Dance of the Leaves and the Raindrops @OliverBComposer

Oliver B Please leave your feedback ;)
Composition info and frequently asked questions below. Images:
- http://www.ezmegazin.hu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/levelhatter.jpg
- http://www.superiorwallpapers.com/autumn/autumn-leaf-in-the-rain-beautiful-hd-wallpaper
- http://www.wallpapermania.eu/wallpaper/amber-autumn-leaves-and-a-beautiful-sunshine/5120x3200
- http://rebelsilence.deviantart.com/art/Falling-Leaves-264128807
- http://domtotal.com/img/noticiaMarcos/190_9014.jpg
- http://www.beautiful-views.net/views/fallen-leaf-autumn-fog-forest.jpg

What is this?
This is a piece of music. I hope I'm competent enough for you to have noticed that. This piece of music describes and/or accompanies the idea or images of falling leaves and dripping drops. A rough guide, though I was not strict in applying these rules, is:
The often descending piano, flute, xylophone motifs describe the falling leaves and the way I emotionally interpret this image. The pizzicato violins and percussion, in particular the celesta (this is the instrument which sounds like bells but is a keyboard instrument, striking metal instead of strings like a piano does), describes the raindrops. It's important to know that the piece is constantly making fun of itself.

Where did the idea come from?
I came up with the initial piano motif while playing the - indeed - piano. The descending notes and their, to me, fragile but slightly pompous sound conjured up an image of slow falling leaves in my mind. Raindrops were a pretty obvious way to add to the picture as the celesta, being a keyboard instrument, is able to play fast. Bells with a good range that can be played fast - what an amazing instrument! The other ideas grew from there and add more to the musical than the visual picture. The starting piano section mainly describes leaves and the following celesta and violin section mainly describes raindrops. After that, it becomes less straight-forward as ideas collide.

What does the piece mean to me?
This piece was an important step for me to break free from certain habits and explore interesting possibilities. I played with humour, absurd contrast, call and response etc. which was possible thanks to playful and open-to-chaos starting material. I tend to follow a sense of musical symmetry and this piece was the easiest possible way to practice breaking that (in some situations). Its mood and stylisation are also something I've never come close to.

Other notes:
- Focus on phrasing, especially in the beginning, breaking expectations
- I was very generous with my timpani writing. You'd need several sets to play this (unless super fast pedal tuning is possible which I don't know about). I generally try to compose realistically playable music but sometimes I will allow myself to break some rules to make up for lost ground with mixing difficulties. The timpani was a good support in a thinly textured piece so I was grateful that it worked.
- My mixing "style", if you can call it that, is weird because sound has a strange effect on me. My hearing is dependent on several factors including my state of mind and visual input. Things will bother me that shouldn't, hindering a traditionally balanced mix. As my next big project will probably be a more thickly textured piece, I will try a more normal approach as the instruments naturally fill up the frequency spectrum... but as long as it sounds in a way that you can appreciate the music, I'm happy.
- Lack of woodwinds apart from (piccolo) flutes and contrabassoon. The picture I painted is heavily flute reliant and I felt like forcing in other colours would only detract.

What have I been up to and what's next?
I finished another big project before this one (film music) but I had to scrap the final product because I couldn't get it to sound right. It was still a great experience and I learned a lot. My taste is always developing so it's unlikely that I'll revisit old projects. I also listened to and studied a lot of music. I'll continue to do that and might focus on fuller orchestration (probably with less percussion and staccato flute accentuation), counterpoint and a more free harmony approach next.

FAQ:

Software?
EastWest Hollywood Orchestra and "The Grandeur" piano for Kontakt, in FL Studio (other hosts may be better suited for orchestral music but it works well for me).

How do you get ideas?
Personally, I start with finding one idea that I love enough so that a whole musical or sometimes visual world opens up to me. When you're in love with an idea, the possibilities are endless and will jump into your mind by the dozens. Your musical experience (from listening or playing) will dictate what and how many options you have and your taste will help you decide which ones to use.

Download, permissions?
You can use this piece for whatever you want. If possible, a link to this video would be nice.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/aax2q9ng3ew99z1/Dance_of_the_Leaves_and_the_Raindrops.mp3

updated 9 years ago

Dance of the Leaves and the Raindrops

Oliver B 2016-11-26 | Please leave your feedback ;)
Composition info and frequently asked questions below. Images:
- http://www.ezmegazin.hu/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/levelhatter.jpg
- http://www.superiorwallpapers.com/autumn/autumn-leaf-in-the-rain-beautiful-hd-wallpaper
- http://www.wallpapermania.eu/wallpaper/amber-autumn-leaves-and-a-beautiful-sunshine/5120x3200
- http://rebelsilence.deviantart.com/art/Falling-Leaves-264128807
- http://domtotal.com/img/noticiaMarcos/190_9014.jpg
- http://www.beautiful-views.net/views/fallen-leaf-autumn-fog-forest.jpg

What is this?
This is a piece of music. I hope I'm competent enough for you to have noticed that. This piece of music describes and/or accompanies the idea or images of falling leaves and dripping drops. A rough guide, though I was not strict in applying these rules, is:
The often descending piano, flute, xylophone motifs describe the falling leaves and the way I emotionally interpret this image. The pizzicato violins and percussion, in particular the celesta (this is the instrument which sounds like bells but is a keyboard instrument, striking metal instead of strings like a piano does), describes the raindrops. It's important to know that the piece is constantly making fun of itself.

Where did the idea come from?
I came up with the initial piano motif while playing the - indeed - piano. The descending notes and their, to me, fragile but slightly pompous sound conjured up an image of slow falling leaves in my mind. Raindrops were a pretty obvious way to add to the picture as the celesta, being a keyboard instrument, is able to play fast. Bells with a good range that can be played fast - what an amazing instrument! The other ideas grew from there and add more to the musical than the visual picture. The starting piano section mainly describes leaves and the following celesta and violin section mainly describes raindrops. After that, it becomes less straight-forward as ideas collide.

What does the piece mean to me?
This piece was an important step for me to break free from certain habits and explore interesting possibilities. I played with humour, absurd contrast, call and response etc. which was possible thanks to playful and open-to-chaos starting material. I tend to follow a sense of musical symmetry and this piece was the easiest possible way to practice breaking that (in some situations). Its mood and stylisation are also something I've never come close to.

Other notes:
- Focus on phrasing, especially in the beginning, breaking expectations
- I was very generous with my timpani writing. You'd need several sets to play this (unless super fast pedal tuning is possible which I don't know about). I generally try to compose realistically playable music but sometimes I will allow myself to break some rules to make up for lost ground with mixing difficulties. The timpani was a good support in a thinly textured piece so I was grateful that it worked.
- My mixing "style", if you can call it that, is weird because sound has a strange effect on me. My hearing is dependent on several factors including my state of mind and visual input. Things will bother me that shouldn't, hindering a traditionally balanced mix. As my next big project will probably be a more thickly textured piece, I will try a more normal approach as the instruments naturally fill up the frequency spectrum... but as long as it sounds in a way that you can appreciate the music, I'm happy.
- Lack of woodwinds apart from (piccolo) flutes and contrabassoon. The picture I painted is heavily flute reliant and I felt like forcing in other colours would only detract.

What have I been up to and what's next?
I finished another big project before this one (film music) but I had to scrap the final product because I couldn't get it to sound right. It was still a great experience and I learned a lot. My taste is always developing so it's unlikely that I'll revisit old projects. I also listened to and studied a lot of music. I'll continue to do that and might focus on fuller orchestration (probably with less percussion and staccato flute accentuation), counterpoint and a more free harmony approach next.

FAQ:

Software?
EastWest Hollywood Orchestra and "The Grandeur" piano for Kontakt, in FL Studio (other hosts may be better suited for orchestral music but it works well for me).

How do you get ideas?
Personally, I start with finding one idea that I love enough so that a whole musical or sometimes visual world opens up to me. When you're in love with an idea, the possibilities are endless and will jump into your mind by the dozens. Your musical experience (from listening or playing) will dictate what and how many options you have and your taste will help you decide which ones to use.

Download, permissions?
You can use this piece for whatever you want. If possible, a link to this video would be nice.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/aax2q9ng3ew99z1/Dance_of_the_Leaves_and_the_Raindrops.mp3

Oliver B - Lilys Lullaby

Oliver B 2021-12-12 | My Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6IkMJ6TYzC7RF3t5HLx1da
Please leave your feedback! :) I tried something new with the piano visualisation.
This piece is from 2 to 3 years ago, but it was very special to me for several reasons. Still indirectly inspired by Yann Tiersen. Thanks for listening!

Oliver B - 8-Bit Party

Oliver B 2021-08-01 | Spotify! :) open.spotify.com/artist/6IkMJ6TYzC7RF3t5HLx1da
Please leave your feedback! Hope I can convey some of the fun I had making this thing.

Image: cutewallpaper.org/download.php?file=/21/pixel-wallpapers-hd/Ultra-HD-Pixels-Wallpapers-S4928AK-WallpapersExpert.com.png

Oliver B - Across the Meadows

Oliver B 2021-04-04 | Listen to this on Spotify! open.spotify.com/album/39B1vt5e3rlHLCo0EG1vzR
Thanks for listening! Please leave your feedback :)

As always, please feel free to use it for whatever you want (with credit).

Artwork:
deviantart.com/rgbfumes/art/Living-under-a-tree-557601300

Download (Wav): mediafire.com/file/ua46s1noaspb7zd/Oliver_B_-_Across_the_Meadows.wav/file

Oliver B - Up Up And Away

Oliver B 2021-02-14 | An orchestra piece that I had way too much fun with, and spent way too much time on...
please leave your feedback, and remember to subscribe if you would have anyway! :)

This image is what most closely resembles the visuals I imagined when writing this piece, but people have told me that they imagined all sorts of different things. Let me know if you get any different images!

