For 2 horns, 2 trumpets and 2 trombones.
Once again, we embrace the Gabrieli brass choir concept. This one, although not as exhilarating as #139, works out very nicely. So it also doesn’t have the Gabrieli mood swings. That ain’t no big deal! There are lots of times when I wish that he would dwell on something for more than ten seconds. But he’s not about that. Fortunately, since I’m writing a piece a day, I kind of have to be. And that’s what you get here - much dwelling. I’ve said it in the past and I’m saying it today: please enjoy.
One Day Wonder #144
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
Free at last from the tyranny of the variations! Saints be praised! It would really be a cause for celebration if I didn't have 156-odd pieces left to write. So it's back to the business at hand - writing lots and lots of music very quickly. I came up with this weird idea that I should feature an unfolding chant-like theme and see what happens. What we end up having is a repeating melody (in octaves) with some commentary from the rest of the ensemble. As the piece goes on, the theme itself becomes just a little demented due to the half-step dips from the higher brass. Overall, this piece isn't too shabby. It works out well, but I didn’t have much emotion invested in this, but it does achieve what I’d intended, which was kind of, ahem, limited.
Free at last from the tyranny of the variations! Saints be praised! It would really be a cause for celebration if I didn't have 156-odd pieces left to write. So it's back to the business at hand - writing lots and lots of music very quickly. I came up with this weird idea that I should feature an unfolding chant-like theme and see what happens. What we end up having is a repeating melody (in octaves) with some commentary from the rest of the ensemble. As the piece goes on, the theme itself becomes just a little demented due to the half-step dips from the higher brass. Overall, this piece isn't too shabby. It works out well, but I didn’t have much emotion invested in this, but it does achieve what I’d intended, which was kind of, ahem, limited.
One Day Wonder #143 (Variation #11)
For 3 horns, trombone and tuba.
OK, I really should have ended this whole variation thing yesterday, but I lost count. Oops! So we get this piece. It features the oft-neglected/maligned trombone in the lead in a waltz-like affair. It’s not a bad piece, but it’s not the stirring grand finale to the variations that I had envisioned. Once again, we deal with melodic and interval fragments from the original tune. See, my approach hasn't changed much since the beginning, so it's a fine thing that I'm free of this burden.
OK, I really should have ended this whole variation thing yesterday, but I lost count. Oops! So we get this piece. It features the oft-neglected/maligned trombone in the lead in a waltz-like affair. It’s not a bad piece, but it’s not the stirring grand finale to the variations that I had envisioned. Once again, we deal with melodic and interval fragments from the original tune. See, my approach hasn't changed much since the beginning, so it's a fine thing that I'm free of this burden.
One Day Wonder #142 (Variation #10)
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombone and tuba.
OK, I’m really anxious to get this mini-project over with. The basic shortcomings in the original form are not generating satisfying pieces, for the most part. Sure, #133 and #139 are swell little tunes, but things could have gone better. Believe it or not, I miss creating brand new things out of thin air each day. I like thinking about things in one-day increments. The prime question of almost every single day is what to write. Revisiting the recent past is not what I’m used to and maybe it’s contrary to the spirit of the original plan. Although I had only wanted to do 10 variations on the theme, I managed to lose count, so despite my eagerness to move on, I condemned myself to another day of variation toil. What can I say about this piece? Well, it employs as many whole-tone elements as I could safely fit in. It doesn’t exactly sing or tug at the heartstrings, but it does strike a very stark and solemn mood to it. The patchy accompaniment helps to emphasize its overall austerity.
OK, I’m really anxious to get this mini-project over with. The basic shortcomings in the original form are not generating satisfying pieces, for the most part. Sure, #133 and #139 are swell little tunes, but things could have gone better. Believe it or not, I miss creating brand new things out of thin air each day. I like thinking about things in one-day increments. The prime question of almost every single day is what to write. Revisiting the recent past is not what I’m used to and maybe it’s contrary to the spirit of the original plan. Although I had only wanted to do 10 variations on the theme, I managed to lose count, so despite my eagerness to move on, I condemned myself to another day of variation toil. What can I say about this piece? Well, it employs as many whole-tone elements as I could safely fit in. It doesn’t exactly sing or tug at the heartstrings, but it does strike a very stark and solemn mood to it. The patchy accompaniment helps to emphasize its overall austerity.
One Day Wonder #141 (Variation #9)
For 1 horn, 2 trombones and tuba.
I wanted to work on the neglected bridge of the main theme. Yes, I’ve flirted with it at times, but here it is. I like to think of this as a kind of “Greek chorus” kind of piece. The horn is the main actor and the rest of the ensemble adds to and embellishes its statements. True, it’s not the world’s most charming piece, but it makes an essential statement in the whole variation format. Plus, I have to make up for #139’s weak premise. OK, it wasn’t really weak; it was actually merely just quasi-non-referential. That’s all. Anyhow, this piece involves direct quotes from the B theme of #132 and commentary from the rest of the ensemble. I don’t have too much else to say about this piece.
I wanted to work on the neglected bridge of the main theme. Yes, I’ve flirted with it at times, but here it is. I like to think of this as a kind of “Greek chorus” kind of piece. The horn is the main actor and the rest of the ensemble adds to and embellishes its statements. True, it’s not the world’s most charming piece, but it makes an essential statement in the whole variation format. Plus, I have to make up for #139’s weak premise. OK, it wasn’t really weak; it was actually merely just quasi-non-referential. That’s all. Anyhow, this piece involves direct quotes from the B theme of #132 and commentary from the rest of the ensemble. I don’t have too much else to say about this piece.
One Day Wonder #140 (Variation #8)
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and 1 trombone.
OK, this variant uses a lot more material from the original than #139. Once again, I’m mining the interval variety pack of #132 and putting it in the 6/8 bag. You might be aware that I’ve been trying to get the horn/trumpet/trombone small combo to play nice for quite some time. For a while, that desire fell by the wayside, but here it is again. And this time it works out very well. Gone is the time when I didn’t know how to deal with the instruments’ voices. I had a lot of difficulty blending and contrasting them, so I’d just write for them as best as I could muster. Just take a listen to #11 and you’ll know what I mean. But with this piece, I feel like things are completely different. Instead of going immediately to a fully fleshed-out version of the A theme, I let it evolve from starkness to warmth in its third and final iteration. The adventures between those restatements contrast rhythmically and harmonically. At the end, I bring back the intro and we’re out. The only troubling thing about this piece is that there’s a passage that is reminiscent of the intro of #122. This was kind of alarming, but not alarming enough to change.
OK, this variant uses a lot more material from the original than #139. Once again, I’m mining the interval variety pack of #132 and putting it in the 6/8 bag. You might be aware that I’ve been trying to get the horn/trumpet/trombone small combo to play nice for quite some time. For a while, that desire fell by the wayside, but here it is again. And this time it works out very well. Gone is the time when I didn’t know how to deal with the instruments’ voices. I had a lot of difficulty blending and contrasting them, so I’d just write for them as best as I could muster. Just take a listen to #11 and you’ll know what I mean. But with this piece, I feel like things are completely different. Instead of going immediately to a fully fleshed-out version of the A theme, I let it evolve from starkness to warmth in its third and final iteration. The adventures between those restatements contrast rhythmically and harmonically. At the end, I bring back the intro and we’re out. The only troubling thing about this piece is that there’s a passage that is reminiscent of the intro of #122. This was kind of alarming, but not alarming enough to change.
One Day Wonder #139 (Variation #7)
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
Once more, I’m channeling Gabrieli. And yes, I still haven’t bothered to do any analysis of his pieces. And I’ll say this up front: although this is a real variant of #132, it’s only connected by a few motifs. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. OK, so it doesn’t contain the requisite mood swings of Gabrieli’s material, but it does follow his “shift-and-build” concept that sounds excellent in any cathedral or aircraft hangar. This all got me to thinking that this piece (along with #116 & #117) would sound particularly good if they were performed at the local cathedral. Ah well, it will just have to remain a thought, since there’s no way in hell I’ll get any of these will be performed without some committed players. And getting committed players requires major cash, which I don’t have. But that won’t stop me from writing more. My one major error in getting Mackris v. O’Reilly performed (besides bringing it to the stage in the first place) was having it performed in Seattle. It caused very little buzz, as promoting it was something of a nightmare. If I were to sink serious money into this venture, it would probably receive even less attention. So for the time being, I’m just satisfied with the project itself. Amen.
Once more, I’m channeling Gabrieli. And yes, I still haven’t bothered to do any analysis of his pieces. And I’ll say this up front: although this is a real variant of #132, it’s only connected by a few motifs. The rest is pretty self-explanatory. OK, so it doesn’t contain the requisite mood swings of Gabrieli’s material, but it does follow his “shift-and-build” concept that sounds excellent in any cathedral or aircraft hangar. This all got me to thinking that this piece (along with #116 & #117) would sound particularly good if they were performed at the local cathedral. Ah well, it will just have to remain a thought, since there’s no way in hell I’ll get any of these will be performed without some committed players. And getting committed players requires major cash, which I don’t have. But that won’t stop me from writing more. My one major error in getting Mackris v. O’Reilly performed (besides bringing it to the stage in the first place) was having it performed in Seattle. It caused very little buzz, as promoting it was something of a nightmare. If I were to sink serious money into this venture, it would probably receive even less attention. So for the time being, I’m just satisfied with the project itself. Amen.
One Day Wonder #138 (Variation #6)
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I read a New Yorker article about Aaron Copland and his difficulties during the fifties. According to Alex Ross, meeting Shostakovich in New York wasn’t the best career move for him. In an offhanded way, this got me to thinking about his Fanfare for the Common Man and how I could emulate that piece and make it some kind of individual statement at the same time. This is the result: a big, plodding, weird-sounding tune that doesn’t flog the Americana too severely. The entwhole thing is in 6/8 (in retrospect, it should have been in 6/4 or possibly 6/2, but no matter), but I was able to jockey with the feel with dotted eighth notes which essentially puts the thing in 4. That’s yet another reason why I love 6/8. Anyhow, the piece is rife with polyrhythms (a term that I kind of hate, but it suits), suspensions and dissonances. Those contribute to the overall bigness of the sound. I’m really fond of this piece. How is it a variation? Well, there are some visitations to fragments of the original tune and that’s it. So there.
I read a New Yorker article about Aaron Copland and his difficulties during the fifties. According to Alex Ross, meeting Shostakovich in New York wasn’t the best career move for him. In an offhanded way, this got me to thinking about his Fanfare for the Common Man and how I could emulate that piece and make it some kind of individual statement at the same time. This is the result: a big, plodding, weird-sounding tune that doesn’t flog the Americana too severely. The entwhole thing is in 6/8 (in retrospect, it should have been in 6/4 or possibly 6/2, but no matter), but I was able to jockey with the feel with dotted eighth notes which essentially puts the thing in 4. That’s yet another reason why I love 6/8. Anyhow, the piece is rife with polyrhythms (a term that I kind of hate, but it suits), suspensions and dissonances. Those contribute to the overall bigness of the sound. I’m really fond of this piece. How is it a variation? Well, there are some visitations to fragments of the original tune and that’s it. So there.
One Day Wonder #137 (Variation #5)
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets and tuba.
Once again, we’re back to the regular theme without any fancy retrogrades or inversions. For this, I just wanted to take snippets of the melody and present it as block-harmonization. Of course, that kind of approach can get boring quickly if there’s no contrast, so I have individual instruments step out of the chorus (or are omitted) on occasion and I have a B section that offers a glimpse of the cascade effect before heading back to the original feel. The ending features some half-hearted counterpoint that evolves (or devolves) into a short interlude of minimalism before the abrupt conclusion. Overall, it’s not the most charming piece I’ve ever written, but that wasn’t the goal. I’ve been writing block-harmony tunes for a time now and I’m finally beginning to get a handle on them. So just to state this once again, I couldn’t have written this piece a month ago. You know, as long as my technique is evolving, I'm happy. If I feel that I’m just writing the same piece over and over again, I get surly. Here we are with 137 pieces out of the way and I’m still happy. Who could have predicted? If it keeps up like this, I might take on another 300-piece project at the end of this one. Well, maybe not. This has been one hell of a lot of work so far and I'm not even halfway done, so don't hold me to that rash statement.
Once again, we’re back to the regular theme without any fancy retrogrades or inversions. For this, I just wanted to take snippets of the melody and present it as block-harmonization. Of course, that kind of approach can get boring quickly if there’s no contrast, so I have individual instruments step out of the chorus (or are omitted) on occasion and I have a B section that offers a glimpse of the cascade effect before heading back to the original feel. The ending features some half-hearted counterpoint that evolves (or devolves) into a short interlude of minimalism before the abrupt conclusion. Overall, it’s not the most charming piece I’ve ever written, but that wasn’t the goal. I’ve been writing block-harmony tunes for a time now and I’m finally beginning to get a handle on them. So just to state this once again, I couldn’t have written this piece a month ago. You know, as long as my technique is evolving, I'm happy. If I feel that I’m just writing the same piece over and over again, I get surly. Here we are with 137 pieces out of the way and I’m still happy. Who could have predicted? If it keeps up like this, I might take on another 300-piece project at the end of this one. Well, maybe not. This has been one hell of a lot of work so far and I'm not even halfway done, so don't hold me to that rash statement.
One Day Wonder #136 (Variation #4)
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
There I was, only four days into a project 10-day variation excursion and I was running out of ideas. Since #135 worked out OK with a retrograde approach, I elected to take it to the next step by using the inversion as inspiration. And just to mix things up more, I put the whole thing in 7/4 and gave it two different feels, the first of which is low-grade generic surf, while the second is a weird Eastern European slow-dance thing. Yeah, I know, what’s the connection? Hopefully, it doesn’t sound like two different pieces within the same tune. I mean, I’d like to think that there’s some kind of continuity going on here. I haven’t listened to it enough to judge either way, but it turns out pretty well.
There I was, only four days into a project 10-day variation excursion and I was running out of ideas. Since #135 worked out OK with a retrograde approach, I elected to take it to the next step by using the inversion as inspiration. And just to mix things up more, I put the whole thing in 7/4 and gave it two different feels, the first of which is low-grade generic surf, while the second is a weird Eastern European slow-dance thing. Yeah, I know, what’s the connection? Hopefully, it doesn’t sound like two different pieces within the same tune. I mean, I’d like to think that there’s some kind of continuity going on here. I haven’t listened to it enough to judge either way, but it turns out pretty well.
One Day Wonder #135 (Variation #3)
For 3 trumpets.
Writing something on the second day of my two-day assignment was completely hopeless. And since I’m not inclined to write crap, I didn’t force the issue. I just took the day off and toiled at my reception job. I dashed this piece off the next day. I wanted to focus once again on certain intervals and rhythms (taken from the theme in retrograde, if you really want to know) while keeping all three trumpets in close harmony but varying that with some starker textures from the lead trumpet. I also wanted to contrast the swing with straight time at some juncture. I’m happy with how this turned out, but once again, I fall into the mute conundrum. This piece needs straight mutes and all I have to offer are those lousy Harmons. I’m seriously considering getting an upgrade for Finale. I’m a little gun-shy about that prospect since I upgraded to Finale 2006 two years ago. I expected a lot from it and it turned out to be utter crap; the highly-touted Garritan Personal Orchestra sounded like cheesy video game patches, the interface was revamped to appeal to musically illiterate DJs (with such features as, if I remember correctly, reverb and gain – who the hell ever heard of somebody turning up the gain on a trumpet???) and instruments that I was writing for (this was back in the days of Mackris v. O’Reilly), in particular D trumpet, ceased to exist. After a week of learning to hate this monstrosity, I returned it to them, got my money back, and I’ve been on Finale 2005 ever since, which is not without its bugs. But honestly, since I’m working (at least a little) and whatnot, I can afford an upgrade. I’m still wrestling with the issue. It could be every bit as crappy as the 2006 version, but then again, it actually seems to offer several brass muting options. I just might take a chance on it. But if I do and I actually end up liking it, I’ll have to go back, replace all my mis-mutings with the correct ones in every single piece and edit all the mute-bitching out of my old posts. Since this is a pretty formidable job, it might just be easier to bitch about the lack of muting options and leave it at that. We shall see how that turns out.
Writing something on the second day of my two-day assignment was completely hopeless. And since I’m not inclined to write crap, I didn’t force the issue. I just took the day off and toiled at my reception job. I dashed this piece off the next day. I wanted to focus once again on certain intervals and rhythms (taken from the theme in retrograde, if you really want to know) while keeping all three trumpets in close harmony but varying that with some starker textures from the lead trumpet. I also wanted to contrast the swing with straight time at some juncture. I’m happy with how this turned out, but once again, I fall into the mute conundrum. This piece needs straight mutes and all I have to offer are those lousy Harmons. I’m seriously considering getting an upgrade for Finale. I’m a little gun-shy about that prospect since I upgraded to Finale 2006 two years ago. I expected a lot from it and it turned out to be utter crap; the highly-touted Garritan Personal Orchestra sounded like cheesy video game patches, the interface was revamped to appeal to musically illiterate DJs (with such features as, if I remember correctly, reverb and gain – who the hell ever heard of somebody turning up the gain on a trumpet???) and instruments that I was writing for (this was back in the days of Mackris v. O’Reilly), in particular D trumpet, ceased to exist. After a week of learning to hate this monstrosity, I returned it to them, got my money back, and I’ve been on Finale 2005 ever since, which is not without its bugs. But honestly, since I’m working (at least a little) and whatnot, I can afford an upgrade. I’m still wrestling with the issue. It could be every bit as crappy as the 2006 version, but then again, it actually seems to offer several brass muting options. I just might take a chance on it. But if I do and I actually end up liking it, I’ll have to go back, replace all my mis-mutings with the correct ones in every single piece and edit all the mute-bitching out of my old posts. Since this is a pretty formidable job, it might just be easier to bitch about the lack of muting options and leave it at that. We shall see how that turns out.
One Day Wonder #134 (Variation #2)
For 3 horns, 2 trombones and tuba.
After the previous day’s effort, I had high expectations for this piece. They didn’t materialize, partially due to the fact that I had to work today. After being unemployed for more than ten glorious (but sometimes desolate) months, I took a two-day job at my former (now present) temp agency. I seem to have forgotten how vexing it is trying to write music while answering phones. I remembered quickly. On top of that, after clearing permission to write music up at the front desk (they’re quite easy-going folks – that’s why I’m working for them), the boss came in and told me that wearing headphones to listen to playback was a no-no. So I just wrote most of this piece without listening to it. OK, so that’s the background. How is it a variation? Well, I wanted to exploit that triplet figure in the B section of the theme. That’s all. And yes, it’s short. My goal is always at least two minutes per piece, but it was such a monumental hassle getting it down on paper. Until I figure out a system of how to write music at work, I should resign myself to writing shorter pieces. As long as they express some coherent musical thought or mood (as this does), I’ll be reasonably satisfied.
