The Coastal Zone

**angelonyc** · 08-02-2018, 08:36 AM

The Coastal Zone.. I played with developing/altering the melody, as the piece progressed, over the same chord progression, so it didn't sound to 'repeatable'.. At the end I did a little take on the Beatle's 'Hey Jude', that is repeating the same motif a number of times, but I added additional parts, made some alteration in motif, so hopefully it held the listener's interest.

The Coastal Zone - https://app.box.com/s/6ck6r1mokmc4fl3y5ua5541vh45vkw94

The Coastal Zone Score - https://app.box.com/s/w1bxcw34rgqw208mmwkxcz63amkh6dsm

Pictures of the Coastal Zone -https://app.box.com/s/7nq00p1yyxw4fugz5yh3rkbbdm4jemh6

https://app.box.com/s/7hhnxxf5h47j8c6220d46v7sa4gzywo6

**sunbird** · 08-02-2018, 09:06 AM

Originally Posted by angelonyc

The Coastal Zone.. I played with developing/altering the melody, as the piece progressed, over the same chord progression, so it didn't sound to 'repeatable'.. At the end I did a little take on the Beatle's 'Hey Jude', that is repeating the same motif a number of times, but I added additional parts, made some alteration in motif, so hopefully it held the listener's interest.

Mark,

I really envy your ability to handle so many instruments in one piece.
To my surprise I saw an instrument called Sunbird...

...

You have created a relaxed atmosphere which I like.
It is really soothing and as if being swayed in a hammock.
The changes you made were effective, so no sensation of repetition.

Thanks for another peek into 'your' world.

~ Yudit ~

**fastlane** · 08-09-2018, 12:01 AM

Hello angelonyc,

I listened to your The Coastal Zone more than once. I think it’s my favorite of the your music that you have posted.

A nice summer time laid back mood with your usual a little unusual selection of instruments and sounds.

The intro seemed to sort of cut off early but I’m assuming that was intentional. I didn’t notice anything I’d call repetitive but I did hear some rather nice melodic lines.

I have been to NYC once, visiting my daughter years ago while she was living in Brooklyn and hosting at the Red Cat in the Chelsea district. She also worked for Spencer Tunick for a short time but not in one of his pictures. She gave me the tour and we saw Mamma Mia. I don’t exactly picture NYC when I listen to your music but they both do have a lot of interesting variety.

Phil

**angelonyc** · 08-09-2018, 08:15 AM

Thanx for the comments guys. I'm still working out why I feel drawn to using a large number of instruments, other than it feels right to me, and I greatly enjoy experimenting with it.. I do enjoy using some traditional sounding instruments, and then a 'fantasy' instrument, or one that could simply not exist.. I'm intrigued by the psychological impact of using a sort of crazy pallet or instruments. It dawned on my, we totally ignore the laws of physics in our dreams. A wall will suddenly transform into something different. People will suddenly be replaced by a stranger, etc. We completely accept this, yet in our waking state, we would never tolerate this.. I am seeking balance where I can use an 'impossible' orchestral palette, yet try to make it sound 'normal or acceptable'. One reason why I violate the laws of acoustics in 'room ambience' or sound stage. It violates what the normal listener would expect.

I enjoy when classical composers, will pool together 2 - 3 instruments to control the harmonic sound.. I'm aiming at that.
I was recently reading about the harmonic series of some instruments (the number and ratio of harmonics, with their own unique envelope of then the sound in).. Of course to get a truly interesting sound, an instrument needs a substantial number of harmonics, each with their own of ADSR to create an intriguing sound.. Although there are a handful of additive synthesis virtual instruments, their implimentation (how you can control the envelops of each harmonic).. It's totally amazing how complex natural acoustic instruments can do this.

My music computer (mac pro 2015) is away being repaired, so I haven't been able to work on music for over a week. For the vast majority of my life, I have been lucky enough to spend vast amounts of waking hours concentrating on working or music, or experimenting with music software, and some hardware.. It makes the 'reality' of my life. With no computer, I don't know what to do with myself. Our current emotional state here in NYC is abysmal. A cop shot a romantic opponent in the face. some guy threw his 7 month baby into the East River. Riots, a 9 year old boy was held up at gunpoint for his lemonade stand money..

It makes me realize, I can't deal with 'reality' and I spend as much of my waking hours in my own climate controlled 'music reality'..For better or worse, I've done this all my life.. I'm certainly not alone, All of my 'serious musicians friends' do a similar thing. As i listen to more of the contributors here I am getting a sense 'of where they are coming from', and I enjoy, the variety of what each poster offers up..

The Coastal Zone, had no bearing to NYC for me.. It was supposed to represent a vast varied area. But I certainly realize and appreciate each listener will conjure up a meaning of their own experience, and emotional state.. Sometimes I get it more together, and am able to add elements which give a more unified sound, which ties in with the imagery of the song title..

Thanx for the comments.

**angelonyc** · 08-11-2018, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by sunbird

Mark,

I really envy your ability to handle so many instruments in one piece.
To my surprise I saw an instrument called Sunbird...

...

You have created a relaxed atmosphere which I like.
It is really soothing and as if being swayed in a hammock.
The changes you made were effective, so no sensation of repetition.

Thanks for another peek into 'your' world.

~ Yudit ~

The Sunbird is an acoustic guitar (nice unique sound) from UVI libraries. Like Music lab, it not only sounds as played, but will also play a number of picking and strumming patterns, for more realism. In the Sunbird however, you do not get the MIDI output (also a fault of mac's Audio Unit format - they refused to make full implementation of supplying a plug-ins MIDI processing functions unlike VST plug-ins - a MAJOR design decision in my eyes. . So I can't accurately score what the exact notes the Sunbird is playing. hence my unorthodox score display.

Although I am not a great sight reader. I find implementing the orchestral score display a great composing tool.. It become very obvious in composition where things are lacking, too busy, conflicting etc. In fact I think some orchestral scores are like a piece of art. Because of # of instruments I use, I sometime make decisions on how the score looks.

90% of data that goes to our brains is from our eyes. It only makes sense, that using our eyes to create music, gives us another valuable tool.

**Max Hamburg** · 09-05-2018, 11:56 AM

Hi Mark,

You have definitely a different way and style of composing, but that's exactly the richness and wealth of this lovely forum: everybody has his/her place to present all kinds of music. There's always a listening ear and sometimes a praising/helping comment. Isn't that nice?
We're lucky that all that wonderful music is being brought to us for free. And your contributions, just like this one, are very welcome. They feel like a refreshment to our ears and one of high quality. As always your production stands and brings a top notch technical realisation. You are very creative with sound, themes and variation. You succeed every time to thrill us from beginning till end.

Thans for sharing,
Jos