daniel buchanan
  • home
  • about
  • performances
  • projects
  • media
    • audio
    • video
    • pictures
  • blog
  • connect

A Musical Tribute to Portland Snow

2/6/2014

1 Comment

 
So we got a big snow storm today in Portland, Oregon. As you would expect, people starting freaking out and getting worried about driving.  So I had some cancellations in my day.  The snow was so BEAUTIFUL!  I was very moved while watching it drift down in such a lovely and elegant way (with the backdrop of everyone around me being very worried, and watching traffic crawl by outside the window).  This was my musical response as I tried to just enjoy the beauty. 

It incorporates a little of the jazz song "Snowfall" and the Christmas song "Let It Snow" as well as some of the Robert Frost poem "Stopping By a Woods on a Snowy Evening."  

Enjoy!
1 Comment

New video of some recent experiments

11/19/2013

1 Comment

 
Here's some fun I'm having with my new looping machine.  I'll be performing this at my upcoming live shows.
1 Comment

More Electronic: Idea 28

9/3/2013

0 Comments

 
A little more work this week with electronic media:
0 Comments

Idea 27

8/31/2013

0 Comments

 
Here's another idea in exploration of electronic music. 
0 Comments

Idea 18

5/11/2013

0 Comments

 
Here's Idea 18 of 52 Ideas.  I think it was a little inspired by Jonsi, whose music I adore.
You can hear all the ideas so far on my SoundCloud profile.

It can be kind of crazy to try to fit in a new "idea" every week.  There's been so much going on!  I just finished performing the opera "Semele" last weekend, I had a huge event at my voice studio last night, and I leave on a 10 day European tour tomorrow!  Lots of good stuff, but I'm determined to get some composing in regularly anyway!
0 Comments

Idea 14 and Drumming

4/8/2013

0 Comments

 
I've been working a bit with rhythmic concepts so far during the 52 Ideas project.  As a singer I'm particularly drawn to the lyrical, ooey-gooey, long lines.  And as a sometimes choral singer, I like the vertical sonorities that maximize harmony and dissonance. 

But I just don't spend a lot of time in my musical life in the rhythmic world (other than having the professional necessity for excellent rhythmic skills, which I do have).  As I have been playing with electronic music and also beatbox (a couple weeks ago), I came to a realization - I don't really understand how drumming works....I've never played a drum kit, and I have really minimal experience with hand drums like congas or djembes. 

So last week I had a drum lesson!  I met Mike Dunay at a Playback Theater event, and he taught me my first ever drum lesson.  It was fun and I immediately noticed how much there is to learn. I'm hoping to spend more time on the drums and get more experience in this area. 

This piece I wrote is REALLY in process...I'm almost embarrassed to share it because it was really hard to do.  I was trying to create some drums loops without using the pre-made loops in Garage Band.  And I feel like my mind sort up comes up blank when I try to do this. 

So, here is Idea 14, with a reminder....this is all an experiment!  I'm trying something new!
(Also, you might want to listen to this one with headphones or good speakers, otherwise you won't be able to hear the bass part.)
0 Comments

    Author

    Daniel Buchanan

    Picture

    Archives

    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    May 2015
    June 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    March 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    Categories

    All
    52 Ideas
    Abby
    Baroque Music
    Beatbox
    Beethoven
    Cappella Romana
    Chicago
    Concert
    Conspirare
    Creativity
    Dubstep
    Dulcimer
    Electronic Music
    Guitar
    Les Miserables
    Looping
    Messiah
    Music
    Opera
    Oregon Bach Festival
    Performance
    Puccini
    Rachmaninoff
    Resound Nw
    Sampling
    Samuel Barber
    Sarah Holman
    Sound Therapy
    Therese Murdza
    Victoria Bach Festival
    Video
    Walla Walla
    Website

    RSS Feed