Musical Instruments

Eine Kleine Winzigmusik

Musical Instruments, Musician, Theatre

I’m working on an adaptation of a historic theatre piece. I’m turning it into an easy-to-produce, very small musical. For me and old friends (ideally).

I’d like it to be the last thing I have a hand in fully co-directing/musical directing.

It’s from the early 1700s. I’m enjoying moulding it into a piece that’s easily put on a stage, while providing a fun theater history lesson and an evening that’s enjoyable for modern audiences.

If I wanted to blow it out of proportion, I’d say that I’m “shopping it around.” LOL But really, I’m just talking to a college friend in another state who has a teen/college summer program. (Not for like, now. For next summer.) We could get it up on its feet in two weeks, easy.

We’ll see. Most days I’m super into it. Other days, I’m like, “Why are you wasting your time on this?”

But. It’s fun, and my home workspace is cozy.

Script adapting, crafting new lyrics, or writing orchestrations; I work in the same spot … our gigantic king+ bed with tons of pillows, cozy linen, and a big fluffy dog.

I use a souped-up 12″ iPad Pro and a music notation/sequencing program hooked up to thousands of samples by the London Symphony Orchestra. I just got stereo/surround speakers, so I can hear the playback with instruments in their proper spots. =)

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That said, the seating usually gets fiddled with in small musical theatre because of pit and wing limitations, and you end up elbow-to-elbow with a loud horn or the pointy end of a violin bow in your face in some bizarre spot backstage.

Here’s the clever techie part — the piano (or more) can be silenced and played live. With the digital instruments; we end up with just a few players sounding like 14 or 16 musicians. (Touring companies of Broadway shows almost always use this system.) A very modest production is able to have a big, functional orchestra with very little prep, expense, and stress. Whatever parts are being used live, I simply print out.

If I choose, the program is even fully conductible!! (I’m not kidding, it can follow me.)

I thought a screen vid of (part of) the teeny-tiny overture would be fun. I love writing orchestrations. You’ll hear plenty my quirks and my personality in there, and you can follow along and see what I wrote for each instrument.

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(If you’re a musician I know with a name that begins with K,
I’ll bet you spot the two measure nod to my beloved Bernstein.)

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We’ll see. I’ve way yet to finish. I get tired. I’m fully functional and all, but I don’t know how many more plays I have left in me. So I do hope it goes somewhere.

The Bouncer

Arts and Crafts, Health, Musical Instruments, Musician, Personal, Uncategorized, Webloggy

Hi, Friends!

I am good! A large part of that is because I came up with some projects (even video piano lessons!) that can be done from my sick-person bed in my sick-person room. (Also, I’ve been through this before and I know what to expect. That makes a big difference.)

I am indeed, right smack in the middle of radiation. The only side-effect I’m having is the extreme fatigue. But. Mixed with no-joke pain meds, my cantankerous gastrointestinal system, a bit of spectrum disorder, and a dash of neuropathy … by late afternoon I’m literally bouncing off things like a plodding pinball. (Nothing serious, only door frames.) But, I have lots of projects that don’t require standing up!

  • I’m scoring two silent films for theater organ, to be played live in the Fall.
  • I continue to hang stuff and fuss with things in my new safe-room. I mean bedroom.
  • I’m starting to draw diagrams for the little pipe organ I want to build. I finally found an octave-and-a-half set of the type of pipes I was looking for.

Hope you’re well too!

Bonus points if you can identify the woman on the bottom left in the silver picture frame. Any guesses? I’ll just tell you — it’s Linda Lee Porter, Cole Porter’s wife. That’s a prop that sat on the piano from a show I did. Thanks, Bonnie! =)

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Working on my silent films! =)

It’s Here! It’s Here!

Arts and Crafts, Musical Instruments, Musician

Took a drive down to Whitestone this morning, and picked up my very own barrel organ (piano). There is great news, and not-as-great news.

The great news is that it is in near-mint condition, and everything mechanical is completely operational without so much as a squeak. You couldn’t ask for a better from an instrument that’s sixty years old. The condition is absolutely uncanny — no paint fading, no rust on the strings or gears. Even the hammers are in pristine condition.

The seller didn’t know why it didn’t play. (Something inside.”) The reason is a simple one — It doesn’t have its cylinder. The cylinder looks exactly like a music box cylinder, only big. They came with six songs each, and were interchangeable so you could switch to different tunes.

However. The good news far outweighs the bad. Cylinders can be bought. From what I’ve seen, they come up now and then. I’ll just have to look on the auction sites I frequent.

These were manufactured in the nineteen-fifties and sixties for tourists visiting Italy and Spain. They’re about half size — full size would be about six feet tall.

It must’ve sat lovingly in some Nona’s front room. I plunked some notes; and while (of course) they were out of tune, they weren’t unrecognizable out of tune. In highly professional technical terms, I’d say “it sounds like a beat up classroom piano.” A video —

A great purchase! Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. This one was a winner. =)