Creative Vision for the Track:
In Minnesota late September and early October are beautiful because of the stunning fall colors. There’s a crispness to the air and a crunchiness of dried leaves underfoot.
By mid to late October the leaves are mostly down on the ground. The colorful carpet is now drab and muddied. The recently vibrant trees are now stark, barren branches. The crystal clear skies are now mostly overcast. Instead of a crispness there is raw, damp, cutting rain, early frosts, and snow.
I endeavored to capture the latter part of the month musically along with a whiff of Halloween.
Composition Details (Tempo, Key, Main Chords etc):
Moderate Waltz
Ostinato fades down to a low brass / woodwind chorale that signifies that, yes, we’re done.
Main Instruments used:
Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, Harp, Percussion
(Mix of BBCSO, Kontakt Library, and Ark 2)
I’m a native Minnesotan and, other than four years out east for music school, have always lived here. It’s a wonderful place! I admit to dreading the onset (onslaught?) of winter but am having a hard time even considering snow-birding!
Also, I’m glad you liked the piece and am delighting it prompted some some memories!
Here’s the flip side of the fall-to-winter coin. I wrote this looking out my office window watching the third snowstorm of the week in full bloom. As I gazed through the flakes I kept picturing what it would be like to once again be mowing the lawn on a warm, summer afternoon. Enjoy!
Already wistful for spring! Something about 30 bags of raked leaves, sequestering the RV until late April, shutting down the Weber, watching the Gopher football team’s love affair with white knuckle losses … definitely a Minnesota thing!! (Cubs fans have nothing on Gopher fans for being long suffering and intensely loyal!)
I’m anticipating I’ll be doing more with the Minneapolis Trombone Choir come January through March. SB4 is teed up for the 2022 Schmitt Music Day of Trombone, and I’m doing the monthly concerts with the First John Phillip Sousa Memorial Band. I’m also thinking I’ll rejoin the Medalist Concert Band come January (fall and early winter has been a rough time personally).
Great to hear you’re staying busy making music . . . good to hear from you. I’m going to try and make it to the Minnesota Film & TV annual December breakfast on the 7th. Maybe we’ll see each other there.
