Continuing my 2001 Proposed Efforts:

Create the new age album Stars on Snow

This has been on my back burner for probably 20 years. I actually played around with it back in the day when I was still on a Mac SE/30 and the music program I had actually printed to a dot matrix printer. The title track I have managed to bring with me through the years as I progressed from one system to another. It was originally written for handbells, but proved too difficult for the players I had available. I converted it into a new age piece, adding string pads and a descant. It’s never been scored, just resides as a direct MIDI compilation.

However, it’s very pretty, and I think this year I want to take the time to write some more miniature, purely attractive pieces to go with it. I have one from the old concept folder, called “Air Pudding,” which I think still works, although it relied for its effectiveness (as did most of the pieces) on sounds that I manipulated on my old Ensoniq VFX keyboard.

In fact, I will probably find myself using those sounds (which I have as VST sounds around here somewhere) within GarageBand rather than Finale, i.e., playing around with sounds, melodies, and harmonies directly rather than “composing” on virtual paper, and creating interesting new instruments with which to orchestrate. I remember the key instrument on “Air Pudding” was something I called SqelchFlute and involved a basic sound called Duct Tape. Imagine a flute sound that started with tearing a piece of duct tape. (Marc, I may require your assistance in getting up to speed with these technologies; I haven’t done any of it since everything went virtual.)

I have a few other pieces I could use already: “Ginny’s Valentine“, and “Bring a Torch“, also originally for handbells and soprano. Both would be re-orchestrated. (Sharp observers will recognize “Ginny’s Valentine” as the cheesy paean to love at the end of the penguin opera, extended and lyricized.)

In the back of my head, I imagine myself producing the next Deep Breakfast. If I keep in mind that the goal is to please and delight, then I might just do it.

Create the westpoint sculpture

For about two years now, I have had in mind a focal point for the western point of the labyrinth. I’m going to make myself construct this thing this year. I am. I will.