You Know You're a Composer When...

• You have had to ask a family member to kindly stop whistling so you can compose
• The first thing you ask when someone mentions a new movie is “Who wrote the score?”
• You have more than one keyboard in the house
• You collect exotic instruments
• You can play many instruments just a bit
• Your iPod is filled with soundtracks
• You can watch a movie you don’t know anything about and correctly name the composer just by listening to it
• You save every scrap of paper in case it has music ideas written on it
• You write music ideas on library receipts and gum wrappers
• There is staff paper in your schoolbag
• You have created a brilliant song only to discover that it sounds a lot like something John Williams would compose
• You ask your choir director which instruments sound the best with piano, violin, tin whistle and marimba (in which case the answer is- nothing really)
• You have a song stuck in your head but you don’t know if it already exists or if you composed it subconsciously
• You talk your friends into playing your songs
• You want an orchestra for your birthday

And this is where I challenge you, my lovely followers, to to create your own list. What's your thing? Please share! And if you do, why don't you link back to this post?

Soundtrack Saturday

For today's soundtrack, I have selected the track "Carl Goes Up" from the movie Up by Michael Giacchino. This creative composition has the ability to paint a picture in one's mind whether they've seen the movie or not. For example, in the beginning of the piece, when the balloons are released in the movie, Giacchino used high strings and woodwind to make the listener feel like they are leaving the ground as well. The music helps the audience to feel like they are a part of the story.

Please Help Me Decide!

I ask that you hop on over to my photography blog to help me decide which photos to enter in a contest. Thanks!

Sometimes I Wish I Lived On a Private Island...

It's been an interesting day. I felt like composing something, but the world seemed to feel otherwise. First of all, my neighbor was blasting music from his open window (again), my dad wanted to play his guitar, and my headphones wouldn't drown out the noise. So I rode my bike down to the park and it was so peaceful and quiet that I was (finally) able to compose. So I jotted it down in my notebook and rode home.

And then I had to actually get it off the page. The second I sat down at my keyboard the man who lives across the street turned on his leaf blower. It was an E flat. My song was in D. Not a good combination.

Then my dad's phone rang.

Sigh...


But I finally got it into Garage Band! I recorded it once, then saved it multiple times. For one, I kept all the instruments as piano, for another I changed some of them to strings and such, and the last one I made techno. I shoved them all together. Enjoy, and please, please, please tell me what you think of it. I am anxious to hear read your thoughts.  After all- I can't get better unless I know what I need to improve on. And for the record, you guys have been really, really quiet. When I posted my last composition, I only got like 3 comments. That was super discouraging. Just saying.

Come on!!! I shouldn't have to beg for comments!


Anyway, here it is...

Adventure/Western- Orchestra, Piano, and Techno by composer4christ

Soundtrack Saturday

This wee's selection is from Transformers by Steve Jablonsky. This track is one of my favorites because of the way it builds throughout the first half, then lets it all out. It has multiple instrument parts that aren't particularly intricate on their own, but blend together to give the song texture.

Letter Tag

To participate in this tag, one must simply leave a comment asking for a letter of the alphabet. I shall then assign each commenter a letter. After receiving their letter, they shall list ten things that they love beginning with their letter and post it on their blog.

My letter, given to me by the fantastic Director, is J. My list is as follows.

• Judges- my favorite book in the Bible. Not sure why. It's sort of gruesome.
• Jumping on trampolines- Except they have to be clean and they must have a net.

• Joan Aiken books- simply charming, in a strange sort of way

•  Jokes- but not the groaners like my dad tells. I mean actual funny ones.
• Jam- homemade raspberry jam. Not blueberry.
• Jeremy Camp- great music, people!
• Jolly Joe's- the song from Veggie Tales. You know, this one:

(Umm... Happy Soundtrack Saturday, people! I didn't forget... really...)


As I was saying...

• James Newton Howard- need I say any more?
• Jello popsicles- they're soft and they don't drip! What more could you want?
• Jugglers- they're fun to watch. Especially the crazy ones who can do like 40 at a time.

I'm Alive!

Hey there! This is going to be super short, but I just wanted to reassure you that I am, in fact, still alive and well. We've seen a lot of neat things on this trip so far including enormous trees, diving pelicans, and incredible sunsets. Anyway, see you all in a few days!

Soundtrack Review: Tangled

Hey there! It's been a while since my last soundtrack review, hasn't it? I can't believe I haven't done a review on this one yet.





