I wrote and recorded this orchestral composition in 2014 to express my love of sailing and all things adventurous, especially if it’s near water. Having grown up in Minnesota, sailing was a great way to spend the day with friends. My eldest granddaughter has expressed an interest in learning how to sail; and I look forward to our time sailing together.
About This Composition
Whales, wind in our sails, and waves crashing on our hull, “Of Wind and Waves” tells a story about life at sea. The orchestra begins with an early-morning encounter with a pod of whales while the boat is at anchor, then later sets sail for the high seas. While on course, the ship and its crew collide with a violent storm. The storm eventually subsides and life returns to normal under full sail as the journey continues.
As with Robert W. Smith’s composition “Songs of Sailor and Sea,” the whale sound is performed on the timpani. This is accomplished by moistening the thumb and then rubbing it from the edge to the center of the drumhead.
A special thanks to www.pexels.com members for their wonderful photo & video resources. If you are a film composer looking for video to score, I highly recommend visiting this website.
Outstanding piece Clinton! Your intro reminded me of John Denver’s intro to Calypso; not necessarily by tune, but an intro to a sea song. I love the sound of the timpani you used for the whale sound. Excellent! I like the liveliness of the adventure after the intro and the buildup to the storm. The video definitely helps to capture the essence of what you want to convey. Thanks for sharing!
Clinton, Wow! That was sooooo good! Your music beautifully captured what you described. The beauty and tranquility in the beginning, the energy and joy in the main melody, the transition from the main melody to the incoming storm (brilliantly done!), and then back to the main melody. Great composition, wonderfully arranged, beautifully recorded!
Thank you Steven. I don’t know if you like film scoring projects, or if you are setup with a DAW to build a film score locked to picture, but I thought I’d mention this one to you. It’s called Score Relief, and its free to enter. https://www.thecuetube.com/ With your chops, I’d guess you’d come up with an excellent story-telling solution. Here is my solution for this year - https://youtu.be/7Sro8n6fNlE and here’s the one for last year - https://youtu.be/0-h6LEchdWc
I’ve tried a few times to compose something to video; it’s always a struggle. I really admire composers who can do it, as you obviously can- nice job on the two links you sent me!
I suppose I could try again one of these days.
Sometimes I wonder how I write anything…
