Agnus Dei
In a fit of procrastination, I dug through my old audio archives. What I found was a brief snippet of a 16th century "Agnus Dei" setting in three voices. I'd recorded it on trumpet and promptly forgotten about it. But see, one part multitrack mixer and two parts procrastination can lead to good--well, decide for yourself. But here's what I did:
Part 1: The unedited, virgin version.
Part 2: Track doubled. First track: 78% reverb, 10% wet mix, 25% pan left. Second track dropped down the octave, 25% pan right.
Bleecker Street
A couple weeks back, as I sat transcribing the lyrics for "Beijing Huan Ying Ni," my mp3 player got stuck on "Bleecker Street," a Simon & Garf. number from their pre folk-rock phase (and did you know folk-rock wasn't even really their idea?). Well techically, I got my mp3 player stuck on it, but the point is I found a new appreciation for the song's simple intricacy. The counterpoint melodies weaving back and forth above and below each other. The subdominant-to-mediant suspensions.
Woman With Knife No. 5
Pastel and India ink on canvas, with aluminum foil. (2006). Created as a prop for the Olive Barrel Productions short film by the same name.
Across the Universe
Composed for and broadcast on the A Mutual Respect February Music Month Challenge
Context: Yep, second time this month I broke my promise not to do covers, but if the first time (“Vespers”) was well worth it, this time…well let’s just say I have reasons which will become evident on March 18th (cue mysterious Mark laugh).
Bei jing huan ying ni
Scroll down to play song
Composed for and broadcast on the A Mutual Respect February Music Month Challenge
I’ll be leaving for China in June for 2 years to serve in the Peace Corps. So. There you go.
Po' Man's Blues
Scroll down to play song
Composed for and broadcast on the A Mutual Respect February Music Month Challenge
The Crusades
Composed for and broadcast on the A Mutual Respect February Music Month Challenge
Ever since I was a kid, I always wondered what a David Lynch film about the Dalai Lama would be like. This is my musical realisation of that film.
I suppose the composition also has a personal meaning, as it imbricates three spiritualities I’ve dabbled with (in?) over the years.
The texts:
“Nam myoho renge kyoho” — Nichiren
Rebecca True & Charlie Kind
Composed for and broadcast on the A Mutual Respect February Music Month Challenge
A meme for writers
Note: questions posed by fellow writer and friend, Danielle, in preparation for a faculty reading series.
1. What was the first short story, poem or other work you wrote (and I mean the first—go back to childhood days!)
I mostly drew pictures early on, but see below (circa age 8):
Comments
Perhaps my most favorite song
Mark, this was a provocative
Mark, this was a provocative discussion. I suppose as devil's advocate I would be less enthusiastic about some of the points you made, such as the reconceptualizing of knowledge. I think of the Atlantic Monthly cover article a few months back with the lovely title "Is Google Making Us Stoopid?"
Perhaps in the panel in June this might be what I should be doing: asking the philosopher's questions about the implications of Web 2.0.
WOWZERS, James's brother...
WOWZERS, James's brother... you have such a talented singing voice! And your Mandarin is excellent! As a native speaker of the Chinese language, I am very impressed. Mad props to you! :D
Ah, libraries.
Ah, libraries.
That's a cool thing.
That's a cool thing.
awesome.
awesome.