Happy Christmas Eve: Virtual gifts galore, just for you!

Happy Holidays!

I have FOUR very special things for you via the wonderful NY music blog The Wild Honey Pie “Honey, I’m Home Sessions” (‘Honey I’m Home’ is a live session series produced by The Wild Honey Pie. With each new episode, they welcome a different band into Sounds Like A Fire home studio in Brooklyn and record intimate versions of two or three songs which are given away for free.)

1. A song/video/free mp3 download about getting knocked for Christmas thanks to the ever beautiful wordsmith: Jocelyn Mackenzie

Something special for your holiday season from Pearl and the Beard recorded with the help of the ever attractive and always lovely Wild Honey Pie here in New York City.  We got back from tour a few weeks ago and the day after returning home we filmed these two very special renditions just for the holidays.  Jocelyn wrote a very extra special number for the holidays called “Baby For Christmas” and her lovely beau, Jim Altieri, made a cameo appearance at the keyboard.

2. A fancy video and free mp3 download of a 365 Project favorite.

Jocelyn and I filmed a duet version of the 365′s “Headache for a Heartache” for this very special holiday occasion. Enjoy!

3. An introduction to an amazing band via a beautiful live video from The Wild Honey Pie:

I knew I liked Lucius, an amazing (and quite attractive) band based out of Brooklyn, but I didn’t know how much I would fall in love with them after touring part of New England and Montreal with them for 10 days.  It was an adventure not to be forgotten, so I’m happy to show you two of my favorite songs of theirs, not to mention a free download of a song they performed acoustically on tour which I fell in love with.  I offer you: Lucius via The Wild Honey Pie “Honey, I’m home” sessions.  Get the free mp3 download of this performance here:

4. “Two Of Us On The Run”: via bff NY music blog: The Wild Honey Pie.  Download the mp3 for free here.

 

Have a happy and beautiful holiday…

 

230. Sleeping Peacefully Without Blankets (Cello/Record Improvisation)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND THIRTY

Nothing like posting at the eleventh hour – literally.

I started a piece today and liked it initially, but when it came down to finishing it, it just wasn’t doing it for me, and it was getting later.  When it gets late in the day, and I still haven’t settled on something, I usually opt for some kind of quick fix like an improvisation.  Funny enough the improvisations so often turn into actual compositions and take just as long as the original attempt.  I get drawn in and want to get consumed by it; make it awesome.  This one is somewhere in the middle of those two methods.

After scraping my first try today, I began day 230 as you are hearing it.  It is 4 cello tracks and one track of a recorded record.  I did the cello tracks one at a time, the first one being improvised harmonics recorded once, the second being an improvised drone recorded twice while taking the second take and so on.  The more tracks I add to an improvisation, the more attempts it takes me to get it where I want it.  I always do whole takes and keep the best one – I rarely punch in (fix) an improvisation – only in dire straights do I band-aid something like that.  The fourth, and last, cello track is the rhythmic bass line you can hear.  I kept the fourth and final improvisation take of that one because, as a whole, it was more of what I wanted.

The Record

I found this record in a thrift store.  It is called “Great Ghost Stories”.  I’ve used pieces of it before in the 365, but I can’t remember where at the moment.  (Those of you who know me know that I love vinyl – I love how it’s both crisp and warm all at the same time.  The first few seconds of a record spinning before the recorded material begins is my favorite sound in the entire world.  It is hushes people by bringing the entire room into anticipation.  It’s great.)  I chose a random story and began recording the beginning, stopping and starting the recording in real time.  Whatever I got is what I got.  I allowed myself to take away or move bits around, but I could not add to the track later.  I had to use what got captured in the first go-around.

Mixing: There is a magical land somewhere, I’m sure of it, where little elves make everything sound amazing.  It is a place where I never have to mix again for the rest of my life.  I am so bad at it.  But because mixing like a boss isn’t a part of the 365, I can apologize for the horrendous job I did of this and easily move on.

Until tomorrow! And hopefully I will get it in early this time rather than by the skin of my teeth. Ew. Gross. Who has skin on their teeth?

