More Music

I like working on different styles of music for different purposes. Below are various pieces that don't quite fit on the other pages, but have been really fun projects indeed: a podcast theme, a ringtone, and other collaborative or solo works.

Check 'em out, and let me know what you think!

And the Sea Runs (Single)

November 2020:

Evan Shapiro wrote the lyrics, created the initial instrumental, and sung for this track.

I added organ, electric piano, and some soundscapes. Then I mixed and mastered the track.

Check it out! I'm pleased with the tracks I wrote and how the mix and groove turned out! :)

High Escape (A Ringtone)

Released 2019, Remastered Aug 2021:

I wanted to make a ring-tone for fun. First, I sampled an old landline phone I had used in the 90s. Then, I wanted to write a high energy rock track, but one without guitar distortion (for a change). I used my old Takamine acoustic guitar, added piano, bass, and drums, and had a blast with the synth key solo. Of course, I had written a lot of music before I checked that an average ring tone was 30 sec. So, it reworked it down to 20 sec so it would play the full length of the piece even on the shortest phones.

Not Simple: A Cultivating Leadership Podcast

March-April 2019:

It was exciting to work with Wendy and Rebecca on the theme music for their fascinating podcast! Musically, this was a fun project because the theme evolved through a wide range of different styles before we honed in on the best fit.

The intentions to capture in the music were: not-simple, get curious, be playful, ask. To achieve this, I used:

- an alternating 7/8 and 5/8 time signature for rhythmic complexity.

- piano, bass, drums and acoustic guitar instrumentation for a wholesome sound.

- shakers and percussion to add a sense of forward drive that stays on the playful side.

- a piano solo that seems to be curious and ask.

All music was recorded, mixed, and mastered in my home studio.

Here are links to the "Not Simple" podcast and the Cultivating Leadership website home. "Not Simple" is a great show where leaders of the world discuss complexity within their companies, markets, and careers:

Lessons Learned:

- Intro and outro themes need to be short! There's little time to develop an interesting series of chord changes, and indeed that is not the point. The music should sit behind the voices and augment (or counter-point) the emotions without being a distraction.

- Composing without the voice, I had a sufficiently short jam, a progression, and melody I was happy with, but upon addition of the voice the original melody line was too busy and distracting (e.g., compare "Comfort with Complexity" to "Outro"). The new melody was worked into the breaks between the voice while nevertheless bringing the desired intentions.

- It's really important to know the length target for each musical segment and to compose the melody only after the final voice is mixed in.

Helpful links while doing this project:

- General guidelines for podcast production: https://www.podcastmotor.com/actually-create-podcast-intros-attract-listeners/

- Ari always has good articles; this one on making music for podcasts is of interest to other musicians: https://aristake.com/post/how-to-get-music-in-podcasts-(and-make-moneylegally)

- General article on music for podcasts: https://pitchfork.com/features/article/the-secrets-of-successful-podcast-music/