solo-g: At the Movies – III

It finally happened—my debut into the film industry was a success to celebrate alongside the team of El Vigilante Films. Episode 1 of “El Porvenir”, a web series created by Miguel Yee and Manuel Alejandro Anell kept the audience with their eyes glued to the screen and wanting more. In reality, this first episode was deemed a pilot, but I wouldn’t know it had I not been told by the creators of the series.

The premiere was held in a very curious café in Tijuana known as La Casa de la 9. Mostly the crew, cast, and close friends and supporters of El Vigilante Films attended. It is hoped they will help spread the word and, when the first episode is formally posted on the web, the audience will grow, giving El Vigilante Films more exposure.

As the composer of the series’ soundtrack, I have entered a musical terrain unknown to me until now. There is still much more to learn and create, but in the few weeks I spent watching the rough cuts over and over, I learned a lot about the unique genre of film soundtracks. It was the creation of certain moods and ambiances that made this experience so different.

I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone at El Vigilante Films for this wonderful opportunity. Their kind words towards my music and its contribution to the overall quality of the film have touched the depths of my heart and soul. I was nothing but honored to work with the crew of El Vigilante Films and the cast, in this case two young actors, Paco Mufote and Daniel Cosío. I am also thoroughly impressed at the dedication to excellence in filmmaking shown by El Vigilante Films. They are an independent film venture that in many ways can be considered amateur, but the results convey far more than that. You guys are truly amazing!

The Ineffable Name of God

By Christolakis

I once met a fellow who was a devout practitioner of orthodox judaism. Besides his strict adherence to the dietary laws known in English as kosher, he exercised a lot of care when it came to referring to God by name. Based on the very little research I’ve done, such care is common among practicing Jews. At this point, I have not had the opportunity to listen to a rabbi or other learned authority on Judaism give me a detailed explanation as to why such care is taken, but I would guess that, at the very least, it is simply out of respect for the Highest, the Eternal from which all creation emanates.

In the Bible, the word God is always capitalized as well as any pronouns that refer to Him. Questions may arise as to why the masculine pronoun “He” is used when referring to God. Is God masculine? Why not refer to God as “She”? One explanation I’ve encountered states that masculinity is associated with the generative force. The term generative implies a power to create. Because God creates, He is associated with masculinity. From this point of view, the concept of God as masculine makes sense to me. Even so, there is still plenty of room for questions.

My personal point of view is that God is neither masculine nor feminine. Any attempt to give God such attributes seems futile, because God is simply ineffable—I cannot describe or express God completely in words. All I can do is stand in awe of The All, a term I’ve chosen to borrow from the Kybalion. Just in calmly contemplating my own human body I feel a profound sense of awe and wonder. Who? How? Why? Asking such questions is allowed and even encouraged, but I believe it may blind me if my desire for answers becomes overwhelming. In the wise words of Rumi, “Mysteries are not to be solved: The eye goes blind when it only wants to see why.” As I travel through this great journey of life on Earth, I am more convinced that I must use much more than my brain to contemplate The All.

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A Musical Seed – V

In my last post I mentioned a milestone in the creation of this musical I have been so devoted to in the last months. Although not all of the songs have been written, half of them have. I reached a point where it just seemed natural to begin creating the sound. I’ve begun sequencing the tracks that will later be accompanied by a live orchestra. I will be using some electronically-generated sounds, a practice I’m sure is not uncommon.

The process of writing the themes for the musical has been wonderful. Places like Balboa Park and Presidio Park have been ideal in the quietude they provide for writing. I had originally planned to finish all the songs before beginning to add music, but things don’t always proceed according to a fixed plan, especially when it comes to writing music. I think I simply reached a point where I needed to rest from songwriting and engage in sequencing.

While the songs are at the core of the musical, the sound brings it alive. I am very excited as I begin to experience this project as a reality. The groundwork has been laid and now the musical edifice is being built. I hope to have the bulk, if not all, of the work done by the end of the summer.

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A Musical Seed – IV

Sometimes there’s a little voice inside of me that says, “Why do you blog? Hardly anybody reads it.” Well, not that many people read my blog, I know. However, the idea is that someday not too far off in the future many will. It’s a belief I have that I’ve patiently been holding on to. I really am living out the very story I’ve been working on with a diligence I’ve not known before. Everyday that passes the dream comes closer to reality.