Sleeping Peacefully Without Blankets

(Cello/Record Improvisation)

 

229. The Art Film Cello Trio (trial #2)

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE

Emily Hope Price in St. Louis, MO – photo credit: Allan Crain

It’s funny how events in your life lead you to people who introduce you to people who introduce you to other people and so on.  I met a man through a girl I performed at Puppet Playlist with in New York who creates web documentaries who was looking for music to add to his films.  She put me in contact with him, and he recently contacted me to do some work for him creating instrumental pieces.  He doesn’t really ever need anything longer than 1.5-2 minutes, so it’s really nice, but also challenging to fit what he needs in that space of time.  He’ll send a request saying: (This isn’t an actual request, but they kind of sound something like this), “This is going to go into a short documentary about an art collector from the Sao Paulo, Brazil.  There will be voice overs, so something minimal but moody and moving forward and building to a climax at the end.”  I really like him.  He’s patient, enthusiastic but honest and straightforward.  He’ll tell me straight away if it’s not working.  It’s great working with him.

This piece was created from his request that I either compose or improvise something over a drum track he sent me (which you can hear a solo section of in the beginning).  He gave me specific direction on mood and what he was looking for, but not so specific that it was limiting.  I ended up creating 4 different trial tracks for him to use.  This being the second one, it wasn’t until he sent me an actual clip of the scene I was writing for that I understood what needed to happen.  This version was much too busy and chaotic especially considering there was to be quite a bit of voice over.  I need to finesse the end as well.  He ended up liking the 4th, much more Philip Glass-inspired, composition I sent him.  Ever heard of Philip Glass?  I highly recommend him – look him up and have a listen.

I’ll be honest and tell you that this is largely an improvisation – responding to each of the three cello voices as they were added on top of each other.  For those of you who have followed the 365, you know this is my preferred M.O. a lot of the time, but I enjoy traditional scoring as well.  In this case, where I was sent a drum track that ebbed and flowed within itself, it was easier to feel it out improvisationally rather than a formal score.

CONSTRUCTION/RECORDING:

1. Original drum track sent to me

2. 3 cello tracks

I moved to Brooklyn last year into a very small apartment, and I’m still trying to find the sweet recording spots hidden within it.  This recording was done a little hastily as I was leaving for tour and wanted to get something out as soon as possible.  Someone should publish a book on how to build a quickly collapsible recording space into the tiniest apartment  - because you still have to walk around, cook dinner, and play with your dog while tripping over all of your recording equipment in the corner of the room.

Here you go:  Hope you’re doing very well.  Thanks for listening, reading and sharing.

The Art Film Cello Trio (trial #2)

Happy Holidays! (And A Surprise Collaboration)

It’s that time of year, so here we go! Holy Schamboly!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Fffffffrrrreeeezzzziiinnnnggggg...

Well, I got some very cool news yesterday:

Holy Crappola: There has been an unknown collaboration between myself and a fellow 365′er.  I have been informed that James Laurie, also known as Jonny 5, used one of my 365 songs in one of his Rhyme of the Day posts!  This guy has been doing a rhyme a day for an entire year, and he’s almost done!  I’m honored to be included in one of his remaining few days.  He used Day 202: Bells and Cello in an Empty Room to accompany some wickedly inspired rhymes.  Check it out and many of his awesome past posts, too.  Thank you, James!

The Holiday Update from Me to Yooou!:

There’s been a lot going on… movies! albums! studios! no sugar! laughter! friendship! Hooray!

That’s right: No Sugar. I am done with it for good… sigh. It’s was a difficult relationship filled with good times and bad.  I mean, he was good to me at times, but I had to cut the cord.  I have replaced him with fruit, though not as satisfying as biting into a perfectly iced, fluffy sugar cookie with sprinkles in the shape of a Mermaid (do they have those? YES!) or a nice chew from a sour gummy bear.  I digress.  Stevia, organic peanut butter, and the occasional piece of 90% Dark Chocolate get me through it. I have beaten the Sugar Monster, and I am still QUEEN!!!

In other, possibly more interesting, news Pearl and the Beard just wrapped up on recording for our second full length album last night! Phew! It was a doozy, but I really think we got some magical stuff goin’ on.  I can’t wait for you to hear it.  The movie score James Frazee and I have been working on is steadily coming to a close in a few weeks, and the 365 Project will resume for completion before Pearl and the Beard heads out on a lengthy tour in February/March… phew! I’m jet lagged already!  BRING IT ON, 2011!

And may you all have a very, very Happy Holiday.  Get your 365 on!

Love,

ehp

Update from the 365 Sabbatical!

Good evening, my dear friend, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

The evening I got back from tour. Love-of-my-life Jonathan makes me tea, and I try on my new specs (a gift from Kevin in Holy Ghost Tent Revival...Oh, HGTR...sigh...)

