what kind of music are you in?

[mediabot]

I pretty much just create music in the electronica genre, but also some ambient or new-age-ish sounding stuff as well. I havn't been able to make my way over to the world of paying, professional composing. Of course I'm working on that one.

[Dwetmaster]

I have a jazz performing major in electric Bass and I got into video games which got me into DP/electronic music.

So now I navigate between Gospel, HipHop, Electronica & Jazz

I enjoy doing General MIDI Files for Cell phones games. It's cool to have the challenge of making the most out of a very limited sound palette.

Now I can say that my programming skills have surpassed my bass playing.



I wish I still could do these crazy scales though...

[nikki-k]

Hi!
Long time lurker, very rare poster, but I guess I will babble a bit...

Started on piano at 5, ticked off my Dad by threading his reel-to-reel not long after that (Daddy's little girl, so I got away with it..and more..lol..). He is a computer programmer by need to feed the family, but was, and is, a jazz musician at heart (sax, piano, a little guitar, bass, flute, clarinet and some others). Hs Mom played piano (classical nut), as did my Mom. Rock n roll bit me by age 11- KISS "Destroyer" was all it took. Another year, and it was Zeppelin...then Rush and Floyd..and then Yes. Combined with the family jazz and classical background, I guess it isnt surprising I love prog rock, and even some prog metal. No formal training or school though, just a little guidance here and there. I can read music, but I guess at like a "third grade" level...or less..lol!

First guitar at 12, an acoustic. Was loaned an electric at 14, and bought my first for $100 a year later. Played in bands all thru high school, even hit clubs. First time n a recording studio I knew I wanted to learn all about that as well. And after experiencing bad live sound, I wanted to learn that as well. I spent most of my life (age 16-32) on the road, mostly playing in bands in clubs across the USA, covers and originals. But, I also did FOH, lighting, and worked in studios engineering and producing.

In Jan 2001, I was riding my Yamaha R1 (crotch rocket), and a lady crossed the double yellow in a turn, me doing ~65mph and her doing about 60mph. Chipped a vertebrae, right hand snapped off (tendons and skin held t on), left hand broke n three places (left pinky knuckle at the hand was damaged badly), and right knee bent sideways (ACL and other damage.. nice rebuild). Took 17 weeks to recover enough to get riding and back on the racetrack. And then on Oct 1, 2001, after attending the final races of the year in Virginia, was riding with friends in the mountains fo North Carolina, heading for Deal's Gap, and my brake lever broke as I went into a turn at ~85mph. Hit the side of the mountain, broke ribs in front and back, left and right, collapsing both lungs. Bit my tongue almost completely in half, and broke 9 vertebrae. T6-9 were pulverized, and required bone grafts from my shoulder blades and pelvis to rebuild, but my spinal cord was severed at T6. Harrington rods were put in place for life (one on each side of my spine for support). Tongue was sewn back on, and recovered completely. It took almost 3 years to be able to wheel around and do simple things.

While not the most fun or pleasant thing, it has allowed me to pursue a dream: write my own music. Paint the sounds I hear in my head. Although I cannot play guitar and bass as well as before, at least I can play. DAWs today are incredible... but, bug ridden enough to be aggravating at best some days. I bounce between PT, Logic and DP, with the occasional trip to Cubase to remember why I do not use it on Mac (yeah, I should sell it already..lol). Each of the three are so close to working well for me. PT and Logic hav ebugs that just bring things to a grinding halt, while DP is missing a few things, and feels very alien still to me, after owning it since version 3 first was out.

So that is me and my music. 100's of little song ideas, couple dozen so close to being done. Wish I had a hundred lifetimes more to go to school, learn all these incredible instruments, and get back out there playing live in bands. And finding that DAW that works for me, and does not have bugs that make me want to play Pete Townshend on the computer

nikki

[Phil O]

Nikki, Nikki, Nikki. You have got to stop breaking things, especially when they are inside you. Glad to see you are posting. Glad to hear you are well and making music. Hope to hear more from you in the future. The more the merrier.

Phil

[Robbie_2327]

Cool thread.

Okay, so here's my story. I graduated from Berklee college of music with a degree in Film Composition. I've scored two feature length films and a handful of shorts as well as some small TV and corporate things. All the films were independent and went nowhere. The 2nd feature I did I wrote 70 minutes of music for. I got paid (yes, I actually got paid) the hefty sum of $1000 (that is US Dollars). I don't need to tell anyone how long it takes to write 70 minutes of music. I also have a mortgage a wife and 3 daughters. I did all of this before I turned 30 and thought I was well on my way to actually making my living from this.

I then took some time away from pursuing music professionally and focused more on domestic issues. A.K.A. a better paycheck . Last year I started to have a 're-birth' musically as I call it (this is why I love MIDI-Life Crises' screen name). I have always been solely an instrumentalist (guitar) and the majority of my film music has been orchestral. Yet last year as I started getting focused on what I want with my life something new was there for me, something that I had never experienced before. The desire to sing! Now this was a challenge for me as my guitar playing and composing chops are fairly advanced and I really had to start from like square one with my voice. I have a good ear but I couldn't make my voice do what I wanted. So I started taking voice lessons. I've made some good progress in the past year and have actually done some performing around my local area. I've been writing pop-acoustic rock type songs and I've been composing orchestral stuff again too. I just upgrade all my studio gear (I was long overdue) and I've been submitting lots of music to a company called Taxi. If you guys haven't heard of them, check them out.

