I recorded a very short video in four parts and managed to accomplish the following:

1. Four videos synced and displayed in split screen
2. Four audio tracks captured on the H6 and synced/mixed.
3. HQ audio synced to rendered four-way video.
4. Uploaded to YouTube!

Nothing really to see, here; just an E-flat major scale harmonized with an add 2 chord. Just a test, but I am very excited! Hopefully I will be able to upload an actual quartet arrangement this week!

- BD

My best friend, Dave Williams II, gave me the most amazing gift: a Zoom H6 audio recorder! Now I have no excuse for poor audio quality in my videos, other than not having a clue how to use the thing...

...so project No. 1: make a simple saxophone quartet arrangement of Lennon/
McCartney's And I Love Her and track all the parts into the H6. Done! Here is the recording:​
​

To be clear, that took me four hours to record the two-minute arrangement.

Upcoming: adapting two or three of my compositions to saxophone quartet and recording those. Also another Beatles tune, probably.

Big upcoming: learning to make 2/3/4/100 video split screens of my arrangements. I downloaded Shotcut today. First I have to figure out the video, then syncing the audio to the video.

Those items should keep me busy for a little while!

- BD

I am really having a lot of fun working on a couple new projects, including the upcoming recording session for my "main" band, TwiceSax, planning a session for my mostly-a-trio project (upright bass/drums/saxophone), and a new project with my old college roommate, Logan, which may end up being called "Duophony."  I feel overwhelmed at work (nothing new), and I fight against my lazy brain (nothing new), but this music gives me energy and motivation (ahhh, definitely something new, or at least something that has not happened in quite a long time).

TwiceSax has been playing together for a loooong time, and we have never recorded more than a raw demo. I have written a lot of music for the band, my brother-in-law and co-bandleader Dave Williams II has started writing some really cool music for us, and we have raised the money for the recording session. Time to just make it happen.

That's my theme right now; while attending a professional conference this week I was taking notes, and the thought just hit me: stop waiting for someone else to tell me to do something. Like an old possibly Chinese proverb says: the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago; the second best time is today.

So, today I will talk to some people about getting these projects into the home stretch. In the meantime, I continue to really enjoy using my iPad as a music creation tool, and I am loving the explorations I am undertaking into improvising with semi-generative music from the electronic toys I have accumulated for a few years.  This video is entirely produced on my iPad, using a handful of synths, effects, and utilities. Check out the video description for detailed info.

New to this video: animation that responds to the music! I just got this app yesterday, and it is way over my head, but I managed to cobble something together this morning before I started my work day. This may be nothing but a fun time-waster, but at least it was fun!

About the music...

I sequenced the drums in the Rozeta X0X, controlling a drum set in Patterning 2. The main feature of the track is the bass line (which needs much better mixing and compression, but hey, I'm learning) and the evolving delay, filter, and glitch/stutter effects. I set up parameters in all of the sequencers to make this generative texture. I want to create several more of these "Themeless Variations" and then I am going to start creating larger compositions and adding improvisation on various instruments, including EWI, tenor and soprano saxophones, and perhaps some flute and bass clarinet.

If you have comments, critiques, criticisms, questions, jokes, book suggestions, or anything else that fits in a comment box, please hit me up. - BD