JPF Home Page Forums Lyric and MP3 Feedback MP3 Feedback Forum Magic Music Box

Hey thanks again, John.

Yeah, I use NI's Kontakt for many of my sampled instruments, and its scripting engine lends itself perfectly towards the kind of post-minimal/rhythmically driven music that I have been attracted to, ever since I first heard Steve Reich's "Music For 18 Musicians" back in the late seventies.

I still write "longhand" like you, but for me that's strictly onto the piano roll. Linear composition is still the only way to flesh out melodic/harmonic ideas that might come to a composer like you or I.

Mostly though I create "sonic situations" using various softwares, that can transform one set of information into another--such as converting a picture, say, of an aurora borealis, and converting that to midi information, then doling that info out amongst several instruments. Doing stuff like that is where my heart has been lately. It really connects me up to my "inner child" -- as crazy as that sounds. It's cuz I really don't know what I'm gonna get, before hand, and the element of surprise is always fun to have, in the compositional process.

I also realize that "making one choice, then another" is all that composition or art in general, is really about. When I am "composing" in this modern way, I am basically just listening to something, and saying either "yes" or "no" --iow using it or tossing it. After going through hundreds of prospects, I will choose the one that has the most potential for further work. Oft times, there will be things going on that I could NEVER have thought of, without having made allowances for "experimenting" --and so, I am happy with my process! As you should be with yours. Process seems to come from a deeper place. Folks could pay more attention to the "how" of their work, and grow leaps and bounds, in THAT process, I think!

Oh jeez, have I just derailed my own thread? haha...thanks again, John.

Mike