Every day I’m a creative person. Every other day I’m a technical person. On the days in-between I write music. Somehow it all manages to work out. I write about it here.
Big Cloud Music
I am exciting to announce that I am producing commercial-ready music under the name Big Cloud Music. For far too many years, I’ve sat on my music, letting only a few listen. It’s time to let go of that fear and get my music out into the world. I’m not a stage performer. I’m not in this for the notoriety. I’m doing this because I have a dream to hear my music used in a TV show, a movie or a video game....
The Loss
Sometimes music is short. Sometimes it’s long. This is a shorter piece about taking short moments to refect. Moments that you might be avoiding. They can come out in unexpected ways. For example, this stretch of music that was inspiring to write. This piece is an update to a simpler version that was a backing track for a video of a balerina moving in slow fluid motions.
Hope
First written in November of 2018, I thought this piece of music was lost. I came upon in while doing a site redesign this year and I am overjoyed. This piece is inspired by one of my guitar heros, Andy McKee. It is written in a standard tuning and using a Shubb Capo C7 depressing 3 strings on the 5th fret.
I Have Been To Jupiter
Capturing the feeling of Christmas memories There always exists a magic at this time of year. Remembering the glow of those large light bulbs illuminating a sparse tree decorated with ornaments and tinsel. It created a soft glow that is so unique to the time. Christmas music playing on the old stereo at the bottom of the stairway. Laying around lazily in the days after Christmas. I put into music some of those feelings that are evoked from this time and these memories....
Dull Piano
Sometimes the quality of an instrument’s sound is inspiration. As is the case with this short piece of solo piano. It evokes a dark and subdued mood.
Tune Your Guitar
Whether your playing alone or with others, a well tuned guitar will sit in the music as it should. Similar to when someone sings off key, even a single string slightly out of tune can stick out like a sore thumb. Don’t be a sore thumb. Here are some thoughts and practices to tuning your guitar. Basic Tuning Use a chromatic tuner. This is the most common tuner you can find for stringed instruments....
For Dad
Late in Februrary of 2018 I wrote this guitar piece to cope with the overwhelming emotions stirred from my Dad’s failing health. Coming to grips with the mortality of a loved one is a lot to process. A year and a half has gone by since his passing and I felt a tugging to engage with this song again, playing it every chance I get. It seems right to re-record it as a rememberence on his birthday....
Peninsula
This repeating pattern builds over time to a crescendo of pads, drums, and electric guitars. It’s a built off of the simple melody line enhanced by multiple layers of a “plucked” sound and delays.
Type Scale - A Tool For Establishing Better Online Typography
I appreciate good design. I get super geeky and techy about design for the web. And over the past several of years, the tools for web design have grown by leaps and bounds. I’m talking about the technology and browser advancements that have made it possible to do new things all the time. Typography is a big part of that. An endless array of fonts have become the answer to the technical limits of the sacred seven fonts of the 90’s....
Summer Road Trip
I joined my family on their 6 week road trip across the country for 12 days. This journey took me to some amazing places in Arizona and Colorado. Grand Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park Arches National Park Mesa Verde National Park Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park So many highlights to capture. Just a few are… Bike rides along the rim of the Grand Canyon. Hiking to the bottom of Bryce Canyon....