After the previous day’s effort, I had high expectations for this piece. They didn’t materialize, partially due to the fact that I had to work today. After being unemployed for more than ten glorious (but sometimes desolate) months, I took a two-day job at my former (now present) temp agency. I seem to have forgotten how vexing it is trying to write music while answering phones. I remembered quickly. On top of that, after clearing permission to write music up at the front desk (they’re quite easy-going folks – that’s why I’m working for them), the boss came in and told me that wearing headphones to listen to playback was a no-no. So I just wrote most of this piece without listening to it. OK, so that’s the background. How is it a variation? Well, I wanted to exploit that triplet figure in the B section of the theme. That’s all. And yes, it’s short. My goal is always at least two minutes per piece, but it was such a monumental hassle getting it down on paper. Until I figure out a system of how to write music at work, I should resign myself to writing shorter pieces. As long as they express some coherent musical thought or mood (as this does), I’ll be reasonably satisfied.
One Day Wonder #133 (Variation #1)
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
It immediately became clear that I’d written the theme without a clear idea of how the variations would progress. The whole “piece-a-day” concept precludes a lot of advanced planning, so I don’t really blame myself for my lack of preparation. So how do I show that this is a variation on #132? Oh, I just cherry-picked some intervals and rhythms. That’s it. What came out of it is something I really like. Yeah, OK, the A theme ain’t that great, but the middle part is what makes the piece. That’s why I bring it back at the end. True, the whole thing is pretty taxing on the horns, but I do give them occasional breaks. I’m becoming a little a bit more sensitive to the horns after reading an article by a horn player from the London Symphony. Like any wind instrument, they need to breathe (duh!), but owing to the small size of their mouthpiece, they need a bar or two rest every so often to get the blood circulating back into their lips. OK, I know that it’s a little late in the game for things like this and I should have known about this in the first place. From my Mackris v. O’Reilly experience, I was already aware of some of this (my dirge just about did them in; they play every bar for nearly five minutes), I had just never had it put to me so succinctly. So from now on, horns, I will more conscious of being merciful. Anyhow, I really like this piece from the middle onward, so enjoy!
It immediately became clear that I’d written the theme without a clear idea of how the variations would progress. The whole “piece-a-day” concept precludes a lot of advanced planning, so I don’t really blame myself for my lack of preparation. So how do I show that this is a variation on #132? Oh, I just cherry-picked some intervals and rhythms. That’s it. What came out of it is something I really like. Yeah, OK, the A theme ain’t that great, but the middle part is what makes the piece. That’s why I bring it back at the end. True, the whole thing is pretty taxing on the horns, but I do give them occasional breaks. I’m becoming a little a bit more sensitive to the horns after reading an article by a horn player from the London Symphony. Like any wind instrument, they need to breathe (duh!), but owing to the small size of their mouthpiece, they need a bar or two rest every so often to get the blood circulating back into their lips. OK, I know that it’s a little late in the game for things like this and I should have known about this in the first place. From my Mackris v. O’Reilly experience, I was already aware of some of this (my dirge just about did them in; they play every bar for nearly five minutes), I had just never had it put to me so succinctly. So from now on, horns, I will more conscious of being merciful. Anyhow, I really like this piece from the middle onward, so enjoy!
One Day Wonder #132
For 1 cornet.
OK, so finally I’m choosing to dwell on a theme for the next 10 days. This is it. I figured there would enough variation options in this piece. To a certain extent, I was right. Anyhow, this particular number is about as straightforward as I could get. It’s a simple AABA slow swing tune that has a few harmonic hiccups along the way. Just note that what you’re hearing soundwise is a plain-old trumpet and what I had in mind was a cornet with a bucket mute, but since, as most are aware by now, Finale doesn't have a cornet patch or a bucket mute option. A trumpet-playing friend told me that he’s not even sure that they make bucket mutes for cornets. My experience with hardcore trumpet players is that if they’re playing anything remotely trumpet-like, there’s a way to mute it. I’m counting on that for this piece. If the combination can be achieved, it will sound really weird. I mean, anything with a bucket mute on it sounds super-strange in the first place, but couple that with the thin tone of the cornet and it should sound pretty wacky. But I digress. My whole point is that the variations on this theme will begin today!
OK, so finally I’m choosing to dwell on a theme for the next 10 days. This is it. I figured there would enough variation options in this piece. To a certain extent, I was right. Anyhow, this particular number is about as straightforward as I could get. It’s a simple AABA slow swing tune that has a few harmonic hiccups along the way. Just note that what you’re hearing soundwise is a plain-old trumpet and what I had in mind was a cornet with a bucket mute, but since, as most are aware by now, Finale doesn't have a cornet patch or a bucket mute option. A trumpet-playing friend told me that he’s not even sure that they make bucket mutes for cornets. My experience with hardcore trumpet players is that if they’re playing anything remotely trumpet-like, there’s a way to mute it. I’m counting on that for this piece. If the combination can be achieved, it will sound really weird. I mean, anything with a bucket mute on it sounds super-strange in the first place, but couple that with the thin tone of the cornet and it should sound pretty wacky. But I digress. My whole point is that the variations on this theme will begin today!
One Day Wonder #131
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
After studiously avoiding anything jazz-like during #130, I decided on a reiteration of the jazz-waltz principle. My last attempt was a ways back with #80. That wasn’t a bad effort. I especially like its shout chorus towards the end and the piece’s ending itself. But I was a little disappointed that its harmony was a tad bland and repetitive. For this, I wanted to replace the terseness of #80’s main theme with a longer more lilting tune. The stops at the end of the phrase aren’t my favorite parts of the piece, but it gives me a chance to introduce weirder harmony, because, once again, my effort at building a true-blue jazz progression was something of a failure. Still, the framework suits the piece rather well and supports the change of feel in the middle soli section nicely. This is yet another example of what I couldn’t have done a month or so ago.
After studiously avoiding anything jazz-like during #130, I decided on a reiteration of the jazz-waltz principle. My last attempt was a ways back with #80. That wasn’t a bad effort. I especially like its shout chorus towards the end and the piece’s ending itself. But I was a little disappointed that its harmony was a tad bland and repetitive. For this, I wanted to replace the terseness of #80’s main theme with a longer more lilting tune. The stops at the end of the phrase aren’t my favorite parts of the piece, but it gives me a chance to introduce weirder harmony, because, once again, my effort at building a true-blue jazz progression was something of a failure. Still, the framework suits the piece rather well and supports the change of feel in the middle soli section nicely. This is yet another example of what I couldn’t have done a month or so ago.
One Day Wonder #130
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
When you think of odd hybrid combinations, something like “blues polka” is probably way down on the list. That’s primarily what this piece is. OK, so it doesn’t hold with the blues progression for all the themes, and yes, it does get a tad march-like in the latter stages, but I think the blend works well. For the main theme, I wanted something chatty and repetitious to stretch over the 12-bar framework. Following that, I do a little stop-time with the horns and some other stuff that culminate with the horns taking over and the trumpets doing a shout-chorus thing. If I’ve done my job right, then this number will sound like 0% jazz and 100% polka with some march elements.
When you think of odd hybrid combinations, something like “blues polka” is probably way down on the list. That’s primarily what this piece is. OK, so it doesn’t hold with the blues progression for all the themes, and yes, it does get a tad march-like in the latter stages, but I think the blend works well. For the main theme, I wanted something chatty and repetitious to stretch over the 12-bar framework. Following that, I do a little stop-time with the horns and some other stuff that culminate with the horns taking over and the trumpets doing a shout-chorus thing. If I’ve done my job right, then this number will sound like 0% jazz and 100% polka with some march elements.
One Day Wonder #129
For 2 horns, trombone and tuba.
I wrote this piece later in the afternoon. Hey, I was a day behind and I was feeling guilty! Although it’s slow like #128, it has a much different approach. Once more, we find ourselves in polytonal land. And oh, how I love it! As a composer, it’s an intellectual and aesthetic challenge. As a listener, I just love that sour sound. It’s like nothing else. It is almost impervious to schmaltz, yet it’s a bit too warm for serialists. The really funny thing is that to establish hardcore polytonality, you have to stick to select some extremely diatonic material for each part. The only thing is that each part is in a different key. I chose the circle of fourths approach for this one and framed it as a chorale. Yes, unlike #128, it’s really a chorale. The tuba is in F, the trombone is in Bb, the 2nd horn is in Eb and the 1st horn is in Ab. At some point, there is some divergence into minor, but those designations hold up; everybody's still a fourth apart, they're just in a minor key. I have few firm beliefs, but this is one of them: polytonality, when it is used in the right way can produce odd moments of extreme beauty. You can quote me on that. So does this piece come up with those those moments? Perhaps. Just give it a listen.
I wrote this piece later in the afternoon. Hey, I was a day behind and I was feeling guilty! Although it’s slow like #128, it has a much different approach. Once more, we find ourselves in polytonal land. And oh, how I love it! As a composer, it’s an intellectual and aesthetic challenge. As a listener, I just love that sour sound. It’s like nothing else. It is almost impervious to schmaltz, yet it’s a bit too warm for serialists. The really funny thing is that to establish hardcore polytonality, you have to stick to select some extremely diatonic material for each part. The only thing is that each part is in a different key. I chose the circle of fourths approach for this one and framed it as a chorale. Yes, unlike #128, it’s really a chorale. The tuba is in F, the trombone is in Bb, the 2nd horn is in Eb and the 1st horn is in Ab. At some point, there is some divergence into minor, but those designations hold up; everybody's still a fourth apart, they're just in a minor key. I have few firm beliefs, but this is one of them: polytonality, when it is used in the right way can produce odd moments of extreme beauty. You can quote me on that. So does this piece come up with those those moments? Perhaps. Just give it a listen.
One Day Wonder #128
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I will say this right now: I am not trying to recreate #102. This is slow and chorale-like, but I really wanted to write an elegy. Well, actually, I wanted to get anything down on paper, since I missed the previous day’s obligations because I went to the state fair with my parents and nephews. By the time I got home, I was fairly exhausted, so I did nothing and felt very guilty about it. The next day, I decided that an elegy would be economical time-wise and effective effectiveness-wise. For those not acquainted, an elegy is a few steps down from the abject grief of a dirge. Still, it’s meant to convey some sense of loss. The blueprint for the modern elegy was laid out in Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, which makes it a rather quirky statement that should convey a sense of loss. That’s what I was aiming for here. If you want lamentations, check out #36, #48 or #69. They all handle it much better than this piece. But I believe that I was able to get across the lack of something or someone in this. The biggest challenge is to not have the trumpet player asphyxiate; there are a lot of long phrases. I didn’t write this because I’m completely ignorant of wind players’ needs; I wrote it because it needed some long phrases. That’s all!
I will say this right now: I am not trying to recreate #102. This is slow and chorale-like, but I really wanted to write an elegy. Well, actually, I wanted to get anything down on paper, since I missed the previous day’s obligations because I went to the state fair with my parents and nephews. By the time I got home, I was fairly exhausted, so I did nothing and felt very guilty about it. The next day, I decided that an elegy would be economical time-wise and effective effectiveness-wise. For those not acquainted, an elegy is a few steps down from the abject grief of a dirge. Still, it’s meant to convey some sense of loss. The blueprint for the modern elegy was laid out in Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, which makes it a rather quirky statement that should convey a sense of loss. That’s what I was aiming for here. If you want lamentations, check out #36, #48 or #69. They all handle it much better than this piece. But I believe that I was able to get across the lack of something or someone in this. The biggest challenge is to not have the trumpet player asphyxiate; there are a lot of long phrases. I didn’t write this because I’m completely ignorant of wind players’ needs; I wrote it because it needed some long phrases. That’s all!
One Day Wonder #127
For 4 trumpets.
I like trumpets and I like 9/8 - so why not have a piece for trumpets in 9/8? I wasn’t planning anything special. In fact, I didn’t have a clue as to what I should write. This piece was merely an invention that ended up sounding nice. I’m quite satisfied with it. And maybe trumpet players will dig it just a little bit.
I like trumpets and I like 9/8 - so why not have a piece for trumpets in 9/8? I wasn’t planning anything special. In fact, I didn’t have a clue as to what I should write. This piece was merely an invention that ended up sounding nice. I’m quite satisfied with it. And maybe trumpet players will dig it just a little bit.
One Day Wonder #126
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
Once again, we visit proto-jazz. I have many, many, many hot jazz 78s from the twenties, so I have a lot of models to copy. For this piece, I was striving for something authentic that didn’t sound like #77. Well, I succeeded on the latter, but failed on the former. That’s OK. What I came out with was a nice, viable AABA piece that has that tightly-wound feel that sent bluenoses fleeing in terror 80-some years ago. Keep in mind that Finale executes some very poor trombone glissandi, but I’ve been saying that real humans would sound far better than the cheesy playback for quite some time, haven’t I? This is just one of many examples. Anyhow, this is not my first, nor is it my last foray into the early jazz idiom. Neither was a definitive venture. I’ll keep trying.
Once again, we visit proto-jazz. I have many, many, many hot jazz 78s from the twenties, so I have a lot of models to copy. For this piece, I was striving for something authentic that didn’t sound like #77. Well, I succeeded on the latter, but failed on the former. That’s OK. What I came out with was a nice, viable AABA piece that has that tightly-wound feel that sent bluenoses fleeing in terror 80-some years ago. Keep in mind that Finale executes some very poor trombone glissandi, but I’ve been saying that real humans would sound far better than the cheesy playback for quite some time, haven’t I? This is just one of many examples. Anyhow, this is not my first, nor is it my last foray into the early jazz idiom. Neither was a definitive venture. I’ll keep trying.
One Day Wonder #125
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
The spell of the trombone is broken! It’s been a while since I’ve written a march. This one was a rough haul. I had to rewrite the intro four times and I’m still not happy with it. In some places, the feel is all wrong, but I tried very hard to make things work as best as they could. I was initially very disappointed with how this turned out. I thought the A theme, though expansive, was mostly pointless, the B theme was chattery and pointless and the C theme wasn't a theme at all, but more of a transition, as my brain was exhausted at the time. There had been so much rewriting going on, I couldn't face up to more. That was then. In the intervening time, I've become very fond of it. Once I recovered from the stress of getting something acceptable down on paper, I began to appreciate the not-quite-major, not-quite-minor quality of the A theme. Once I really began to listen to the tune, the terse, quarter-note plodding of the accompaniment became less of a problem. And the B theme isn't really all that bad. Yeah, it's does have a lot of notes going every which-way, but it serves as a nice contrast. The C theme is, let's face it, a transition, but it takes long enough to get through so that it seems like a genuine section. My favorite part is the second iteration of the A theme, when the trumpet jumps in with a countermelody. It's cool how the focus of the piece changes to the trumpet, even though it isn't playing very strong material. The same thing happens in #74 on the A theme's second iteration. Here you have three horns chugging away, but all you hear is the trumpet floating over them. It's a neat trick. No, I didn't invent it. It's been around for a long time, but it's nice to stumble onto it. OK, so it's a good piece. I still dislike the intro, but the rest of it goes down just fine.
The spell of the trombone is broken! It’s been a while since I’ve written a march. This one was a rough haul. I had to rewrite the intro four times and I’m still not happy with it. In some places, the feel is all wrong, but I tried very hard to make things work as best as they could. I was initially very disappointed with how this turned out. I thought the A theme, though expansive, was mostly pointless, the B theme was chattery and pointless and the C theme wasn't a theme at all, but more of a transition, as my brain was exhausted at the time. There had been so much rewriting going on, I couldn't face up to more. That was then. In the intervening time, I've become very fond of it. Once I recovered from the stress of getting something acceptable down on paper, I began to appreciate the not-quite-major, not-quite-minor quality of the A theme. Once I really began to listen to the tune, the terse, quarter-note plodding of the accompaniment became less of a problem. And the B theme isn't really all that bad. Yeah, it's does have a lot of notes going every which-way, but it serves as a nice contrast. The C theme is, let's face it, a transition, but it takes long enough to get through so that it seems like a genuine section. My favorite part is the second iteration of the A theme, when the trumpet jumps in with a countermelody. It's cool how the focus of the piece changes to the trumpet, even though it isn't playing very strong material. The same thing happens in #74 on the A theme's second iteration. Here you have three horns chugging away, but all you hear is the trumpet floating over them. It's a neat trick. No, I didn't invent it. It's been around for a long time, but it's nice to stumble onto it. OK, so it's a good piece. I still dislike the intro, but the rest of it goes down just fine.
One Day Wonder #124
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba
Yes, OK, I am a little hung up on #102. And I am continuing my exploitation of the trombone. This is what turned up. I’m not totally convinced by those triplet figures toward the end, but I really, really like the final chord. That counts for a lot. When I’m playing a jazz gig, I always keep in mind that the tune is only as good as how it ends. This one ends nicely, but, as I said, those triplet figures don’t quite thrill me. Still, it’s got the whole slow-and-mysterioso thing down. And I like it quite a bit. It’s just those triplets that are bothering me…
Yes, OK, I am a little hung up on #102. And I am continuing my exploitation of the trombone. This is what turned up. I’m not totally convinced by those triplet figures toward the end, but I really, really like the final chord. That counts for a lot. When I’m playing a jazz gig, I always keep in mind that the tune is only as good as how it ends. This one ends nicely, but, as I said, those triplet figures don’t quite thrill me. Still, it’s got the whole slow-and-mysterioso thing down. And I like it quite a bit. It’s just those triplets that are bothering me…
One Day Wonder #123
For 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 1 trombone and tuba.
