So I’ve had my head buried deeply in scoring music for “My Emily” – I used to love writing music. When I was 12 or so, I’d lock my self in front of a computer and write out these “symphonies” all afternoon with a notation program.
Wow… no wonder I’m a hermit freak.
I have a few of them still. They represent a period in my life where creativity ruled and was unhampered by self doubt and advanced musicology. As I grew older, chord progressions confused the hell out me. I still don’t how to pick the next chord though I know how they work.
It confused me so much that I really started putting music composition away – I avoided taking any classes on the subject and really lost interest in music throughout most of college (kinda depresses me how I wasted that part – I think I was too busy trying to get out).
After school, I took a year off before coming back to music. And then it started to get serious. Really serious. I’m at the point where I’m either rehearsing or performing 4 nights a week.
Yes I need to cut back… but right now it’s my only social outlet – funny how things turn totally 180 like that.
Anyhow, I’ve done a few scores before – a couple commercials and I scored another short I did a few years back (Sales D.I.)
Since then, my tools and techniques have gotten better. I originally wanted to hand off the job of music composition to someone else but the two people that seemed interested seem to have lost interest. I looked into purchasing stock music but… eh… there’s something nice about having custom music.
So… here I am… writing the music. Wow, that was long… and completely pointless.
I knew right off the bat that I wanted some sort of 3/4 going through the opening of the film. I wanted a 3/4 with a hypnotic feel – I started off writing a piano score (using Finale – a music notation program – and Kontakt 4 – a sampler program for realistic sounds).
This is what I came with for the “prologue”http://www.gospeljohn.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Pauls-Brain.mp3
The opening is mostly piano with some string pads – It picks up tempo as Paul begins searching for Emily with a harp run as he finds her.
As the scene changes to the descent, we switch to a 4/4 with Tuba and Strings and what will become Paul’s awkward theme – there’s a slight hint of “Sorcerer’s Apprentice”
As he’s talking about Jane, I use a dark staccato Tuba when he says, “She became fat, really fat”… then when he turns to say, “Jane was no Emily” – it switches from dark and heavy to bright and light with Harp and flute. The harp and flute will fade out in the final mix.
Chord wise, the piano opening is just Am to FMaj7 (I think) – back and forth ad infinitum. The 4/4 section is like Cmin – I don’t quite know because I don’t have it in front of me and I just write stuff till it sounds good.
The second theme (remember Paul’s theme is the take off on Sorcerer’s) is something I’m starting to call a bass thumper theme. It’s a rock between D# and E and it represents all primordial desires that Paul has. I started by writing the Watch Rumble scene, where Emily gives Paul a Watch Job:
http://www.gospeljohn.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Watch-Rumble_mixdown.mp3
I played this one straight into Adobe Audition’s Midi Tracks using my 2 octave keyboard. I wasn’t worried about getting precisely on the beat because I wanted something that was a little off. I added weird string pads randomly to create some more tension. The drums were created using Kontakt’s Drum Computer and of course, you can’t have too much cowbell.
Back tracking, I wrote some music for a earlier scene incorporating both the Bass Thumper and Paul’s theme…
http://www.gospeljohn.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Tough-Stuff_mixdown.mp3
Here’s that track in action:
Pretty much the same thing… only Paul’s theme goes from Fmin – and that’s me doing a crappy job on trumpet.
Next, I needed a reflective track to express “lost opportunity” I liked the temp track I had but I wanted something a bit more custom. After searching for some decent chord progression, I finally settled on modeling the progression on the song “I Can’t Get Started With You”. Ironically written by Vernon Duke who gets mentioned later in the film. It goes something like Dm7 B7 Em7 A7 F#7 B7 Em7 A7 Dm7 (1-6-2-5-3-6-2-5-1)… or something… yeah, I’m terrible at… I think it sounded okay… though I’m not terrible satisfied with the performance:
I titled it after something I tell myself all the time… “Some day…”
I'll figure out the lyrics later.
http://www.gospeljohn.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Some-Day_mixdown.mp3
The second half of the movie is some classical selections (Nocturne by Chopin, and Anvil Chorus) and June Bug, which I wrote and recorded before we shot the film (Based on Satie's Gymnopedie)
http://www.gospeljohn.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/June-Bug_mixdown_Final02.mp3
The ending is suppose to fade out… I just tagged on an ending to have an ending. This was actually written using a program called Band-in-A-Box that makes up backgrounds to the chords you input.
Still more to write… Working on another track that is another variation on Paul's theme, it needs to be a underscore for an awkward verbal dance between Paul and Emily.
Also need to write/construct some porno music! Woohoo!! (Anybody who knows how to do a good wah-wah guitar should contact me) :)
Then I'll need something for the credits.
I could write about the Macro Cycle – how the music changes from the begining to the end… but I'll save that for when I'm finished…
Tell me what you think… If you hate it, that's cool, sometimes I hate what I have too… sometimes I like it… I don't know…