Artwork: deviantart.com/sendolarts/art/Howl-s-Moving-Castle-336627412

Oliver B - A Window to World One

Oliver B 2016-04-03 | Artwork: http://wawaline.deviantart.com/art/Substrata-Until-Then-404290760

Read more about the piece below

What is this?
It's film music but because I don't have a film (and I doubt I'm capable of creating music *for* particular visuals yet), we'll have to turn it around. The idea is that the music inspires images in the listener's mind, creating a new world. My world looks a lot like the image I used which is why I chose it. Flying over a magical world of some sort as a bird perhaps and then... something happens, I haven't chosen anything particular ;) This is the first piece of mine that is cinematic to this extent which is why I chose this title.

BTW, just remembered: I highly recommend listening to it multiple times to get in the right mood as there is no film that does that automatically :)

I am looking to continue in this direction, improving my skills and especially gaining experience along the way, so uploads might be relatively infrequent but then you get something that is musically more interesting, if you value that at all.

The dynamic range of this and probably many future pieces is quite big, so not that convenient for casual listening but hey, it's film music, there just has to be a big difference in volume a lot of the time ;)

Please leave your feedback and I hope you enjoyed!

Oliver B - Peaceful Nights

Oliver B 2016-01-11 | Listen to this on Spotify! open.spotify.com/album/39B1vt5e3rlHLCo0EG1vzR

Image: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-loKLew4zupk/TlRLKjuU0-I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/dibZAE_yV9s/s1600/3.jpg

I love the night. Everything is quiet, peaceful, deserted and there is space and time to think and dream.
This track will likely be the last, for now, that is minimalistic and progressive to this extent. My goal will always be to trigger emotions, images and thoughts but I want to try a more cinematic approach now because it is so much less limiting. I recently started to realise that it was always the music that I loved, not the other aspects of production like creating textures or interesting timbres. I am looking forward to completely focusing on the music and making a lot more music in a single track. Emotionally, I am happy with what I've been doing and emotions are still my #1 priority but musically, it can get a bit boring. I'm looking forward to putting pieces together that are a bit more complex, like solving a musical puzzle until you are satisfied. Anyways, thanks for listening again and I hope you enjoyed.

The ending is sort of a bridge to the more cinematic approach I will be trying to take now, a strange major/minor chord at the very end. This kind of strangeness is an example of something that could work very effectively in a non-progressive track and probably only in a progressive/repetitive one if you want to weird out your listeners/create an unsettling moment in a film or so.

Oliver B - My Dear [Thanks for 1K!]

Oliver B 2015-12-09 | Listen to this on Spotify! open.spotify.com/album/39B1vt5e3rlHLCo0EG1vzR
Artwork: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Jazz-by-Leonid-Afremov-466045982
I have no idea how this happened. One day, I just felt like doing this and I did. And then I finished it aaand I'll probably never be in the mood to do something like this ever again. It's not super polished but I think it's fun. Thank you so much for your support and feedback and I hope you enjoy.

Oliver B - In Your Mind

Oliver B 2015-10-22 | Listen to this on Spotify! open.spotify.com/album/39B1vt5e3rlHLCo0EG1vzR

Artwork: http://s0ggywaffls.deviantart.com/art/Sky-322662768

This track started out as a very minimalistic piano composition and turned into a slightly less minimalistic orchestral piece, which I am much more excited about! A lot of different emotions went into it, I hope I can touch you with at least some of them.

Have a nice day :)

Oliver B - When Birds Fly

Oliver B 2015-08-24 | Listen to this on Spotify! open.spotify.com/album/39B1vt5e3rlHLCo0EG1vzR

I just ripped the footage from here youtube.com/watch?v=4QQJXl6J2gA and edited it into this. Apparently it's from a nature film by Jens Noelte but I couldn't find it anywhere :( Anyways, hope you enjoy this orchestral/downtempo thing I made!

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/listen/8qqa55d5a018e3a/Ultimate_-_When_Birds_Fly.mp3
As always, use it for whatever you want :)

Oliver B - Secret Little World

Oliver B 2015-07-12 | Listen to this on Spotify! open.spotify.com/album/39B1vt5e3rlHLCo0EG1vzR

My most popular track on soundcloud, so I thought I should probably share it here as well, finally :P
Yes, this is the piece from Roblox Galaxy! :)
Beautiful image: http://throughspaceandtime.deviantart.com/art/Portal-to-another-world-319368952
Track download: http://www.mediafire.com/listen/vco37j34d3lhee9/ultimate+-+Secret+Little+World.mp3
On soundcloud: soundcloud.com/oliverbcomposer/secret-little-world
Yes, you can use it for whatever you want, I'm happy if my music is of any use to anyone.
Please leave your feedback and have a nice day ;)

Oliver B - Sunset

Oliver B 2013-11-05 | Please leave your feedback! :)
Feel free to use it for whatever you want.

My first house type track.