The success of #122 left a fairly deep impression on me, so I wanted to give the trombone the lead again. The big question is how to do it without repeating past successes. The answer is ska. Well, actually, reggae/ska, which is what this ends up being. After all, we’ve got the Harmon-muted trumpets working as our timekeepers; I apologize to them in advance for thei boring parts, but hey, I’ve given them plenty of tough stuff in the past! Anyhow, my main inspiration is early eighties British ska bands, in particular the Specials, who featured the trombone as a solo instrument. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ripping them off; if I was, I wouldn’t mention them at all. I just want to emulate that kind of stark sound that they made. To contrast that, I wrote a rather swing-like B section. After the return of the A section, we're done. If this isn’t one of my favorites, then it should be
The success of #122 left a fairly deep impression on me, so I wanted to give the trombone the lead again. The big question is how to do it without repeating past successes. The answer is ska. Well, actually, reggae/ska, which is what this ends up being. After all, we’ve got the Harmon-muted trumpets working as our timekeepers; I apologize to them in advance for thei boring parts, but hey, I’ve given them plenty of tough stuff in the past! Anyhow, my main inspiration is early eighties British ska bands, in particular the Specials, who featured the trombone as a solo instrument. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not ripping them off; if I was, I wouldn’t mention them at all. I just want to emulate that kind of stark sound that they made. To contrast that, I wrote a rather swing-like B section. After the return of the A section, we're done. If this isn’t one of my favorites, then it should be
One Day Wonder #122
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone and tuba.
Once again, I remind myself that when uncertain, write in an odd meter. If that doesn’t work out, write a chorale. Luckily, it didn’t get to that. You know, to my enduring shame, I still neglect the trombone. For one thing, it can’t play very fast. All of its brass brothers have valves; it has that cumbersome slide. OK, sure, there are valve trombones, but for me, the true trombone has a slide. Allowances have to be made for it. In the absence of blistering tempos, the trombone can be a wonderful lead instrument. And I often forget that. On this day, I didn’t. This is a really nice piece that does three things: it features an odd meter (10/8 throughout), has the trombone as the primary lead voice and highlights sevenths (both major and minor) throughout – being a jazz musician, those are the money intervals, why not bring them out? Well, here they are.
Once again, I remind myself that when uncertain, write in an odd meter. If that doesn’t work out, write a chorale. Luckily, it didn’t get to that. You know, to my enduring shame, I still neglect the trombone. For one thing, it can’t play very fast. All of its brass brothers have valves; it has that cumbersome slide. OK, sure, there are valve trombones, but for me, the true trombone has a slide. Allowances have to be made for it. In the absence of blistering tempos, the trombone can be a wonderful lead instrument. And I often forget that. On this day, I didn’t. This is a really nice piece that does three things: it features an odd meter (10/8 throughout), has the trombone as the primary lead voice and highlights sevenths (both major and minor) throughout – being a jazz musician, those are the money intervals, why not bring them out? Well, here they are.
One Day Wonder #121
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and 1 trombone.
I wanted to go small for this piece. By “going small” I mean no tuba. That’s all. For this little gathering, I wanted something in the neo-classical vein. This tune achieves it very nicely. No use in explaining what I really intended, since I started it off with no ideas at all. It all came together in the several hours that it took to write. Listen and enjoy.
I wanted to go small for this piece. By “going small” I mean no tuba. That’s all. For this little gathering, I wanted something in the neo-classical vein. This tune achieves it very nicely. No use in explaining what I really intended, since I started it off with no ideas at all. It all came together in the several hours that it took to write. Listen and enjoy.
One Day Wonder #120
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
I was out walking (smoking) in the morning, wondering just what the hell I was going to write for the day and this tune just hit me. There it was, right in my little head. I came back, got it on paper and decided on a strategy: the theme would repeat three times, each time it would move farther away from its extremely diatonic origins; in between there would be a few sections from particular instruments. And hey, that’s how it turned out! Finally, something that went according to plan. This piece ends up with some weird harmony surrounding what is, by design, an extremely ordinary tonal melody. If the 20th century was good for anything, it was for this kind of kooky harmony. Thank you, 20th century!
I was out walking (smoking) in the morning, wondering just what the hell I was going to write for the day and this tune just hit me. There it was, right in my little head. I came back, got it on paper and decided on a strategy: the theme would repeat three times, each time it would move farther away from its extremely diatonic origins; in between there would be a few sections from particular instruments. And hey, that’s how it turned out! Finally, something that went according to plan. This piece ends up with some weird harmony surrounding what is, by design, an extremely ordinary tonal melody. If the 20th century was good for anything, it was for this kind of kooky harmony. Thank you, 20th century!
One Day Wonder #119
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
My experience with #102 was so profound that I wanted to duplicate it. At this point it’s similar to my obsession with #12. Well, that was the way it started out. Instead, it ended up as a souped-up chorale. It didn’t include the moody, neo-romantic murkiness of #102, but it does have those nice processional ninths between the trumpet and tuba right in the middle, so I guess that counts for something. It just goes to show that I really can’t imitate myself at all – not even within very narrow confines. I suppose that’s a good thing. I mean, writing the same piece over and over again ain't my scene, but it is for some people. Others, say, for instance Shostakovich, don't write the same piece again and again, but they do have a distinctive and recognizable style. If I had the choice, I'd take "recognizable style" over "self-plagiarism" any day. That's what I'll shoot for.
My experience with #102 was so profound that I wanted to duplicate it. At this point it’s similar to my obsession with #12. Well, that was the way it started out. Instead, it ended up as a souped-up chorale. It didn’t include the moody, neo-romantic murkiness of #102, but it does have those nice processional ninths between the trumpet and tuba right in the middle, so I guess that counts for something. It just goes to show that I really can’t imitate myself at all – not even within very narrow confines. I suppose that’s a good thing. I mean, writing the same piece over and over again ain't my scene, but it is for some people. Others, say, for instance Shostakovich, don't write the same piece again and again, but they do have a distinctive and recognizable style. If I had the choice, I'd take "recognizable style" over "self-plagiarism" any day. That's what I'll shoot for.
One Day Wonder #118
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
Honestly, I don’t know how things like this happen. All I wanted to do today was to see a movie with my girlfriend and write a little something. Well, this is what materialized. Seriously, I’m thrilled with the results. I really love this little piece, especially since it started out as absolutely nothing – no plan, no idea, no foggiest of notions. It was such a nothing that I didn’t even have the correct time signature. Then I started writing, penning a trite A theme and I stopped. We went to the movie and found out that we’d gone at the wrong time, then we came home and I started writing again. I still didn’t have a plan. And frankly, this is why I write music – even if you don’t have a clue, you can redeem yourself if circumstances present themselves. And they did. I am incredibly happy with this piece. Here’s the thing: This entire project is an exercise in evolution. I could not have written a piece of this caliber at the onset of this insane venture. It wouldn’t have happened. Even fifty pieces ago, I couldn’t have managed it. This piece’s time is now. It’s not perfect (like everything else I’ve done, except for #12, #46, #61, #74 and #87), but the process was quite unconscious. It just happened. I was just an incidental participant. And that’s what I’m all about – I’m intuitive, not analytical and this tune is all intuition. Sure, it's just a two-minute little thingamajob that doesn't make the least bit of difference to anyone, but I like it.
Honestly, I don’t know how things like this happen. All I wanted to do today was to see a movie with my girlfriend and write a little something. Well, this is what materialized. Seriously, I’m thrilled with the results. I really love this little piece, especially since it started out as absolutely nothing – no plan, no idea, no foggiest of notions. It was such a nothing that I didn’t even have the correct time signature. Then I started writing, penning a trite A theme and I stopped. We went to the movie and found out that we’d gone at the wrong time, then we came home and I started writing again. I still didn’t have a plan. And frankly, this is why I write music – even if you don’t have a clue, you can redeem yourself if circumstances present themselves. And they did. I am incredibly happy with this piece. Here’s the thing: This entire project is an exercise in evolution. I could not have written a piece of this caliber at the onset of this insane venture. It wouldn’t have happened. Even fifty pieces ago, I couldn’t have managed it. This piece’s time is now. It’s not perfect (like everything else I’ve done, except for #12, #46, #61, #74 and #87), but the process was quite unconscious. It just happened. I was just an incidental participant. And that’s what I’m all about – I’m intuitive, not analytical and this tune is all intuition. Sure, it's just a two-minute little thingamajob that doesn't make the least bit of difference to anyone, but I like it.
One Day Wonder #117
For 3 horns, 3 trumpets and 3 trombones.
Here’s the next emulation of Gabrieli. I was a little alarmed at how ordinarily diatonic the previous effort stayed, so I pushed the harmony a little. Instead of yesterday’s two choirs, I have three, so the sweep is slightly magnified. Harmoically, it's all over the place, which is a good thing after yesterday's rather square tune. It’s a fine effort, but it will be my last until I can listen to more Gabrieli to steal his magic. It was fun to imagine that I would emulate Gabrieli for a week, but after these two pieces, I'm like, why? I've done it and I'm moving on. The lingering problem is what I'm going to write tomorrow.
Here’s the next emulation of Gabrieli. I was a little alarmed at how ordinarily diatonic the previous effort stayed, so I pushed the harmony a little. Instead of yesterday’s two choirs, I have three, so the sweep is slightly magnified. Harmoically, it's all over the place, which is a good thing after yesterday's rather square tune. It’s a fine effort, but it will be my last until I can listen to more Gabrieli to steal his magic. It was fun to imagine that I would emulate Gabrieli for a week, but after these two pieces, I'm like, why? I've done it and I'm moving on. The lingering problem is what I'm going to write tomorrow.
One Day Wonder #116
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets and 4 trombones.
Good news! My Gabrieli CDs arrived! And to commemorate that great occasion, I wrote this piece. Like everything else I’ve done, it doesn’t strive for authenticity (that would require analysis); it only struggles to capture the spirit. OK, Gabrieli’s music is far more complex than the “call and response” style that it embodies. I just tried to whip up something that evokes the general twin-choir grandeur. For a little contrast, the sections (horns team with horns, trombones with trombones, etc.) get together for the middle part, then they combine with most of the previous thematic material for the finale. I’m really satisfied with how this turned out. Even for a robo-track, it sounds very spirited and festive. Although I originally wrote it in mid-August (yes, I have a tremendous backlog of pieces to post), it seems appropriate that I'm posting it on the day after Christmas, or Boxing Day for you Canadians, British and assorted Commonwealtheans. Anyhow, I'm happy with how it turned out, but I'll only give it a 7 out of 10 for Gabrieli-esqueness. Hey, that's still not bad for a first try! I'll try something else semi-similar tomorrow.
Good news! My Gabrieli CDs arrived! And to commemorate that great occasion, I wrote this piece. Like everything else I’ve done, it doesn’t strive for authenticity (that would require analysis); it only struggles to capture the spirit. OK, Gabrieli’s music is far more complex than the “call and response” style that it embodies. I just tried to whip up something that evokes the general twin-choir grandeur. For a little contrast, the sections (horns team with horns, trombones with trombones, etc.) get together for the middle part, then they combine with most of the previous thematic material for the finale. I’m really satisfied with how this turned out. Even for a robo-track, it sounds very spirited and festive. Although I originally wrote it in mid-August (yes, I have a tremendous backlog of pieces to post), it seems appropriate that I'm posting it on the day after Christmas, or Boxing Day for you Canadians, British and assorted Commonwealtheans. Anyhow, I'm happy with how it turned out, but I'll only give it a 7 out of 10 for Gabrieli-esqueness. Hey, that's still not bad for a first try! I'll try something else semi-similar tomorrow.
One Day Wonder #115
For 1 horn.
OK, so yes, I was pressed for time today, but I wanted to write a companion piece to #88. That number was all about flexible-sounding tempo and such. This one is more about slowing down – and sounding a little mournful. Those two aspects were important. Although it sounds rather free-form, it isn’t. There is structure and repetition. Actually, there’s more repetition than might be apparent. This piece is best appreciated when you listen to it very late at night.
OK, so yes, I was pressed for time today, but I wanted to write a companion piece to #88. That number was all about flexible-sounding tempo and such. This one is more about slowing down – and sounding a little mournful. Those two aspects were important. Although it sounds rather free-form, it isn’t. There is structure and repetition. Actually, there’s more repetition than might be apparent. This piece is best appreciated when you listen to it very late at night.
One Day Wonder #114
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
Just think, only two days ago I wrote one of my worst pieces. This is a great improvement over that. This project has taught me that if I’m out of ideas, I should write in an odd meter with a smaller ensemble. I’ve had success in the past with this approach. This is the product of that blind labor. OK, so it follows the familiar AABA scheme (with an intro out front), but it works out nicely and sounds good. I would like to explain how it works and what kind of thinking prodded me toward certain decisions, but my experience has always indicated that no one is interested in process. It's the final product that matters. The bare facts are that I began writing it, then I finished - and here's the proof. I’m very happy with how it turned out.
Just think, only two days ago I wrote one of my worst pieces. This is a great improvement over that. This project has taught me that if I’m out of ideas, I should write in an odd meter with a smaller ensemble. I’ve had success in the past with this approach. This is the product of that blind labor. OK, so it follows the familiar AABA scheme (with an intro out front), but it works out nicely and sounds good. I would like to explain how it works and what kind of thinking prodded me toward certain decisions, but my experience has always indicated that no one is interested in process. It's the final product that matters. The bare facts are that I began writing it, then I finished - and here's the proof. I’m very happy with how it turned out.
One Day Wonder #113
For 2 horns and 1 trumpet.
This piece exploits not only polytonality but contrary motion. OK, so I give up on the polytonality early on, but this whole tune is the swan song of my polytonal kick – until I can forge some new theories or a different approach. And that’s that for now.
This piece exploits not only polytonality but contrary motion. OK, so I give up on the polytonality early on, but this whole tune is the swan song of my polytonal kick – until I can forge some new theories or a different approach. And that’s that for now.
One Day Wonder #112
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
The experiment winds itself down to its logical conclusion with this. It’s not the worst thing that I’ve written, but it's among the worst. I suppose that I could have deleted it all and started it all over again, but these pieces deserve a chance to live and breathe. So I continued on. Yeah, I’m not proud of this. In fact, this piece is something of a low point in the series of polytonal outings. I wish there could have done to avoid this awfulness. However, it’s my experience that triumphs follow blunders. I hope that’ll be the case here.
The experiment winds itself down to its logical conclusion with this. It’s not the worst thing that I’ve written, but it's among the worst. I suppose that I could have deleted it all and started it all over again, but these pieces deserve a chance to live and breathe. So I continued on. Yeah, I’m not proud of this. In fact, this piece is something of a low point in the series of polytonal outings. I wish there could have done to avoid this awfulness. However, it’s my experience that triumphs follow blunders. I hope that’ll be the case here.
One Day Wonder #111
For 2 horns, 3 trumpets and 2 trombones.
OK, this wasn’t a very successful jaunt into polytonality. I could tell you why, but that would only bore you. Just suffice to say that it's plodding, trite and repetitive. It really doesn’t work too well and I apologize. Still, it could work kinda-sorta well as some kind of weird fanfare. And that's all there is to say.
OK, this wasn’t a very successful jaunt into polytonality. I could tell you why, but that would only bore you. Just suffice to say that it's plodding, trite and repetitive. It really doesn’t work too well and I apologize. Still, it could work kinda-sorta well as some kind of weird fanfare. And that's all there is to say.
One Day Wonder #110
For 2 horns, 1 trombone and tuba.
So we’re back to polytonality. Here we have a chorale. This style works best if you favor the dominant voice. In this case, it’s the horns. The tonalities switch with every fermata. Every now and then, it gets a little muddy, but it doesn’t interfere with the peculiar beauty that happens in polytonality. There are odd moments of consonance among all the confusion and struggle to make things sound right. Like I said, I’m quite sold on polytonality, although it pretty much ran its course a little less than a century ago. Serialism (atonality) won out because it was slightly more versatile and could be systematized. The odd thing about polytonality is that it can’t be. It’s all based on the ear and judgment – not on some dictatorial equation or sum total of pitches. And, to my ear, polytonality sounds better, because it can simultaneously imitate tonality and create its own reality. Anyhow, this piece is not without its charms, even though it’s just a chorale.
So we’re back to polytonality. Here we have a chorale. This style works best if you favor the dominant voice. In this case, it’s the horns. The tonalities switch with every fermata. Every now and then, it gets a little muddy, but it doesn’t interfere with the peculiar beauty that happens in polytonality. There are odd moments of consonance among all the confusion and struggle to make things sound right. Like I said, I’m quite sold on polytonality, although it pretty much ran its course a little less than a century ago. Serialism (atonality) won out because it was slightly more versatile and could be systematized. The odd thing about polytonality is that it can’t be. It’s all based on the ear and judgment – not on some dictatorial equation or sum total of pitches. And, to my ear, polytonality sounds better, because it can simultaneously imitate tonality and create its own reality. Anyhow, this piece is not without its charms, even though it’s just a chorale.
One Day Wonder #109
For 1 horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
I wanted to give the polytonal crusade a rest for a bit and give a little attention to meter. This piece is in 9/8, but instead of the conventional 3/3/3 phrasing, I use the Southeastern European pattern of 3/2/2/2 to make things sound a little different. Form-wise, it’s pretty ordinary, but it does have nice energy and it all comes together very well.
I wanted to give the polytonal crusade a rest for a bit and give a little attention to meter. This piece is in 9/8, but instead of the conventional 3/3/3 phrasing, I use the Southeastern European pattern of 3/2/2/2 to make things sound a little different. Form-wise, it’s pretty ordinary, but it does have nice energy and it all comes together very well.
One Day Wonder #108
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and tuba.
I wanted to try a polytonal arrangement for a smaller ensemble and this is the result. Just FYI: the tuba is in C, the horn is in E and the trumpet is in G. So it seems that it’s easier to arrange a polytonal piece spaced in thirds. Everything fits together better and harmonic clashes are less likely. Well, those are my findings so far…
I wanted to try a polytonal arrangement for a smaller ensemble and this is the result. Just FYI: the tuba is in C, the horn is in E and the trumpet is in G. So it seems that it’s easier to arrange a polytonal piece spaced in thirds. Everything fits together better and harmonic clashes are less likely. Well, those are my findings so far…
One Day Wonder #107
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is another crack at polytonality. This time, we’re in an odd meter (5/8) trying to express a complete thought. I think it all works out. There’s a certain sound and energy to this piece that make me believe that polytonality can sound halfway normal. I mean, there has been enough of it in film soundtracks already, so your average listener's ear is already accustomed. It's just usually employed when things are going awry (or just about to go awry) on the screen. But there is a lot of depth to polytonality. I just don’t want this tune to sound demented or unskilled. You be the judge.
This is another crack at polytonality. This time, we’re in an odd meter (5/8) trying to express a complete thought. I think it all works out. There’s a certain sound and energy to this piece that make me believe that polytonality can sound halfway normal. I mean, there has been enough of it in film soundtracks already, so your average listener's ear is already accustomed. It's just usually employed when things are going awry (or just about to go awry) on the screen. But there is a lot of depth to polytonality. I just don’t want this tune to sound demented or unskilled. You be the judge.