Alan Menken, an American composer, has written the score for numerous Disney movies, including The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, and more recently, Enchanted.

Before I saw the movie, I wasn't quite sure what to expect as far as the score goes. Needless to say, I was very impressed. Menken was able to retain a more traditional feel that really enhanced the movie, while the songs with words were definitely more modern sounding. Mostly, as it usually is, it was the instruments he chose. The very traditional sound was created by using a blend of solo wind (don't know what exactly) and (I'm guessing) violin along with what sounded like a bodhran, or a traditional Irish drum, and a tambourine. This can especially be heard in the track Kingdom Dance, which is by far my favorite track from the movie.





Menken also did a great job capturing moods. The track below is a great example. I heard this track before even seeing the movie and I could tell that the scene took place at night because of the guitar, and I could hear light, and something grand and life-changing taking place. I was happily surprised when I saw the movie that I had been pretty spot on.





Finally, here's what the composer himself has to say about his music:

Notice the wall in the room there- Isn't it epic!?


Alright, I think I'm done raving about Tangled for a while. Enjoy the break while it lasts.

And in case you haven't heard it yet, I posted another composition in the previous post and I would love love love some feedback.

Also, I'm leaving for a trip tomorrow and probably will have little or no internet access. So just consider this your Soundtrack Saturday.

And finally, please pray that we don't have any more car trouble. We've had a lot of that lately and we certainly don't need anything going wrong while we're on our trip. Thanks!

Live Recording of the Lost Journals

I finally did it! I got a MIDI keyboard about 2 weeks or so ago which means that I can now record my compositions into Garage Band! I'm extremely happy about this because I can get the dynamics and the tempo changes and special things like that just the way I want them. And the piano doesn't sound all clinky like it does on Sibelius. It sounds... real!

So yesterday I made a decent sounding recording of this song and am here to share it with you all.

This is a monumental day, folks!

Live Recording of Lost Journals by composer4christ

I've Had an Exciting Few Days

After escaping the rainy weather earlier this week, we returned home and had some pretty nice weather!

On Thursday, my dad and I went boating out on the river near our house. I used my kayak and my dad tried out his new solo canoe. We saw a blue heron. It kept flying ahead and landing, flying and landing, and we followed it about half a mile up the river.

On Friday, I went on a wonderful bike ride with a friend. There was a book sale at the public library that we stopped at. Then we crossed the street and visited the farmers market and an annual art event called Art Splash. Art Splash is where local artists get to show off their work and hopefully sell something. Later, around 8:30 or so I rode my bike alone down to the park. The light was perfect and I took some great pictures.

On Saturday, we experienced what I believe was the first day this summer, maybe even this year, where there was literally not a single cloud in the sky. I rode my bike to the park and was there by about 9:30. There was nobody there yet so it was wonderfully quiet. I sat by the river and read for about an hour, two ducks keeping me company.

When I got back it had warmed up quite a bit so 2 of my neighbors and I decided to get in my inflatable pool.

Yeah. That was interesting.


Then another friend called and invited my parents and me over for dinner. It was quite tasty. My parents and her parents have so many similarities, they're practically twins!


On Sunday morning, I got up at 6, just in time for the sunrise. It was spectacular!

Once we were all awake, we went into town. It was just the right temperature.

To finish off the day, I rode my bike to the park again and captured the sunset. Those pictures are still on my camera, but it looked just like the sunrise, with the rays, and the clouds, and the color...


Around 4 this morning, I was awake and I thought I saw a flash of lightning, but I always think that so I tried to go back to sleep. Then I saw another. It was definitely lightning.

Back-story: About a week ago I prayed for a good thunder and lightning storm since it's been a pretty long time singe I've seen one. He obviously answered my prayer.

So I kept watching and eventually I heard thunder, waaaay off in the distance. And after a few soft flashes and rumbles, I noticed it growing louder, brighter, and closer together, but still a good way off.

And I prayed silently, Alright Lord, I asked for a good storm. Can you give me just one good flash before I go back to sleep?

Not 2 seconds after that I see the brightest flash I have ever seen, followed closely by the loudest thunder I have ever heard, followed by the most startled parents I have ever heard. It even shook me up a bit. Okay, a lot.

Okay Lord, thanks, but I think that's enough... Can I just go back to sleep now?

And the storm passed over without any more super bright flashes or super loud rolls of thunder, and I fell asleep to the sound of distant thunder and falling rain.