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Homesteading Space Fanfare by jgurner [Email]

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Attribution-NoDerivs-NonCommercial
SONG STATS:
Hits: 363
Comments: 7
Votes: 4
Plays: 60
Last Played: Dec 03, 2008 - 06:32:13 AM
Downloads: 17
Fans: 12
Uploaded: Sep 15, 2008 - 11:49:20 PM
Last Updated: Sep 15, 2008 - 11:53:36 PM
Fan List
Keywords:
Skylab (1), Space (131), orbit (5), David Hitt (1), Owen K. Garriott (1), fanfare (7), exploration (7), NASA (2), astronaut (5)
Description:
Though I listed this under "Cinematic Soundtrack," it's not really, but there is no option for "Book Soundtrack," which is, I suppose, a category which doesn't exist because books don't normally have soundtracks.

In spite of that little hitch, I nonetheless, took it upon myself to write a musical companion piece for a book a friend of mine has coming out here soon. The book is Homesteading Space: The Skylab Story. My friend David co-wrote the book with astronaut Owen K. Garriott, which has got to be the coolest thing ever - writing a book with an astronaut. I am very proud and more than just a little envious of my friend's accomplishment and I wanted to express that in my own way, and, this is it.

This is a piece that, if it were played in the real world, would ideally be performed by a small wind ensemble. The style is very much like that of many pieces I played throughout high school and college. It's a simple theme presented by the French horn (of course) and repeated and expanded upon throughout. I wanted it to sound majestic and "space explorationy" without it sounding like a ripoff to a Star Trek TV series. I think I managed that.

This is the first piece of music I've posted, worked on or written in over three months. Hopefully, it will help me climb out of the musical, personal and emotional doldrums I've been in for a while and I can get back to making some music.

Thanks for listening.

Hardware:
MacBook, M-Audio Keystation 49e

Software:
Garageband
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Homesteading Space Fanfare &mdash 09/16/08 - 02:23:15 AM
this is nice my friend ..loved how you structured this
winds ensemble ...very cool work on harmonies and solos
ye it sounds someone reading a brief history about a coloniel era ..really great job with the canon like
parts on some places ..go ones ..thnx alot for sharin !!!!

[ Reply to This ]
Very well done Joseph &mdash 09/16/08 - 04:06:08 PM
It's really cool that your friend has done this book, and also that you are paying this tribute to his work in the form of this music.

This is very rich and stirring. It has a regal feel to it that fits the theme.

Thanks for sharing you tribute Joseph.

Ed

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book, the musical &mdash 09/16/08 - 08:46:24 PM
nice chapters. maybe they can insert one of those sound chips when someone opens the cover to the book.

very nicely composed and played. Joseph. a very complete orchestra and very well thought out in my opinion.

[ Reply to This ]
Hi J..... &mdash 09/17/08 - 12:25:27 PM
I think that you've emerged from the doldrums very well indeed.

The arrangement is very well done.

Take care.

Paul

[ Reply to This ]
Welcome back! &mdash 09/17/08 - 10:35:02 PM
An unusual first post since your sabbatical Joe, and a very interesting one too, on a few levels. Firstly, its a good piece of writing and performance, and I'm suitably impressed by your knowledge of the "orchestral" genre. Secondly, I'm doing something very similar myself at the moment - not a book soundtrack, but a "life soundtrack" for my father. Its so difficult to work in this style, mainly (for me) because of my lack of experience with it - so its good to hear how someone with that sort of background might do something similar.
Third - just good to see how MJ helps us all to branch out.

Cheers from Oz,
Neil

[ Reply to This ]
Thanks everyone &mdash 09/20/08 - 10:37:44 AM
I'm glad you all took the time to listen and enjoy the tune. I love doing work like this, even though I don't really do it very much. I grew up playing in concert band in high school and college and this is the first time I've really been satisfied with my attempt to capture the "wind ensemble sound." I've just had a friend raise the possibility of creating some sheet music from this and actually having it performed. That really would be so cool.

Thanks again guys for listening. Hopefully, I do some more work like this. Especially if my friends keep writing books.

[ Reply to This ]
Very Cool &mdash 10/31/08 - 04:43:27 PM
This does have a feel for the pioneering space exploration spirit. I grew up on the "masters of science fiction" - Asimov, Heinlein, Herbert, etc. so I have a fond place in my heart for this. Unfortunately the "vision" that seemed so reachable in 1960 has not come to pass. No Moon or Mars colonies - indeed we haven't even had a manned Mars expedition yet. It almost seems as though we have gone backward since those first thrilling years of space exploration. Blame it on the closed minded, greedy asses that have screwed everything else up also. Just think if we treated scientists with as much reverence as we do football stars and spent half the money we have on Viet Nam, and the Gulf Wars.

[ Reply to This ]
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