The update I have for today is that the lyrics and general musical idea for scene 6 is completed. Very soon I’ll be halfway to the milestone of completing all songs for this musical. Orchestration and sequencing will come later. This is the lesson I’ve learned in doing this. I’m simply leaving the details for later and getting the libretto and general musical ideas done first.

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A Musical Seed – III

Little by little, the dream becomes a reality. This musical, a project I almost gave up on a few years ago, is of great significance to me. I’m living it as I go along—it is a reflection of who I am. Today I find myself on the verge of completing the lyrics and general sketch for scene 5, the final scene of the first act. I’ve been working entirely with Finale, using Reason 4 only to emulate the Yamaha C7 piano sound I really love.

In this scene, the main character is confronted with a critical decision. Should he give up the message of his dreams for a girl he thinks he loves, but really doesn’t know that well? The scene has many themes, but I think one of the most important ones is that of letting go. Love shouldn’t hold us back from realizing our personal dreams. There is that famous saying that goes, “If you love someone, let him or her go. If he or she returns, then it was meant to be; if not, it never was to begin with”. Well, something to that effect.

As I work on this, I can remember feeling a great emptiness whenever love didn’t work out as I desired. I think it’s very common to feel that way, especially during adolescence. It seems the world is crumbling when that certain someone doesn’t respond to the love that is emanating from within our hearts. I still believe love should be beautiful and full of romance. I think that in many relationships, couples forget what it felt like to be on “cloud 9″. It is sometimes said that such things belong in fairy tales, but I disagree.

In the end of our material existence, what have we besides love? Love is always there to comfort us in a world that often seems plagued by hatred. To all couples I say this:

Let love be a temple where nothing besides all that comes from love can abound; love each other as children with pure hearts and minds. Please don’t give in to the world’s greatest lie; don’t give up searching, don’t let your dreams die…

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solo-g: At the Movies – II

It was 1:30 in the afternoon last Saturday as I headed towards a part of Tijuana known by locals as “Playas” (beaches). It’s a part of Tijuana I once called home—back in 1982. The most noticeable change is the increase in construction, but it still has a very distinct flavor. It is officially a part of Tijuana, but due to the fact that there really is only one road that directly connects it with the rest of the city, it has remained somewhat healthily isolated. I believe it is this very quality that makes Playas an attractive alternative for so many. I know I’ve often considered it.

The crew of El Vigilante Films was almost completely assembled when I arrived. After a little more than an hour’s worth of preparation and packing, we were headed south towards Valle de Guadalupe, México’s premiere wine-producing area. The one-hour drive took us through La Misión, a beautiful rural area accessible through the old highway that connects Rosarito and Ensenada. Because of the plentiful rainfall that had recently passed, the fields and hills were lush green. I felt fortunate to call myself a Baja California native.

Rancho San Marcos, just outside of a small village named El Porvenir, was our final destination. A family member of one of the members of the El Vigilante Films crew was kind enough to offer use of a beautiful home on the ranch. I didn’t see any cows, pigs, or sheep, but I did see a few horses grazing in the pasture. It’s common for people where I come from to call any rural home such as this a “rancho”.

A few guys from the crew went to scout the area where the opening shot to the Internet miniseries was to be filmed. It took us two hours to satisfactorily shoot a scene that probably doesn’t even last a minute. This is admittedly starting out as a low-budget project, but the guys at El Vigilante Films get very creative when it comes to equipment and other aspects of filming. I was out there partly because I had an interest in seeing how films are made. The main reason, of course, was to get a better sense of the film for soundtrack composition purposes.

Of course, I ended up providing other kinds of help to the crew. They were appreciative of this, because help is something they definitely do not get enough of. I provided help in something they called “continuity”. This assures, to the maximum extent possible, that the several shots that often constitute one scene don’t have any major, noticeable differences. So, if, for example, a character is wearing a hat in one shot, he or she must still have the hat—preferably in the same position—when it comes time to shoot the next part of a scene. I also assisted the gaffer, the person in charge of designing the lighting plan for the film. A few different lamps had to be constantly rearranged in order to provide the appropriate and desired lighting effect.