// Blog //
Happy New Year and best wishes to you for 2023.
I have not set resolutions or goals for many years now, instead choosing creative challenges and completion of defined projects. Previously these have included the Piece a day challenge where I composed a piece of music everyday for a year and a half, and more recently 52 Fridays, where I wrote a piece of music and produce an accompanying video every Friday for a year.
A late one today thanks to Transpennine Express and the marvellous tour of every station of the North West I have been on this evening. Still I got here in the end. Seen a lot of mist today, so felt inspired to do something Misty. So here it is.....won't say much as it is late and need to sleep!!Day 47 - Rolling Mist[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Day-47-Rolling-Mist.mp3|titles=Day 47 - Rolling Mist]ZzzzzzzPeaceNeil
Okay, not sure what happened today, I was specifically asked to do a piece based around the word Boing! And this is what turn out! Erm yes it is very strange and I am not even sure that I can listen to it!!! Once again time wasn't on my side today, what with job hunting and having to think of all rubbish things which occurred yesterday! Just dashing off for another gig, but this one is to celebrate our bass player Ray's birthday! So it should be amazingly good fun!!!Boing! Enjoy!Day 32 - Boing[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-32-Boing.mp3|titles=Day 32 - Boing]PeaceNeil
Today I thought I would try and do something a bit more traditional song based i.e. no weird stuff today! So basic chords, bass line and drums. I would have loved to add vocals, but I had to make do with some samples I found, and they actually seem to work very well (Thanks Andre....whoever you are and where ever you are in the world!).....interesting little ditty I supposed....probably back to the weird stuff tomorrow :)Day 23 - Eyes[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-23-Eyes.mp3|titles=Day 23 - Eyes]PeaceNeil
Quick message tonight as it is very late, nearly run out of time and have a terrible headache....hence the title for this piece...not quite a migraine, but a bad headache all the same!!Day 19 - Headache[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-19-Headache.mp3|titles=Day 19 - Headache]Peace (and paracetamol)Neil
Another day another piece, i guess following on a little bit from what I did yesterday, but perhaps a more modern take. I was thinking of Clapping Music by Steve Riech after doing yesterday's piece, but instead of clapping, I thought I would do stomping. Just a simple stomp, but with a wired dotted delay, thanks to Stylus RMX and Recycle. I like the way the delay decays, and that is what inspired the start....not sure where it went after that! Got to dash to another Groovething gig, so enjoy!!Picture today is of my stomp boxes (geddit!), which I will be stomping on in a few hours!Day 18 - Stomptastic[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-18.mp3|titles=Day 18 - Stomptastic]PeaceNeil
Okay this one probably isn't for most of you out there. Today I was inspired by thinking about the moment the light bulb when off in my head in terms of composition. I was in a music class at school, studying for my GCSE in music, and the music teacher brought in some Steve Reich and it BLEW my mind....those of you who know me well know how much I harp on about what an effect it had on me.
So today I thought I would write something Reichesque, so yes it is in a 20th Century vein, reminding my of my composition classes at Goldsmiths University. Most of you will hate it no doubt, but if you are interested, why not try listening to some John Cage, Steve Riech, John Adams, Edgard Varese and Pierre Schaeffer. Whilst it was musique concrete which truly inspired me, this piece is along the lines of Reich: Different Trains
Day 17 - Different Brains
[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-17-Different-Brains.mp3|titles=Day 17 - Different Brains]
Peace
Neil
Something simple today, a little piece for piano, glockenspiel and strings. Again, sorry for the poor quality samples in Logic, might redo this one later using proper samples and mixing it a bit better...oops! Kind of felt like the opening to a thought provoking film about a journey, so I will call it Journey.Day 16 - Journey[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-16-Trip-to-the-cinema.mp3|titles=Day 16 - Journey]PeaceNeil
Wow, so it's been a fortnight already!! SO finally here is something in a Major key at last! Finding time to sit down and do this is becoming extremely hard, but I am persevering!Day 14 - Magic Unicorn[audio:http://www.spencerbruce.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Day-14-Brighter.mp3|titles=Day 14 - Magic Unicorm]PeaceNeil