One Day Wonder #106
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
OK, here’s where the interesting stuff starts. This is where my disillusionment with tonality really begins to manifest itself. Actually, any worthy composer from de Machaut to present should be born with a healthy contempt for tonality and should seek the tools for its overthrow. The question is always the means. Some try to subvert the dominant paradigm with atonality. That really isn’t my thing, though I do dabble. I prefer polytonality. That requires some real skill and planning – two things that are often in short supply for me.
Here’s what you get with this piece: your form is A1BA2; your time signature is 3/4. OK, so we start with these basic elements. Here’s the departure: the accompaniment (two trombones and tuba) are in C, the horn is in F, and the melody in the trumpet is in A. On top of that, the trumpet doesn’t buy in to the meter. It plays more or less in 4/4 until the end of A1. Listen for it. In the B section, the horn takes the melody. It’s in C, the accompaniment is in A and the trumpet counter-melody is in Eb. How about that? The A2 takes us back to the original assigned tonalities. The goal of this one is to make polytonality sound somewhat normal. If used in the wrong way, it can sound quite sour. In this case, while not sounding altogether normal, there is something rather haunting about it. I attribute that to the size of the ensemble, the austerity of the arrangement and contrast of the tonalities. As you can tell, I’m really into polytonality, because, although it far less dogmatic than serialism, it holds far greater possibility for striking beauty.
OK, here’s where the interesting stuff starts. This is where my disillusionment with tonality really begins to manifest itself. Actually, any worthy composer from de Machaut to present should be born with a healthy contempt for tonality and should seek the tools for its overthrow. The question is always the means. Some try to subvert the dominant paradigm with atonality. That really isn’t my thing, though I do dabble. I prefer polytonality. That requires some real skill and planning – two things that are often in short supply for me.
Here’s what you get with this piece: your form is A1BA2; your time signature is 3/4. OK, so we start with these basic elements. Here’s the departure: the accompaniment (two trombones and tuba) are in C, the horn is in F, and the melody in the trumpet is in A. On top of that, the trumpet doesn’t buy in to the meter. It plays more or less in 4/4 until the end of A1. Listen for it. In the B section, the horn takes the melody. It’s in C, the accompaniment is in A and the trumpet counter-melody is in Eb. How about that? The A2 takes us back to the original assigned tonalities. The goal of this one is to make polytonality sound somewhat normal. If used in the wrong way, it can sound quite sour. In this case, while not sounding altogether normal, there is something rather haunting about it. I attribute that to the size of the ensemble, the austerity of the arrangement and contrast of the tonalities. As you can tell, I’m really into polytonality, because, although it far less dogmatic than serialism, it holds far greater possibility for striking beauty.
One Day Wonder #105
For 3 horns, 3 trumpets and tuba.
My major preoccupation with this little number was parallel lines and chord extensions. Once again, riveting stuff... OK, it does sound a little muddy as a complete ensemble, but that’s what you get when you extend things way too far up the scale. Basically, I stack everything in thirds (most of the time) and spin out some crisp lines. This is why they invented counterpoint – too much parallel motion was making folks yawn. Well, hopefully this won’t make anybody do that. I mean, it’s pretty short and it varies enough so that it’s not all parallel motion. And that, folks, is my spirited defense of this piece. Have a listen!
My major preoccupation with this little number was parallel lines and chord extensions. Once again, riveting stuff... OK, it does sound a little muddy as a complete ensemble, but that’s what you get when you extend things way too far up the scale. Basically, I stack everything in thirds (most of the time) and spin out some crisp lines. This is why they invented counterpoint – too much parallel motion was making folks yawn. Well, hopefully this won’t make anybody do that. I mean, it’s pretty short and it varies enough so that it’s not all parallel motion. And that, folks, is my spirited defense of this piece. Have a listen!
One Day Wonder #104
For 3 trumpets and 3 trombones.
Like most people, I like a nice jazz soli. And by “soli,” I mean a section solo. This piece is meant to imply a rhythm section in the background while the trumpets and trombones play more or less in unison. Sometimes they don’t, which is when it gets kind of interesting. I actually wrote this with changes already sketched out (I won’t bore you with their particulars) in everybody’s favorite AABA form. In order to make things all the more jazzy, I put in a little shout chorus. And there you have it.
Like most people, I like a nice jazz soli. And by “soli,” I mean a section solo. This piece is meant to imply a rhythm section in the background while the trumpets and trombones play more or less in unison. Sometimes they don’t, which is when it gets kind of interesting. I actually wrote this with changes already sketched out (I won’t bore you with their particulars) in everybody’s favorite AABA form. In order to make things all the more jazzy, I put in a little shout chorus. And there you have it.
One Day Wonder #103
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I got to thinking about 9/8. Yeah, I know, fascinating stuff. But the thing is that there are several ways of approaching it. The first is as a waltz. The second is as a shuffling waltz. The third is as a breakdown of three quarter notes and three eighth notes (or some combination thereof). I take the third track with this piece. That’s why there’s a little hitch to the feel. Although this tune is nice and all, it doesn’t distinguish itself so much. It's harmonically simple. But it does mark the beginning of a brave new era. This is a departure from the first hundred, not only in feel but in spirit – not in form, though. I stick to my guns as far as form is concerned. Looking back, it becomes obvious that this piece could not be written at the beginning of this project or even 50 pieces ago. This makes me think that some progress has been made.
I got to thinking about 9/8. Yeah, I know, fascinating stuff. But the thing is that there are several ways of approaching it. The first is as a waltz. The second is as a shuffling waltz. The third is as a breakdown of three quarter notes and three eighth notes (or some combination thereof). I take the third track with this piece. That’s why there’s a little hitch to the feel. Although this tune is nice and all, it doesn’t distinguish itself so much. It's harmonically simple. But it does mark the beginning of a brave new era. This is a departure from the first hundred, not only in feel but in spirit – not in form, though. I stick to my guns as far as form is concerned. Looking back, it becomes obvious that this piece could not be written at the beginning of this project or even 50 pieces ago. This makes me think that some progress has been made.
One Day Wonder #102
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I began this piece with an idea to keep the registers down as low as possible. But any plan is worth modifying and this one really benefited from it. So what I got from general ear adjustments was like some sort of weird, swampy Liebestod for small ensemble. OK, so I’ve written many pieces up till this time, but I have to say that of all I’ve done so far, this one is at the top of the list to be expanded. In fact, I envision the expanded version of this tune to be slower, lower and weirder. Maybe I’ll make this revised version #202. Or maybe not. I just have to get to that point in order to consider it. Wish me luck.
I began this piece with an idea to keep the registers down as low as possible. But any plan is worth modifying and this one really benefited from it. So what I got from general ear adjustments was like some sort of weird, swampy Liebestod for small ensemble. OK, so I’ve written many pieces up till this time, but I have to say that of all I’ve done so far, this one is at the top of the list to be expanded. In fact, I envision the expanded version of this tune to be slower, lower and weirder. Maybe I’ll make this revised version #202. Or maybe not. I just have to get to that point in order to consider it. Wish me luck.
One Day Wonder #101
For 3 horns, 1 trumpet, 3 trombones and tuba.
OK, this is as much of a cheat as #63 & #64. Here’s the story: a favorite jazz pianist of mine formed a hard-rockin’ duo with a drummer whom I hold in quite high esteem – keep in mind that we’re in the jazz-rock-miscellaneous genre here. Whenever they play, it’s really loud. So they’re this duo, but they have a problem: they don’t have enough tunes. I see them live, am amply impressed, promise them much material and get to work – with their blessing, I might add. It's not like I said, "Take my tunes or die." Anyhow, I write them something like five tunes in two weeks (which was a lot at the time) and present them with said tunes as quickly as I can get them on paper. Since my damn computer is broken (damn spyware!), I resort to writing them out on manuscript paper like a common peasant. I give them these tunes with a certain amount of flourish. They choose to do none of them. That’s OK. Hey, it’s a free country. My conception for them was different than their conception of themselves. It doesn’t matter. This is the second tune I wrote for them. It’s a swing-funk number that I pared down from the original. I wanted to give them an semi[funk alternative to all that loud stuff. And it really is OK. They're still better than the Bad Plus. Maybe other tunes that I wrote for them will follow. I can’t guarantee anything, but it’s possible – especially if I’m desperate for material.
All right, so about the piece... It's in 8/4 with the drums countering in 3. The only problem is - you guessed it - no drums. No problem! I just let the trombones be the drums. Just as every tool can be a hammer, I'm firmly behind the concept that any instrument can be a drum. Sure, it spells a really boring part for the 2nd and 3rd trombones, but they're the heart of the tune. OK, them and the tuba. So the bass line and beat go on under both terse and flowing lines and culminate in a shout chorus that should be about five times louder than it is. There, that's the whole story of this piece.
OK, this is as much of a cheat as #63 & #64. Here’s the story: a favorite jazz pianist of mine formed a hard-rockin’ duo with a drummer whom I hold in quite high esteem – keep in mind that we’re in the jazz-rock-miscellaneous genre here. Whenever they play, it’s really loud. So they’re this duo, but they have a problem: they don’t have enough tunes. I see them live, am amply impressed, promise them much material and get to work – with their blessing, I might add. It's not like I said, "Take my tunes or die." Anyhow, I write them something like five tunes in two weeks (which was a lot at the time) and present them with said tunes as quickly as I can get them on paper. Since my damn computer is broken (damn spyware!), I resort to writing them out on manuscript paper like a common peasant. I give them these tunes with a certain amount of flourish. They choose to do none of them. That’s OK. Hey, it’s a free country. My conception for them was different than their conception of themselves. It doesn’t matter. This is the second tune I wrote for them. It’s a swing-funk number that I pared down from the original. I wanted to give them an semi[funk alternative to all that loud stuff. And it really is OK. They're still better than the Bad Plus. Maybe other tunes that I wrote for them will follow. I can’t guarantee anything, but it’s possible – especially if I’m desperate for material.
All right, so about the piece... It's in 8/4 with the drums countering in 3. The only problem is - you guessed it - no drums. No problem! I just let the trombones be the drums. Just as every tool can be a hammer, I'm firmly behind the concept that any instrument can be a drum. Sure, it spells a really boring part for the 2nd and 3rd trombones, but they're the heart of the tune. OK, them and the tuba. So the bass line and beat go on under both terse and flowing lines and culminate in a shout chorus that should be about five times louder than it is. There, that's the whole story of this piece.
One Day Wonder #100
For 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
Well, here’s #100… Oy, I wish it was better. I wanted to return to the fanfare format and this is what I came up with. It wasn’t the optimistic and powerful statement that I wanted to usher in the next 100 pieces with... It does end well, which I suppose is something, but I was hoping that the momentum from #99 would make this just as good. It’s hard to say where everything goes wrong. I guess it begins in the first measure and continues from there in a meandering and pointless way. Honestly, there’s quite a lot of no good in this piece. It ends strongly, but that isn’t enough to redeem it on any level. As bad as it is, at least I can console myself (as I often do after I write something awful) by remembering that this piece didn’t exist the day before and now it does. Love it for being quickly assembled and shoved at the world. If that doesn’t work (which it doesn't; who the hell wants to claim credit for something so bad?), then I tell myself that I’m just that much closer to writing a good piece. And indeed #101 is quite nice. So I apologize for this one. It’s the stinkiest thing I’ve written in a long time. If you're looking for the worst piece so far, this is probably it. The best? I dunno...#12, #46, #61, #74, #87 or thereabouts. It's tough to make a definitive choice because they're all so different.
Click on the title to listen.
Well, here’s #100… Oy, I wish it was better. I wanted to return to the fanfare format and this is what I came up with. It wasn’t the optimistic and powerful statement that I wanted to usher in the next 100 pieces with... It does end well, which I suppose is something, but I was hoping that the momentum from #99 would make this just as good. It’s hard to say where everything goes wrong. I guess it begins in the first measure and continues from there in a meandering and pointless way. Honestly, there’s quite a lot of no good in this piece. It ends strongly, but that isn’t enough to redeem it on any level. As bad as it is, at least I can console myself (as I often do after I write something awful) by remembering that this piece didn’t exist the day before and now it does. Love it for being quickly assembled and shoved at the world. If that doesn’t work (which it doesn't; who the hell wants to claim credit for something so bad?), then I tell myself that I’m just that much closer to writing a good piece. And indeed #101 is quite nice. So I apologize for this one. It’s the stinkiest thing I’ve written in a long time. If you're looking for the worst piece so far, this is probably it. The best? I dunno...#12, #46, #61, #74, #87 or thereabouts. It's tough to make a definitive choice because they're all so different.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #99
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
With #100 closing in ominously, I decided to pay homage with today's offering. One of the most fun and exhilarating pieces I’ve ever played is Prokofiev’s March Op. 99. There are so many things that are good about it – the wonderful energy, the gleeful dissonances and Prokofiev’s complete mastery over the material. Listen, I’m no Prokofiev and this is no March Op. 99 (incidentally Prokofiev’s piece evolved over the course of two years; this took a day – that fact notwithstanding, he’s still got the better piece; it totally rocks, but I just thought I’d mention that) but I wanted to convey the spirit of the original in some small way. And here it is. Since its completion, I’ve found myself adding dissonances to it wholesale, because that’s really what it needs. So if you think it's full of mistakes, you're wrong. All those dissonances are there for a reason. They add to the manic nature of the piece. At least, I hope that it casts itself as manic. This experience gave me some good ideas for future pieces. Hopefully, they'll materialize over the next few weeks.
Click on the title to listen.
With #100 closing in ominously, I decided to pay homage with today's offering. One of the most fun and exhilarating pieces I’ve ever played is Prokofiev’s March Op. 99. There are so many things that are good about it – the wonderful energy, the gleeful dissonances and Prokofiev’s complete mastery over the material. Listen, I’m no Prokofiev and this is no March Op. 99 (incidentally Prokofiev’s piece evolved over the course of two years; this took a day – that fact notwithstanding, he’s still got the better piece; it totally rocks, but I just thought I’d mention that) but I wanted to convey the spirit of the original in some small way. And here it is. Since its completion, I’ve found myself adding dissonances to it wholesale, because that’s really what it needs. So if you think it's full of mistakes, you're wrong. All those dissonances are there for a reason. They add to the manic nature of the piece. At least, I hope that it casts itself as manic. This experience gave me some good ideas for future pieces. Hopefully, they'll materialize over the next few weeks.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #98
One Day Wonder #98 – For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
This project has compelled me to ask the question: how does meter govern melody? In fact, I ask myself, how meter governs everything else under the sun and how everything else governs meter. These questions are sort of important, especially if you spend your days thinking about music. One of the ways to investigate this was to write a piece that changes meter every bar and see how things turn out. OK, so it seems that meter has a lot to do with how one thinks about melody. For those who aren’t interested in the above questions, this piece will sound a little jerky – and perhaps a little limpy due to the constant introduction of new meters and other stuff into the mix. But I assure you, it does have a structure (harmonically at least) and it does express a complete musical thought in its own strange way.
Click on the title to listen.
This project has compelled me to ask the question: how does meter govern melody? In fact, I ask myself, how meter governs everything else under the sun and how everything else governs meter. These questions are sort of important, especially if you spend your days thinking about music. One of the ways to investigate this was to write a piece that changes meter every bar and see how things turn out. OK, so it seems that meter has a lot to do with how one thinks about melody. For those who aren’t interested in the above questions, this piece will sound a little jerky – and perhaps a little limpy due to the constant introduction of new meters and other stuff into the mix. But I assure you, it does have a structure (harmonically at least) and it does express a complete musical thought in its own strange way.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #97
One Day Wonder #97 – For 2 horns and 3 trumpets.
I wanted to do something funky for today's piece. I was up housesitting for my parents, so as usual, the wilds of the countryside made my brain think up weird things. Here’s what you get: a lot of parallel motion that implies a chord progression and enhances the melody. To spice things up and to cap phrases, I had the third trumpet pull some funny stuff. OK, so you hear “trumpet, trumpet, trumpet, trumpet, muted trumpet, muted trumpet, muted trumpet” and so on. What you’re really supposed to hear is what they call in the business an “ooh-wah.” That’s when you stuff your hand in the bell of the horn and then release it. It’s a common jazz practice, but not so much in funk and almost never in classical. Since Finale (as I’ve mention a lot in the past) doesn’t distinguish types of muting, you get nothing of the effect. For brass, this is important, as there are many, many muting options. Our method tonight is the human hand. Nothing can convey the real thing like the real thing, so use your imagination. Since we've got ourselves a funk number here, there is a fair amount of repetition. To counteract that, I let the third trumpet loose in the piece's latter stages. This turned out actually better than I expected.
Click on the title to listen.
I wanted to do something funky for today's piece. I was up housesitting for my parents, so as usual, the wilds of the countryside made my brain think up weird things. Here’s what you get: a lot of parallel motion that implies a chord progression and enhances the melody. To spice things up and to cap phrases, I had the third trumpet pull some funny stuff. OK, so you hear “trumpet, trumpet, trumpet, trumpet, muted trumpet, muted trumpet, muted trumpet” and so on. What you’re really supposed to hear is what they call in the business an “ooh-wah.” That’s when you stuff your hand in the bell of the horn and then release it. It’s a common jazz practice, but not so much in funk and almost never in classical. Since Finale (as I’ve mention a lot in the past) doesn’t distinguish types of muting, you get nothing of the effect. For brass, this is important, as there are many, many muting options. Our method tonight is the human hand. Nothing can convey the real thing like the real thing, so use your imagination. Since we've got ourselves a funk number here, there is a fair amount of repetition. To counteract that, I let the third trumpet loose in the piece's latter stages. This turned out actually better than I expected.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #96
One Day Wonder #96 – For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I wanted to attempt something in the harmonic minor vein. No, I wasn’t attempting anything Middle Eastern; it’s just a coincidence. The trumpet (once again) isn’t exactly rightly muted – a straight mute would be much better – but it works out OK. The middle section is a little crunchy, probably due to the uneven dynamics, but managing those in the real world is much easier than getting them right in Finale. What I'm trying to say is that you can hear what I'm trying to do; it's just not presented too well. Although this piece passes muster, I'm still not completely crazy about it. But given that there have been a few real dogs in recent days, it's nice to know that I'm on the road to recovery.
Click on the title to listen.
