The works below are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License and ©2013 Gregory Weaver.
Hey! It’s been awhile. I’ve got two tunes for you to check out.
Fanfare and Jubilee (Remastered)
This was actually completed about three weeks ago...
If you compare it to the original versions of the tune you’ll find some changes in the actual composition (as opposed to the sound), but nothing too significant. Mainly, I made the ending shorter so that the listener wouldn’t lose interest. I had thought before that the buildup to the large section that features all of the instruments playing together would be a good idea; however, even I as the composer was fatigued by hearing just one instrument come in at a time. Also, you’ll notice that the trombone starts off the buildup instead of the trumpet, and the percussion doesn’t take extra time to build up either. I think you’ll agree if you compare the two that it was in every listener’s best interest to shorten that section.
NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: The issues in the below paragraph have been handled! What you hear above is the corrected version.
While this tune is technically final, having sought out some criticism of it I learned from other composers that they find the mix too dry. While I set out for a drier mix, I am going to run with the suggestions and see how I can improve the sound of the piece by altering the reverb to give it more depth.
A Binding Harmony
This next tune was written for the TIGSource Musical Challenge XXIII. You might recall that I entered one of the challenges a while back with my tune “Mr. AC (Keep Your Cool).” For that tune, the challenge was to make a thirty-second looping battle theme; for this, things were a bit less constricting. The challenge was, simply, to create a love theme.
Imagine, if you will, that two lovers had been separated against their will, and after many months or years or however long, they spot each other in a large, crowded area. Having locked eyes they push through the crowd and wind up in each other’s arms once again. Suddenly, the world around them seems simply to vanish as they revel in their reunion.
I’m happy with how this tune turned out. It didn’t take me long to write and produce it, for one, and I think that I learned a lot in the span that I did work on it.
Originally, the tune was going to feature brass instruments with a trumpet or horn taking the main melody. After trying that for a little bit, it wasn’t meshing well with my ideas, so I went back to focusing on writing with ye olde piano, where I got down every part with the exception of the bass clarinet solo, which I wrote on a whim using the bass clarinet samples themselves. Another interesting tidbit is that I kind of wanted to make the main theme have more of a jazz ballad feel using a drum kit with brushes, but my current sample library won’t allow for that to be of the quality that I’m looking for.
Anyhow, I ended up knowing that I wanted to feature the woodwinds, especially after feeling like I’ve had good successes in the past in writing for them. What I did this time, though, was sit down and listen to a handful of famous cinematic love themes to try and internalize how the parts around the themes moved to create such luscious sounds. I think that led to me doing more with less—that is, creating more movement by limiting the number of voices sounding in certain phrases and having them all come together in others. Moreover, I started focusing on weaving melodies between instruments and in and out of textures.
NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: The issue noted below regarding reverb has been fixed, and the version you hear above is indeed the updated version!
I’d say that this tune is done, but it’s because I want to do more with it that I won’t. I would like to add in more brass and even a string section, arranging the piece for full orchestra. In fact, that was a suggestion I got from one of my fellow challengers. She, Elizabitcrusher, also suggested that I take more advantage of reverb (clearly my production-based nemesis at this point). So, I think it’s safe to say that in the future you’ll be hearing more of this tune—it’s just the when that’s in question.
From here, I’m working on finishing up a “large boss” fight tune, and after that, I’m going to compile my first demo and start getting my stuff out there to indie companies. Being that I’ve surpassed the halfway point of my sabbatical, I need to get my music out there and try to grab projects as soon as possible. The most ideal situation would be for me to have enough work to be able to keep moving forward as I am, but it’s more likely that I’ll be on the job hunt again soon, hoping to land a fulltime gig as the projects start trickling in.
On a more fun note, my pal Natalie of Clavis Cryptica asked me to do some voice acting for her upcoming D.C. puzzle hunt, The Famine Game (based after a best-selling novel with a synonymical title). It was so much fun! I hope that somehow I can get roped into being paid for voice acting services one day, haha. Maybe I’ll make a demo reel for that, too…
Thanks, as always, for listening and reading! Questions and critiques forever welcome in the comment section below.
‘til next time…!
