I think I’ve just about had it. That is, I don’t know how much more I can take. Go ahead, you can say it. I’m over-obsessive with my Turkey in the Straw piece. I’m not afraid to admit it. I just want it to be a decent piece. It’s just taking me for freaking ever. I think the earliest date I have for my sketches is all the way back in May of last year. It’s almost been a freaking year!!! And in that time, I’ve only spent…. *counts files*… about 60 days working on it. Thats like…. two months straight of working on this thing. That’s loooong considering I spent about a week on joyRiDE and about 3 weeks on Shadow Rituals.
I think it’s time to bite the big one and just… not sleep until it’s done. I mean, it is done. That is, I have a full draft or two of the piece. I just keep… rewriting things… and keep running into problems. For instance, the goal duration for the piece is about 5 minutes. I have a theme that finishes in about 20 seconds. So, hypothetically, I could just repeat that theme about…. 15 times but that might get a little boring. My biggest personal problem is that I have a very short attention span. I constantly want my music to change. It’s particulaly difficult with this particular theme because it can sound so… boring if its just a statement of the theme. On the other hand, it’s really difficult to play around with the theme compositionally other than in fragments or motifs so I can’t really seem to find a way to expand or develop the theme effectively. As a result, I find myself orchestrating things that are sort of Americana like the theme but not necessarily related which leaves me with the question, “How much of this piece actually is Turkey in the Straw?” Bah, I need sleep.

Yesterday completed part one of a new documentary I have been asked to put together featuring the Musica Nova Symphony Orchestra, violist Hong-Mei Xiao from the University of Arizona, and a new concerto for viola composed by Marc Parella. You may remember Marc and Musica Nova from about a year and a half ago (did I even have photo blogs then?) when Dan and I recorded a series of symphonies by English composer Richard Arnell. Turns out, Marc is working his magic for the series to be released on Bridge Records sometime in the future. This new project should turn out pretty cool, too. Marc enjoyed my last documentary I made for school, So You Want To Be a Composer, that he asked me to explore the topic of soloists preparing new, contemporary works and everything that goes with it. Part two will include filming interviews with him, Hong-Mei, and Warren Cohen from Musica Nova. Yesterday, I ended up playing the role of two videographers and a photographer (something I wouldn’t recommend all at once). Here are a few highlights from the performance/rehearsal:

In an interesting turn of events, Erik managed to get some important people at ASU interested in our Conan O’Brien musical. Turns out, they wanted to feature part of it on ASU’s newly designed School of Film website. Who are we to say no?

http://herbergercollege.asu.edu/innovation/conan.html#

For my Sex & Violence in Film and Television ethics class, we could do one of three things for our midterm: write an 8 - 10 page research paper (booo), write one act of a screenplay (I suck), or make a short film. Of course, I chose to make a short film. The only requirement is that it has to have something to do with the course material (ie, ethics in entertainment and filmmaking). For my topic, I am choosing to explore how music enhances or downplays sex/violence. It should turn out interesting… I’ve still got to score 5 minutes of music and I’m not really sure yet how to start it. Erik and Linh were my stars and they came over all afternoon and all evening to film while both are coming down or recovering from various illnesses. Furthermore, let me just say that when your girlfriend is willing to get naked and bloody for you, she’s a keeper. Thank you so much Linh and Erik! More to come~