April OSAM, ellll, Love Story

[ellll]

Sorry, it's more classical-type sounds,...but it is as it is. Hope you can accept this O.K. Promise to work on something popular soon...The phrase I asked about some time ago is in the viola...three bars..and is from Secret Love near the beginning. It is used only the one time. The other themes are mine.

Love Story...Perhaps if you listen, you will hear something.

http://www.korgforums.com/mp3/lovestory.mp3

ellll.....

[Diego]

Well,

it's sounding so real to my ears...
The beginning really moved something inside me.
This song has such a real and live vibes...amazing!!

Your piano playing gets better and better every track!
I can ear some Debussy over here, and some of the BIG classics influences very well blended together.

To be honest, the orchestra sound is good but I'm sure it should be better.
Try to work a little on that: maybe you can turn off all effects, record several times the same performance (played in slightly different ways) and then add a common reverb; that should to the Enseble-effect trick.


Very good and emotional song!
You painted in nice colours my afternoon at the office!

[ellll]

Kind words indeed, Diego,

This does need balance...but I just left it almost as it came..I did it almost three weeks ago, in 2 hours....and liked it enough to wait to adjust 'until you friends had a listen!!

And You are indeed friends. I am most thankful you wanted me back in this great group again...

Thanks!!! John

[Diego]

You have to know that, personally, the most beautiful compliment I would love to receive from people listening to me and my music is: "You touched my heart!"
It doesn't worth HOW (in a positive or negative way), but a performance (live or recorded, it doesn't matter) which doesn't tell nothing to souls, is nearly unseful.
You've been a choir conductor for ages, and I'm sure you told this words a lot of times to your singers, and you know that concept very well, because I clearly hear it from your music.
It sounds so obvious, but so sweet, that you wrote under a Stram Of Consciusness inpiration, and sometimes it's the best way to touch heart: you got it!


Regards

[ellll]

Again you are very kind,

Maybe you also, are fair..I will accept the possibility!!!, which really means you DO see something in my attempts to communicate my soul......

I do no advanced composition now...ret. and with other pursuits...I simply feel and play...and....dream...and sometimes you can hear other things...as here..?, I am told by a guy on the forum..., that someone is saying something...??

It is as it must be...I am happy for even ONE to hear something in me and my music..and so I thank you again!!

Your Friend, ellll (John)

[JonSolo]

Actually I do feel a strong balance in this. The string parts are a very nice touch and compliment your piano playing quite well.

One thing that I did not get from this that I have from some of your other pieces is that I did not feel like each part was competing for my ears. And that was a comfortable break, because I love having a strong focus in a song. If I get too many places to have to listen for, I lose interest. But not here.

I especially like the piano theme toward the 3:30 mark where it has built up and then regresses to give us a good closing.

Again, I will say, I really wish I understood the making of this free style of music more, because it is so beautiful and heartfelt.

Your playing is incredible!

A lovely piece that sounds very well rounded.

Jon

[Daz]

I couldn't hear the drums ! j/k

But seriously ... that was a most enjoyable and positively velvety listening experience For the most part because the music was so rich, but also because you captured the sound so well this time. The combination of the great performance and the better recording quality made this absolutely leap out of my speakers and your choice of reverb/effects gave it a real room-like ambience. A nice little package !

The solo and ensemble strings are nicely done and fit the piece like a glove, but maybe a little modulation wheel action might lend them a little more natural articulation, especially the solo stringed instrument (Viola or Cello) IMHO.

Daz.

[ellll]

Thanks, Jon, and Daz,

You have been a real help in advice I needed, and I am so pleased this worked out for me...I do want to improve the viola..it was on the disc with this great piano...made up by a guy I ran into years ago...

I don't much care for this form of a viola sound..and will look into it a bit more...Actually I really went, on the mod. on this one line....but to little success..(.Maybe it is in the slope used, it does sometimes interefere with the joystick or mod. wheel, I noticed on a heavy synth sound before...) Perhaps you could tell me what else I might check?? ..I have to go into the voice and look...

