Choral Coming Soon – Still, Still And Quiet
It’s said the original instrument is the voice.
To be honest it’s not that great of a saying in the practical sense! What it’s really saying is that no one invented instruments before someone sang.
What is intriguing about the saying is that originally music, songs, melodies, harmonies were all inside human beings and the voice was the just the means (or instrument) of getting it out. There is something beautiful about returning to the basics, to the original, to the voice. To the wonderful simplicity, yet innate complexity of the human voice.
This concept has always intrigued me, and I’ve been deeply enamored and awed by choral music. More than that, I’ve always had a desire to compose it. So recently I composed a piece of choral music with the help of lyricist and good friend Andrew Mauzey. I’m pretty excited about it and made a rough draft of it with automated voices and piano. It’s my hope to perfect this piece, and continue my explorations in this genre. Feel free to check it out below.
I’ll keep you posted on performances and recordings.
C.S. Lewis – The Silver Chair (page 661)
Even in this world, of course, it is the stupidest children who are most childish and the stupidest grown-ups who are most grown-up.
C.S. Lewis – The Silver Chair (page 661)
Volume 1: On Trials And Overcoming has been released!
The EP has been officially released everywhere today. Pretty exciting! All the information and links are up at www.ryanmusique.com.
If you’d like to stream the whole thing go to www.soundcloud.com/ryanmusique or www.youtube.com/mrryanmusique.
If you’d like a free track go to www.ryanmusique.bandcamp.com or www.noisetrade.com/ryanmusique.
And of course if you’d like to buy a copy it’s on bandcamp, amazon, itunes, and a good chunk of the rest. Enjoy!
EP Sneak Peak for On Trials And Overcoming
The 1st track on the EP is called On Trials And Overcoming. This track is also the title track of the EP. It has also been featured Will Rosenberg’s time lapse painting of Hold On Hope (here). Without further adieu, here it is!
For those of you that are bigger fans of youtbe, here it is on there
“On Trials And Overcoming” and “Hold On Hope”
Been working hard with amazing artist and friend Will Rosenberg (willrosenbergart.com) to create a video and it’s here! The video features a time lapse painting by Will called Hold On Hope. It also features the title track of the upcoming EP On Trials And Overcoming. I’m pretty excited! Check it out here:
EP Release December, 9, 2011!
The date has been set for the digital release of my first EP – December, 9, 2011!
Volume 1: On Trials And Overcoming will be available at all the usual places: amazon, itunes, cdbaby, bandcamp, et cetera. I’ll post links be sure to post the links to make it nice and easy for you to check it out!
EP Sneak Peak for Lament In G Minor No. 1
The 2nd track on the EP is called Lament In G Minor No. 1. Here it is!
For those of you that are bigger fans of youtbe, here it is on there
EP Sneak Peak for A River Runs Through
The 5th track on the EP is called A River Runs Through. Here it is!
For those of you that are bigger fans of youtbe, here it is on there
C.S. Lewis – The Horse and his Boy (page 272)
He had not yet learned that if you do one good deed your reward usually is to be set to do another and harder and better one.
C.S. Lewis – The Horse and his Boy (page 272)
Harper Lee – Too Kill a Mockingbird (page 128)
I wanted you to see something about her—I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.
Harper Lee – Too Kill a Mockingbird (page 128)
Ryan Musique – Upcoming EP
So the artwork is complete for my upcoming EP! Which means… yep you guessed it – there is an EP almost ready for the world to enjoy.
I’ve titled it Volume 1:On Trials And Overcoming, which coincidentally is the name of the first track. You’ll find this idea intermingled and permeating through the remaining tracks.
It’s due to be released in early December and I’ll get the exact date out to you soon.
Music Suggestsion: Merle Travis
I was trying to work the other day and being a curious guitar player decided to look more deeply into a style of playing called “travis picking.” (Nope I wasn’t trying to avoid work at all.) And then stumbled upon the “inventor” of “travis picking,” Merle Travis. And it was a real treat. His style really helped shape and pioneer country, blue grass, and blues. It’s amazing that he could get so much sound out of a guitar with only two fingers. That’s right the other three are just chilling out/getting a tan on the face of the guitar. And not just skill level to be able to play what’s he’s playing, but what he’s playing and distinct/pioneering it was in it’s day. Wow.
Needless to say I’ve been trying my hand at it ever since. Here’s a compilation clip of him on youtube. Enjoy.
Music Suggestion: Lux Aurumque – Eric Whitacre
My friend and talented musician Kevin Brown recommended an artist/composer named Eric Whitacre to me recently. So I picked up the album light & gold. Just the first track moved me to almost to tears. I actually had to turn the music off to recompose myself. The depth and emotion of the music is beyond this time and place. And really music is just simply audible/physical emotions. That first track is what I’d like to share. I would venture to say this is some of the best music I’ve ever heard. Although I am slightly biased to choral music.
Here is Eric Whitacre’s Lux Aurumque
Music Suggestion: My Baby Blue – Dave Matthews Band
I can’t get this guitar part out of my head lately. As you may or may not know, I’m a pretty big Dave Matthews Band fan. In the past few months I don’t believe I’ve listening to the Groogrux King album all that much. But then all of sudden a guitar part starts singing in my head and it’s the riff for my baby blue. So here it is. Not only is the song great, but strings arrangement is amazing and fitting.
One quick thought for any guitar players out there: I was thinking how can he be playing this guitar part and singing at the same time? Well the riff actually get’s simplified a bit once the singing comes in. And thank goodness, because that would otherwise be ridiculous.
Music Suggestion: Sleep – Eric Whitacre
So I’ve recommended Eric Whitacre, but this piece and artistry is well worth another recommendation. That and I can’t this music out of my head at the moment.
So Eric already has these amazing choral pieces and know has put together a “virtual chior” to perform them. (Find out more on his website here.) The idea is such a creative use of technology. I eat stuff up like this. Basically he has singers from around the world submit individual youtube videos of themselves singing individual parts to his piece Sleep. (and previously Lux Aurumque) Then, with the help of others, he combines all the individual tracks/videos to make one “virtual chior.” (Find out more from his TED talk here) The idea is sooooo amazing. So for Sleep he got over two thousand people to sing it and the thickness of the choir sound is quite incredible.
Without further adieu here it is: