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 October 25, 2013

In this episode, I talked about and played a song called “Tremble” that I composed and recorded in October 2013. It is my first “Trance” dance song.

When listening to trance music, I heard a great song called Symphonica by Daniel Kandi. It had a number of elements that I really liked, and I used it as a loose reference track on this song.

I used Reason 5 and took advantage of the “Blocks” songwriting feature. Tremble uses an A block for the A section that repeats six times, a B block for the B section that repeats three times, and a C block for the C section that repeats three times. I then play the B block 2 times and the A block one time. Each time a block repeats, I can choose which instruments to play and which instruments to mute, allowing me to have a lot of variation on my repeated sections.

I used automation to change some settings while the song was playing. For example, I lower the EQ treble on six tracks in the B section heading to the soft mid-song breakdown. I was able to figure out how to move those six tracks onto a second mixer. That mixer’s output goes to one track on the main mixer. I can then change the EQ on just that one track.

In the C section, I tried to have a melody come in without a strong beat to try to fool people about where the beat is. When the drums come back in the C section, you might be surprised where the first downbeat is if you were thinking about it wrong. I explain this in the podcast.

Send me your feedback by emailing tsnivelymusic@gmail.com. If you use LinkedIn, connect to me and endorse my skills (saxophone, songwriting, recording, mixing, and podcasting).

Originally posted on October 11, 2013

In this episode, I talked about and played a song called “Escape!” that I composed and recorded in September-October 2013. It is the kind of song that could be used in a video game.

I talked about an article I read a few months ago about making money with composing. They suggest video game music is the way to go. Danny Baranowsky has been much more successful composing video game music than he has with film scores. I decided to listen to his and other video game music.

One of my favorite video games songs by Danny Baranowsky is called Dr. Fetus’ Castle from the Super Meat Boy game. I used this song as a reference track and as a guide when composing my song. I did a similar thing last episode with Summer Strut where I used A Very Good Thing by Rick Braun as a guide.

Escape! is 145 beats per minute. The form is intro, A, B, C, D, E intro, A, B, C, D, E, intro (that fades). The repeating loop of music works in video games where the player may be in a section for many minutes. Each of the sections is 8 measures long, except the C section which is 11 measures long.

I got a copy of Reason Essentials from Propellerhead, which is the entry level version of the Reason software that a lot of instrumental dance music is written with. I was able to find decent sounding synthesizer sounds without having to modify them at all, but Reason Essentials and Reason really allows you to customize the sounds.

For this song, I entered notes into the sequencer with my mouse, instead of playing on a MIDI keyboard like I usually do. It went well this way, especially creating 16th note patterns that I would not have been able to play accurately on a keyboard with the latency associated with it. Almost all of the notes ended up 100% quantized (right on the quarter note, eighth note or sixteenth note) without timing variations, and all the notes have the same velocity (or loudness). At this point, I am OK with how it sounds.

I recorded the electric guitar in 6 tracks for the 6 chords (Cm Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb). I used a capo for each chord so I could play the same Em, E, Am or A open chords. As I have done previously, I have 2 recordings for the guitar, one on the left and one on the right which used different distortions.

I then played Escape!

Send me your feedback by emailing tsnivelymusic@gmail.com.

If you use LinkedIn, connect to me and endorse my skills (saxophone, songwriting, recording, mixing, and podcasting).

Originally posted on September 1, 2013

In this episode, I talk about and play a smooth jazz song I wrote in August 2013 called “Summer Strut.” The song features my saxophone throughout.

If you use LinkedIn, connect to me and endorse my skills (saxophone, songwriting, recording, mixing, and podcasting). You can also connect with me on Facebook.

I read email feedback from Peter and Nicholas. Send me your feedback by emailing tsnivelymusic@gmail.com.

I wanted to create a full-length smooth jazz song that features my saxophone. I’ve started listening to Spotify to hear new music in Smooth Jazz, trance music and video game music. I heard a smooth jazz song that I really liked, A Very Good Thing by Rick Braun. Rick plays the trumpet throughout. I used a lot of the ideas from this song in terms of using a form with a verse, pre-chorus, and chorus. Each section is on one minor chord, but the pre-chorus’s chord is non-tonal – it doesn’t fit in the key of the verse and chorus chord.