I wanted to attempt something in the harmonic minor vein. No, I wasn’t attempting anything Middle Eastern; it’s just a coincidence. The trumpet (once again) isn’t exactly rightly muted – a straight mute would be much better – but it works out OK. The middle section is a little crunchy, probably due to the uneven dynamics, but managing those in the real world is much easier than getting them right in Finale. What I'm trying to say is that you can hear what I'm trying to do; it's just not presented too well. Although this piece passes muster, I'm still not completely crazy about it. But given that there have been a few real dogs in recent days, it's nice to know that I'm on the road to recovery.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #95
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
By this time, I was having a problem with tonality. Here’s the rub: I’m writing a piece a day, but I’m not completely sold on tonality - never have been, never will be. What I did with conventional changes in #87 is nice and fun, but this piece right here is alarmingly ordinary in the diatonic sense. That means that it stays in the same key for a substantial time. People, we’re living in the 21st century! We can play in damn near any key we want at any time. And jazz has proven that ordinary diatonic (or near-diatonic) tunes can be infused with odd harmonic changes that don't rely on any solid tonal center. Well, this piece doesn't make that claim. We start in F and end in the same way. The weird thing about all this is that I tried to create some kind of hybrid latin piece, but it didn’t work out, so it just became this ensemble thing that tries to present its best for the world. I’m not displeased with it, so maybe everything works out. It has a very sunny sound. Maybe that's what I was going for after all. Please enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
By this time, I was having a problem with tonality. Here’s the rub: I’m writing a piece a day, but I’m not completely sold on tonality - never have been, never will be. What I did with conventional changes in #87 is nice and fun, but this piece right here is alarmingly ordinary in the diatonic sense. That means that it stays in the same key for a substantial time. People, we’re living in the 21st century! We can play in damn near any key we want at any time. And jazz has proven that ordinary diatonic (or near-diatonic) tunes can be infused with odd harmonic changes that don't rely on any solid tonal center. Well, this piece doesn't make that claim. We start in F and end in the same way. The weird thing about all this is that I tried to create some kind of hybrid latin piece, but it didn’t work out, so it just became this ensemble thing that tries to present its best for the world. I’m not displeased with it, so maybe everything works out. It has a very sunny sound. Maybe that's what I was going for after all. Please enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #94
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and tuba.
Well, after two days of unsatisfactory pieces, I realized that I was in a slump. I mean, #93 should have worked, but alas, it stinks from start to finish. The only way to rid myself of the residual shame was to embrace fundamentals and structure, so I decided to write a fugue. Of course, like everything I do (and owing to my distaste for analysis), it’s not genuine, but it does tip its hat to the basics before it heads off in other directions. I set my standards pretty low after the previous day’s disaster, so I’m happy with this. I mean, it’s no #87, #61, #46 or #33. Heck, it’s not even a #60, but it helped me to crawl out of the crater.
Click on the title to listen.
Well, after two days of unsatisfactory pieces, I realized that I was in a slump. I mean, #93 should have worked, but alas, it stinks from start to finish. The only way to rid myself of the residual shame was to embrace fundamentals and structure, so I decided to write a fugue. Of course, like everything I do (and owing to my distaste for analysis), it’s not genuine, but it does tip its hat to the basics before it heads off in other directions. I set my standards pretty low after the previous day’s disaster, so I’m happy with this. I mean, it’s no #87, #61, #46 or #33. Heck, it’s not even a #60, but it helped me to crawl out of the crater.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #93
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 3 trombones and tuba.
OK, I’ll just say it: this is the worst thing I’ve written so far. I tried to duplicate the success of #87 with it tipsy tonality and manic energy, but it just doesn’t work. I can’t get the arbitrary changes to sound plausible. Everything sounds stilted and weird and the various sections could be from completely different pieces, such is the lack of cohesion. And dude, where’s the energy? Yes, I was aware of its failings while I was writing, but there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing seemed to work, so I just added to the pile of slop, hoping for some kind of catalyst to come along and save it from being dreadful. It never came. I apologize for the mess. See, I warned you that there would be bad pieces! This is one of them. And since I can't figure a plausible way out of it, I won't revise it tomorrow. It's good to have a bad piece or two around to haunt you for all time.
Click on the title to listen.
OK, I’ll just say it: this is the worst thing I’ve written so far. I tried to duplicate the success of #87 with it tipsy tonality and manic energy, but it just doesn’t work. I can’t get the arbitrary changes to sound plausible. Everything sounds stilted and weird and the various sections could be from completely different pieces, such is the lack of cohesion. And dude, where’s the energy? Yes, I was aware of its failings while I was writing, but there was nothing I could do about it. Nothing seemed to work, so I just added to the pile of slop, hoping for some kind of catalyst to come along and save it from being dreadful. It never came. I apologize for the mess. See, I warned you that there would be bad pieces! This is one of them. And since I can't figure a plausible way out of it, I won't revise it tomorrow. It's good to have a bad piece or two around to haunt you for all time.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #92
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets and trombone.
Since I had no workable ideas for this piece, I just started writing. This probably would have been a good time to use some analysis as inspiration, but I passed on the chance. I wasn’t very fond of the initial results, but now that I’ve had a chance to step back a bit, I’m really quite amazed at what’s going on here. It’s kind of like a mod-sounding (meaning: not altogether contemporary, but not a complete throwback to an earlier era) scherzo, punctuated by some chorale-like passages. Those two elements merge at the end, and then it’s over. Like I said, I thought this was pretty awful when I first wrote it, but I'm fine with it now. I was so down on it immediately after I finished, I thought of concluding this entire project because of it. I'm kind of glad that I didn't.
Click on the title to listen.
Since I had no workable ideas for this piece, I just started writing. This probably would have been a good time to use some analysis as inspiration, but I passed on the chance. I wasn’t very fond of the initial results, but now that I’ve had a chance to step back a bit, I’m really quite amazed at what’s going on here. It’s kind of like a mod-sounding (meaning: not altogether contemporary, but not a complete throwback to an earlier era) scherzo, punctuated by some chorale-like passages. Those two elements merge at the end, and then it’s over. Like I said, I thought this was pretty awful when I first wrote it, but I'm fine with it now. I was so down on it immediately after I finished, I thought of concluding this entire project because of it. I'm kind of glad that I didn't.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #91
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
Take two! I kept the same form, switched things around and it turned out much better. I gave the horns the A section, lengthened it by giving the trumpets fills, gave the trumpets the B section, left everything pretty much as it was (I really dig the C and D sections, so why not?), then swapped the trumpets and horns for the final A section and cut out the fills. Yes, it’s very similar to #90, but once again, I needed to sleep on it to figure out precisely what went wrong. So maybe it doesn’t sound like genuine mariachi music, but so what? It conveys the feel, sweet people! Everything I do here is filtered through the lens of whatever I think I've heard. Since I'm averse to analysis, I'll just hunt around till something sounds right. It works about 80% of the time. This is one case where it didn't go right at the beginning, but ended righteously.
Speaking of analysis, I realize its importance and all, but it can only help you so much. I'm the first to admit that I don't do it enough, simply because it bores me. Do I sound like Philistine yet? I make myself feel better about my laziness by telling myself that it's a more useful tool if you want to imitate somebody else's music rather than create your own. Yeah, I know, it's ironic, because I'm imitating all kinds of genres with this project. Luckily, most are harmonically simple, so that lets me off the hook. So there's a logic to my indolence!
Click on the title to listen.
Take two! I kept the same form, switched things around and it turned out much better. I gave the horns the A section, lengthened it by giving the trumpets fills, gave the trumpets the B section, left everything pretty much as it was (I really dig the C and D sections, so why not?), then swapped the trumpets and horns for the final A section and cut out the fills. Yes, it’s very similar to #90, but once again, I needed to sleep on it to figure out precisely what went wrong. So maybe it doesn’t sound like genuine mariachi music, but so what? It conveys the feel, sweet people! Everything I do here is filtered through the lens of whatever I think I've heard. Since I'm averse to analysis, I'll just hunt around till something sounds right. It works about 80% of the time. This is one case where it didn't go right at the beginning, but ended righteously.
Speaking of analysis, I realize its importance and all, but it can only help you so much. I'm the first to admit that I don't do it enough, simply because it bores me. Do I sound like Philistine yet? I make myself feel better about my laziness by telling myself that it's a more useful tool if you want to imitate somebody else's music rather than create your own. Yeah, I know, it's ironic, because I'm imitating all kinds of genres with this project. Luckily, most are harmonically simple, so that lets me off the hook. So there's a logic to my indolence!
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #90
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
After finishing #83, I wanted to write a mariachi tune. That piece was an accident, but it got me to thinking about writing one intentionally. The only problem is that this first try isn't all that good. The terse stop-time of the first A section was not the best choice I could have made. In fact up until the C section (the intro is passable, however), it just doesn’t work. The A section sounds rushed and the harmonic lift at the end of it sounds weird. A lot of what goes wrong here has to do with instrumentation. The conept is solid, but it begs for improvement. I’ll tackle it tomorrow. I’m sorry for all the revisions, but perhaps someday, I’ll incorporate some kind of critical thinking into my initial approach.
Click on the title to listen.
After finishing #83, I wanted to write a mariachi tune. That piece was an accident, but it got me to thinking about writing one intentionally. The only problem is that this first try isn't all that good. The terse stop-time of the first A section was not the best choice I could have made. In fact up until the C section (the intro is passable, however), it just doesn’t work. The A section sounds rushed and the harmonic lift at the end of it sounds weird. A lot of what goes wrong here has to do with instrumentation. The conept is solid, but it begs for improvement. I’ll tackle it tomorrow. I’m sorry for all the revisions, but perhaps someday, I’ll incorporate some kind of critical thinking into my initial approach.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #89
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
One of the things I like to do is to make mixed meters sound relatively normal. This piece deals with 5/8 and 6/8. I try to give it enough lilt so that it can float above the changes. I’m happy with how it turns out, even though the formula is pretty much right there. I mean, it’s Intro-AABA and then some other stuff. Anyhow, this is as enjoyable as anything I’ve done, so please, uh, enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
One of the things I like to do is to make mixed meters sound relatively normal. This piece deals with 5/8 and 6/8. I try to give it enough lilt so that it can float above the changes. I’m happy with how it turns out, even though the formula is pretty much right there. I mean, it’s Intro-AABA and then some other stuff. Anyhow, this is as enjoyable as anything I’ve done, so please, uh, enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #88
For 1 horn.
It’s the first piece for solo instrument! There are so many things that I love about the solo horn and about music in general. I tried to merge those and exploit those in this forum. This piece is all in a steady 4/4, but I tried to take it a step outside of that, as the meter tends to dictate the music. (No wonder that contemporary composers don’t like that annoying detail. I mean, it’s pretty true, meter has a lot to do with how one writes music, even if it’s for a solo instrument.) All I wanted to do was to convey a sense of flexible tempo and make the thing virtuosic without having it be technically impossible. Sure, there are some big leaps, but no lip-splitting high notes or anything to blow out anybody's chops. So not only is it playable, better players will be able to sight-read it pretty well, too. Here I am getting ahead of myself once again; these pieces probably won't ever be performed. With my Mackris v. O'Reilly experience as a gauge, I'd say that rehearsing and recording these tunes would cost a minimum of $80,000. Most of that would be for everybody's time. Pro players do not come cheap, but they really get the job done. And speaking of time, if I persevere and finish this project, I'll have more than 10 hours worth of music. Out of that amount, I'd like 4-5 hours of really kickass stuff. Maybe that's a little much to hope for. OK, I'd be fine with 2-3 hours of kickass stuff.
Click on the title to listen.
It’s the first piece for solo instrument! There are so many things that I love about the solo horn and about music in general. I tried to merge those and exploit those in this forum. This piece is all in a steady 4/4, but I tried to take it a step outside of that, as the meter tends to dictate the music. (No wonder that contemporary composers don’t like that annoying detail. I mean, it’s pretty true, meter has a lot to do with how one writes music, even if it’s for a solo instrument.) All I wanted to do was to convey a sense of flexible tempo and make the thing virtuosic without having it be technically impossible. Sure, there are some big leaps, but no lip-splitting high notes or anything to blow out anybody's chops. So not only is it playable, better players will be able to sight-read it pretty well, too. Here I am getting ahead of myself once again; these pieces probably won't ever be performed. With my Mackris v. O'Reilly experience as a gauge, I'd say that rehearsing and recording these tunes would cost a minimum of $80,000. Most of that would be for everybody's time. Pro players do not come cheap, but they really get the job done. And speaking of time, if I persevere and finish this project, I'll have more than 10 hours worth of music. Out of that amount, I'd like 4-5 hours of really kickass stuff. Maybe that's a little much to hope for. OK, I'd be fine with 2-3 hours of kickass stuff.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #87
For 2 horns, 3 trombones, 2 trombones and tuba.
OK, so I’ve written one and a half surf tunes so far. I mean, it’s summer; the sun’s shining and all that. I just gravitate toward the genre. With this effort, I wanted to screw with the changes and/or tonality big-time. That’s just what happens. I frame the A section as a blues. The thing is that the changes don’t correspond – except maybe in the last few bars. Otherwise, the chords drift from one arbitrary choice to another. Once again, this piece is mostly A section, so I drop in some odd-sounding trumpet fills and solos to keep things fresh. And even though the B section is nothing to write home about, this is still one of my favorites.
Click on the title to listen.
OK, so I’ve written one and a half surf tunes so far. I mean, it’s summer; the sun’s shining and all that. I just gravitate toward the genre. With this effort, I wanted to screw with the changes and/or tonality big-time. That’s just what happens. I frame the A section as a blues. The thing is that the changes don’t correspond – except maybe in the last few bars. Otherwise, the chords drift from one arbitrary choice to another. Once again, this piece is mostly A section, so I drop in some odd-sounding trumpet fills and solos to keep things fresh. And even though the B section is nothing to write home about, this is still one of my favorites.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #86
For 4 trombones.
The trombone kick continues! I’ve been watching a lot of Peter Gunn lately, and the music is pretty great. Henry Mancini uses a lot of Harmon-muted trombone, both solo and in ensemble. I wanted to use that as my inspiration for this ballad-esque number. Of course, Finale has no sound patch for muted trombone, so I had to use muted trumpet. It sounds a little thin, but rest assured that real muted trombones will sound a lot richer and stranger. Other than the sound of the ensemble, I wanted this to sound like a smoky-yet-atonal slow tune. There are no firm chord changes; just weird harmony presenting itself at every turn.
Click on the title to listen.
The trombone kick continues! I’ve been watching a lot of Peter Gunn lately, and the music is pretty great. Henry Mancini uses a lot of Harmon-muted trombone, both solo and in ensemble. I wanted to use that as my inspiration for this ballad-esque number. Of course, Finale has no sound patch for muted trombone, so I had to use muted trumpet. It sounds a little thin, but rest assured that real muted trombones will sound a lot richer and stranger. Other than the sound of the ensemble, I wanted this to sound like a smoky-yet-atonal slow tune. There are no firm chord changes; just weird harmony presenting itself at every turn.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #85
For 1 horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
After the last few days of operating without a plan, I got up in the morning and decided to write something funky with all kinds of dissonances and whatnot. Things went better I’d hoped. Yeah, it's got a lot of crunchy dissonances all over the place, but it also has a tune that you have the privilege of hearing over and over again. To cut down on all that repetition, I gave it a shout chorus of sorts towards the end. There’s not a whole lot to it – it’s mostly A section – but it turns out adequate.
Click on the title to listen.
After the last few days of operating without a plan, I got up in the morning and decided to write something funky with all kinds of dissonances and whatnot. Things went better I’d hoped. Yeah, it's got a lot of crunchy dissonances all over the place, but it also has a tune that you have the privilege of hearing over and over again. To cut down on all that repetition, I gave it a shout chorus of sorts towards the end. There’s not a whole lot to it – it’s mostly A section – but it turns out adequate.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #84
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This piece also emerged without much planning. I guess I wanted something in 5/4. Well, that’s exactly what I got – for the most part. It sounds modern, but not in too much of an overwrought way. Of course, by "modern" I mean something that doesn't heed conventional harmony. It still has a very attached sense of tempo. That's something that so-called modern pieces have eschewed for the last 40 years. I can't help my attachment to tempo. I'm a jazz musician. Without a sense of beat, jazz wouldn't be jazz. That's why I gravitate more toward pieces with the feeling of time. It's just how I roll. Plus, complicated rhythms seem unnecessary in pieces that last a little over two minutes. If there's a lot of abstraction to do, it's best that it take place in longer works, no? That isn't to say that I'm not trying my best with these tunes. I am, take my work for it. I'm just trying to dole out a little straightforwardness before I delve into far more complex stuff. Anyhow, I initially had no opinion about this piece, but a few weeks after it was done, I decided that I liked it.
Click on the title to listen.
This piece also emerged without much planning. I guess I wanted something in 5/4. Well, that’s exactly what I got – for the most part. It sounds modern, but not in too much of an overwrought way. Of course, by "modern" I mean something that doesn't heed conventional harmony. It still has a very attached sense of tempo. That's something that so-called modern pieces have eschewed for the last 40 years. I can't help my attachment to tempo. I'm a jazz musician. Without a sense of beat, jazz wouldn't be jazz. That's why I gravitate more toward pieces with the feeling of time. It's just how I roll. Plus, complicated rhythms seem unnecessary in pieces that last a little over two minutes. If there's a lot of abstraction to do, it's best that it take place in longer works, no? That isn't to say that I'm not trying my best with these tunes. I am, take my work for it. I'm just trying to dole out a little straightforwardness before I delve into far more complex stuff. Anyhow, I initially had no opinion about this piece, but a few weeks after it was done, I decided that I liked it.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #83
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I just started writing and this popped out. Gosh, it's nice when that happens. The tune speaks for itself – a dignified, melancholy little 6/8 number in tried-and-true AABA form. I made sure to give the trombone a little piece of the action again, though not as much as in #82. I'm still feeling guilty for neglecting it for so long.
Click on the title to listen.
I just started writing and this popped out. Gosh, it's nice when that happens. The tune speaks for itself – a dignified, melancholy little 6/8 number in tried-and-true AABA form. I made sure to give the trombone a little piece of the action again, though not as much as in #82. I'm still feeling guilty for neglecting it for so long.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #82
For 2 horns, 3 trombones and tuba.
