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The music is made up of sampled acoustic instruments performed with Soundplant; various solo strings performed by members of the Chicago Symphony (multiplied by overlapping performances and layering three of those performances with Mixcraft 7) and a performance of a sample set of prepared piano sounds. The prepared piano sounds are those created by John Cage for his work "Sonatas And Interludes", recorded and packaged by Big Fish Audio. I paid $100 for the sample set, and it was one of the best investments in musical material that I have ever made.
7 Comments
Leslie Singer
4/8/2019 13:22:57
Tom, this is terrific! You've got an amazing mix of strings and scrapes and pings and pongs with the prepared piano. You've got some real spine tinglers in there. Thanks for assembling this and posting it for all of us to enjoy!
Tom Furgas
4/8/2019 15:39:01
Thank you, Leslie! I enjoyed making this piece using sampled strings and piano. I think of the plucked string instruments as a bridge from the bowed strings to the thuds and plunks of the prepared piano. I used the Soundplant sampler to perform and record this. I am very glad you enjoy it!
Hal McGee
4/11/2019 14:08:39
Very nice, Tom! I just listened to this for pleasure for the first time, and I enjoyed it! Thanks!
Tom Furgas
4/13/2019 05:10:48
Thank YOU, Hal, for posting my composition here. I have been checking out other artists on EC and enjoying it very much. The Racket Fest is great fun; I only wish I could have been there to listen and to participate. I am glad to be a part of the EC community.
penny
4/20/2019 00:30:12
Hi Tom, That was beautiful. I loved your strange and wonderful toys and what nots that are playing off the strings. did u add those or are they parts of the original work? This is really beautiful. Thank U for sharing.
Tom Furgas
4/25/2019 00:26:24
Thanks, Penny! I am glad you enjoyed the piece. The prepared piano I used in this piece are sound samples of prepared piano notes which I bought from Big Fish Audio, loaded and performed with Soundplant; sampler software that uses the computer keyboard. I am surprised there is not more done with prepared instruments. And I have yet to hear anyone do prepared harpsichord. (Probably because it's too delicate and preparations might damage the instrument.) I am surprised that not many people do prepared piano, so far as I know. Probably because they worry that it will sound like John Cage. I myself was concerned about that, but the possibilities of prepared piano are so vast that I think it's no worth worrying about. I used to enjoy prepared guitar; preparing the strings with little springs, such as are found in retractable ballpoint pens. Leave a Reply. |
Tom FurgasBorn in Youngstown, Ohio Archives |
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