I have a few clean-up spots...seem minor maybe...as I said I pretty well left it as I felt it that night, adding the strings and solos all within that two hours......

Daz, You make me feel really good with your support...for your eccentric member I enjoy being that, and only hope it brings you some interest and pleasure..Thanks for your help in the past...and your understanding of a free spirit as well...!! You guys are just great!!!

John..

[Stephen]

Outstanding, John!
This is the real deal here, the good stuff.
There's so much emotion, and power in this piece, and the stratigic pause...well...that was brilliant.
I think this may be my favorite "ellll" composition to date!
Bravo!!!!
Regards,

[chordial]

At the start, it sounded like a hard (almost awkward) journey, and then it changed in to something much softer.
Maybe a little lost for a moment, and then arriving back with a passion and commitment.
Just then at the end, a reflective, but contented mood seems to arrive.

As the guys have said, it's full of emotion.
I love your work, and how you manage to convey so much in these.

It's excellent.

[georgeinar]

I just love this. I do think it's up there with your better pieces, at least considering the entire package, not necessarily the composition itself. There is a clean and yes balance here that does showcase individual parts when they need to shine. There is nothing buried anywhere, no distractions. The piano is magnificent and memorable. Only someone with much talent and practice could achieve a sound such as this, and what I love so much about you is that many of the people I know that are classically trained performers are not also composers and you are a true maestro on both sides. Perhaps with a few more listens I'll get the themes better and hear how they develop and resolve. This is the sort of work that takes many listens to really understand and absorb the mastery. REally, 2 hours. I am astounded. You should not apologize for doing classical any more than any of us should apologize for what we do. Very good work here indeed.

[ellll]

Hello George, Chordial and Stephen,...!,

Well, it was something I felt very..strong about..and knew the ideas were sound..but I am a little "frenetic" in composition these days, so I am gratified this came out well..

Actually, I had a preview listen from one of our "power" people..(You could guess..it was Jon, and I give him my thanks for a short preview listen...), and he liked it right away.. So I felt o.k. about it..I will work with it a bit after the fact, but I haven't done much to change the original flavor, and will try not to....

In fact Chordial hits it pretty close as a love develops over time...I hope most will feel that. Stephen is good to me, in the kind, but it appears honest "Bravo"..Thanks Stephen!! ...and George seems to feel also some that I did in bringing it out for myself...Mostly,...I was pretty hard on myself to play it right...but George reminds us every time of how WELL he keeps up,.... and his, it would seem..unstoppable spirit for us all..The one thing I would like would be an improvement, (or a different) viola...!

Many thanks for your kindness on this song!! All my friends at OSAM are just too much!! Fine group of people helping each other...You're Great!!!

Best Regards!! John

[ellll]

Forgot a question, AND, it was important to me..sorry....,

I compared several piano based forms for the Fx and choose one that was a balance for a small hall, then CHANGED most of the perimeters to a figure actually more in the middle listings, or avg,... of the group...

What this did was clear up the voicing;;....BUT the piano is much "closer" to you.

In a way..I REALLY liked the more distant piano sound on many parts...also the strings were less marked...(The two Fx were still Chorus I first, and Hall second...)

ANY OPINION of how to think about, from the standpoint of a non-musician listener, this area of the closeness and distance as well as balance of an instrument...or group??????

THANX!! John

[georgeinar]

Well, the first thing that comes to mind is when it comes to reverb, it's best to use the same verb on whatever instruments you are applying reverb, and not one kind to one and another to a different voice as they don't always sit well together. I don't know if this is what you're doing. I know that sometimes after alter effects I have to tweak the volume levels. Hopefully, someone else will comment here as well.

[Pecca]

I like this alot. (peace and calm giving)
Very beautiful composition.
You are such a good piano player. Nice mix on the instruments aswell.
As Daz suggested, perhaps a few modulations on the strings would add to it even more.

I´m not too much of a listener in this genre, so levels on instruments, i would better not comment on. Have to say tho that i liked it a lot as a composition.

Good job!