Sundry Other MIDIs


UPDATE: "Out of the Cave" added; "Respite" moved to the Misc. Game MIDI page
Back when I discovered MIDI software, I was finally able to write the music that's always in my head. I really don't know HOW I got this musical talent. The only logical explanation, then, is that it must be a God-given talent, for which I am thankful.
Just be aware that some of this is quite old by now...and pretty primitive. <;)
So let's get started...

Out of the Cave
One of my friends told me about a play he was helping write, about a group of guys who are trying frantically to bury a body in a cave. Inspired by this, I wrote this piece of music for the moment when they leave, the unpleasant task complete. Dramatic and depressing.

Clean Penny
My younger sister has a cat called Penny. This cat is an adorable chatterbox, but unfortunately she has a dander problem. So my sister has to subject her to routine cleanings...which Penny absolutely hates. We're all convinced that her meows of protest sound like her saying "Nooooo..." ;)
Anyway, after one particular cleaning, she was walking around, irately shaking a paw at random, as if to shake off the medicine. We couldn't help but laugh at the poor thing, and I began humming a little funny tune to resemble her funny walk. THIS is where "Clean Penny" came from.
The major players here are rock organ and saxophone. The sax bursts during the verses are to represent the paw shaking, and during the first chorus, they're supposed to be a meow. :)
Even without the funny backstory, this has turned out to be a fun little midtempo rock number.

Debbie's Journey, Part 2
The first of two pieces written for co-workers. Debbie has been involved in an adoption program for Chinese children. To commemorate the second such trip, I made this combination of "Brahms's Lullabye", the Chinese National Anthem, "Rockabye Baby", and a bit of "Texas Our Texas"...just because we work for the State. :)
And oh...I never wrote anything for the first trip, which is why there isn't a Part 1... ;)

Harper's Theme
Jeff and Renee, two more co-workers, had gotten married some time ago, and just recently had their first child, Harper. I put together a "Lullabye" CD for them, and made this song brand-new. It's a solo piano piece experimenting with changing tempos and keys, and it was a forerunner - and companion piece - to "Flashback of History" for the Terrasskasi soundtrack, which uses a similar structure. Congratulations to couple and child! :)

Theme from Hye 2000

Even though I didn't get to attend Bible school for the full week in 2000, I was challenged by two of my friends to come up with a theme for it. Even though Hye has been the subject of other pieces (see "Hye Nighttime Blues" and "Love Games" in the Backing Tracks section), this was to be an instrumental in the spirit of "Theme from Caerphilly Castle" (see Misc/Wales). I actually came up with two full takes of this theme. This one is a soft, sentimental version. Very nice.

The Hye Five

...and here is its upbeat, exciting counterpart. The "Hye Five" is an unofficial cross country "fun run" that many of the attendees race in. Of course, I think I overexaggerated the excitement of the race a bit...blame it on the "Final Fantasy Tactics" musical overdose... :)

Cat Ballad

One time while watching cartoons, I saw this REALLY OLD ONE about cats and mice. The mice were hopping around singing something like "While the cat is away the mice will play." And the reason why the (female) cat was away is because a roguish (male) alley cat had lured her away. The funny part of the cartoon was when the two cats were singing to each other. :) Well, since I couldn't remember how exactly the music went, I wrote my own little tune based on this memory. By the way, the flute and clairnet are the cats. ;)

Spellbound

In anticipation of another video game project, I prepared a sparkling, catchy riff that I knew I would develop into a full piece later. Unfortunately, the project went to someone else. <:( However, I decided to finish it anyways as a full piece instead of a game loop. The original riff is the "chorus." It's certainly not groundbraking or anything...it's rather generic. But as far a peppy, happy songs go, it turned out great.

Cargo Bayou

If you think you see a joke in the title...that's because you do. :) My brothers and I were thinking up names for my then-new car (well, not so new {1990 Grand Am}, but new to me) and this was one suggestion by my younger brother Noah. It was so off-the-wall, and me being the off-the-wall type, I took to it immediately. If only it were blue..."Blue Bayou" would be even funnier! :)
What was really funny, though, is that I didn't get my license at the time, so the car was wasted... *^_^*
Basically, this tune is a stab at techno-danceable stuff. And now a disclaimer: I didn't use a drum machine or plug in a synthesizer to make it. I write out the pieces by hand and cut-&-paste like crazy where needed. My brother thinks I'm crazy for doing this, but I feel that unless I do it ENTIRELY by hand, it's just not...ME. It's more satisfying this way.
Enough chatter...hit the gas!!!
NOTE: Ol' Cargo has now moved on to a different owner...

Singing to the Stars

This is a building piece; starting with a simple vocal passage, more instruments are added gradually until it climaxes into one crashing moment. Pretty simple, but it was still a fun experiment.

Many Mind Roads Travelled

I pull off my best Zeppelin-type music. We start off with an accoustic section, blend into a solid rockin' area, drop into a accoustic AND electric middle, return to the rock, and then wrap up with the first accoustic section WITH a lead gutar solo! Whew...I just cut loose on this one. Hope you got about 8 minutes to spare..it's BIIIGGG.... :)

The Balladeer

More in the Led Zeppelin vein, especially "Battle of Evermore," I tried my hand at a Irish/Appalachian/whatever hybrid. True, it's mild compared to Zep, but it's so...interesting. :)

Wedding Carol

Although I had it in mind back in 1997, it wasn't until a year os so later that I finally got this tune done. I'm dedicating it to two couples I knew in college who just got married this summer: Travis and Connie Nelson, and John and Dana Kohlschein. This is not exactly how it was in my mind originally, but it is still extremely beautiful, and that was my goal. Congratuations, newlyweds...

Tender Ballad 1

I went for a light, soft piano sound on this one. If anything, it's more of a backing track; I haven't given it a main melody line. But one day I think I will...

Orchestrata Upbeat

My favorite type of musical experimentation...jump around the chords and see how they fit together! This one is an unusual structure, so it's a matter of taste if you like it...

Pocket Symphony

Now HERE'S one that has been bouncing around my mind for a couple months. The title is taken from a catch phrase of Beach Boy genius Brian Wilson; it's what he called "Good Vibrations." Back in '97, I went through a fanantical BEach Boys phase, and so I wrote my own song as a tribute to him and GV. Much like its inspiration, it splices many different sections together, and as a bonus, even changes its time signature! I'm VERY pleased with the results, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. All it needs now is a suitable lyric and a stellar vocal accompaniment. Any ideas? (NOTE: The clairnet is playing the part of the "lead vocal.")

Goth Excitement

After a recent fascination with the music from the Castlevania series, I've decided to try to capture the essence of those games in a MIDI of my own. It starts out as a solemn organ piece, and then suddenly drops into an 80s-style rocker.

So click on 'em to give a listen (or right-click, shift-click, whatever works on your browser to save) and let me know how you liked it!

All music on this page (c) 1997-2003 by Seth Brown.

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