Travis Conrad

So when I started writing music I experimented with a lot of different instruments, time signatures, tempos, etc. Most of the stuff ended up being an abomination to the word music itself. I wept over the utter atrociousness of it. But amongst that sea of putrid audio filth, one piece actually managed to create a pleasant sensation when listened to, and that would be the waltz I wrote, entitled the Festal Waltz.

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It’s written for a string ensemble, harp and celesta over a steadily growing base of pizzicato double basses and a taiko drum. I chose the taiko drum because it has a more organic sound than a timpani imho, but really either would work fine. Do keep in mind it’s just a computer generated version so the strings sound a little, for lack of a better word, synthetic, and the celesta is somewhat more tinny than I’d prefer. But listen, for the love of god, listen and comment.

My inspiration for the piece came from Shostakovich, the Russian composer-god who lived around the time of Stalin. His stuff is so rich in the ear. I suggest you go check him out on youtube. Like…. right now. Seriously go. Go. Why are you still reading this sentence and not at youtube.com? Stubborn bastard, anyway, the Second Waltz and the Festive Overture are my favourites, I really do advise you to give them a listen. I doubt you’ll be unimpressed. Shostakovich has such a way with music, it invokes such emotion, especially some of his symphonies. Powerful, powerful shit. And by shit I mean stuff. Really fucking awesome stuff.

Feedback is always welcome. Let me know what you thought of the waltz or Shostakovich or my new layout or the mess Harper has made of the Canadian government or that salad your sister brought over for your birthday party that had the canned tuna in it which you don’t really like but you ate anyway for your sister’s sake…… Please?

-Travis Conrad

Now that a couple a good chunk of the songs are finished, I decided to start working on the opening music for the show. What some people might refer to as the overture. Big words, big words, yes I know.

There’s a little over a minute so far, mostly I’m just trying to sketch out placement of motifs and development of the number. I’ve always found overtures to command a high level of attention from me. They are the introduction of everything that’s to come. They can foreshadow emotional movements in the plot, plant seeds that will linger throughout the piece and give your audience a little taste of the buffet you intend to serve them later on.

I opened with the backbone music from Love on piano accompanied by light pizzicato strings, and from there it grows. The Love theme is a major reoccurring element in Dysfunction, each time offering up new lyrics to show the developments going on inside the characters’ heads.

Let me know what you think, feedback’s always appreciated.

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-Travis Conrad