Now that I'm 35 (today actually) I am extremely focused on creating my reality out of the power from my thoughts and dreams. Last year I realized that I have accomplished a lot of things in my short life and everything I have set my mind to has become a reality for me. Including needing to double my income 4 years ago when my wife had to stop working for medical reasons. Now my focus is back to moving forward with my music. Its not an 'if' for me but a when. I know that I will make this happen. Its not that I'm arrogant, I just know that if you can think it, than you can make it reality. Dreams create possibility. If you live into possibility it creates reality.

My goal....(okay here's where I get ridiculed) win a Grammy before I turn 40

If anyone would like to check out some of my instrument music then click the link bellow. Three of the pieces on myspace were just put up and have been done with my new setup. The other pieces were done with my 14 year old Performer setup (not DP) and all MIDI (no VI's)

Enjoy,
Robbie
http://www.myspace.com/robbiepittelman

[monkey man]

You're just a spring chicken, Robbie.

You know, I had big Grammy plans when I was 20 or so (I mean, really big ), and have never stopped dreaming, but health, finances and life managed to get in the way in a relentless and seemingly orchestrated way.
21 years later, and the dream is still all I have to show for this.
No matter. The point is that I sure hope your dream comes to fruition, man, and to a reasonably human timescale.

Thank you for sharing, Robbie.

[FMiguelez]

Okay, so here's my story. I graduated from Berklee college of music with a degree in Film Composition. I've scored two feature length films and a handful of shorts as well as some s

Awesome!
That makes us colleagues and former Berklee heads! I went to Berklee too, and studied the same career, plus traditional composition and arranging.

Thanks for sharing that, my friend

[Robbie_2327]

Okay, so here's my story. I graduated from Berklee college of music with a degree in Film Composition. I've scored two feature length films and a handful of shorts as well as some s

Awesome!
That makes us colleagues and former Berklee heads! I went to Berklee too, and studied the same career, plus traditional composition and arranging.

Thanks for sharing that, my friend

Awesome, I graduated in '94. How about you?

[FMiguelez]

.

I did in '98

Later at night I'll send you a PM, if you don't mind. I'm curious about some things.

See ya, my new Berklee pal

[Robbie_2327]

Absolutely! No Problem

[Mr. Quimper]

I know this is old, but I just checked out your tracks...please post more, and finish more!

Awesome!

Seriously, I'm completely into avant-garde prog-rock and such, so this stuff is right up my ally. If you released a whole CD, I'd buy it.

http://idisk.mac.com/doctorvague/Public ... elease.mp3
Here's some free-form mayhem complete with stuck notes, but I liked it anyway:
http://idisk.mac.com/doctorvague/Public ... -doyng.mp3

cheers
Phil

[philbrown]

I know this is old, but I just checked out your tracks...please post more, and finish more!

Awesome!

Seriously, I'm completely into avant-garde prog-rock and such, so this stuff is right up my ally. If you released a whole CD, I'd buy it.

http://idisk.mac.com/doctorvague/Public ... elease.mp3
Here's some free-form mayhem complete with stuck notes, but I liked it anyway:
http://idisk.mac.com/doctorvague/Public ... -doyng.mp3

cheers
Phil

This is really really strange. I was just listening to some of these older pieces a few minutes ago and thinking "maybe I should post these in the showcase" - and then thought - naaah - no one gives a rip about this sh.. stuff. Then I checked this thread for the first time in months. Freaky.
People either hardly react at all (or don't like it) or they really like this stuff - the reactions are kind of extreme. Musicians tend to get it more than regular people. I surely appreciate your kind words Mr. Quimper. What the hell genre would you call this stuff then? I'm calling it "Quantum Jazz" and since I made up the term, no on can really argue the point I'll PM you and send you some links to some odds and ends. I really need to just put a web page but would rather play with the modular synth or build a new module or whatever
As for finishing things - ouch - my downfall for sure. Can really start a bunch of things though...
Hypothetical question:
If you're creating music strictly for fun, and you never get anything finished because you're having too much fun, are you a success or failure???
Cheers
Phil

[Robbie_2327]

If anyone is interested I just put up several new things that I've just completed over the last few weeks. There's a middle eastern feeling action piece, a horror piece, a mystery type piece and an olympic inspired one (plus 2 others).

Let me know what you guys think. Any feedback or comments is always appreciated

http://www.myspace.com/robbiepittelman

[billf]

These days I'm actually working in a genre called machinima, which are animated films made in virtual reality. So the "music" part of that is similar to film music, although there are some differences; but I also use DP to do the voices, sounds, etc. It's still an early market, but have done some work for ads and short subjects in that genre.

[Phil O]

Musicians tend to get it more than regular people.

I thought I was feeling a little irregular. That explains it!