While It's Made

One of the shows I used to watch a lot (back in the days when I had a TV) was How It's Made, from the Discovery Channel. They'd always explain how something was made (hence the name) - ice skates, transit buses, boxing gloves, TV's, solar panels, baseballs, plastic utensils - just random items. There are some sample clips at the link above (but you have to watch a 30 second commercial on some new texting feature for some bank first...).

The music in the background of these shows was usually something funky. As they showed the thousands of plastic utensils coming off the mold in the factory, there'd be some upbeat funky music in the background. This piece reminded me of that - thus the title, While It's Made. (How It's Made was already taken... and this seemed to better reflect the fact the music is the soundtrack to the factory items being made.)

Not typical of my style. Not sure what that is yet anyway, but 'twas a fun piece to create nonetheless. No traditional orchestral sounds used. Sometimes you just need a break from all that. So instead of a KitKat bar, I did this. It was a one-dayer - about 5 hours I'm guessing. (No clocks allowed near where I write. You're done when you're done.) A dinnerless day that was, but sometimes food is not important.

Daily Tango

I always fear that I will write the same thing twice. This piece was painstakingly slow, and I kept thinking I wrote that bit already into something else. Nevertheless, it has been completed, so I can now move on. Hopefully, onto something more inspiring. Not particularly fond of this one. Ah well, them's the breaks.

UPDATE: The more I listen to this, the more I dislike it. I may have to take it down. It might just be that bad... we'll see.

Fairy Lily

Pink Cat Studios is a local stamp company that makes AWESOME stamps... Right in Burnaby! (Usually all the good stuff comes from the states... not so in this case). Pink Cat Studios has new releases every month or so and for this new release, it was their character "Lily" dressed as a fairy. There was a contest to celebrate the release of the new stamp. You have to create a card using the image provided (which is a 'sneak peak' at the stamps to be released) Note: Lily herself is cut out. I had hand spasms after cutting that out with regular sized scissors. 'specially those antenna. The wings are in the background. Lily herself is popped up for that 'dimensional effect'. Yeah. I know. Many of you are not at all excited by this... soooo.... moving on. This card was for my friend Eunice's bday... Happy Birf-day Eunice!

Retro Video Game Music, Part 2

Following my Retro Video Game Music post, I had a request to write something more intense. You know, not just like the game's starting out and everything's cool. But maybe fighting the boss of a level or something. So here it is. Ah, cheezy music, what's not to love? This one's for you Marco ;)

And in other news, truly hating the white walls of the little room in which I write. So imagonna paint it :) Sidebar: about places where music is created. They're usually very masculine - greys, blacks, darker colors, leather couch - think Barney Stinson's apartment (for those in the HIMYM know). Why masculine? Commercial music composition is a severely masculine field (haven't figured that one out yet...). Also, white walls are kinda... boring. Plus, all the keyboards/music gear is usually black or grey/silver in color so white looks kinda ugg with that. Just need to figure out the right color... stay tuned. *excited*

Retro Video Game Music

Back to it! With the million - no, zillion - no, floppity JILLION - Christmas cards out of the way (HIMYM reference - LOVE IT!), it's time to fire up the music gear again and plop down in front of the ol' keyboard.

In the midst of creating something orchestral, I came across a sound called "Techno Bass". The upper ranges of the sound (which it wasn't really meant to be played in) had that 'retro video game' sound. So of course, I had to pause, put the serious piece on hold, and create a new file to make a fun video game track. For no real good reason other than - "It's Funny."

I am a huge.. HUGE fan of the original NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). My all time fav game? The original Arcade Mario Brothers... still looking to finish it. Though I'm not sure it actually finishes... could be just an algorithm to add more animals at each level. In any case, this music would be the backtrack to that kind of game. All pixely with 2-D images an simple scrolling back and forth movement. I love those games...

Snowman Wars!

So at the big family Christmas dinner, I was all happy about the snowman my brother and I made (see post below). I told my cousin about it and showed her a picture, suggesting it rivaled the snowman she and her brother had built earlier this year. Well, one day later, I received an email from my cousin with the following picture attached and a message saying... "BRING IT!!!"


(that's my aunt beside the snowman. my cousins made this one on Boxing Day. LOL it's hilarious!)

And so begins the war of the snowmen. Oh I'll bring it. I'll bring it...

Giant Snowman!

I've been out in the BBY since Christmas Eve - it was a treacherous journey on transit from Van to BBY, and it hasn't been nice enough to return comfortably so here I am for now.

On Christmas Eve, I was supposed to do some holiday baking for the big dinner and gift-exchange on Christmas Day, but when my 22-year old brother went outside announcing he was going to make a snowman, I had to follow. I guiltily left my mom to do the baking... heh heh heh... Thanks Mom! *voice fading* *running down stairs* *Slam!* Ah, to be 8 years old again, if only for a moment, trying to make the biggest possible snowman.

Here we are making the base and mid-section.



The base quickly got too heavy to be pushed by one person, so here we are finishing off the base.



The snowman was pretty tall, so we used a step-ladder precariously lodged in the snow to reach the top.



The finished product!



In many ways, snow is a major inconvenience. But the snowman... Totally worth it!