Moonlighting

[Frank53]

I won't subject you to any of this on the music boards, but I did want to share, for anyone who may find it interesting...

In January I began a series of online courses in music theory and composition. I completed the courses in June; about 60 hours of lecture. When I began I downloaded Musescore; a free music notation program which allows you to score compositions and play them back, using general midi voices contained in the software.

Over the past few months I have been dabbling in simple classical composition, applying what I have been learning. My Youtube channel below contains a few of these short pieces, for various ensembles. It's been an interesting diversion, and quite a learning experience.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx_GI9sJCG0rINieqMh49ig

[Ferryman]

Blimey! Proper music Very nice Frank, I really liked the sonata. I thought it was a bit short then I realised that was just the first movement...

Very impressive efforts. I could never get close to anything like this, so hats off to you. You should do a classically-oriented collab with Paul....

[Flash Harry]

Thanks Frank - I have been meaning to have a look for something along these lines, I'll have a look at the software and your channel.

Just downloaded..

[Ray Brookes]

Hi Frank, some lovely music you have composed and I particularly like the "Dragon Fire String Quartet" with its interesting harmonic structure. I'd love to hear these pieces with live orchestral players or at least with a really good virtual sound library. As a matter of fact I also write "classical" music or "serious" music as I like to put it. I use East West Quantum Leap virtual sounds that generally give me a reasonable sounding instrumentation. Anyhow, here is a piece I dumped on Youtube not so long ago if you want to check it out. It's called "Winter Morning" and here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBvnnRTz_Y8.

Cheers,

Ray

[Frank53]

Thanks guys. Though I have always enjoyed classical music, I originally took these courses to learn to create better orchestration and horn arrangements for my pop songs. But now I have gotten the bug to create classical pieces as well. They are rudimentary, but it's a lot of fun. The courses covered theory and composition from Medieval through 20th century, so there is so much to draw from. Overwhelming, really. 

Anyhow, here is a piece I dumped on Youtube not so long ago if you want to check it out. It's called "Winter Morning" and here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBvnnRTz_Y8.

Cheers,

Ray

Ray, this is beautiful. Love the composition and dynamics. I would guess late romantic or early 20th century perhaps? I'm currently in the midst of a course on the history of western classical music, so I am still learning the styles of various periods and composers. Nice work.

[Ferryman]

Anyhow, here is a piece I dumped on Youtube not so long ago if you want to check it out. It's called "Winter Morning" and here's the link:

Cheers,

Ray

More proper music! This is really lovely Ray, not that I have any capability to critically assess this kind of music. But I really enjoyed the moods and atmospheres it creates.

[Ray Brookes]

Thanks a lot for the kind words, guys; much appreciated.

[StephenM]

I like the soft rain...my wife is a professional keyboardist as in piano and organ and had 12 years of training...she likes the classical and major keys....and is always asking me why I can't play something nice.... what she doesn't understand is that to me nice is screaming guitar...and it isn't classical piano...don't get me wrong I love a good acoustic instrument played well...and I really like the way they use them in classic rock, sort of like in Kansas...but to me it's gets boring alone...it's like asking a tiger why he can't be a bear...or something like that...one thing is for sure Frank, this will add to your songwriting and performing ..... and you are really good now...