I described how I recorded the different parts. I recorded three “takes” of my sax part, and “comped” the best parts on each section to make the full saxophone part that was used throughout the song. I didn’t need to do much in the mixing phase. I then played Summer Strut.

I got a copy of Reason from Propellerhead, which is the software that a lot of instrumental dance music is written with. I will try to learn it and put out a dance song in the near future.

Originally posted on August 11, 2013

In this episode, I talk about and play two songs that I creating in the iOS app Figure: Lypasi and Do Re Mi. I also talked about Jenn and my participation in Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir 4.

My wife Jenn and I discovered Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choirs, and after seeing the first 3, we wanted to participate when the next one was available. When we got notified about it, we rehearsed our parts and recorded and submitted videos. Eric and his team edited and mixed the audio and produces a great video of VC4: Fly To Paradise.

During this process, I got ideas on how to mix V’Shamru, a song I arranged for choir or quartet, and I will try to get my parts recorded in the next month.

On the Home Recording Show, episode 166, they talked about different apps that were available on iPhones and iPads. Jon Tidey mentioned a great app by Propellerhead called Figure. It’s a simple but powerful app for making music. The songs are loops that are 2, 4, or 8 measures. You can record and edit a drum part (kick, snare, cymbal + one other part), a bass part, and a lead (synth) part. You create the part by drawing a figure in a rectangle while the song is playing or recording. You can modify the timbre of the parts using Tweaks. You can modify the key and tempo of the loop as well.

My son Logan likes to use this app as well. I played a couple of his songs. I made a video of him creating a song with Figure. I decided to take two of my songs from Figure and publish them.

On the first one, Lypasi, I exported a loop, and put it into Cubase where I added electric guitar parts and a shaker part.

On the second one, Do Re Mi, I recorded myself playing the loop, and live-changing a bunch of the settings to vary and extend the loop.

Figure is only $0.99 in the iTunes store, so I encourage everyone to try it. I’d love to hear what you’ve created. Send me an email to tsnivelymusic@gmail.com.

Originally posted on July 28, 2013

In this episode, I talk about three songs that I have re-mixed and re-released since the original episodes. I talk about my upcoming move, moving my studio to a new house, and my career change to work on music full time.

I got an email from Nicholas who is a music educator in New York City. He was interested in a version of Rue’s Whistle that did not have the sax solo on it. I mixed Rue’s Whistle and Fusion without the improvised solos and sent them to him to possibly use in his music camp this summer. The new versions are on the site in the Songs section.

It’s been 7 months since my last episode of Making My Own Music. I’ve been listening to a lot of Home Studio podcasts. My favorites are:

• Home Recording Show with Ryan Canestro and Jon Tidey
• Simply Recording Podcast with Joe Gilder and Graham Cochrane
• Ask Joe – also Joe Gilder
• Home Music Studio 1 with Dave Maxey

I’ve learned a lot in the last 7 months about ways I could improve my mixes. I decided to re-mix three of my songs, and re-release them.

For Revolution Fan Podcast Theme, I basically neatened the timing, especially the woodwinds.

For Fusion, I used digital noise reduction to remove a hiss that was underneath two of the ride cymbal tracks. I used EQ to improve the sax sound, and added a short delay on the sax to give it some more depth.

For A Teenager In Love, I removed the doubled vocals, and made the crash cymbals louder. In order to get the crash cymbals at the right volume level, I had to turn all of the other tracks down. This was a new mixing technique for me, and led to a mix that was not as loud as it could be without clipping – a tip from Joe Gilder on Home Studio Corner. It’s OK for the mix to not be that loud when recording with 24 bits. The song can be made loud during the mastering phase.

I am changing my career. Starting in September 2013, I will make my living with music. You can hire me to compose music for you. You can hire me (through MyOnlineSax.com) to record a saxophone part for your song.

To contact me, send an email to tsnivelymusic@gmail.com.

Originally posted on October 24, 2012

In this episode, I talk about my punk rock cover version of “A Teenager In Love” that I recorded in October 2012. I sing and play the electric guitar, and used synthesizers for the bass and drums.

