San Antonio Rows

[San Antone]

Very nice, and I especially enjoyed the role and character of the electronics.

Are the electronics a real-time response to 'cues' from the piano, or are they set in time?

Thanks, Karl.

The electronics are a set track.  I don't currently have any software that will take an audio input and output electronics although I know of a couple applications for that and am considering getting them setup.   When I being planning a piece I sketch out the general outlines and then will prepare a draft electronic track and begin writing the instrument(s) parts(s).  As I go along there will be changes to the electronic track as the instrument parts develop. 

[San Antone]

After finishing (sic) my last group of pieces I am now in the reflection mode, thinking about the next thing I want to tackle and doing what I think of as exploratory work.  This phase usually entails a lot of listening and imagining the mood, color and texture of a new work.

The next work will involve piano and strings.  I have been listening to piano trios, quartets and quintets by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms and Dvorak  (besides just the enjoyment of the music) to get the ensemble sonority in my head and spark my imagination.  Once I start writing, the listening will end.  The music I do will have no thematic connection to those composers other than a similar instrument combination is used.  This an exciting phase - full of potential and many ideas come into my head.

Once the writing commences, options are tried and crossed out, and other options chosen, with the inevitable reduction in choices until finally the piece forms in my mind as a totality - almost taking shape from a process of elimination.  I almost always experience some sadness at this point, letting go of some ideas (that may turn up in a different piece) and settling in with the ideas I've chosen, which now must be worked and reworked finding their flexibility and limits.

But right now I am still in the exploration phase and plan on enjoying this part and letting my mind go where it wants.

[Karl Henning]

Carry on : )

[San Antone]

This is a video of the last show by our friend Patricia Jordan. 

http://www.youtube.com/v/ex42jEl4mmU

Patricia died a little over a month ago and I created this for the family who mostly lived in Montana and was unable to see the show.  Her work, as explained in the video, is a response to the devastation (but also rebirth) from a fire that occurred in a Montana forest where Patricia grew up and knew well.  She called it Mapping Losses, and the work, encaustics, is very well rendered.

The music is an electronic piece which I think suits the contemplative nature of the art.

[Karl Henning]

TTT

How's it going?

[San Antone]

TTT

How's it going?

Thanks, Karl - I have written several things, but haven't gotten any of them to the stage of what I consider finished, they are close, but I am still turning the music over in my mind.  I am very excited and generally pleased about how it is going and hope to post some new works soon.

[Karl Henning]

Bene!

[jochanaan]

Radiant Landscape

This is somewhat unusual for me, i.e. I usually don't write purely electronic music, choosing instead to combine acoustic instruments with electronic.   

This one, Radiant Landscape, was created using a audio composing application from Sony, ACID Pro 7.0 and was made up of some homemade sounds as well as samples I have accumulated over the years.  I probably have over 30,000 sound clips in my library and this piece used about 35.  These clips can range from tiny one-shots to 30 second developing or environmental sounds and can be looped to go on for as long as you wish...

Lovely.  One doesn't usually think of low frequencies as "radiant," but I can feel the radiance.

[San Antone]

Lovely.  One doesn't usually think of low frequencies as "radiant," but I can feel the radiance.

Thanks, John. 

[Rinaldo]

I really like your use of electronics. Radiant Landscape is brilliant - reminds me of Windy & Carl while sounding nothing like them.

[San Antone]

I really like your use of electronics. Radiant Landscape is brilliant - reminds me of Windy & Carl while sounding nothing like them.

Many thanks for listening and your comments.  I have not heard anything by Windy and Carl, but will look for their music.

[San Antone]

Had an interesting conversation yesterday with of all people an appliance salesman.

Our stove of ten+ years broke and since this is the second time for this same repair (which cost upwards of $200) my wife and I decided to go all in and purchase a replacement range.  After some back and forth at the store here where we buy all our appliances, and exchanging some emails finalizing the deal - the salesman noticed the link to my music blog and asked me about it.  Turns out he plays cornet in a 30 member brass ensemble.  They play everything from Mahler to Christmas music.   They also could break down into smaller groups, like a quintet.

He offered me the opportunity to write something for them, which I may well indeed do.  Of course I advised him to visit my blog and listen to some of the music ... who knows, he may hate it and decide to take back his offer.

[Karl Henning]

But . . . you had a conversation.

[jochanaan]

sanantonio, have you heard them play?

[San Antone]

sanantonio, have you heard them play?

They have a website, but there are no audio or video clips.  They also have a Facebook page, and that may have some music - but since I am not a member of Facebook, I will need to ask my wife to look them up.

[cjvinthechair]

Mr San Antonio - only just discovered this thread, but can safely say I much prefer what I'm hearing here to much of the 21stC stuff you're putting on that thread !
Maybe you are the next big thing ?!

What's the name of your YT Channel ?

[San Antone]

Mr San Antonio - only just discovered this thread, but can safely say I much prefer what I'm hearing here to much of the 21stC stuff you're putting on that thread !
Maybe you are the next big thing ?!

What's the name of your YT Channel ?

MusicaKaleidoskopea (Google keep's trying to get me to change it to something easier to spell, but I like it just the way it is.)

Thanks for your kind words; I'm just a scribbler.

[jochanaan]

They have a website, but there are no audio or video clips.  They also have a Facebook page, and that may have some music - but since I am not a member of Facebook, I will need to ask my wife to look them up.

Then, if you do write something for them, you'll want to know, not just how many players of each instrument there are, but all their strong and weak points, their particular approach to tone and musicality, how well they blend...

[San Antone]

A couple of new compositions -

https://www.youtube.com/v/sVcZDs3fUZQ

https://www.youtube.com/v/U1f1TxaJjDc

[San Antone]

I have been working on this piece for the last couple of months: english horn | brass | piano + electronics.   It is in three movements, moderate/slow/faster and features four euphoniums.  Images of the prairie were going through my head while writing it and so they became the video.

https://www.youtube.com/v/HXTuBePQPhs