The trombone hasn’t been featured a lot in many of these tunes. Sure, it works great in rhythmic accompaniment, but it’s not the world’s strongest lead instrument. But that’s no reason to neglect it. I wrote this little galop to make amends for all that neglect. It turns out really nice. In fact, thanks to a lot of revision, it's one of the project's better pieces. The rest of the piece is as fun and weird as I could make it. And when I say "fun and weird," I mean that I try to fuse unconventional melody and harmony with a traditional polka/march form (ABACA). The result is something that sounds a little like Soviet-era comedic circus music. Enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
The trombone hasn’t been featured a lot in many of these tunes. Sure, it works great in rhythmic accompaniment, but it’s not the world’s strongest lead instrument. But that’s no reason to neglect it. I wrote this little galop to make amends for all that neglect. It turns out really nice. In fact, thanks to a lot of revision, it's one of the project's better pieces. The rest of the piece is as fun and weird as I could make it. And when I say "fun and weird," I mean that I try to fuse unconventional melody and harmony with a traditional polka/march form (ABACA). The result is something that sounds a little like Soviet-era comedic circus music. Enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #81
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
I wanted to visit the chorale again, but emphasize sevenths and ninths. It gives this piece a nice warm feel. There’s really not much else to say about it. Making something two minutes long does away with a lot of complexity. What you get in return is some much-needed simplicity. Let's just pray that it isn't simplicity bordering on simple-mindedness. Anyhow, the premise is straightforward, the execution is (hopefully) competent and the result is pretty OK.
Click on the title to listen.
I wanted to visit the chorale again, but emphasize sevenths and ninths. It gives this piece a nice warm feel. There’s really not much else to say about it. Making something two minutes long does away with a lot of complexity. What you get in return is some much-needed simplicity. Let's just pray that it isn't simplicity bordering on simple-mindedness. Anyhow, the premise is straightforward, the execution is (hopefully) competent and the result is pretty OK.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #80
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
I expended my remaining waltz energy on this piece. It seems that I hadn’t written a jazz waltz, so here it is. OK, so it’s not a real jazz piece with real jazz changes. All it has are bass lines and melodic lines. That’s all there is to it. OK, there are a few harmonic lifts, but it’s a short piece that keeps things simple. In order to cover up its profound lack of infrastructure, I throw in a brief fake solo and a shout chorus, which really does rock. The whole thing dumps off into a reiteration of the intro with horns and trumpets putting on their dissonance hats. OK, so I’m all waltzed-out for the time being.
Click on the title to listen.
I expended my remaining waltz energy on this piece. It seems that I hadn’t written a jazz waltz, so here it is. OK, so it’s not a real jazz piece with real jazz changes. All it has are bass lines and melodic lines. That’s all there is to it. OK, there are a few harmonic lifts, but it’s a short piece that keeps things simple. In order to cover up its profound lack of infrastructure, I throw in a brief fake solo and a shout chorus, which really does rock. The whole thing dumps off into a reiteration of the intro with horns and trumpets putting on their dissonance hats. OK, so I’m all waltzed-out for the time being.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #79
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
And so it evolved into this. It’s 100% better in its salvaged form. I scrapped the vapid intro, revised the B section horn part to flow better and paired the trumpet and the horn through another go-round of the form, giving the trombones a little crankiness in the B section. The last A comes back with all chords a minor third below the original changes. This remains until the very last A section when it modulates back to the original. Like I said, it works much better. And it’s longer than its predecessor. The first version just sounds like I’m fishing for things that might work. The problem is that half of them don’t. I knew that at the time, but I couldn’t figure my way out of the mess until I’d slept on it. Well, what a difference a day makes!
Click on the title to listen.
And so it evolved into this. It’s 100% better in its salvaged form. I scrapped the vapid intro, revised the B section horn part to flow better and paired the trumpet and the horn through another go-round of the form, giving the trombones a little crankiness in the B section. The last A comes back with all chords a minor third below the original changes. This remains until the very last A section when it modulates back to the original. Like I said, it works much better. And it’s longer than its predecessor. The first version just sounds like I’m fishing for things that might work. The problem is that half of them don’t. I knew that at the time, but I couldn’t figure my way out of the mess until I’d slept on it. Well, what a difference a day makes!
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #78
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
Once again at a loss (it happens and quite often), I gave Kris another call. He told me to write a waltz. I’ve written lots of waltzes so far. Another one wasn’t a thrilling prospect until I thought about something in 9/8 and working in some nice warm ninths into the scant accompaniment. Well, I was on the right track, but the end result is quite unsatisfactory. The intro is no good, the horn part in the B section is rather jarring (the phrasing is just bad and weird) and I hated the ending, among many, many other things. Plus, I really didn’t do anything within the form. I just go through it once and end. Oh, the lazy incompetence! Since I felt that the piece wasn’t an utter, complete loss, I chose to keep the first version (as a cautionary tale) and make some major repairs on it the next day.
Click on the title to listen.
Once again at a loss (it happens and quite often), I gave Kris another call. He told me to write a waltz. I’ve written lots of waltzes so far. Another one wasn’t a thrilling prospect until I thought about something in 9/8 and working in some nice warm ninths into the scant accompaniment. Well, I was on the right track, but the end result is quite unsatisfactory. The intro is no good, the horn part in the B section is rather jarring (the phrasing is just bad and weird) and I hated the ending, among many, many other things. Plus, I really didn’t do anything within the form. I just go through it once and end. Oh, the lazy incompetence! Since I felt that the piece wasn’t an utter, complete loss, I chose to keep the first version (as a cautionary tale) and make some major repairs on it the next day.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #77
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I was rather at a loss at what to write today, so I called my friend Kris. He’s the guy who conducted Mackris v. O’Reilly. He told me to write a cakewalk – an old syncopated dance form that paved the way for ragtime, which in turn paved the way for jazz. Of course, since I have no free will, I did what he told me. All of the few cakewalks I’ve heard tend to have conventional song form (AABA), so all I did was slap on an intro, tack on an outro and then dashed off a shout chorus. I don’t claim that it’s the genuine article, but it’s a lot of fun and you really can dance to it, if that is your wish.
Click on the title to listen.
I was rather at a loss at what to write today, so I called my friend Kris. He’s the guy who conducted Mackris v. O’Reilly. He told me to write a cakewalk – an old syncopated dance form that paved the way for ragtime, which in turn paved the way for jazz. Of course, since I have no free will, I did what he told me. All of the few cakewalks I’ve heard tend to have conventional song form (AABA), so all I did was slap on an intro, tack on an outro and then dashed off a shout chorus. I don’t claim that it’s the genuine article, but it’s a lot of fun and you really can dance to it, if that is your wish.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #76
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and 3 trombones.
The previous day’s inattention spilled over to today. I can’t really classify this piece; it is by turns a surf tune, a latin-sounding thing and a march. It’s all those things, plus it has a fake improv section. I thought it would be fun to write something that sounded like it was being played by a hugely inept trumpet player, because there are a few out there, and I think I've played with all of them. It turns out very strange and fun in its own peculiar way. It’s a good piece, but not one of my favorites.
Click on the title to listen.
The previous day’s inattention spilled over to today. I can’t really classify this piece; it is by turns a surf tune, a latin-sounding thing and a march. It’s all those things, plus it has a fake improv section. I thought it would be fun to write something that sounded like it was being played by a hugely inept trumpet player, because there are a few out there, and I think I've played with all of them. It turns out very strange and fun in its own peculiar way. It’s a good piece, but not one of my favorites.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #75
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and tuba.
After all that marching, I wanted to scale things down a little and write a terse, free-form little latin-esque number. I would prefer the trumpet to have a straight mute, but since, as you know, Finale only has one muted trumpet sound – and that’s with a Harmon – so Harmon is what you get. But despite that, I’m really happy with the final product. This piece manages to develop itself while staying away from clichés of the genre. Funny thing, I wasn’t really paying much attention when I was writing this. It happens some of the time. I really can’t explain why it turned out the way it did. Much of the time, as I've discovered, these pieces are out of my control.
Click on the title to listen.
After all that marching, I wanted to scale things down a little and write a terse, free-form little latin-esque number. I would prefer the trumpet to have a straight mute, but since, as you know, Finale only has one muted trumpet sound – and that’s with a Harmon – so Harmon is what you get. But despite that, I’m really happy with the final product. This piece manages to develop itself while staying away from clichés of the genre. Funny thing, I wasn’t really paying much attention when I was writing this. It happens some of the time. I really can’t explain why it turned out the way it did. Much of the time, as I've discovered, these pieces are out of my control.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #74
For 3 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
Sometimes it’s necessary to call for reinforcements and hit harder. I wanted to write another march, since #73 didn't work out quite as super-patriotically as I wanted. But this being the 5th of July, patriotism didn't seem to matter, just like caring for your fellow man isn't quite so important after Christmas. Since I’m trying to be vigilant against writing the same piece over and over again, I figured that the horns should lead. The trumpets have been dominant in all of the other marches I’ve done so far. This piece took quite a chunk of the day to write (rule of thumb: the larger the ensemble, the longer it will take, but not always) and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. It’s one of my favorites and probably the best thing I’ve done so far. My favorite part is the second iteration of the A theme with the trumpet playing the countermelody. That's where the money is. Other than that, there’s really not much more I can say about it.
Click on the title to listen.
Sometimes it’s necessary to call for reinforcements and hit harder. I wanted to write another march, since #73 didn't work out quite as super-patriotically as I wanted. But this being the 5th of July, patriotism didn't seem to matter, just like caring for your fellow man isn't quite so important after Christmas. Since I’m trying to be vigilant against writing the same piece over and over again, I figured that the horns should lead. The trumpets have been dominant in all of the other marches I’ve done so far. This piece took quite a chunk of the day to write (rule of thumb: the larger the ensemble, the longer it will take, but not always) and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. It’s one of my favorites and probably the best thing I’ve done so far. My favorite part is the second iteration of the A theme with the trumpet playing the countermelody. That's where the money is. Other than that, there’s really not much more I can say about it.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #73
For 1 horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
OK, I wrote this on the Fourth of July, so it was my intention to do write some kind of super-patriotic march – like Souza with an extra heapin’ helpin’ of America. Instead, I came out with this thing that sounds like mariachi music in the A theme. There’s nothing wrong with mariachi music; I was just trying for something else - y'know, music to kill terrorists by. That didn't quite work out, but it really does justify itself. One thing that do like about it is that the themes get better as it goes along. The B theme is better than the A, and the trio is better than anything else. It’s a shame I didn’t end with that. And for the record, I really don’t like the intro. Still, it ends up being an OK piece.
Click on the title to listen.
OK, I wrote this on the Fourth of July, so it was my intention to do write some kind of super-patriotic march – like Souza with an extra heapin’ helpin’ of America. Instead, I came out with this thing that sounds like mariachi music in the A theme. There’s nothing wrong with mariachi music; I was just trying for something else - y'know, music to kill terrorists by. That didn't quite work out, but it really does justify itself. One thing that do like about it is that the themes get better as it goes along. The B theme is better than the A, and the trio is better than anything else. It’s a shame I didn’t end with that. And for the record, I really don’t like the intro. Still, it ends up being an OK piece.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #72
For 2 horns and 3 trombones.
I bring the horns and trombones together again so that they’ll be nice to each other. I wanted this piece to sound like B-movie theme music: turgid, yet expedient. Just imagine opening credits rolling in front of this and it may acquire addition depth. I think it ended up OK. Of course, the tune isn’t hummable and the structure is a little squirrely, but it’s pretty nice.
Click on the title to play.
I bring the horns and trombones together again so that they’ll be nice to each other. I wanted this piece to sound like B-movie theme music: turgid, yet expedient. Just imagine opening credits rolling in front of this and it may acquire addition depth. I think it ended up OK. Of course, the tune isn’t hummable and the structure is a little squirrely, but it’s pretty nice.
Click on the title to play.
One Day Wonder #71
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets and 2 trombones.
All I wanted to do was imitate Gabrieli (either one, Andrea or Giovanni), but I landed on this one pleasant thing and repeated it a lot of times and, noticing that I was too attached to my home key, I had a few harmonic adventures there at the end. I’m pleased whenever a little bit of fanfare creeps into these pieces, so I’m very happy with this one, even though there’s not much to it, either thematically or harmonically. Don't worry, even if this isn't to your liking, there is much more Gabrieli-channeling coming up fairly soon.
Click on the title to play.
All I wanted to do was imitate Gabrieli (either one, Andrea or Giovanni), but I landed on this one pleasant thing and repeated it a lot of times and, noticing that I was too attached to my home key, I had a few harmonic adventures there at the end. I’m pleased whenever a little bit of fanfare creeps into these pieces, so I’m very happy with this one, even though there’s not much to it, either thematically or harmonically. Don't worry, even if this isn't to your liking, there is much more Gabrieli-channeling coming up fairly soon.
Click on the title to play.
One Day Wonder #70
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
After a hard-fought dirge, the natural thing to do is to write something peppy. This is my turn at a surf tune. You heard me: surf tune. Of course, it sounds kind of foreign for a brass ensemble, but about halfway through, hopefully you forget about that. See, it's not completely ridiculous and unachievable - it's only semi-ridiculous and unachievable. I mean, a brass band isn't the Ventures or even the Surfaris. Anyhow, my favorite part: the trombone soli. Least favorite part: the intro. I might actually violate my own rules and revise that someday. It's just not very good.
Click on the title to listen.
After a hard-fought dirge, the natural thing to do is to write something peppy. This is my turn at a surf tune. You heard me: surf tune. Of course, it sounds kind of foreign for a brass ensemble, but about halfway through, hopefully you forget about that. See, it's not completely ridiculous and unachievable - it's only semi-ridiculous and unachievable. I mean, a brass band isn't the Ventures or even the Surfaris. Anyhow, my favorite part: the trombone soli. Least favorite part: the intro. I might actually violate my own rules and revise that someday. It's just not very good.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #69
For 3 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
We revisit dirge-land with this piece. I was feeling a lot lacking from #65, so I decided to give it another try. This works out much better, though I’m a little ambivalent about the middle. Since the cascade effect was so effective in #48, I chose to use it here, although sparingly. I’m pretty sure that 4/4 works better for dirges than 12/8, but there’s a challenge: write something convincingly grim and solemn in 12/8. Let me give that some thought and perhaps I’ll tackle it in future ventures.
Click on the title to listen.
We revisit dirge-land with this piece. I was feeling a lot lacking from #65, so I decided to give it another try. This works out much better, though I’m a little ambivalent about the middle. Since the cascade effect was so effective in #48, I chose to use it here, although sparingly. I’m pretty sure that 4/4 works better for dirges than 12/8, but there’s a challenge: write something convincingly grim and solemn in 12/8. Let me give that some thought and perhaps I’ll tackle it in future ventures.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #68
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 1 trombone and tuba.
I was intending to contrast #67 with a nice, calm chorale in 5/4. Once again, intentions don’t often coincide with results, but this piece is very nice. It’s more of an accompanied plainsong with a few harmonic adventures along the way. OK, so it’s not really a chorale, but it is very calm. Sometimes, one word is all I have to serve as inspiration for the day's piece. Usually, the simpler it is, the more concise the results. For example, "calm" is much clearer than, say, "ambilvalent." You get the idea.
Click on the title to listen.
I was intending to contrast #67 with a nice, calm chorale in 5/4. Once again, intentions don’t often coincide with results, but this piece is very nice. It’s more of an accompanied plainsong with a few harmonic adventures along the way. OK, so it’s not really a chorale, but it is very calm. Sometimes, one word is all I have to serve as inspiration for the day's piece. Usually, the simpler it is, the more concise the results. For example, "calm" is much clearer than, say, "ambilvalent." You get the idea.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #67
For 3 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
One of the great things about a large brass ensemble is that you can write some pretty scary and badass stuff, if that’s your thing. That was totally my thing on this day. I’m not completely sold on it. I mean, it could sound much scarier, but it’s tough to generate something truly frightening in just one day. Honestly, my standards are actually higher for something of this genre than any other. I don't just throw notes down on the page and call it a day. I listen to the piece measure by measure and, since I'm not following any sort of theory (such as serialism or whatnot), I let my ear guide me. I usually end up tossing a lot of stuff out because it doesn't sound right. Of course, if you're not a fan of this kind of music, you're probably thinking: "Jeez, you mean it sounded even worse before you finished??" I hear ya. But I've found that there's a lot of beauty in contemporary music once you strip away the pretension and hyper-seriousness. This piece has none of that. It's not inspired by fragments of Sanskrit text, it's not based on a dark chapter in world history, it doesn't justify itself through math and it doesn't have a funky title. It is what it is. I've found that when the aforementioned pretension and hyper-seriousness lapses a few years, it ends up sounding kind of hilarious. Back when I was in college 20 years ago, everybody had their favorite contemporary lion. It could have been Penderecki or Xenakis or Cage or somebody else. These days, I listen to that music, and it all sounds so quaint and dated. I read these pieces' liner notes and find them rather silly and self-serving. The whole post-modern (or post-expressionist, take your pick) is so Cold War. I'm really glad it's over. These days, you can write whatever you damn well please. Of course, if you're like me, you won't be able to make a living at it, but my poverty hasn't reached critical mass yet. My whole point is that, like everything, contemporary music has its good and bad pieces. I would like to think of this as an OK, if not a slightly dated, example of it. Most contemporary pieces of the last 40 or so years don't embrace tempo as heartily as this number. Enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
One of the great things about a large brass ensemble is that you can write some pretty scary and badass stuff, if that’s your thing. That was totally my thing on this day. I’m not completely sold on it. I mean, it could sound much scarier, but it’s tough to generate something truly frightening in just one day. Honestly, my standards are actually higher for something of this genre than any other. I don't just throw notes down on the page and call it a day. I listen to the piece measure by measure and, since I'm not following any sort of theory (such as serialism or whatnot), I let my ear guide me. I usually end up tossing a lot of stuff out because it doesn't sound right. Of course, if you're not a fan of this kind of music, you're probably thinking: "Jeez, you mean it sounded even worse before you finished??" I hear ya. But I've found that there's a lot of beauty in contemporary music once you strip away the pretension and hyper-seriousness. This piece has none of that. It's not inspired by fragments of Sanskrit text, it's not based on a dark chapter in world history, it doesn't justify itself through math and it doesn't have a funky title. It is what it is. I've found that when the aforementioned pretension and hyper-seriousness lapses a few years, it ends up sounding kind of hilarious. Back when I was in college 20 years ago, everybody had their favorite contemporary lion. It could have been Penderecki or Xenakis or Cage or somebody else. These days, I listen to that music, and it all sounds so quaint and dated. I read these pieces' liner notes and find them rather silly and self-serving. The whole post-modern (or post-expressionist, take your pick) is so Cold War. I'm really glad it's over. These days, you can write whatever you damn well please. Of course, if you're like me, you won't be able to make a living at it, but my poverty hasn't reached critical mass yet. My whole point is that, like everything, contemporary music has its good and bad pieces. I would like to think of this as an OK, if not a slightly dated, example of it. Most contemporary pieces of the last 40 or so years don't embrace tempo as heartily as this number. Enjoy.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #66
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
Once again, it’s time to revisit #12 – with somewhat mixed success. I keep trying to recreate something that came about purely by chance and can’t figure out how it happened in the first place. Still, this piece embodies some of the original’s qualities and pleads its own case moderately well, but it proves that luck strikes whenever it pleases.
