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The Galaxies


Jerry Gerber

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1 hour ago, David Sprouse said:

I liked the reference to pierrot lunaire even if unintentional.  Pre dodecophonic schoenberg would really relate to this composition.  Verklaerte nacht...etc  This was wonderful.

Hi David!  Thanks for listening to The Galaxies.   I hadn't thought of this piece as dodecaphonic or Schoenbergian, in fact I gave up trying to write serialized music many years ago, but I guess there is enough chromaticism in the piece to warrant that association.   I'm really glad you enjoyed listening!  Happy New Year to you,

Jerry

 

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I can tell this likely took some time to make. Is it intended for a film? Would work well in any context for a film about the planets. The thing about using it in that context though would be having the video change when the music changes.

Nice work. Steinberg? Vienna as intruments?

 

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4 hours ago, Tim Smith said:

I can tell this likely took some time to make. Is it intended for a film? Would work well in any context for a film about the planets. The thing about using it in that context though would be having the video change when the music changes.

Nice work. Steinberg? Vienna as intruments?

 

Thanks Tim!  I originally planned this piece for use with visuals but it ended up merely as a piece of music.  Yes, the only orchestral library i use is is the VSL Orchestral Cube.  I have the orchestral, solo, chamber and appassionata strings although I don't recall offhand which ones I used in The Galaxies.

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I just watched Pinar Toprak's Steinberg video. I guess she is the next Hans Zimmer. Probably no way we'll ever get to that level, mainly because I'm guessing she has some production help like old Hans does and a budget that allows her every tool in the box. 

Yet a small collection of VSL instruments and some musical theory knowledge and we can get our sounds to that level. as you have done here. I hope you get to use these tools for a film at some point.

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2 hours ago, Tim Smith said:

I just watched Pinar Toprak's Steinberg video. I guess she is the next Hans Zimmer. Probably no way we'll ever get to that level, mainly because I'm guessing she has some production help like old Hans does and a budget that allows her every tool in the box. 

Yet a small collection of VSL instruments and some musical theory knowledge and we can get our sounds to that level. as you have done here. I hope you get to use these tools for a film at some point.

 

Thanks for listening Tim!

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2 hours ago, Tim Smith said:

I just watched Pinar Toprak's Steinberg video. I guess she is the next Hans Zimmer. Probably no way we'll ever get to that level, mainly because I'm guessing she has some production help like old Hans does and a budget that allows her every tool in the box. 

Yet a small collection of VSL instruments and some musical theory knowledge and we can get our sounds to that level. as you have done here. I hope you get to use these tools for a film at some point.

Though I did mention that I originally conceived of this piece for a visual presentation, it's very rare that I have an interest in scoring to picture.  I've already scored over 750 cues for film, TV and games and found that musically and artistically it's not what I want to do.   Film scoring can pay well and there can be prestige in doing it if that's what you're looking for, but for me composition is most rewarding and challenging when  music is not governed by a story, plot or visuals.   Before film and TV a composer who collaborated in producing an opera, dance piece, songs or Broadway was entering into a true collaboration where the music determined, or played a large role in the pacing, length, style and general direction of the project.  Not so in film scoring.  Though I enjoy teamwork, I'd rather write symphonies and produce albums.   Film music seriously lacks something I love about music--the abstract nature of musical development and variation that can only be explored in composition-for-its-own-sake or in collaborations that don't inhibit that property of music.  Background music for film almost always negates that element of composition.   It doesn't have to, but the nature of how films are produced makes it so. The other issue for me, is that most films suck. When I try and watch a film these days on Netflix, about 80% of the time I watch 10 or 20 minutes of it or so and turn it off as I feel like I am wasting time, or worse, putting junk into my brain; sort of like eating junk food that titillates and seems tasty when eating it but has no nutritional value and can damage your health .  I could not possibly score a project that I think is crap, and most films are crap.  If a composer reaches a stage in their career where they can pick and choose every film they score, well, that's great for them, but in order to do that you'll have to spend all your time scoring films or looking for projects to score.  I'd be back to square one again!  No thank you!

