A Musical Seed – Part 2

Mar 5

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By Anna Ritter

Work on my musical is well underway, although I realize I am still very much at the beginning of the endeavor. I sequenced the first scene on my computer, thinking I would perhaps create the entire work this way. There are advantages to composing this way, but at this point I’m thinking it’s not going to work for this particular project.

Sequencers coupled with great sound libraries can render wonderful results. Entire movie soundtracks are made that way. Despite this, there is still a deep desire within me to compose using traditional orchestration. I’ve already completed the orchestration of the first scene, with only a few minor touches left. While I do believe sequencers can be very helpful for beginning composers to get an idea of how certain instrument combinations sound, I’ve decided to limit my sound source to that of the piano in order to better exercise my ability to create the orchestrations in my mind and boost my confidence level. Besides, the sound of instruments on a sequencer, no matter how real, can be deceptive. None of the great past masters—Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, etc.—had such a tool. Of course, they were constantly exposed to real orchestras and knew them well. In my case, my only exposure is partly that of the relatively few concerts I’ve attended, but mostly that of the several recordings I own and have come to know so well.

A Musical Seed

Feb 26

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I’m not sure how many years have passed since I first knew I wanted to compose a musical work based on a story. Back then, I would have called such a piece an opera, but it only took one viewing of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s The Phantom of the Opera to know that what I really wanted to compose was a musical. About three years ago, I ran into the first story that truly inspired me to write such a piece. For reasons I will address at a later point in time, I will not mention the title of that story.

The idea came at a difficult time in my life. The story spoke to me in such a way as no other story has ever done. The ideas flowed like a river. At this point there are three pieces for which the musical idea has been well established. These are three pieces I write soon after that first moment of inspiration, but I set them aside for a while. As an artist, I go through periods of somewhat blocked creativity. I think it happens to every artist, but I could be wrong. Sometimes the breaks are intentional. Writing music is a very enjoyable and uplifting process, yet it can also be tedious and exhausting.

Now, the inspiration has returned and I have made a commitment to myself and the world to fashion what, God willing, will be my very first musical. I am very excited. You see, writing music is a process that very much reflects a composer’s life at that moment. All of life’s experiences contribute to how a composer writes. In the case of this musical, I now know I was in the process of figuring out certain things. At times I have put undue pressure on myself to do things a certain way. I know that, in my case, there is a voice inside of me that constantly judges and criticizes my work. This voice has its purpose, of course. On the one hand, it pushes me to do the very best I can. On the other hand,  it can also block the creative flow.

Music is limitless—pretty much anything goes. With this musical, I will simply take all the best I have to offer as a composer and pour my heart into it. This is a musical seed. Some seeds never sprout. Others do sprout, but the plant does not grow in a very noticeable way. Then there are those seeds that blossom in a magnificent way, bringing forth the result of many months of loving care. Well, this is one seed I intend to care for as if it were my own child—and it is my child, indeed. I will offer it to the children of the world, which includes every adult that knows how to stay in touch with the child that lives inside their dreams.

G

Homage to the Final Wisdom that clearly differentiates phenomena…

P.S. Thanks again, Nina.

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The Dancing Wu Li Masters

Feb 22

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On several occasions, I have ventured into the physics section of my local bookstore. Up until now, I’ve always found myself somewhat confused with some of the terminology used by authors to explain such things as quantum physics and string theory; however, in his book, Gary Zukav gives those of us who are not well-versed in advanced mathematics and science a unique opportunity to delve into the world of quantum physics.

Wu li is a Chinese term that has numerous meanings. Perhaps the most significant one in terms of this book is “patterns of organic energy”. This is indeed very significant in that it reveals a perspective of physical reality in the Eastern world that is far different from ours in the West. While modern-day physicists grapple with the notions of energy as either waves or particles, the adepts of the ancient Far East have had a working knowledge of these phenomena for thousands of years. Codifying it in the ancient texts, what is set forth as spiritual allegories are often vaults of a profound understanding of the nature of the universe and humankind’s interactions with it.

In the earthly realm, where Newtonian physics is, for the most part, still valid after several centuries, science has tried to explain phenomena that exist at a level far smaller than even the shortest wavelengths of visible light. These are the tiniest particles known to quantum physics, a science consisting more of probabilities than of exact numbers. Gary Zukav makes a great analogy when he compares humankind’s search for the ultimate building blocks of matter to the seemingly endless number of reflections that appear when we stand between two mirrors. We struggle to define things in terms of our Newtonian reality, but the search seems futile. If we are to truly understand, we must have the mindset of children, looking at things in simpler terms, freeing ourselves of the preset patterns that more often than not blind us from reality. We must think as Einstein did when he proposed his special and general theories of relativity, both if which are covered in Gary Zukav’s wonderful book.

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Solo-G: What Are You Up To Now?

Feb 19

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Change is in the air. Not too long ago I learned that humans can be in one of two states—growth or decay. There really is no motionless lingering in our lives. I like to think that I am constantly growing, despite the downturns in life. 2010 has gotten off to a great start and the future looks bright.

