We've finally done it.  After 17 parts on YouTube, Search for Youth is done!  There's some editing work before it gets put in the available shows section - but I'm honestly not going to touch it for a while.  For those that don't feel like watching any of the up to four hour long streams - here is the entire audio!  There will be a shorter version available with a happy ending after the fanfare section for those that want a shorter show.

I present to you...

Something not marching band!  Weird, huh?  Today I've (quickly) recorded a multitrack of a piece written for a production of Shakespeare's the Tempest.  It is from Act 1, Scene 2.  The melody comes from one of the original settings of the text, and then I... harmonized it in a way to give it a more ethereal sound.  The melody is sung by Ariel, a spirit, and is backed by two more spirits.  It follows a pretty normal SSA set up, with a few times where the parts cross slightly.

Here ya go!
​

Come unto these yellow sands,
 And then take hands.
 Curtsied when you have, and kissed
 The wild waves whist.
 Foot it featly here and there,
Full fathom five thy father lies.
 Of his bones are coral made.
 Those are pearls that were his eyes.
 Nothing of him that doth fade,
 But doth suffer a sea-change
 Into something rich and strange.
 Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell
Hark! now I hear them,--ding-dong, bell.

Day two in a row of streaming and writing!

Today I spent over an hour setting up percussion maps so I could almost write enough drumline parts.  Slowly getting there and getting back into the swing of battery percussion.  It also reminded me that I need to go back and study some scores!

Here's a recording of the show so far!

Today on stream I wrote the first minute of a new show based on the Fountain of Youth!  At least I'm getting some writing in during this crazy time.

Today I finally had some time and mental energy to sit down and work on something.  I was going to work on some orchestra writing, but instead settled on this piece I had started earlier this year for Oboe or Flute and Piano.  I've titled it "Stars Above" for now - but I'm thinking the name sticks.

I had about half of this written already, and the second half I've done only in the last two hours or so.  Its sorta minimalist in parts, but the middle has some variety in it.  I left off at a weird point hoping that when I open it next I will be inspired to write the ending.

Today I tried something new.   I did my first attempt at what I'm calling the Speed Arranging Challenge.  The goal is to get as much done of some kind of arrangement in one stream with the chat having a good chunk of input.  Today's chat chose percussion ensemble instrumentation, and the fourth movement of Tchaik IV.

Four hours and forty minutes later - I have a roughly completed arrangement.  You can always go back and watch the entire stream later on my YouTube channel.  The goal of my series on YouTube is to show my process when writing and hopefully it helps newer arrangers in some way.  Here's the audio in case you missed the stream.  Just... keep in mind I was trying to write as fast as I could.  There's a few things I already know I'd need to rework.

Okay.

I admit.

I'm pretty terrible when it comes to doing things daily.  BUT!  If you are a subscriber on my YouTube channel, then you have probably been seeing a stream pop up in your sub box every other day to every two days.

So that has to count for something.

If you haven't see the streams then you've been missing out!  I've got about 1 1/2 shows I've worked on during stream.  The chat is fun when there are people there, and its good to be able to get that feedback.

The audio below is an almost finished Beyond the Waiting Place (the Dr. Seuss inspired one) and two movements of an un-named mystery themed show.  Have a listen and subscribe to the channel to see more stuff!

Today I streamed writing on Youtube for about 3 hours!  Some great suggestions came from the chat, so be sure to check it out when I'm live tomorrow HERE!

Here's a recording of everything so far - we made it to the end of the ballad with most of the instrumentation making the total time approx. 5 minutes!

At this point this blog is very most certainly not daily.  I'm just gonna roll with the series title because I'm lazy.

Here's an update on the Seuss show.  I've started a ballad movement -- and spent about two hours today fighting Finale 25 with its crashing.  It ended up that for some reason today it just refuses to work with tempo markings nicely when Human Playback is set to interpret them.

In other news I decided on a show title.  So, that's a thing.

Its not daily, but its something!

Today I worked more on the marching band show I've been writing.  I've got the general idea for the winds and some mallet stuff for the entire first movement.  The idea is that this movement ends as the character in the story reaches "The Waiting Place".  Before this they've avoided roads they should not take and made it out of the city.

Here's the audio:

Remember, I've been streaming almost the entire process behind this arrangement on:
 www.twitch.tv/aforgottenlegend

I usually stream for about an hour each day in the afternoon/evenings (Mountain Time)