Click on the title to listen.
Once again, it’s time to revisit #12 – with somewhat mixed success. I keep trying to recreate something that came about purely by chance and can’t figure out how it happened in the first place. Still, this piece embodies some of the original’s qualities and pleads its own case moderately well, but it proves that luck strikes whenever it pleases.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #65
For 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
I tried to write another dirge. There was another death in the family. This piece doesn’t quite have the right feel to it. For one thing, it’s in 12/8, which may not be the best metrical choice. For another, dirges by and large are not supposed to be melodic. They’re generally intended to be these plodding displays of raw emotion. This has its moments, but misses the mark. I’m particularly disappointed with the ending. Nothing I tried seemed to work, so I settled for the thing that worked the least terribly. It’s still pretty weak and unsatisfactory. So here's what I learned today: my ability to spin a dirge may not be as advanced as I thought it was. I'll try again soon.
Click on the title to listen.
I tried to write another dirge. There was another death in the family. This piece doesn’t quite have the right feel to it. For one thing, it’s in 12/8, which may not be the best metrical choice. For another, dirges by and large are not supposed to be melodic. They’re generally intended to be these plodding displays of raw emotion. This has its moments, but misses the mark. I’m particularly disappointed with the ending. Nothing I tried seemed to work, so I settled for the thing that worked the least terribly. It’s still pretty weak and unsatisfactory. So here's what I learned today: my ability to spin a dirge may not be as advanced as I thought it was. I'll try again soon.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #64
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is another tune from that pre-clarinet-failure era. And it's the last of my cheat-pieces. It’s a polka and it kind of rocks. Like #63, it's just a simple AABA form (with intro and outro, which are, ahem, identical), but this one goes around twice with contrasting, pre-written solo passages until we run into the B section which gradually falls in line with the first iteration. The last A section gets played with countermelody in the horn and we're done. I'm a big fan of wild polkas. I'll probably write several before I'm done with the project. And finally, I know that I’ve said this many times, but this number would sound particularly good with live musicians.
Click on the title to listen.
This is another tune from that pre-clarinet-failure era. And it's the last of my cheat-pieces. It’s a polka and it kind of rocks. Like #63, it's just a simple AABA form (with intro and outro, which are, ahem, identical), but this one goes around twice with contrasting, pre-written solo passages until we run into the B section which gradually falls in line with the first iteration. The last A section gets played with countermelody in the horn and we're done. I'm a big fan of wild polkas. I'll probably write several before I'm done with the project. And finally, I know that I’ve said this many times, but this number would sound particularly good with live musicians.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #63
For 2 horns, 2 trombones and tuba.
OK, this and #64 are underhanded cheats. I wrote these tunes almost two years ago. The aim was to start up an eclectic band that would play all manner of music that my jazz group could or would not. Most of that would include a lot of faux-ethnic stuff, because I’m all about the faux. The entire venture hinged on my learning how to play the clarinet. I’ve always liked the clarinet – until I tried to play it. After three fruitless months of frustration and terrible sounds, I gave up. These days, I think that it is an awful, awful instrument - moody, unpredictable and illogical. I’m a sax player; not a clarinetist. I’m also not from the Balkans or Central Europe. That’s the whole truth. All I can do is fake Eastern European stuff, and I think this is a good fake of mournful mid-central European café music. Whether you agree or not, you’ll have to admit that the tune is pretty sweet. And the tune is all you get. All that I offer here is the basic AABA form and then it ends. I blame that lack of elaboration on my own laziness. It was a really nice spring day and I was antsy - not that there was whole lot to do outside, other than fend off panhandlers in their spring clothing. Anyhow, since this piece is all about melody, I let it be just that.
Click on the title to listen.
OK, this and #64 are underhanded cheats. I wrote these tunes almost two years ago. The aim was to start up an eclectic band that would play all manner of music that my jazz group could or would not. Most of that would include a lot of faux-ethnic stuff, because I’m all about the faux. The entire venture hinged on my learning how to play the clarinet. I’ve always liked the clarinet – until I tried to play it. After three fruitless months of frustration and terrible sounds, I gave up. These days, I think that it is an awful, awful instrument - moody, unpredictable and illogical. I’m a sax player; not a clarinetist. I’m also not from the Balkans or Central Europe. That’s the whole truth. All I can do is fake Eastern European stuff, and I think this is a good fake of mournful mid-central European café music. Whether you agree or not, you’ll have to admit that the tune is pretty sweet. And the tune is all you get. All that I offer here is the basic AABA form and then it ends. I blame that lack of elaboration on my own laziness. It was a really nice spring day and I was antsy - not that there was whole lot to do outside, other than fend off panhandlers in their spring clothing. Anyhow, since this piece is all about melody, I let it be just that.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #62
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet and 3 trombones.
Once again, I try the modified fanfare format. I wanted to contrast the declamatory trumpet/horn line with the more rhythmic trombone music. It’s OK, but, as I’ve learned, fanfares are hell. Their parameters are narrow and if you stray even a little ways from them, you find yourself writing something that isn’t a fanfare. And if they're too long, they sound rather pointless. I’m not sure whether this piece accomplishes anything. Or whether it has a point. Sometimes, writing a really good piece like #61 can screw things up. You think: "Gee, I can't possibly write anything to compare with this" and go for something unassuming, like this piece. What I should be doing is trying to write something equal to or better than #61 every day. That's difficult because #61 was a complete accident. It could easily have been not very good. But through a series of processes that I can't fathom or describe, it didn't suck. This piece (#62) could have also rocked the world - in that very limited way that brass ensemble tunes can rock anything - but it doesn't. I'm beginning to believe that there's a lot of blind luck involved in writing a fine piece...
Click on the title to listen.
Once again, I try the modified fanfare format. I wanted to contrast the declamatory trumpet/horn line with the more rhythmic trombone music. It’s OK, but, as I’ve learned, fanfares are hell. Their parameters are narrow and if you stray even a little ways from them, you find yourself writing something that isn’t a fanfare. And if they're too long, they sound rather pointless. I’m not sure whether this piece accomplishes anything. Or whether it has a point. Sometimes, writing a really good piece like #61 can screw things up. You think: "Gee, I can't possibly write anything to compare with this" and go for something unassuming, like this piece. What I should be doing is trying to write something equal to or better than #61 every day. That's difficult because #61 was a complete accident. It could easily have been not very good. But through a series of processes that I can't fathom or describe, it didn't suck. This piece (#62) could have also rocked the world - in that very limited way that brass ensemble tunes can rock anything - but it doesn't. I'm beginning to believe that there's a lot of blind luck involved in writing a fine piece...
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #61
For 1 horn, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is the best example so far of what having no ideas sounds like. I’m very pleased with this piece. Seriously, I picked the instruments and the time (5/8) and key (A minor) signatures in advance. Everything else was guesswork from the git-go. Based on the key and the rhythm, I wanted to keep the trumpet low and cranky, and, since drifting keys is fun, I worked in a lot of circle-of-fifths stuff into the A section and beyond. That approach takes a time-out in the middle transition part. I had no clue how to proceed, so I just wrote some sixteenth notes and a then a building antecedent to bring us back home. Everything comes together nicely. Sure, in basic form there are a lot of similarities between this and #60, but I assure you that this is far better. Everything about it makes it a One Day Wonder Classic. Even though it'a a robo-track, it manages to show some major personality in audio form. I really like this little tune. It works well.
Click on the title to listen.
This is the best example so far of what having no ideas sounds like. I’m very pleased with this piece. Seriously, I picked the instruments and the time (5/8) and key (A minor) signatures in advance. Everything else was guesswork from the git-go. Based on the key and the rhythm, I wanted to keep the trumpet low and cranky, and, since drifting keys is fun, I worked in a lot of circle-of-fifths stuff into the A section and beyond. That approach takes a time-out in the middle transition part. I had no clue how to proceed, so I just wrote some sixteenth notes and a then a building antecedent to bring us back home. Everything comes together nicely. Sure, in basic form there are a lot of similarities between this and #60, but I assure you that this is far better. Everything about it makes it a One Day Wonder Classic. Even though it'a a robo-track, it manages to show some major personality in audio form. I really like this little tune. It works well.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #60
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
Alternating odd-meters return! The last time I did a 7/8-7/9 combo, it was in #33. That was a fake-Balkan-thing. This is a slick number that reminds me of the prog-stuff from the early seventies that distinguished itself only because it was in an odd meter. Everything else about it is entirely inoffensive, unremarkable and rather groovy. Yes, it has some cool aimless noodling up front and some even cooler backgrounds further on back. I'm pretty happy with how this ended up. The lesson I learned here was that phrasing in alternating odd meters is very tricky. I had to do a lot of rewriting to get things to sound relatively normal. In their original guise, they sounded either rushed or overly drawn out. You know, sometimes it takes a lot of work to get things to sound ordinary.
Click on the title to listen.
Alternating odd-meters return! The last time I did a 7/8-7/9 combo, it was in #33. That was a fake-Balkan-thing. This is a slick number that reminds me of the prog-stuff from the early seventies that distinguished itself only because it was in an odd meter. Everything else about it is entirely inoffensive, unremarkable and rather groovy. Yes, it has some cool aimless noodling up front and some even cooler backgrounds further on back. I'm pretty happy with how this ended up. The lesson I learned here was that phrasing in alternating odd meters is very tricky. I had to do a lot of rewriting to get things to sound relatively normal. In their original guise, they sounded either rushed or overly drawn out. You know, sometimes it takes a lot of work to get things to sound ordinary.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #59
For 1 horns, 2 trumpets and 3 trombones.
I return to the tango, but this time, there isn’t a tuba to anchor things down. Hopefully, the rhythm is compelling enough that it doesn’t need one. Sure, it’s a little simple and repetitive – I prefer to call it “straightforward” – but dance music is often like that. With 241 pieces till my goal, I’ll probably revisit it again at some point. And that, folks, is about all I have to say about this piece.
Click on the title to listen.
I return to the tango, but this time, there isn’t a tuba to anchor things down. Hopefully, the rhythm is compelling enough that it doesn’t need one. Sure, it’s a little simple and repetitive – I prefer to call it “straightforward” – but dance music is often like that. With 241 pieces till my goal, I’ll probably revisit it again at some point. And that, folks, is about all I have to say about this piece.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #58
For 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
My intention here was to right a minor-key fanfare. Wow, how I failed! Nothing seemed to fit into the mold. I might be able to pull it off someday (actually, I'll try and failed again - big time), but not now. What you have here is just a robust minor glop that goes from one place to the next without offending anyone too much. I tried…
Click on the title to listen.
My intention here was to right a minor-key fanfare. Wow, how I failed! Nothing seemed to fit into the mold. I might be able to pull it off someday (actually, I'll try and failed again - big time), but not now. What you have here is just a robust minor glop that goes from one place to the next without offending anyone too much. I tried…
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #57
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
Here we have the second, and better, of the series. Better intro, better pacing, and better content. Like what I did with #50, I gutted it and took what I could use. I chucked that terrible shout chorus and only preserved the last measure (which I should have also chucked, but too late) and the result is much better. It’s got that ambiguous march/bossa feel to it that really comes through in the later choruses. I’m quite happy with this version. And this just proves that even though I’m out to write a piece a day, some things take more than a day to get right. Yeah, it's a little embarrassing to have to rewrite pieces, but I'm just not happy with some efforts. To emerge with a satisfactory result after a few tries is worth it.
Click on the title to listen.
Here we have the second, and better, of the series. Better intro, better pacing, and better content. Like what I did with #50, I gutted it and took what I could use. I chucked that terrible shout chorus and only preserved the last measure (which I should have also chucked, but too late) and the result is much better. It’s got that ambiguous march/bossa feel to it that really comes through in the later choruses. I’m quite happy with this version. And this just proves that even though I’m out to write a piece a day, some things take more than a day to get right. Yeah, it's a little embarrassing to have to rewrite pieces, but I'm just not happy with some efforts. To emerge with a satisfactory result after a few tries is worth it.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #56
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is the first in a series of two. Whatever I was trying to accomplish with one, didn’t quite hit the mark. I couldn’t decide whether to make it a march or a weird bossa nova. And then there’s that mod shout chorus. I kind of hate it, but there's enough here that I like to try to improve it at least a little. Specifically, the parts that really make me cringe are the meandering beginning and the cliche ending. And the tuba solo doesn't really need to be in there. The next day's effort is a great improvement, I promise.
Click on the title to listen.
This is the first in a series of two. Whatever I was trying to accomplish with one, didn’t quite hit the mark. I couldn’t decide whether to make it a march or a weird bossa nova. And then there’s that mod shout chorus. I kind of hate it, but there's enough here that I like to try to improve it at least a little. Specifically, the parts that really make me cringe are the meandering beginning and the cliche ending. And the tuba solo doesn't really need to be in there. The next day's effort is a great improvement, I promise.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #55
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This was an experiment. I wanted to write a chorale and then join the primary voices a fifth apart and have them all joined by the tuba. The result is something that sounds almost like a parody of a chorale. There’s some kind of grotesque and unsettling aspect to this piece that I really like. It probably has something to do with those drifting fifths that clash with the other drifting fifths. I tried hard to limit the exposed lines, because bare parallel fifths get boring pretty fast. Composition students are taught to avoid them like the plague. My old composition teacher once described them as sounding like "the Roman army on the march." So if this sounds like the mighty Caesar on the road to conquest, then I’ve failed at what I was trying to attempt.
Click on the title to listen.
This was an experiment. I wanted to write a chorale and then join the primary voices a fifth apart and have them all joined by the tuba. The result is something that sounds almost like a parody of a chorale. There’s some kind of grotesque and unsettling aspect to this piece that I really like. It probably has something to do with those drifting fifths that clash with the other drifting fifths. I tried hard to limit the exposed lines, because bare parallel fifths get boring pretty fast. Composition students are taught to avoid them like the plague. My old composition teacher once described them as sounding like "the Roman army on the march." So if this sounds like the mighty Caesar on the road to conquest, then I’ve failed at what I was trying to attempt.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #54
For 1 horn, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
I had the urge to write a march, so I did. And it turned out quite good. This one is in 6/8. It’s got that “football feel” because it’s in 6/8, plus there’s some chromatic movement in the melody and the three trumpets get to rule the roost for much of the time. Out of the two other marches I’ve done, I like this one exactly as much as the others. By now, my marches are all falling into the same form: intro, A theme, B theme, A theme with counter-melody, transition, trio, A theme with different counter-melody, outro. That’s how it works. I'm not sure whether this is the true march structure, but it works nicely for something that's two minutes long. I’ll write another one soon.
Click on the title to listen.
I had the urge to write a march, so I did. And it turned out quite good. This one is in 6/8. It’s got that “football feel” because it’s in 6/8, plus there’s some chromatic movement in the melody and the three trumpets get to rule the roost for much of the time. Out of the two other marches I’ve done, I like this one exactly as much as the others. By now, my marches are all falling into the same form: intro, A theme, B theme, A theme with counter-melody, transition, trio, A theme with different counter-melody, outro. That’s how it works. I'm not sure whether this is the true march structure, but it works nicely for something that's two minutes long. I’ll write another one soon.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #53
For 1 trumpet, 3 trombones and tuba.
After all that dwelling on one piece, I just wanted to do something quick and breezy, so I just built a unison jazz solo for trumpet and tuba on a non-existent set of chord changes. The trombones come in occasionally to punctuate things. It has a nice, random feel to it because, well, I just let one note lead to the other and so on. Sometimes, that can spell disaster, especially if you're working within an ironclad structure like a march or AABA song form, but this time around, what with unison lines and scant accompanying, it was the best approach.
Click on the title to listen.
After all that dwelling on one piece, I just wanted to do something quick and breezy, so I just built a unison jazz solo for trumpet and tuba on a non-existent set of chord changes. The trombones come in occasionally to punctuate things. It has a nice, random feel to it because, well, I just let one note lead to the other and so on. Sometimes, that can spell disaster, especially if you're working within an ironclad structure like a march or AABA song form, but this time around, what with unison lines and scant accompanying, it was the best approach.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #52
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is the third and final installment in the odyssey. With the help of Finale's handy-dandy transposition feature, I brought down the main theme a step (while keeping the original key signature), making it in (more or less) G major. In a major key, the thing sounds totally weird; it loses its drive and savory semi-Slavic flavor. I put the secondary section in A major. That also sounds weird. Yeah, it's about the tensest major-key thing I can remember writing. All in all, it was a bold and strange experiment that didn't improve on the results of #51. Verdict: modality is a useful tool (which I'll use a lot in future), but it isn't as decisive as I wanted it to be. OK, maybe my technique isn't such that I can take advantage of it, but this project is all about technique and such. It's about writing music as fast as I possibly can and it's about unexpected results. I'm not sure why I just restated that, but it's always helpful to remind myself why I'm doing this.
Click on the title to listen.
This is the third and final installment in the odyssey. With the help of Finale's handy-dandy transposition feature, I brought down the main theme a step (while keeping the original key signature), making it in (more or less) G major. In a major key, the thing sounds totally weird; it loses its drive and savory semi-Slavic flavor. I put the secondary section in A major. That also sounds weird. Yeah, it's about the tensest major-key thing I can remember writing. All in all, it was a bold and strange experiment that didn't improve on the results of #51. Verdict: modality is a useful tool (which I'll use a lot in future), but it isn't as decisive as I wanted it to be. OK, maybe my technique isn't such that I can take advantage of it, but this project is all about technique and such. It's about writing music as fast as I possibly can and it's about unexpected results. I'm not sure why I just restated that, but it's always helpful to remind myself why I'm doing this.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #51
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is the second and best version of the three. I just modified the intro and gutted the inner parts of #50, and, hello, a new piece. This one works much better. I didn't delete #50 because it has some merit. I mean, it can serve as an example of how to write a completely disjointed piece. For some reason, I've been thinking a lot lately about modality, so I've resolved to explore that tomorrow with a version of this piece. It might make for some interesting listening, but that's not a guarantee.
