220. Tearsumina’s Entrance (Sketch)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY

Have you SEEN some of the pictures google brings up under "Succubus"?! I opted for this version...

So, this was NOT a reject! (WHAT?!) YES! Not a reject from the movie… however, this isn’t exactly how it sounds in the film, either.  James Frazee is a magician when it comes to making things sound INCREDIBLE.  So, what you’ll actually hear in the film is cleaner, bigger and tougher.  This is a cue for the entrance of a succubus (the PG version of a succubus).  Do you really need any more lead-in than that?!  I didn’t think so.

In getting ideas for a PG-rated succubus, I played around in garageband with some of the midi samples and loops.  This is what came out of my experimentation. James Frazee worked his magic, made me a basic percussion line from his fancy-shmancy pro-tools to which I added, cello, violin, chopsticks on banjo (true! try it some time), some midi percussion and vocals.

Tearsumina: Succubus

Tearsumina’s Entrance (Sketch)

219. I Got The Celt Kicked Out Of Me The Other Day (REJECT!)

DAY TWO HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

Good morning: this is Tuesday’s song… TUESDAY! (Even though it’s Thursday)

Badass Rhubarb

Yet another reject from the pile from Unicorn City. This was a hard scene.  It kind of goes like this: A cast of characters who dress up as other characters (see: LARPING) are in the woods. Everyone has shown up except one.  This is the entrance of one of the most elaborate and impressive character costumes.  He’s badass, tough, and has some serious machismo.  A bunch of ideas were submitted for this scene.  What we ended up using was a totally sweet composition from a good friend and composer G. Scott Newbold.  The movie people loved it, it kicks ass, and totally rocks the scene.

(I’m showing you my skivvies here, friends…)  This was a demo of a totally different direction we went in at one point.  After a few submissions were first approved and then pulled out, we tried a more punk/celtic direction.  The intention was a kind of Dropkick Murphy’s vibe: badass but more punk, less rock.  (True artistic confessions: We “borrowed” the opening of their song I’m Shipping Up To Boston as a jumping off point, but, in its entirety, the piece was a little less than successful.)  Jeff Young, a violinist and roommate of mine, and I recorded this after trying a bunch of other ideas.  He came up with the main melody.  This was a demo submitted to be re-recorded.  It was mainly a submission of a basic idea, but, in the end, it was way too weak.  Not badass enough.

You will hear a great violin and mandolin played by Jeffrey Young (it pays to live with musicians sometimes) and electric guitar by G. Scott Newbold.  There’s some accordion and cello in there too.

It was a sincere effort, but I’m so grateful G. Scott Newbold showed up and blew us all away.  I’m really happy with what we ended up using in the film.  RIP – Celtic Punk Demo. RIP.

I Got The Celt Kicked Out Of Me The Other Day

218. Happy Valentine’s Day!

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN

Decided to do something different for the 365 project today.  Instead of a song, why not a Valentine’s Day movie? I’m the throes of several projects before I leave on a 5 week tour with Pearl and the Beard, one of which involves the ever musical Guy Capecelatro (who is absolutely out-writing me for sure). So, instead of writing just a song, Jonathan, as a kind of Valentine’s Day present to me, suggested we do a a movie for Valentine’s Day.  It might not sound like much to the average Valentine’s Day recipient, but we really have fun doing it – NERD ALERT.  We have previously done a small scene from Star Wars with PUPPETS (which I may post later), but for V-Day we decided on, what else, The Notebook starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.  Here’s what the scene from the movie looks like:

If you haven’t seen it – this is what you’ve been missing.  If you have seen it, you’ll know exactly where this falls in the movie, and if you don’t remember, well – then you obviously didn’t need to rewind it over and over again, memorizing every slur and pout that came out of Ryan Gosling’s mouth.

The music from the first half of the scene is from a piece I wrote called Odiorne and the Sea and put on a collaboration for Burst and Bloom Records called Seasonal Disorder – Winter.  It’s a gathering of several artists who have all submitted tracks about Winter.  The outtakes half of the scene is a a brand new piece you’ll hear later in an undisclosed location…hmm…

So, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY to you!

217. Cops (Humming)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN

Well, yet another rejection from the pile of rejects and acceptances I did for the movie, Unicorn City. I have a feeling these first few days of getting the 365 off its feet will be platforms for little children who will never see the light of day except for the 365. Onward, ho!

This is a theme I came up with for a scene with some dopey cops driving around in their car eating nachos and talking about passing exams.  There were about 4 or 5 versions of this theme created: one with only voice, one with voice and cello melody together, one with cellos only taking over all original vocal melodies, one with cello and only one voice humming, one with a little of both and a final mix of something sort of like everything with less of the stuff that wasn’t wanted (did you get all that?).  What did we settle on? Well, you’ll just have to see.

This is the ORIGINAL, ORIGINAL version: in all its dopey glory.

Cops (Humming)

214. One Year Ago Today

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN…(but still on sabbatical)

Harvey Robinson Took This Picture! http://www.monkeywhale.com

I thought that in honor of today being the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of the 365 Project, despite there being some unavoidable road blocks, I would post a song.  I mean, why the heck not?!

Happy New Year, my friends!  I actually feel one year older… wow. I don’t think it’s ever felt this marked before.  My body, my mind: I’m ready for a vacation.

I made this sketch a few days ago. One of over a hundred sketches, drafts and finals I’ve completed in the past few months.  Some have made the cut into the film, many have not.  This one made it into the movie, and I wanted to give you a sneak peek of it here in honor of the year mark.  This cue marks a very Hollywood-type scene where the hero sends his love away to safety… bring on the cheese!  It’s a short one, but I assure you, its coming about was no easy task… sigh…

For those who don’t know: my dad sent me a BANJO.  I cannot tell you how handy it has become in a time of need! Wow!  What a fantastic instrument, and I’ve had a great time teaching myself how to play this monster.

One Year Ago Today

Love to you… The project will be back to finish the rest of the 145 songs in a few weeks – I have yet to calculate a decent starting period, but when I do, YOU WILL KNOW.

Love,

EHP

158. “The Narybiens Have Stolen My Baby!” (Test 1)

DAY ONE-HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHT

I said, “Jon, give me a [cool] name for a group going to war.” (I actually said “nerdy”, but I mean nerdy in a cool way because nerdy is way cool.)

“The Narybiens”, he says.  I ask him to give me another one and he says, “Karneeguas”

Plot:

Shot on the set of Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.  First frame: a woman crying out into the air (subtitled), “The Narybiens Have Stolen My Baby!” THEN!  The Karneeguas prepare for battle to get the stolen child!

WHO WILL WIN!?  WILL THEY SAVE THE STOLEN BABY!?!?

Starring:

Elijah Wood as The Baby

Lacey The Laceykins as The Woman (with subtitled speaking parts)

Boba Fett as The Narybiens Leader

Kevin Costner as Himself

This whole thing actually started out as being, “The Anti-Jingle”, and I suppose it still could be.  (All that initiated from finding out recently that a friend of mine – and amazing singer/musician – did the voice-over at the end of the now famous Snickers commercials with Betty White and Aretha Franklin. Crush, Ivan!)

In the end, after all is said and done, I figured that the anti-commerical could wait and that it sounded more like a battle scene or something than anything else.  I did it really quickly and the perfectionist in me has some problems with it – but battles are DIRTY!  So be it!

Could there be more cello?  YES!

“The Narybiens Have Stolen My Baby!”