The music of motherhood, children and turtle money games
Tyrell was up first - with excerpts of music he has written for games. His music was APPROPRIATE, he wrote the sort of music that one would expect to find in a game. (Tyrell's music was not dissimilar to the WofW music emanating from the next room as I write.) Kind of hypnotically lovely, mildly sad (oh that Dorian) and musically restrained.
Tyrell, you dag, don't be scared to break away from cheesy twelve bar blues for the kiddies will you? What do modern children like? Check out Chalk Music . These guys are keepin' it real for primary school kids and are based in Adelaide. Also http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/ has some truly awful music that my children have grown - unfortunately - very fond of.
As your career progresses - I hope you find a way to marry your commercial concerns with your adventurous musical spirit. (Maybe that's a challenge in any career, delivering what is APPROPRIATE and still finding ways to take risks.)
The first surprise about Poppi's work was how - well- conventional her composition felt. You can go a long time without hearing easily accessible music in these parts! So it was a surprise. Her construction was flawless, exquisitely constructed, and managed with a careful and gentle hand. The second surprise was how powerful and moving her understated work was. Tears streamed down my face while her work was playing. I cried as I walked to the bus. at the bus stop, on the bus and walking home. Damn - I've started again now! Makes you think eh? About how cathartic and therapeutic art can be for us. My first labor was obstructed - long, excrutiating, humiliating and at some stage I couldn't take the pain any more and decided to give up and die, which consequently meant it abruptly ended with an emergency caesarian. The experience of this was immediate pushed aside by the emotional and practical business of a new human being. In the years since those events, I haven't experienced any artistic or public expression around this, except by Poppi. Poppi KEEP GOING.
Given this, please understand Joshua and Albert that I didn't take in much of your work in, except that the saxophone tone was lovely in the jazz recording.
After trying to listen to musique concrete works with open ears and open heart for some time - I think it's been a long enough to form an opinion. It suques.
Blackburn, Tyrell presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Doser, Poppi presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Schulz, Joshua presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Webster, Albert presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Tyrell, you dag, don't be scared to break away from cheesy twelve bar blues for the kiddies will you? What do modern children like? Check out Chalk Music . These guys are keepin' it real for primary school kids and are based in Adelaide. Also http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/ has some truly awful music that my children have grown - unfortunately - very fond of.
As your career progresses - I hope you find a way to marry your commercial concerns with your adventurous musical spirit. (Maybe that's a challenge in any career, delivering what is APPROPRIATE and still finding ways to take risks.)
The first surprise about Poppi's work was how - well- conventional her composition felt. You can go a long time without hearing easily accessible music in these parts! So it was a surprise. Her construction was flawless, exquisitely constructed, and managed with a careful and gentle hand. The second surprise was how powerful and moving her understated work was. Tears streamed down my face while her work was playing. I cried as I walked to the bus. at the bus stop, on the bus and walking home. Damn - I've started again now! Makes you think eh? About how cathartic and therapeutic art can be for us. My first labor was obstructed - long, excrutiating, humiliating and at some stage I couldn't take the pain any more and decided to give up and die, which consequently meant it abruptly ended with an emergency caesarian. The experience of this was immediate pushed aside by the emotional and practical business of a new human being. In the years since those events, I haven't experienced any artistic or public expression around this, except by Poppi. Poppi KEEP GOING.
Given this, please understand Joshua and Albert that I didn't take in much of your work in, except that the saxophone tone was lovely in the jazz recording.
After trying to listen to musique concrete works with open ears and open heart for some time - I think it's been a long enough to form an opinion. It suques.