Click on the title to listen.
This is the second and best version of the three. I just modified the intro and gutted the inner parts of #50, and, hello, a new piece. This one works much better. I didn't delete #50 because it has some merit. I mean, it can serve as an example of how to write a completely disjointed piece. For some reason, I've been thinking a lot lately about modality, so I've resolved to explore that tomorrow with a version of this piece. It might make for some interesting listening, but that's not a guarantee.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #50
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
This is the first in a series of three versions of the same tune. They all share the same main melody, basic form and 3/4 time signature, but this one’s secondary and tertiary themes are so different that it feels like they’ve been yanked from something else. Sure, it’s fun to mix things up, but I wanted to have some sense of unity in a piece that only lasts two and a half minutes. Instead, it keeps sounding like the tempo’s constantly changing, even though it remains the same, and that I'm just throwing in elements from different pieces. I would have scrapped the whole thing had it been utter crap, but it's not. My only other choice was to keep the main theme (with a few modifications) and gut the rest. I'm much more successful in #51.
Click on the title to listen.
This is the first in a series of three versions of the same tune. They all share the same main melody, basic form and 3/4 time signature, but this one’s secondary and tertiary themes are so different that it feels like they’ve been yanked from something else. Sure, it’s fun to mix things up, but I wanted to have some sense of unity in a piece that only lasts two and a half minutes. Instead, it keeps sounding like the tempo’s constantly changing, even though it remains the same, and that I'm just throwing in elements from different pieces. I would have scrapped the whole thing had it been utter crap, but it's not. My only other choice was to keep the main theme (with a few modifications) and gut the rest. I'm much more successful in #51.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #49
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet and tuba.
After #48, I wanted to write something a tad more sedate and retiring. This piece is a lilting little number in 5/8 that walks the line between fanfare and oom-pah tune. I’m always trying to get trumpets and horns to play nice together, because I haven’t succeeded too well in the past. This is another installment in that effort.
Click on the title to listen.
After #48, I wanted to write something a tad more sedate and retiring. This piece is a lilting little number in 5/8 that walks the line between fanfare and oom-pah tune. I’m always trying to get trumpets and horns to play nice together, because I haven’t succeeded too well in the past. This is another installment in that effort.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #48
For 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
One thing I learned from Mackris v. O’Reilly was that I can write one hell of a dirge. Have a listen to that piece's excerpt of the #10 Dirge. One thing I'm trying to avoid in this project is a repetition of any past successes or failures, so I didn't want a repeat of the Dirge. Luckily, I'm working with brass ensemble here and not chamber orchestra and choir, so that wasn't much of an issue. Both pieces are slow, but the similarities end there.
I wrote this piece to mark the passing of my godmother (whose funeral I attended the previous day). It employs a very slow (some could even say dirge-like) tempo and derives a lot of power from the key of F minor. One interesting harmonic thing that happens is lots of diatonic dissonances and suspensions that occur and resolve as the lines collide with each other and drift apart again. Otherwise, it's really quite diatonic (it stays in the same key). This was another chance to use the “cascade effect” in the trumpets. Towards the end, the whole thing starts to sound like a pipe organ, but that might be because of identical timbres of the trumpet section. I like this piece a lot, because, after finishing #10, I figured that there wasn't any reason to write another dirge again. Well, I had a reason and I wrote something pretty good.
Click on the title to listen.
One thing I learned from Mackris v. O’Reilly was that I can write one hell of a dirge. Have a listen to that piece's excerpt of the #10 Dirge. One thing I'm trying to avoid in this project is a repetition of any past successes or failures, so I didn't want a repeat of the Dirge. Luckily, I'm working with brass ensemble here and not chamber orchestra and choir, so that wasn't much of an issue. Both pieces are slow, but the similarities end there.
I wrote this piece to mark the passing of my godmother (whose funeral I attended the previous day). It employs a very slow (some could even say dirge-like) tempo and derives a lot of power from the key of F minor. One interesting harmonic thing that happens is lots of diatonic dissonances and suspensions that occur and resolve as the lines collide with each other and drift apart again. Otherwise, it's really quite diatonic (it stays in the same key). This was another chance to use the “cascade effect” in the trumpets. Towards the end, the whole thing starts to sound like a pipe organ, but that might be because of identical timbres of the trumpet section. I like this piece a lot, because, after finishing #10, I figured that there wasn't any reason to write another dirge again. Well, I had a reason and I wrote something pretty good.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #47
For 3 trumpets.
I didn’t have a lot of time to devote today on account of a funeral (a big Catholic affair out in Edmonds), so in the scant time I had, I wanted to feature the “cascade effect” in the trumpets and move on. I explore it again in much greater detail in #48.
Click on the title to listen.
I didn’t have a lot of time to devote today on account of a funeral (a big Catholic affair out in Edmonds), so in the scant time I had, I wanted to feature the “cascade effect” in the trumpets and move on. I explore it again in much greater detail in #48.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #46
For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
My original intention was to write a swinging, half-time feel join-in, but what emerged is something that sounds like a missing track from the Casino Royale soundtrack (the old mess of a James Bond parody from the sixties, not the new one). I didn’t intend for it to mimic Herb Alpert, but I only realized it after I was finished. I'm still mystified as to how it turned out. It's kind of like the piece wrote itself, including the modulations and the quasi-chorale. I have no idea where any of that came from. Well, I began this project for surprises like this, as I firmly believe that any composer who knows exactly what any given piece requires, has an ironclad plan and a sensible approach is going to write something extremely boring. On the other hand, there is always a chance that someone like me, who approaches each piece with only a vague ghost of an idea as to how it should go, will write a lot of really stupid music. Fortunately, that's not the case today. Sure, this piece isn't perfect; the intro is a bit drawn out, but everybody gets to play their parts before things get under way. If it began with all the parts firing at once, it wouldn't have nearly the same impact. In addition, this piece doesn't even resemble classical music, but as you can see, that wasn't my goal. I just wanted to write something - anything - and after a good deal of shaking, this is what fell out of the tree. I'm very happy with this piece.
Click on the title to listen.
My original intention was to write a swinging, half-time feel join-in, but what emerged is something that sounds like a missing track from the Casino Royale soundtrack (the old mess of a James Bond parody from the sixties, not the new one). I didn’t intend for it to mimic Herb Alpert, but I only realized it after I was finished. I'm still mystified as to how it turned out. It's kind of like the piece wrote itself, including the modulations and the quasi-chorale. I have no idea where any of that came from. Well, I began this project for surprises like this, as I firmly believe that any composer who knows exactly what any given piece requires, has an ironclad plan and a sensible approach is going to write something extremely boring. On the other hand, there is always a chance that someone like me, who approaches each piece with only a vague ghost of an idea as to how it should go, will write a lot of really stupid music. Fortunately, that's not the case today. Sure, this piece isn't perfect; the intro is a bit drawn out, but everybody gets to play their parts before things get under way. If it began with all the parts firing at once, it wouldn't have nearly the same impact. In addition, this piece doesn't even resemble classical music, but as you can see, that wasn't my goal. I just wanted to write something - anything - and after a good deal of shaking, this is what fell out of the tree. I'm very happy with this piece.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #45
For 1 horn and 2 trumpets.
My previous efforts with this type of smaller ensemble have been a little disappointing. There’s no bass voice to anchor to, so I’m generally a little at a loss as to what to do with all those treble voices. Well, my solution in this case was to feature the trumpet and horn in unison in a lot of the passages. I also incorporated a lot of fanfare baggage. Sure, it's barely over a minute long, but it's a pretty substantial minute. I’m very pleased with the results. I mean, it could have been much worse.
Click on the title to listen.
My previous efforts with this type of smaller ensemble have been a little disappointing. There’s no bass voice to anchor to, so I’m generally a little at a loss as to what to do with all those treble voices. Well, my solution in this case was to feature the trumpet and horn in unison in a lot of the passages. I also incorporated a lot of fanfare baggage. Sure, it's barely over a minute long, but it's a pretty substantial minute. I’m very pleased with the results. I mean, it could have been much worse.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #44
For 1 horn, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones and tuba.
I wanted to write something melancholy, off-kilter, yet semi-accessible, so I decided to divide up two bars of 4 into 3+3+2 for a weird feel and phrase it in 8-bar chunks in 4 (does that make any sense??), and this is what came up. You can hear what I'm trying to achieve, I hope. The close-harmony muted trumpets gave me a lot of harmonic freedom. I originally wanted them to sound like an accordion, but they’re trumpets, for Pete’s sake! They don’t sound like an accordion! Sorry about that, guys! I still like this piece a lot.
Click on the title to listen.
I wanted to write something melancholy, off-kilter, yet semi-accessible, so I decided to divide up two bars of 4 into 3+3+2 for a weird feel and phrase it in 8-bar chunks in 4 (does that make any sense??), and this is what came up. You can hear what I'm trying to achieve, I hope. The close-harmony muted trumpets gave me a lot of harmonic freedom. I originally wanted them to sound like an accordion, but they’re trumpets, for Pete’s sake! They don’t sound like an accordion! Sorry about that, guys! I still like this piece a lot.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #43
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 3 trombones and tuba.
This is another example of a piece beginning in one place and ending in another, which about the only thing I can say about something that is less than satisfactory. Well, I can also say something like, "Before today, this piece didn't exist. Now it does." Seriously, if it's not much good, what use is it to draw attention to its inherent suckiness. I will say this though: I like what goes on here, but I’m not quite happy with the sum of its parts.
Click on the title to listen.
This is another example of a piece beginning in one place and ending in another, which about the only thing I can say about something that is less than satisfactory. Well, I can also say something like, "Before today, this piece didn't exist. Now it does." Seriously, if it's not much good, what use is it to draw attention to its inherent suckiness. I will say this though: I like what goes on here, but I’m not quite happy with the sum of its parts.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #42
For 2 horns and 2 trombones.
This is another problem ensemble; the ranges of the instruments are so close together, more or less, so you need to approach with care. One of the solutions is to use the two sections to contrast each other (isn't that, um, obvious already?) and slow the thing down. OK, maybe this reasoning is simplistic, but sometimes that's all you need. After all, the day before I decided to write a march in minor key. That's all I started out with. Good fortune was on my side and #41 popped out. After the first few measures, I wanted to be something like a saraband, a slow dance that got everybody grinding 350 years ago. Yeah, it's not a real-live example, but it tries to evoke the mood. Like all these tracks, it’ll sound much better with live musicians.
Click on the title to listen.
This is another problem ensemble; the ranges of the instruments are so close together, more or less, so you need to approach with care. One of the solutions is to use the two sections to contrast each other (isn't that, um, obvious already?) and slow the thing down. OK, maybe this reasoning is simplistic, but sometimes that's all you need. After all, the day before I decided to write a march in minor key. That's all I started out with. Good fortune was on my side and #41 popped out. After the first few measures, I wanted to be something like a saraband, a slow dance that got everybody grinding 350 years ago. Yeah, it's not a real-live example, but it tries to evoke the mood. Like all these tracks, it’ll sound much better with live musicians.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #41
For 1 horn, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.
I woke up in the morning and thought, "Hey, I'll write another march!" And that's just what I did. This one’s in G minor and a bit quicker than #31, but the form is the same – that is A B A C A, with various intros, outros, transitions and such thrown in for good measure. The first march experience went so well that I tried to recreate it. It turned out even better, though I'm not completely sold on the second half of the B theme, as the piece temporarily loses its drive, but other than that, it's my second-favorite piece of the bunch. My opinion will certainly change by the time I get to #200, but for the moment, this tune serves as inspiration for when my abilities are in doubt.
Click on the title to listen.
I woke up in the morning and thought, "Hey, I'll write another march!" And that's just what I did. This one’s in G minor and a bit quicker than #31, but the form is the same – that is A B A C A, with various intros, outros, transitions and such thrown in for good measure. The first march experience went so well that I tried to recreate it. It turned out even better, though I'm not completely sold on the second half of the B theme, as the piece temporarily loses its drive, but other than that, it's my second-favorite piece of the bunch. My opinion will certainly change by the time I get to #200, but for the moment, this tune serves as inspiration for when my abilities are in doubt.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #40
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I also love doo wop. I grew up during the doo wop revival of the seventies, which was both brief and powerful. But I'm quite aware that the brass ensemble is a poor choice for presentation of it. All I had to do for this one was alter the time signature slightly (I took out an eighth note from the standard 12/8 of the doo wop ballad and put it in a non-standard 11/8) and concentrated on keeping the melody either terse or flowing and voila, a new piece is born. OK, so it doesn't sound much like doo wop, but you see where I'm trying to go, right? My apologies to the trombones; I know you guys like to breathe, but this tune does not allow for that. Honestly, there isn't anyplace for a breath in the early going, but on the plus side, you don't have to play very loudly, so I'm thinking you could probably hold out 20, maybe 30 seconds (if you're non-smokers, which most trombonists are for some reason) before collapsing or getting goofy. That's all this piece really needs. After that, it's pretty easy until the same demands are made on you at the end. Good luck.
Click on the title to listen.
I also love doo wop. I grew up during the doo wop revival of the seventies, which was both brief and powerful. But I'm quite aware that the brass ensemble is a poor choice for presentation of it. All I had to do for this one was alter the time signature slightly (I took out an eighth note from the standard 12/8 of the doo wop ballad and put it in a non-standard 11/8) and concentrated on keeping the melody either terse or flowing and voila, a new piece is born. OK, so it doesn't sound much like doo wop, but you see where I'm trying to go, right? My apologies to the trombones; I know you guys like to breathe, but this tune does not allow for that. Honestly, there isn't anyplace for a breath in the early going, but on the plus side, you don't have to play very loudly, so I'm thinking you could probably hold out 20, maybe 30 seconds (if you're non-smokers, which most trombonists are for some reason) before collapsing or getting goofy. That's all this piece really needs. After that, it's pretty easy until the same demands are made on you at the end. Good luck.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #39
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
I love hard bop. Although a bit limited, it’s my jazz of choice. You can throw blue notes just about anywhere and they usually sound great. Sure, this tune a note-for-note arrangement, but that doesn’t mean it can’t sound spontaneous. It was a lot of fun to write. And incidentally, at over four minutes, it's the longest piece of the bunch so far. This is about the limit to what can be done in one day, I'm afraid. I worked on it all day and into the night, and although I'm just following a standard AABA jazz form, it took me forever to get it into the right shape. I mean, it has to have a high point (OK, #38 didn't have a high point, let alone a point or a purpose) and it has to maintain its jazz character. That's what took me so long. But I'm happy with the results.
Click on the title to listen.
I love hard bop. Although a bit limited, it’s my jazz of choice. You can throw blue notes just about anywhere and they usually sound great. Sure, this tune a note-for-note arrangement, but that doesn’t mean it can’t sound spontaneous. It was a lot of fun to write. And incidentally, at over four minutes, it's the longest piece of the bunch so far. This is about the limit to what can be done in one day, I'm afraid. I worked on it all day and into the night, and although I'm just following a standard AABA jazz form, it took me forever to get it into the right shape. I mean, it has to have a high point (OK, #38 didn't have a high point, let alone a point or a purpose) and it has to maintain its jazz character. That's what took me so long. But I'm happy with the results.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #38
For 2 horns, 2 trombones and tuba.
I was hoping for this to sound like a tonally-drifting round. Instead, it’s not quite what I had envisioned. It turns out neither here nor there, which is not a good place to be. There’s a little moodiness at the end which salvages things somewhat. That's just me trying to be kind. This piece goes to prove that sadly, all days can’t be great days. This might possibly be my least favorite piece so far. But I've got 262 pieces left till I'm done. There's sure to be a few mega-dogs in there somewhere.
Click on the title to listen.
I was hoping for this to sound like a tonally-drifting round. Instead, it’s not quite what I had envisioned. It turns out neither here nor there, which is not a good place to be. There’s a little moodiness at the end which salvages things somewhat. That's just me trying to be kind. This piece goes to prove that sadly, all days can’t be great days. This might possibly be my least favorite piece so far. But I've got 262 pieces left till I'm done. There's sure to be a few mega-dogs in there somewhere.
Click on the title to listen.
One Day Wonder #37
For 2 horns, 1 trumpet, 2 trombones and tuba.
The tuba is an easy instrument to overlook. Sure, it’s massive and shiny, but nobody really thinks of giving it a tune. I give it a tune. The key is to keep the rest of the group as light as possible and eventually let the trumpet have its day. That’s all there is to it! Speaking of the trumpet, I really like the solo I've given it; it's just this side of circus music and a bit beyond the chords. Once again, with a real player, it'll sound much better. The little robot man inside of Finale 2005 executes it perfectly, but, as with many things in the world of art and music, perfection is less than desirable. Jazz is a good example of this aesthetic. You're supposed to collect your flaws and turn them into style. Recently, I've seen a lot of players who don't have any flaws come up through the ranks. In short, that's unfortunately why jazz has become so boring of late. What's my style? (After all, this is a blog and I'm supposed to talk about myself a lot, right?) Well, I don't play high and I try like hell not to play fast. Playing high (we're talking altissimo register) isn't easy, but it's pretty standard these days. And everybody - and I mean every, single, sax, player, in, the, world - plays fast. There hasn't been a Paul Desmond since, well, Paul Desmond, and he's been dead for a long time. OK, enough of this jazz rant. Enjoy this wacky tuba piece.
Click on the title to listen.
The tuba is an easy instrument to overlook. Sure, it’s massive and shiny, but nobody really thinks of giving it a tune. I give it a tune. The key is to keep the rest of the group as light as possible and eventually let the trumpet have its day. That’s all there is to it! Speaking of the trumpet, I really like the solo I've given it; it's just this side of circus music and a bit beyond the chords. Once again, with a real player, it'll sound much better. The little robot man inside of Finale 2005 executes it perfectly, but, as with many things in the world of art and music, perfection is less than desirable. Jazz is a good example of this aesthetic. You're supposed to collect your flaws and turn them into style. Recently, I've seen a lot of players who don't have any flaws come up through the ranks. In short, that's unfortunately why jazz has become so boring of late. What's my style? (After all, this is a blog and I'm supposed to talk about myself a lot, right?) Well, I don't play high and I try like hell not to play fast. Playing high (we're talking altissimo register) isn't easy, but it's pretty standard these days. And everybody - and I mean every, single, sax, player, in, the, world - plays fast. There hasn't been a Paul Desmond since, well, Paul Desmond, and he's been dead for a long time. OK, enough of this jazz rant. Enjoy this wacky tuba piece.
Click on the title to listen.
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