feel to it. &mdash 05/07/07 - 06:40:21 PM
What's curious is that what we regard as asian or at least what I do is greatly filtered and homogenized by western composers especially film composers. When you hear "raw" asian or Chinese music it can be a little difficult to get into even unsettling.
This is a graceful composition and a wonderful suggestion of Asian music. The ending is a little abrupt would have liked to to linger on a bit more. Still I liked it quite a bit.
Best,
-Bowman [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for stopping by, Charlie &mdash 05/08/07 - 04:56:03 PM
I agree, what I have here is 'Asian lite', and is definitely a western composition. I used to get very uptight about authenticity of style, instrumentation, form, and purpose of any music outside of my own culture. That's great for the 'musicologist' in me, but for the composer side, I've started to loosen up a bit, and I consider ALL of my music a fusion of genres and styles, rather than an authentic expression of any other musical culture. I'm glad you found it graceful, and as for your suggestion to lengthen the ending, I agree, and although I won't repost it, that change has been made on my master file. I appreciate your thoughtful comments! [ Reply to This ]
very &mdash 05/08/07 - 01:01:00 AM
...relaxing... whimsical in the sense that we westerners imediately identify the descending tone patern with the East.. I enjoyed the escape you created in this song... dreamy yet held my attention to the end.. very nice Kristyjo [ Reply to This ]
Escape - &mdash 05/09/07 - 04:18:34 PM
Glad I provided you with an 'escape route'. I'm really trying to work on getting an ambient style of my own going, so I'm pleased that you found this to your liking. [ Reply to This ]
Good afternoon Kristine &mdash 05/08/07 - 02:23:17 PM
I'm enjoying reading all the different comments from each seperate point of reference... from people I love by the way... I don't know much about theory, but I know my fretboard... and when my learned friends explain something to me I usually realise... "I knew that"...
but I do know that music speaks and transports, and that you gave me a little free trip to the orient this afternoon...
excellent friend [ Reply to This ]
Glad that you decided to come along for the ride! &mdash 05/09/07 - 08:09:38 PM
With the prices for gas these days, it pays to travel in groups ;) It IS interesting to see the differing responses. That's one of the things I love about posting songs to this site - lots of ideas! I've incorporated the 'lengthen the end' into the piece already. I'm always glad when musicians I respect visit and comment. Thanks for stopping by! [ Reply to This ]
PULSE &mdash 05/08/07 - 05:20:50 PM
Pulse- &mdash 05/09/07 - 04:14:06 PM
Panoramic &mdash 05/09/07 - 04:39:36 PM
Kristine, this is a really nice piece (peace).
It conjured visions of travelogues of the east. Also, of majestic asian movie scenes. Maybe these kind of compositions could provide you some extra income. Lot of travel cable shows out there.
Thanks for sharing your work, sounds great. [ Reply to This ]
Thanks for stopping by &mdash 05/10/07 - 04:47:24 PM
I like the idea of this being a little travelogue. I'm glad you enjoyed it. And, if you know of anyone paying for background music for cabel channel shows, please let them know I'd love to compose for them! [ Reply to This ]
8 ) &mdash 02/10/08 - 06:51:08 AM
This I LOVE VERY MUCH...it's beautiful Kristyjo...don't know what else to say....
B E A U T I F U L tx for this lisseningexperience !
Love to You lenaxxx(xzoilol) [ Reply to This ]
Ahhhhhhhhhhh &mdash 03/07/08 - 12:50:45 AM
|
[ Reply to This ]