I’ve been busy with the Revolution Fan Podcast about NBC’s show Revolution. For that podcast, I created a short bumper called “Scientific Revolution.” It is in a similar punk rock bumper where I sing the lead. It inspired me to record my version of “A Teenager In Love.” Around 1995 when I was in the original Philadelphia-base rock bank “They Eat Their Young” we did this punk rock “A Teenager In Love” cover where I sang lead vocals. Now that I have an electric guitar and good amp simulators I decided to record this myself.

I used the Steven Slate Drums for all the drum parts. I used Halion One for the bass, and also made a second softer copy of the bass with some distortion.

I talk a little bit and play “power chords.” On sheet music and on the piano it sounds odd, but on electric guitar with distortion it sounds great.

As I am still a beginner on guitar, I recorded the guitar in 4 tracks. I play the C power chord in one track, the A power chord in another track, and so on. In this way I didn’t have to move my left hand chords during the song. :-) I also tuned the guitar for each power chord so it was easier to play. :-) I also recorded the drums, bass, and guitar at slower speeds and sped them up to the 200 beats per minute. :-) I say that I “cheated” but my wife Jenn was proud of me for understanding it enough to take it apart and put it back together.

I recorded two versions of my vocal and mixed them together.

I used compression, EQ, and reverb on some of the drums, bass, and guitar parts to make each instrument sound a little better.

I still plan on doing a re-mix episode where I play re-mixes of some of the songs I’ve already talked about.

Originally posted on August 19, 2012

In this episode, I talk about a classical song for orchestra that I composed in August 2012 called “Revolution Fan Podcast Theme.” This will be used as the theme song for the Revolution Fan Podcast starting soon about the new NBC show “Revolution.”

I started reading a comment from Bill Sullivan about the Untitled Pop Rock Song 1 from episode 9. I talked about how I would like to re-mix a couple of my pieces like Fusion and Funk (for solo piano). When they are complete I will post them in the Songs section.

I re-mixed the Logan Ow song, and published it here for download. I used new drum samples from Steven Slate Drums (the Essentials version I picked up for $20 – thanks to Jon Tidey for tweeting and blogging about this no-brainer purchase.).

I talked about how in the past I did not think about recording music and recording podcasts together when I purchased gear. I did use my Shure SM57 for both. In order to have an in-studio co-host for the upcoming Revolution Fan Podcast, I needed to buy another microphone. I bought a Shure SM58 which I can use for podcasts and also use for singing vocals.

I then talked about the Revolution Fan Podcast Theme. I decided to compose my own theme song for the Revolution Fan Podcast that also I would be able to talk about in this episode. It is only about 2 minutes, so I played it, talked about it, and played it again.

The song is in B minor. It has an A-B-A form. The A section includes all instruments but features the violins. The B section consists of a unison melody that starts with the cellos, but has joins and drops as the melody goes through the violas, 2nd violins, and 1st violins.

Orchestras use all 4 categories of musical instruments: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. I used 17 parts. 1st violin section, 2nd violin section, viola section, cello section, bass section, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 3 trumpets on 1 channel, French horn section, 3 trombones on 1 channel, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, and crash cymbals. Larger orchestras have additional parts, but I wanted to keep this simple.

I talked about the 4 categories, and what I did for each section. I played the A section with just strings, then just woodwinds, just brass, and then just percussion. I talked about how I panned different parts from the left or the center or to the right. I talked about how I did not fully quantize the parts, so they are a little bit out of time, but it maybe makes it sound more human and less like a computer.

For the French horns, I had them play a counter-melody to the strings that is high in their register. I got this idea from The Turn of a Friendly Card, Part 2 by the Alan Parsons Project. I played a clip at the end of the song where the French horns and/or the trombones play very high.

The chord progression of the A section is Bm, A, Gmaj7. There are other tonal notes passing through so there are minor 9th and major 9th with #11s like I talked about in episode 7.

I talked about how the new podcast may keep me a little busy, but I will try to create composing songs and creating these podcasts. I’ll try to get another episode out in the next 4 weeks.

I’ve been thinking about using Creative Commons license. I’ve been inspired by Wil Wheaton’s podcasts where he announces his “Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike license” at the end of each episode. I believe this would allow anyone to use clips from my podcasts or use my songs, as long as the attribute it to me, don’t use it to make money, and they have the same license. I’m not sure though, I have to look into it some more.