The following pieces have been prepared for submission for live performance by a symphonic orchestra. Each one includes an audio track for reference, a PDF of the full score, PDFs of each instrumental part, and some descriptive text.
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Aerynsmith City is the first piece in a 12 part suite, 6 of which consist of full orchestration, and the others which are intimate chamber/tavern pieces.
The entire suite is about a cosmopolitan fantasy city which is nestled between pirate waters on the West side, and mountainous ogre-populated terrain on the East. The culture is somewhat of a mixture of some modern themes with a general atmosphere of being stuck in an ancient time, and is also progressive as it trends away from politics and ruling classes, and is more about merit based acceptance, with strife and conflicts usually occuring between families and hierarchy classes within small sectors of the city. When there are large scale threats, the city tends to band together. The architecture for the more upscale residences, city halls, and old castle is stone (some fused with magic), with most of the rest using wood and adobe.
The choppy waves of the Western ocean brought to mind the repetitious cycle of the cello, which kicks things off. The soaring violin motif was created to represent the castle and other majestic structures in the city. The business of daily life came about the use of the 7th chords in the strings, with the woodwinds weaving their way through. The royal guard and majesty of the power structure in the city came to life through the brass. The harp speaks to the more diminutive characters of the city, all who help keep things running.
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Scoria City is from a not yet completed suite intended for the 3D interactive city of the same name. It utilizes a music system that makes the experience unique for each user by selecting segments of tracks, triggered by the user, which are programmed to integrate seamlessly, so that the music is heard as a single, unbroken piece. The segments typically range between 4 and 16 bars, and are timed to work together sequentially, and composed to fit with others, harmonically, in a network. The piece can be described as a linear extraction from that network, in which segments are strung together to be treated as a traditional composition.
Scoria City is a hard to reach, mysterious settlement, in a caldera high in the mountains, obscured by the heat clouds. Heat shields are cast to create walls from the liquid magma, which harden to expand the borders of the city, though the population expands. It grows slowly, due to the harsh conditions and scarcely breathable air. Explorers are attracted to the lucrative mining areas, right in the caldera itself, with some becoming conditioned enough to the region to make it a home.
![](./resources/submissions/col_3/LUMINATA_LG.jpg)
These compositions are treated as extractions from the source material, much of what I composed in 8-16 measure segments. The source material is used in a interactive system, which I am working on writing code for, with Dan Beutel, where various triggers in a 3D simulation manipulate the progression of the music, so that eash user has a unique experience. The best analogy that I can think of is "Choose your own adventure", for music - I refer to it as a simulation, rather than video game (which is probably what most would opt for, regarding conventional labeling), because there is no clear set goal of accumulation, dominance, or destruction, which is the driving part of the story for many video games. The experience itself is the goal.
Luminata City is a trade center located on the Western side of Ternala Hills, North of Aerynsmith City, next to the Enlana Sea. The principle export is the Chucaneax shells, which exhibit bioluminescent properties (for several months, after a Chucanaeux sheds them or passes to the other realm). The shells of the Chukanauex are collected by the residents and employed in fixtures, art and towers throuhout the city. The range of colors spans the entire visible spectrum, though most typically in the blue, green, orange, and yellow variety. The shells also attached to seafairing ships, for improved visibility in the almost constant roil (due to the stability of how well the shells weather the storms). Since the Luminata region has sparse availability of some foods and ores, the shells are used for barter as well.
Luminata at Night:
0:00 | Dusk. |
0:58 | The town beings to come to life, resisdents slowly emerge from their somber after-eve respite. |
2:26 | Set up of the booths and square begins. The markets become lively at night, due to it being the best time to hawk the bioluminscent goods. |
3:25 | The Eve! The dance begins, and the crowds are present. |
4:39 | The scoundrels appear. The atmosphere becomes tense. |
5:08 | The activities from earlier resume, with people on their toes now. The city guard is called in, attempting to restore order. |
6:37 | Winding down, the stalls begin to pack up. Drunkards litter the streets, doors are slamnmed, awnings shut. |
7:35 | Departures leave the city on the Seranol bridge system. |
8:04 | Sunrise |