This original composition by Kevan Paul was completed on the same day that the Wall Street Journal featured an article about a 21st Century architectural wonder nick-named "The Integral House", because the owner is a mathematics professor and author of many college text-books for calculus. He is also a violinist, so this piece fits perfectly with the theme. The result is a musical tribute to the "Integral House" with the word Integral added to the original title. Thanks to Shannon Kyles for generously allowing me to use her photographs. The violinist in the pictures is the owner of the home-concert-hall.
This new composition has many elements that are new to my recording efforts, but not all of the original ideas ended up in the final mix - some of these will be in the next composition. The title of the piece is a phrase that keeps appearing in the economic news, and is somewhat to the point of my wanting to create a stimulus package to help make creative things happen around me. More to the irony of the current situation is that everyone I know needs an economic stimulus package - so let's give one so that we may get one. The piece includes six different sections, which are repeated in various form with a chord pattern that starts with Gm7-F#m-Gma7-Dm-Dm-Em, etc. This is in a jazz-fusion modal form, which defies resolving to maintain the tension. The piano gives the underlying repetition in section 2,4,6, while the violin gives a soulful introduction in section 1. The "electric-guitar" gives us taunting questions throughout the piece, with no definite resolution to these musical statements. The repetitions pattern with the first quarter note rest followed by three quarter notes with varying levels of syncopation, is a deliberate statement of ambiguous rhythmic melody to further confuse and entertain. The statement of unison in the last section resigns itself to the current situation. These are the metaphorical undercurrents of the piece. I wanted to create something that sounded like some of the jazz-rock fusion pieces of the 70's and 80's that I love to listen to, while adding additional soundscapes such as the synthesizer rhythms and the "storm" during the second section. I hope the sun finally comes out - as metaphorically I've been waiting intensely for the spring storms to end and the real warmth to arrive so that I enjoy some outdoor activities in the sun. I happy with this piece because it includes my favorite jazz-rock fusion elements with violin.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
New Re-Mix of Michael Hedges "Baal T'Shuva"
Since this song has received comments on the blog, I've re-mixed again to sound better. Thanks for input from JS54inMO; I agree with your observations. I re-mixed the recording with less volume on the shaker, fixed some note discrepancies on the violin and balanced the violin with the guitar better. Hope you like the new rendition better. - Kevan
Sunday, March 22, 2009
New Song "A Better Way to Leave" (KP2-03) on "Going Home"
This new song started with a "pop" drum track at a moderate 104 bpm, and I want to continue to explore the "arppegio" synthesizer further as substitution for the traditional "rhythm guitar" track -- all the notes are there in a guitar chord, you just hear them all at once. Then I wanted to add an electric-violin track that emulated the electric guitar some more, as was introduced in the previous song "Through the Fog". For the violin, I wanted to add 1/5 up pitch and use double-stops for a melody that would further develop the mandolin introduction. It starts as if it is a country-pop song, but then is fused into a original melodic style that keeps the pop-drums and syncopated bass part as a constant counter-point to the violin part. Difficult to blend some of these elements, but I like the overall up-beat feeling that the song delivers. The title implies that there is a better way to leave a situation when there is a choice - pick the better way to leave the conversation, and you will be able to find a way back. Stay positive in thought and action - create peace! That's the meaning of this song.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
New Song KP2-02-Through The Fog
This new song has all of the jazz fusion elements that I want to hear in my compositions: 1. violin melodies with song form. "Verse - Verse - Break improvisation - Transition - Verse - Verse" 2. electronic rhythmic contrast parts 3. electric-violin solo that sounds like an electric-guitar solo (during transition) 4. vocal overlay with ambient choral effect. 5. jazz elements for violin phrases. The themes are stated, extended, and then repeated, with jazz improvisation in the middle section. 6. syncopated bass parts. If I can have these elements in each song on the "Going Home" album, then the collection should sound coherent and easy to follow. Hopefully, I can extend this framework to the next group of songs. Enjoy!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
New Album Started: Title: "Going Home"
Twelve more songs are on their way from my home studio in Payson, Utah. Breakthrough sounds of the electric-violin combined with several fusion styles will lead the listener down a creative road that will be surprising and original. One or more songs per month is the expected workflow, with a hopeful full release before July, 2009. I will be using a "Creative Commons" license for this work, but will allow commercial use with full attribution rights retained. Stayed tuned.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Three Musical Worlds for Violinists
This is my assessment of music industry opportunities for violinists versus capabilities.
There seems to be three musical worlds that violinists can thrive in. For most violinists these seem to be mutually exclusive musically spheres of involvement. There are many violinists who are very expert in their music knowledge and performance experience, however, there are traditions and preferences that influence and limit the development of a career performer. My assessment does reinforce stereotypes, but since perception can shape reality, this is that best I can do without survey data.