Well, it’s been weeks and weeks, and I have a few things to tell you before I get back to work on the film score tonight:

1. Pearl and the Beard just got back on Sunday afternoon from an amazing tour to the mid-west.  We are planning our biggest tour yet for 2011 at the end of February to the beginning of April, stopping at the True/False Film Festival in Missouri and South By Southwest in Austin, TX… which leads me to number 2…

2. We are currently in the pre-productions stages of recording our new LP to be released in February before our big tour.  Franz Nicolay and Dan Brennen of Uncle Monsterface will be spear-heading the project.  We could not be more grateful or happy they will be joining us to make this project a reality for us.  (And a bit of a secret which I will reveal to you: maybe, just maybe, a 365 song has made it onto the new Pearl and the Beard LP.  I’m not promising anything, but it’s looking good…)

3. And last, but certainly not least:

The Movie Score

Well, here it is.  Wonderful producer, engineer and friend James Frazee is assisting me on this film score: helping me place and work around the depths of a Protools rig.  When the production team for the movie sent us the trailer and requested music for it in a very short time frame, where else could I turn for awesome music to fit into the trailer but Jeremy James Styles of Pearl and the Beard (“I Heart NY” from The Black Vessel EP) and DC lovelies (and dearest friends) Ugly Purple Sweater (“Jumbo Slice” from You Are Alone But You Are Not Alone). We optioned these songs to the team who came back to us with ecstatic approval.  We fit it quickly to the trailer, molded cuts and cues carefully, and it was finished in a few hours.  For my first official trailer ever, it’s not that bad, if I do say so myself!

So, for your viewing pleasure, I introduce to the trailer for Unicorn City:

It’s an exciting project for me and has proven very challenging in ways I had not expected, but I’m having a great time finding the right direction for each scene, character and camera angle.  Being on tour for two weeks and having a due date for the music approach very soon meant that I composed whenever I could while we were traveling.  It wasn’t easy at all, and I much prefer working from the confines of my little New York apartment.  Regardless of a tough schedule, this project is a true pleasure, and I’m honored to have been asked to do it.

As far as the 365 goes, doing this score feels a lot like the 365 has been (fate!), so I’m not really on sabbatical.  In any case, I’m so excited to get back to the 365 after this is all written and locked in to see it through to the finish: 365 songs in (a now theoretical) 365 days (and I’m totally okay with that…)

I’ll be dropping by to update you very soon once again!

Happy Holidays!

The 365 On Sabbatical

Good morning dear friends… well, it’s been fairly obvious I’ve been away from the 365, but it’s in good form, I think.

Though accompanied by a little sadness for the 365 on my part, my posting today comes with some wonderful news that I’ve been waiting to share with you for quite a long time.

There has been a break in the 365 because (holy crappo)…

I am SCORING A FULL-LENGTH FEATURE FILM

(more info on this in a bit)

I was approached by the director some months ago and, after a looong wait with getting all the initial stuff settled, I’ve begun to weave a world that will hopefully be loved by the filmmakers and fans alike.  I didn’t see this coming when I started the project either, but, in any case, I am swamped and have decided to break away from posting every day for the project.  I plan on picking it up as soon as scoring is done, and that has to be within the next little while.  I will not let the 365 go unfinished!

Pearl and the Beard is still touring and performing during this time, however, so I’m going back to writing on the road like I did early on in the project…. this time, it will be for a movie (and you know how much I love movies).   We depart on November 4th!

See Pearl and the Beard’s touring schedule

Pearl and the Beard performs their 3rd of 5 shows at CMJ. Phew! Photo: Jon Barker

So I will say to you: Keep safe and happy until I speak to you again in a few weeks.

Until then, I will leave you with a little news from the 365:

Franz Nicolay put Z for Zachariah on his new album!  We re-recorded it, and  I really love it and hope you do, too.

Check out the Z for Zachariah and whole album here. (itunes)

Buy it here (Team Science)

Or here (amazon)

We’ll see you soon!

Love,

EHP

Black Vessel EP Release (Pearl and the Beard)

Fancy! Photo credit: Shervin Lainez (www.shervinfoto.com)

What a crazy-busy few weeks.

I decided to shave off some stress and hold off posting for the 365 until a huge wake of gigs has subsided, and the Pearl and the Beard EP release is off and running.  It was a necessary sacrifice, unfortunately, and one I absolutely didn’t foresee going into the 365 a few months ago.  But it’s all culminating into one glorious moment surrounded by friends and loved ones at the EP release show which is TONIGHT!

