As a young teen (12-13) I toured with the Houston All-City Symphony as a percussionist. I have always loved the sound of an orchestra. So, I decided to return to my roots, as it were, and start recording original bits of underscore music along with some well-known hymns.
The Phony Symphony
This is sort of where it all began. After watching a few YouTube videos about scoring and orchestration, I became inspired to try my hand at it. This was the outcome. My son said it sounds like video game music. Hopefully, it will stir your imagination. I did it in Studio One 4, but I mixed it in the new DAW, UA’s Luna. Good fun.
O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
Sometimes, the best string arrangements are derived from what’s already written in the hymn book. Covert the various choral parts to strings and you’re well on your way. That was my starting point here. The remainder just followed the prescribed patterns. The end result is a beautiful song, instrumentally performed. This recording was done in Studio One 4.
Pastor P.I
Okay, that’s a bit of an inside joke. When I finished this little experiment, it sounded like the theme to a TV show …. so, I decided it would be the theme for my new show “Pastor P.I.” Again, Studio One 4.
TV Mystery Title Underscore
This music falls somewhere between Midsomer Murders and Edward Scissorhands. It sounds like the music that would play as the opening credits were rolling. Once again, Studio One 4 and some lovely samples.
Lullaby 1
The same as above: Studio One 4, lots of Spitfire audio samples, and a bit of sleep deprivation.
Andy’s Theme
Okay, I may be getting a little stir crazy. Here’s a bit of my childhood TV memory combined with my newfound love for orchestrating things. Remember, the actual theme melody never changes. It’s the chords and harmonies around it that get a little wacky.
A Celtic Symphony
After that last piece, I decided to go more tradition. This started as a simple melody, using a very Celtic scale. It grew into an emotional and dramatic piece. Once again, Studio One 4.5 and my free version of the BBC Orchestra Discover from Spitfire.
An Fm Progression
This piece of music has no reason to exist beyond the sheer joy of creating something that didn’t exist previously. I used Spitfire’s BBC Symphony, as well as Studio One 5. One old man, great toys.
A Quiet Moment
This song began by noodling around with Spitfire’s free felt piano. The rest just happened, piece by piece. It was recorded using Studio One 5. It is perhaps the quietest, most emotional piece of composing I’ve done so far.
Lullaby 2
This little ditty is a lullaby. These are all the usual tools, along with Spitfire’s BBC Symphony.
Shivering Timbers
I didn’t mean for this to become a swashbuckling sea-shanty and yet it did. As is took shape, I decided to stop denying the obvious and just let go full-born pirate.
Visions of Sugarplums
In the week before Christmas 2021, I started sketching this piece. Then, I was felled by a nasty virus. But here, post-Xmas and pre-New Year’s, I was able to complete it. It’s meant to convey some of the joy, hope, and trepidation a child goes through on Christmas Eve.