I am currently working on the soundtrack for a miniseries created by El Vigilante Films, an up and coming film venture based in Tijuana, México and headed by Miguel García Yee and Manuel Alejandro Anell. Their short film, La Hora de la Muerte (The Hour of Death), was shown at the 16th annual San Diego Latino Film Festival in March of 2009. Even though I did not personally get a chance to see the film at the festival, I did attend and later became a member of Frontera Filmmakers, promoting myself as a composer looking to collaborate on a film project. It wasn’t long before Miguel García Yee and Manuel Alejandro Anell of El Vigilante Films contacted me. We met at a Starbuck’s coffee shop in South San Diego one summer evening in June to discuss the soundtrack for one of their film projects.

I’m excited to say that the project is underway and the music has already started to flow. This is something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a dream that almost became a reality back in 2005. I feel really good about it. I’ve met with Miguel and Manuel Alejandro a few times already. The last time we got together, Gustavo Pastrana, the actor who portrays the paranormal investigator and radio talk-show host, Jamie La’Faite, was there also. His portrayal of the character is truly excellent—watch La Hora de la Muerte (The Hour of Death) and see for yourself.

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To Nina With Love

Feb 14

Posted by solo-g in Biography | 2 Comments

I’m supposed to be sleeping. It’s what I told you I would do. Yesterday’s birthday party at my cousins house was fun and I stayed up quite late. Today is Valentine’s day and I don’t want to be tired and sleepy later on when I see you. But, I’ve got the incense burning and beautiful music playing. It’s opened my heart and it’s renewing my energy. It’s also bringing me to a place in my heart where I find you, Nina, the girl for whom I have shed many tears of joy, thankful for this wonderful gift you’ve given me—the gift of love.

It was Halloween of 2009 when I told my uncle I was euphorically in love and that I felt I could now depart this Earth having known the wonder and beauty of inexplicable love. I still had upon my lips that kiss you gave me by the lakeside that seemed to make up for all of those times in the past I had felt the fear of loving without bounds. I carried you and you said I had made some of your dreams come true. I didn’t mean to do that, but I’m so glad I did.

Laying here on my bed writing this is like dreaming while awake. I bring here, to the present moment, that world my spirit goes to every night I close my eyes. When I am at my best, this is what I do—I live my dream in waking consciousness. So many times you’ve brought out the best in me. You still do, for at your side I’ve arrived at a new point of freedom in my life.

Thank you, Nina. You’ve been so good to me. At a time in my life when I sometimes thought I would go through great difficulty you came and made it unforgettable. I love you.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Solo-G

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Teachings Of A Little Hummingbird

Jan 29

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“It is easy in the world to live after the world’s opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude”.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

It was a beautiful day as Nina and I enjoyed the warmth of the jacuzzi located next to the building of the apartment complex where she lives. Nina looked happy. I could see it in her eyes. There were beams of light radiating from her smile. I was also happy.

Suddenly, Nina said, “Look, there’s a hummingbird! It just landed on that little twig in the tree!” She pointed it out for me and there it was. So tiny and fragile yet so amazing whenever it began fluttering its little wings at an incredible rate. “I think it likes us,” she said. “Perhaps it feels our happiness,” I thought to myself. It was a beautiful thing to witness.

That same night I had a long and enjoyable conversation with a good friend of mine, Zaira. She is about my age and has yet to find a man suitable enough to be her companion. Knowing her as long as I have, I’ve often wondered why. She’s good-looking and intelligent. She also possesses values that are worthwhile. She loves her parents; she also loves her brother and his two young children. She’s not materialistic and accepts people as they are. What more could a person want in a companion? Well, after much pondering and conversing on the subject, we arrived at a most critical point—integrity.

Who wouldn’t want his or her companion to possess integrity? I believe it’s safe to say no one. But, whether or not integrity is a quality people look for in a companion is not the question. The matter at hand has more to do with how we sometimes violate our own integrity for the sake of being in a relationship. It’s not that Zaira doesn’t want to have a companion—perhaps there is nothing she would like more—it’s just that she’s not willing to put her integrity on the line in order to conform to the “demands” of a relationship.

I’ve heard it said that the older a person gets, the more difficult it is for that person to modify his or her life to accommodate a companion. I believe there is a lot of truth to that statement. In my case, age has brought with it a desire to be stable to a certain degree. Zaira is such a case—she has admitted it; however, it doesn’t mean she would be absolutely incapable of being in a relationship where she shares a home with her companion. She’s very capable, in fact. She’s just not willing to conform. Is she selfish or is she just extraordinarily resolute?

Zaira’s case is but one in countless cases. To some people she may be selfish. It is all ultimately relative. To me she is definitely unlike any other woman I’ve known. Her blatant honesty is far more valuable than the sugar-coating that seems to be so prevalent in all sorts of relationships from personal to professional. I salute those who refuse to give in. Billy Joel’s famous song says that “honesty is such a lonely word” and, while it may feel that way at times, it really isn’t so. Just as one star in the seemingly infinite vastness of space can overcome the darkness, one honest friend can make our earthly existence worthwhile.

People are like hummingbirds. When a man or a woman meets that special someone for the first time it is a beautiful thing, just like the little hummingbird that appeared above Nina and me. It is also a fragile thing, however. It is far too easy for the demands that sometimes exist within a relationship to remove that precious hummingbird from its natural surroundings and deprive it of that which captivated us in the beginning.

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