We have been writing, practicing, arranging and filming over several weeks for tonight’s show at The Living Room in the Lower East Side in Manhattan.  We even got a fancy-schmancy photo shoot by the one and only Shervin Lainez!  You can view his extensive catalogue here: www.shervinfoto.com The guy is a genius.

To top it all off: our new EP has been released online and is ready for you to own it, too!  You can listen, purchase and download it here:

www.BlackVesselEP.com

It is a special recording for us because it contains 3 solo songs from each of us and one rearrangement of our song Vessel from God Bless Your Weary Soul, Amanda Richarson.  For the EP, I chose to do a fancy recording of a 365 song, Manek and Ilona (hear the EP version here). I approached Franz Nicolay about producing and arranging string parts for this song, which he did so beautifully.  I absolutely love what he’s done, and my dear friend Emily Jane Price (who has also done a 365 with me!) drove all the way up from Baltimore in hours and hours of traffic to lend her beautiful violin playing to the song as well.  I’m so blessed to have such wonderful friends to help me create something so meaningful.

Lastly, I am sitting on an awesome surprise that I hope I can reveal to you soon (the suspense is killing me)…and, of course, the 365 will be up and running once again!  (Thank you for your patience!)

Much love to you to today….

ehp

210-213. Anthony Da Costa Week!

DAY TWO-HUNDRED AND TEN THROUGH THIRTEEN

Someone gave me the idea of posting the dailies as multiples on one day instead of filling the holes as separates (which really annoy me, bee-tee-dubs) just to catch up.  I’m feeling overwhelmed, so how do I cope?  AVOIDANCE!  Well, no more!  Here I am, and I am sojourning on, creating a temporary catch up by showing you what I’ve been doing for the past five days on ONE day.

Today ends Anthony Da Costa week!  I’ve been arranging and rearranging cello solo, trios and quartets for Anthony’s new record.  I’m heading into the studio for a good chunk of the day today to get it all down on digital tape, and then it’s done!

I’ve also had the opportunity to play with the fabulous, and most beautiful, ukelele-ist Sophie Madeleine at Joe’s Pub this week and have yet another show with her on the 24th at The Living Room here in New York City. (Which just so happens to be where Pearl and the Beard’s EP release show is, too – and on the exact same night!  Kismet!)

These are smaller clips from larger arrangements.  These tracks are working drafts and most are improvised.

210. Cello Quartet (Day Three)

Ah… suspensions! Creating tension, one note at at time…

211. Cello Trio (Day Four)

I love what this does within the context of the song.  This is only :15, but I love it.  There is a piano part which is a standard progression, but these cello parts twist it and give it so much color.

212. Bells and Cello (Day Five)

This is actually a second version of day 209 (Day Two of Anthony Da Costa Week).  Day 209 had bells and two cellos and totally different feel.  If I do this one (212), it strips it down to one cello that only comes in one time and then dies.  I’m liking this simpler version much more.

213. Cello Trio (Day Six)

This is a second version of the river from day 208.  I’m thinking a tasteful combination of both might work well.  If you had the opportunity to create a river from a musical instrument, what would you use?  One of the greatest examples of this kind of musical representation is Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev.  I grew up listening to this version on vinyl.  I loved it!

Pearl and the Beard is…

…on tour for a few days!

have some songs lined up, but I have to leave my computer at home.  I will be posting as soon as my little paws can get onto some computer keys…

until then… www.pearlandthebeard.com

Boston! Philadelphia! and Maryland!  Yay!

EHP

191. I Was Born (sketch)

DAY ONE-HUNDRED AND NINETY-ONE

ULTIMATE!!! ULTIMATE!!!

This is an idea I had for something I’m working on.  (I will tell you more about this at a later date.  Until then, that’s all you’re getting.  Yippy!).  I’m trying different instrumentation to see what instruments I feel best capture what I think is happening in my mind.  So, in light of the 365, I’m posting the first and immediate lines that came to me.  This is done in one take with very little planning.  I knew I wanted a stillness in the beginning and more movement in the middle, and I had come up with a very simple progression I liked early on.  As this is only for instrumentation reference, I’m ignoring the haphazard of the part.

My first inclination is that, due to the nature of what this is intended for, this is a little too… hmmmm…?  It’s supposed to be creating a melancholy and thoughtfulness…a feeling that you know you are living in one place but you really want to be in another.  I think this is just Yanni on bells (ahhh!  Noooo!)… not quite what I’m looking for, but it’s going in the right direction.

I will keep working on this.  Exciting!

Hope you are doing so well!

I Was Born