Posted
I took a lead from Codetronix. This song is about my mother and her younger sister, who passed away 30 years earlier than my mom (she passed November 2011). They were a few years apart and were each other's best friend. My mom was devestated when she passed. It took her about 5 years to come back to normal. These were also their middle names which they did not normally use. So it has a slightly alternate reality to it. Some psychology books say, a person's name affects them greatly.. And people often grow into their name as they age..
This piece realizes the conversation they have been having since my mom passed away. They are sharing memories, stories, laughs, all the ups and downs of life. The different themes and instruments refer to different times and aspects of their relationship..
I did all the chord work in SFP, and many of the basic parts. Ported over to Logic and hand played some parts, and also had to refine some of what SFP did. (still much to learn to get it to do exactly what I want it to do).. I've been reading up on voicings, parallel, inverted, contrary etc. and tried to make use of that. As a result most tracks only play one or two notes at a time. I spread the hamonies out on different instruments.
After I laid down the preliminary track, I went back and polished and refined some of the instrument sounds, with tweaks to instruments or doubling with another softer instrument.. This is mostly Tyros 4, Motif rack XS, Sampletank Philharmonic and Kontakt. The piano and harpsichord is Pianoteq (great piece of VI instrument software).
I'm working on the pieces longer now.. Doing some and letting them sit a day or two, even start tackling a different piece, then I come back to it with a new perspective. I had recently read the Beatles did that all the time.. Sometimes having a half dozen undone songs sitting around.. It does seem to help.. When you go at it in one extended period of time, it's easy to go to far in one direction. And sometimes you just get stuck.. On this piece I do a bunch of work, come back the next day, and toss, 10% - 90%.. Sometimes just totally jettising a whole part, cause the harmonic relationship between the instruments I chose wasn't gelling.
Hope you enjoy the piece
Rachel and Rebecca -
(https://www.box.com/s/93j2gwcci0nnqgmlvr8p)
Rachel and Rebecca score -
(https://www.box.com/s/e46eih07eztonxxg8nsi)
(Mark Styles © 2013 Pliant Tunes BMI)