Creative Music Gallery

[michael-rockowitz]

Hi to all. I’ve assumed a new moniker/nom d’ecran.

I had in mind that you could have a forum post in which all manner of performance-related original creative effort from forum members could be displayed/linked. This could include original audio files, videos, arrangements, compositions. This would be material the author voluntarily shares with this audience (as opposed to publishing a book of original music from which you might make at least some money, for example).

Here are some cross-strung harp videos I’ve done recently (although, again, I hope people will publish all kinds of original harp music or performance here). For the songs, I’ve tried to take Saul Z’s observations regarding looking at the audience to heart.

[michael-rockowitz]

Here’s another video. I would have placed multiple videos in the same post, but I couldn’t figure out how to do that.

[michael-rockowitz]

And here’s the traditional “Parting Glass,” but I rewrote the lyrics to make the character less dissolute.

[Sherri Matthew]

Beautiful harp, lovely piece (2nd video). Who is the harp builder? Nice instrument. 🙂

[michael-rockowitz]

Sherri, That’s a Stoney End Esabelle cross-strung I’m playing. I bought it in the white – cheaper that way, and then just sanded it, applied danish oil as finish, and put pegs and strings on. If you view the video from youtube directly, you’ll see that I always provide information on the harp I’m playing, and the equipment used to make the recording. I advocate that folks always indicate the harp used in any given video, and I like the idea of revealing what consumer-level non-professional equipment you use for recording. Lastly, in the case of songs that I write, I generally provide the lyrics in the text portion of the youtube video. Zep

[lindsey-w-mcquiston]

This is so beautiful!! Very original. I have done a few harp covers on my lever harp.

[lindsey-w-mcquiston]

When I said “this is so beautiful” I meant Zep’s pieces. I was really inspired by them.

[michael-rockowitz]

Lindsey, Thank you. I enjoyed your execution and fluency with that piece. I always liked that song. If you wanted to play around with it, you could alter aspects of the melody, or the timing of the melody, or the harmonic structure, the possibilities are endless.

I recently composed a jazz version of a sacred tune, but someone pointed out that some might find that offensive, so I used it as a starting point to create a tune that was harmonically similar, but you could never discern its melodic origins.

Here’s a little article about doing covers on Youtube. The whole issue seems far more complex than you’d ever have thought:

http://www.wired.com/business/2012/05/opinion-baio-criminal-creativity/

(you’ll have to paste the above into your URL line – I tried to read “Hester Blog” mentioned above about adding links, but, alas! it paradoxically doesn’t link to Hester’s Blog)

If you could add links, it would answer the question of how to add multiple videos to a post.

Zep

[Sherri Matthew]

I don’t know Zep, I wouldn’t worry too much about your sacred jazz tune and people’s reaction to it. If you visit my website http://www.sherrimatthew.com you’ll see I do a lot with Gregorian Chant and I’ve gotten a lot of nice responses to my work. This started some years ago with my organ professor who had studied chant and encouraged me to pursue it, along with the harp and building my recording studio. He still listens to my work even today and gives encouragement and constructive feedback.

My husband is a church organist and while his background is primarily classical, he’s been exposed to a fair amount of CCM (contemporary Christian music) along the way and praise bands as well. If you’re good at jazz on the harp and you like sacred melodies too, maybe you’re onto something!

[michael-rockowitz]

Sherri, you’re probably right, but its hard to know. This was the tune to the jewish prayer “Ain Kay-low-hey-nu.” It turns out it fits well with the changes to “I Got Rhythm” (assuming you just improvise over the bridge). Its a simple tune, but I like the one I ended coming up with better, which I’ll probably record eventually. I couldn’t see maybe offending someone out there completely unnecessarily. Then again, maybe I’m blowing this all out of proportion.

[Sherri Matthew]

My husband is carillonneur of two colleges in Vermont and he recorded the Kol Nidre on the Bok Tower carillon in Lake Wales, Fl. People love it. He plays a lot of Jewish music on the carillon for the High Holy Days too (he was a synagogue organist for many years in CT) and never any objections there either. The college rabbi invites him to do a program every year. Carillon bells aren’t traditionally associated with Jewish music but he’s found a way to integrate the two successfully. Maybe you could find a cantor and show them what you’ve got so far? Would put your mind at ease and maybe even get some guidance how to develop your ideas. The scales are a little different, kind of like the modes in Gregorian Chant that differ from traditional major/minor tonality, but that’s what makes it interesting to work with! 🙂

[Author]

Posts