The first world, is the world of the classical music trained and classical music performing violinist. These are generally orchestral performers, with a rare soloist who can master the demands of the repertoire that requires a brilliant memory and a stand-out tonality along with impeccable technique. What a lot of pressure there is for a solo classical performer, and with limited audience. The performance and rehearsal expectations dictate the lifestyle -- busy and competitive, but with a price. The price is not having much time to explore other forms of music, or "programming" that limits the ability to play "by ear" and/or blend-in with other "non-classical" musicians.
The second world, is the world of acoustic folk music with traditional, bluegrass, country, Celtic, Irish, etc. influences. This world provides interesting performance opportunities, but there are limited recording opportunities, and if you are lucky enough to "break-out" of the first world, then you may be a good performer, but limited in ability to "compose" the parts that are required. In this world, the violinists may be asked to perform very limited amount of time with "fills, runs, and harmony-parts". This may be boring for a classical performing musician that can sit down and play an hour-plus piece of music. There may be some income opportunities, but probably not enough to raise a family. buy a house, or create a retirement package - yeah, right.
The third world, is the world carved out by a few very good musicians who have had enough talent and luck to find a career as a solo artist with a record contract. How many violinists are in this category, as compared with other solo instrument artists? Not many in my assessment. Why not? This is where I offer my opinion. The fact is, the violin is a very difficult instrument to record and perform in the current popular genre driven commercial music. This requires a re-assessment by recording engineers and digital signal processing experts to work with violinists to develop a better way to make the violin relevant again in commercial music. Just as the electric guitar has changed the definition of a rhythm section, the electric violin needs to be re-defined. Simply plugging a violin into a guitar amplifier will not work. The reasons are based on the physics of the wave form of the violin as compared to the guitar. This will be the topic of my next post to give my theories about what may change the game and give the violin a chance to compete in a new generation of music. Are the violinists ready to perform in the third world?
There is, no doubt, a number of dedicated violinists who could rise above an amateur status if given a greater opportunity to perform and have enough free time to practice the instrument.
It may be too late for me to create a place in the third musical world (especially in terms of a recording contract), but with home recording techniques and tools, I may be able to leave a legacy of experimentation into many styles of music that are not usually considered available to a violinist. My current genre to experiment with is "electronic-heavy-metal-instrumental", with violin lead solo.
There seems to be three musical worlds that violinists can thrive in. For most violinists these seem to be mutually exclusive musically spheres of involvement. There are many violinists who are very expert in their music knowledge and performance experience, however, there are traditions and preferences that influence and limit the development of a career performer. My assessment does reinforce stereotypes, but since perception can shape reality, this is that best I can do without survey data.
The first world, is the world of the classical music trained and classical music performing violinist. These are generally orchestral performers, with a rare soloist who can master the demands of the repertoire that requires a brilliant memory and a stand-out tonality along with impeccable technique. What a lot of pressure there is for a solo classical performer, and with limited audience. The performance and rehearsal expectations dictate the lifestyle -- busy and competitive, but with a price. The price is not having much time to explore other forms of music, or "programming" that limits the ability to play "by ear" and/or blend-in with other "non-classical" musicians.
The second world, is the world of acoustic folk music with traditional, bluegrass, country, Celtic, Irish, etc. influences. This world provides interesting performance opportunities, but there are limited recording opportunities, and if you are lucky enough to "break-out" of the first world, then you may be a good performer, but limited in ability to "compose" the parts that are required. In this world, the violinists may be asked to perform very limited amount of time with "fills, runs, and harmony-parts". This may be boring for a classical performing musician that can sit down and play an hour-plus piece of music. There may be some income opportunities, but probably not enough to raise a family. buy a house, or create a retirement package - yeah, right.
The third world, is the world carved out by a few very good musicians who have had enough talent and luck to find a career as a solo artist with a record contract. How many violinists are in this category, as compared with other solo instrument artists? Not many in my assessment. Why not? This is where I offer my opinion. The fact is, the violin is a very difficult instrument to record and perform in the current popular genre driven commercial music. This requires a re-assessment by recording engineers and digital signal processing experts to work with violinists to develop a better way to make the violin relevant again in commercial music. Just as the electric guitar has changed the definition of a rhythm section, the electric violin needs to be re-defined. Simply plugging a violin into a guitar amplifier will not work. The reasons are based on the physics of the wave form of the violin as compared to the guitar. This will be the topic of my next post to give my theories about what may change the game and give the violin a chance to compete in a new generation of music. Are the violinists ready to perform in the third world?
There is, no doubt, a number of dedicated violinists who could rise above an amateur status if given a greater opportunity to perform and have enough free time to practice the instrument.
It may be too late for me to create a place in the third musical world (especially in terms of a recording contract), but with home recording techniques and tools, I may be able to leave a legacy of experimentation into many styles of music that are not usually considered available to a violinist. My current genre to experiment with is "electronic-heavy-metal-instrumental", with violin lead solo.
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