Originally released on March 11, 2012

In this episode, I introduce myself and my musical background, and then talk about my composition “Rue’s Whistle” inspired by the Mockingjay Call from the Hunger Games soundtrack.

You can play the podcast using the play button below, or right-click on the “Download” link to save it to your computer.

Notes from the episode:

Fireside Chat podcast talking about movie trailer Rue’s Whistle on their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNQP_z1jbOs)

Nate Dean Ross (2026 video is now private) talking about movie trailer Rue’s Whistle on his YouTube channel

Originally posted on June 24, 2012

In this episode, I interview Steve Lanciano about producing, composing, arranging, and recording his Christian & Gospel CD “Modern Day Psalms – My Heart Is Fixed” and play a track, The Unity Song (Psalm 133).

I start by announcing that I will occasionally write a text-only blog post on MakingMyOwnMusic.com. I also announce that I launched a new website, MyOnlineSax.com where I can be hired to record a saxophone part for other producers and artists for their recordings.

I read some feedback I received from Pattie in South Carolina.

I then played my interview with Steve Lanciano.

Steve Lanciano’s composition, The Unity Song (Psalm 133), performed by Leah Smith (featuring Caleb Barnaby, Jurysellis Colon, Chris Degonia, Joe Williams, Kevin Jones & Angelica Bonilla) can be purchased from Amazon.com or from cdbaby.com.

Steve’s full project is an audio CD and a book of inspirations. Each track on the CD is inspired by a Psalm of David. Steve funded the project himself, budgeting for the artists and for the duplication.

Steve paid $100 to the artists for each track. He researched and wrote his own contracts which include further payments to the artists for digital downloads and if a song is used on a movie soundtrack.

Steve talked about his process for recording the synthesizers, the vocalists and sax player, as well as recording a special organ. He talked about creating demos with his voice so the vocalists could rehearse, and then recording them.

Steve talked about getting the CD published on cdbaby.com, and then getting on Amazon.com or from and iTunes.

Steve used Digital Performer on the Mac to record the CD. He talked about Logic and how well it does changing rhythms in recorded audio.

Note: You can find some of Steve’s songs and his video work at realitychristianity.net and the YouTube channel.

I then play The Unity Song.

I briefly talked about 4 projects that I want to work on, but they will each take some time to complete.

Originally posted on June 3, 2012

In this episode, I talk about my jazz fusion piece “Fusion” composed in 1994. I also talk about extended major and extended minor chords.

I started by reading an email from Steve Snively and a comment from Viv Black.

My favorite chords are the extended major and minor chords that are built by stacking alternative major and minor thirds.

For major:

• C-E-G is a major chord
• C-E-G-B is a major 7th. This is a melancholy sound. I play short clips from Tin Man and Ventura Highway by America that use a lot of major 7th chords. Late Day Storm uses 2 major 7th chords for the second half of the chord progression.
• C-E-G-B-D is a major 9th. It sounds like the major 7th, with the addition of the 9th which is a color note.
• C-E-G-B-D-F# is C maj9#11. I played Tell Me A Bedtime Story by Herbie Hancock that starts with the major 9th, and has a nice sequence ending with a maj9#11. (Bmaj7, Gmaj7, Emaj9, Cmaj9#11 – all the F# in the melody)
• C-E-G-B-D-F#-A is Cmaj13#11
• C-E-G-B-D-F#-A-C# is actually Dmaj7 / Cmaj7. This is used at the end of Colour My World by Chicago

For minor:

• A-C-E is a minor chord
• A-C-E-G is a minor 7th
• A-C-E-G-B is a minor 9th – my favorite chord. Zanzibar by Billy Joel uses this chord. My song Fusion uses only minor 9th chords.
• A-C-E-G-B-D is a minor 11th. Funk (for solo piano) and Sleepy use minor 11th chords.
• A-C-E-G-B-D-F# is a minor 13th

The chord progression is simple: Dm9 for 2 measures, and Gm9 for 2 measures.

When I created this in 1994, I was only using MIDI and the sounds that were built in to the PC. I didn’t have any good way to record and mix audio.

I use layering, where each time through the chord progression, a new part comes in, while all the other parts repeat their part from before.

• The first time is just the bass guitar and the cymbals
• The second time is the high electric piano part
• The third time is an electric guitar
• The fourth time is the mid-range electric piano and the bass drum and snare drum
• The fifth time is two shaker parts
• The sixth time is where the saxophone comes in

I played the 1994 version of Fusion.

I then talked about how I re-sequenced the piece in Cubase in 2011. I was able to get better synthesizer sounds, and record myself on the saxophone. I then played the 2011 version.

I came up with an idea of how I can get a better recording of my jazz band arrangements. I can try to play all the saxophone parts, and try to get a trumpet and trombone player to play all the trumpet and trombone parts. Then I can mix the whole jazz band from my computer. If this works, I will publish my arrangement of Miles Davis’s Four, as well as re-recording Powerhouse.