My animation project for Multimedia.

Inspired by Sting's "Desert Rose".

I dream of rain

I dream of gardens in the desert sand

I wake in pain

I dream of love as time runs through my hand

I dream of fire

These dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire

And in the flames

The shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

This desert rose

Each of her veils, a secret promise

This desert flower

No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

Now she turns

The way she moves in the logic of all my dreams

This fire burns

I realize that nothing's as it seems

I dream of rain

I dream of gardens in the desert sand

I wake in pain

I dream of love as time runs through my hand

This desert rose

Each of her veils, a secret promise 

This desert flower, her rare perfume

Is the sweet intoxication of her love

 Sweet desert rose

This memory of Eden haunts us all

Sweet desert flower, her rare perfume

Is the sweet intoxication of the fall 

Our assignment was to write requirements for a composition and give them to another student.  My requirements came from Chad Gerbe: jazz fusion based on the color orange.  

So here's what I came up with...

In this photomontage, I wanted to convey the relationship between "heart and soul".  We put so much emphasis on our physical hearts, but we sometimes neglect our metaphysical hearts.  Not that our physical hearts aren't important (because they very much are!), but we put physical health before emotional, mental health.  Often, we drive ourselves crazy trying to look and act perfectly, when we should really be putting effort into shaping our morals and character.  

Lady Justice holds 2 hearts on her Scales in my picture: the scales are not tipped, however, because I wanted to emphasize the equal importance of BOTH "heart" and "soul".  Although such a pressure is put on us today to be physically beautiful, we must think of our souls and strive to make them beautiful as well.   

The 16-measure theme was written by Sam Mickler.

There are 3 variations on Sam's original theme:

 1 - Original Theme

2 - Latin variation

3 - Electronica variation

4 - Orchestral variation

Enjoy! 

First off, I'm making it clear that this is NOT an original work of mine.  "One of Our Submarines" music & lyrics were written by Thomas Dolby, and released on the album "The Golden Age of Wireless".

 That said, I "covered" the song in my own experimental, abbreviated way.  When I found the synth effect "Transoceanic", it reminded me of the sounds used in "Submarines".  

 Let me know what you think, especially if you're a Dolby fan! 

A composition that really shows the Polish / Irish in me.  Enjoy! 

Composition for AP Music.

As you can see, I had to call this the "karaoke" version - I had sung it live in class, so there's no vocals in the Garage Band file.  (The finished version will be up before the end of the year...)

Enjoy! 

Another Thomas Dolby cover, "Flying North".

Extremely fun one to cover - enjoy! 

Just what the title says:

It was tough spending the summer (June 08 - August 08) without composing on Garage Band.  When AP Music (and school) started up again, I was elated that I could start using GB and the Macs. 

 Of course, shortly after I bought a MacBook for the purpose of composing.

Based on the Aeneid, which I am reading in my AP Latin class.

In Book IV of the story, the Trojan leader Aeneas sails to Cartage (accidentally) and meets Queen Dido.  Dido falls madly in love with Aeneas after hearing his story, and will do anything to keep him in Carthage.  Vergil compares Dido to a wounded doe, wandering through the forest slowly dying because she does not know she has been shot (at the end of Book IV, she kills herself out of grief that Aeneas is leaving).  She makes sacrifices, gives him lavish gifts, and no longer cares about her city (her army stops training and building production stops).  However, Aeneas is not destined to marry Dido, because the Fates have decreed him to found the Roman people in Italy - the messenger god, Mercury, comes down to redirect Aeneas back to his Fate.  Dido is so crazy with love that she does not accept the fact that Aeneas must leave.

Here's the lyrics (a live vocal track recording is in the works):

I don't remember getting here

I don't even know where I am

All that I know is that I've got you with me

Together we'll make a plan

Throw you over my back, it's now or never

The night is beginning to fall

It's only us and this dusty road

The wind and its lonely call

I don't know what's come over me

I must be going insane

Wan'dring the streets late at night thinking of you 

Dancing away in the rain

Burning up with the fire of passion

My feverish frenzy grows worse

Armies will falter and my city stalls all because

Because of Cupid's curse

If the Fates would only throw me a bone

I'd leave their spinning alone

But change the course of history please, for me

I'd shelter that Refugee

Just change your one decree

Tell them it was Dido

Dido and the doe

Dido and the doe 

Our assignment was to score a video clip, so I chose one that promoted downhill skiing in Colorado.

Film scoring has always been fascinating to me, so this project was so much fun.   

This video was really hard for me to make - I was more focused on making a video that matched the music I had in mind for it.

I guess I'm a better film scorer than a cinematic visionary...?