Blackburn, Tyrell presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Doser, Poppi presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Schulz, Joshua presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
Webster, Albert presentation at University of Adelaide, 31 August 2006
posted by aajodie at 5:18 PM
5 Comments:
I really like the comments you've made about my pieces, especially that enRICH track. It's quite reassuring that you don't like its cheesiness. In fact I don't really like it either, and I guess I was specifically looking for comments like yours to give me the confidence to step out of the circle a bit. Yes you're right, kids may be kids, but it doesn't mean they can stomach bad music any more easily than adults can. I guess when writing music for any game I should think more of how the music can work with the game rather than concentrate on trying to anticipate what genre of music a particular age demographic might like. I think the hardship and ambiguity music promoters endure when trying to market a certain type if music genre is no different than the uncertainty of what exactly the audience may like or expect in game music. This is why I think the focus point of the music in a game should be centered around the game irrespective of what the audience might expect. Even as I look back at my gaming experiences as kid, I remember hearing very sophisticated game music that didn't sound 'childish', and it's this kind of music that has stuck in my head until now.
I like the comments you have made because you're being brutally honest, and encouraging me to move into other areas. It's these type of comments I wish music lecturers of composition would make instead of simple aesthetic comments that are in many ways subjective anyway. I really don't get a lot out of their many 'ultra safe' (<-- sounds like a tampon brand) comments. I prefer an honest opinion, not the generic filtered superficial approach to comments that some (if not most) lecturers seem to take. For instance, if a piece of mine doesn't do anything for a lecturer, I'd like to know why, because obviously these lecturers have a pretty extensive knowledge about certain types of music, and they would know what areas I should be looking at to improve or push my musical development forward.
I like those links you suggested I look at too. You're right, they are keeping it real. Actually I quite like the stuff at albinoblacksheep. The videos there vary in quality, but there are some pretty good ones within that 'semi-low budget' genre. Sure they don't have million dollar budget to make those movies, but I can appreciate the effort they've put into them with the technology they have. That "How to be an Emo" is pretty entertaining, and good use of audio too.
Yes marrying commercial concerns with experimentation can be difficult, and it's an issue I think about quite often. I mean if money weren't an problem I'd probably go 100% experimental because I do find that more interesting. On the flip-side I am held back by thinking about what the point of creating art music really is, and if the point (whatever that may be) is relevant enough to not go commercial. With many things, a balance needs to be found, and at present these two issues have conglomerated into an eternal conflict within my mind of which I have yet to conclude.
Ideally I would like to write music that somehow combines both instrumental and electronic sounds which is why the sound design and musical experience of games are 'one' in my mind. It's this appreciation for hybrid game music that has brought a real liking to the unique music of Alexander Brandon (Unreal, Deus Ex, Jazz Jackrabbit, Tyrian) and Jesper Kyd (Hitman Series, Freedom Fighters)
It's interesting you say you think musique concrète suques immediately after you say how much you like Poppi's tracks. Even Poppi herself said her music contains elements of musique concrète. I'm guessing you're referring to old school purist musique concrète. I think your whole perception of musique concrète can easily change depending on what context it's placed in. I mean listening to it by itself is one thing, but listening to it as part of the sound design track to a film is another.
Finally, to quote Wikipedia, I'm hope when you say 'dag', you not referring to "the wool on a sheep's rear contaminated with mud and fæcal matter", but rather, a "likably goofy or unsophisticated person".
:P
I'm very pleased to have met you this year Tyrell.
Also Tyrell, I think you are a very talented composer... and you have plenty of musical things to say. I wish for you to find a way to be authentic, and YOU in your composition, even as you deliver up saleable product. Why spend your considerable musical talent working hard to sound like what someone else less talented has written, because they haven't got the level of creative talent you have? I hope you take some risks with your commercial work. There are so many ways for you to do this... don't forget the triplets.
I very much appreciate your comments Jodie. They are inspiring and perfectly match the wisdom of your age.
I can tell you now, if I weren't to take any risks in my commercial work, then I wouldn't last very long. In fact to be honest, there is a stronger part of me who dosn't want to do commercial work, but rather just experiment all day. So, unless I can integrate my adventurous spirit with the commercial side of life, then there probably isn't a place for me in that world. Whatever might happen though, I'd like to give it a go. I have a feeling it could work in some form or another.
Your thought provoking comments have forced me to think deeper about the direction of my life, and I thank you for that.
whi jodie,
can i quote you on that?
p.s. i did write a long spiel in response to your comments but as i'm through with playing the poppet around here, decided i would rather wait to chat with you about it in person..perhaps at the C4 performance. x
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