 

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37 minutes ago, jsg said:

Though I did mention that I originally conceived of this piece for a visual presentation, it's very rare that I have an interest in scoring to picture.  I've already scored over 750 cues for film, TV and games and found that musically and artistically it's not what I want to do.   Film scoring can pay well and there can be prestige in doing it if that's what you're looking for, but for me composition is most rewarding and challenging when  music is not governed by a story, plot or visuals.   Before film and TV a composer who collaborated in producing an opera, dance piece, songs or Broadway was entering into a true collaboration where the music determined, or played a large role in the pacing, length, style and general direction of the project.  Not so in film scoring.  Though I enjoy teamwork, I'd rather write symphonies and produce albums.   Film music seriously lacks something I love about music--the abstract nature of musical development and variation that can only be explored in composition-for-its-own-sake or in collaborations that don't inhibit that property of music.  Background music for film almost always negates that element of composition.   It doesn't have to, but the nature of how films are produced makes it so. The other issue for me, is that most films suck. When I try and watch a film these days on Netflix, about 80% of the time I watch 10 or 20 minutes of it or so and turn it off as I feel like I am wasting time, or worse, putting junk into my brain; sort of like eating junk food that titillates and seems tasty when eating it but has no nutritional value and can damage your health .  I could not possibly score a project that I think is crap, and most films are crap.  If a composer reaches a stage in their career where they can pick and choose every film they score, well, that's great for them, but in order to do that you'll have to spend all your time scoring films or looking for projects to score.  I'd be back to square one again!  No thank you!

 

Well you sort of confirmed my hunches on film music. It would be nice to make a little $$ on a film. I never shopped that kind of work because I am a composer first and everything else is second. Film music is intended to highlight the film not the other way around. If a composition can stand alone that says something. UI did make far too many dreamy string things and I've heard far too many of them.

There are different levels of composition though. Big difference between making a string quartet and writing a lengthy symphony that real players can all play, printing out that humongous score and making sure it's all correct. The bigger challenge is probably getting someone to play it. I don't have the time right now to do the big stuff, but it's a goal for me one day.

And what will Pinar Toprak be known for- Captain Marvel. In 2040 I doubt it will mean much. I am happy for her if that's what she likes to do. So far as significance over time, that movie will fall into the pile behind a thousand others.

-Tim

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12 minutes ago, Tim Smith said:

Well you sort of confirmed my hunches on film music. It would be nice to make a little $$ on a film. I never shopped that kind of work because I am a composer first and everything else is second. Film music is intended to highlight the film not the other way around. If a composition can stand alone that says something. UI did make far too many dreamy string things and I've heard far too many of them.

There are different levels of composition though. Big difference between making a string quartet and writing a lengthy symphony that real players can all play, printing out that humongous score and making sure it's all correct. The bigger challenge is probably getting someone to play it. I don't have the time right now to do the big stuff, but it's a goal for me one day.

And what will Pinar Toprak be known for- Captain Marvel. In 2040 I doubt it will mean much. I am happy for her if that's what she likes to do. So far as significance over time, that movie will fall into the pile behind a thousand others.

-Tim

True, writing a shorter piece for fewer players is different from a long-form piece with lots of players.  But I wouldn't underestimate the string quartet because the same capacity for musical development and variation exist in a 4 movement string quartet, except of course there are fewer timbres.

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Hello Jerry....once again a brilliant, beautiful composition, thank you for sharing....i find no surprise that you named this piece The Galaxies as i myself frequently look for inspiration from the cosmos....a never ending source of the unimaginable made real ???? 

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4 minutes ago, Larry T. said:

Hello Jerry....once again a brilliant, beautiful composition, thank you for sharing....i find no surprise that you named this piece The Galaxies as i myself frequently look for inspiration from the cosmos....a never ending source of the unimaginable made real ???? 

Thank you very much Larry!  And thanks for taking the time to listen..

When I was a boy I wanted to be an astronomer but I realized I didn't have the math and physics talent to move ahead with such an ambition.  But I still love astronomy and try to keep up with the latest findings.  It will be quite a day when we finally discover that there is intelligent life in the universe--maybe we can one day become intelligent ourselves!!

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