Metro (2020)
Solo marimba and video playback
7:30
In a time when our impact on the Earth is a constant source of discussion, it can be easy to forget that humanity has created many wonders. Our metropolitan centers are both awe- inspiring and deeply frightening; massive interconnected systems within systems of productivity and greed and life and achievement and hubris. They defy moral categorization.
Regardless of one’s feelings about the “big city”, it is hard to deny that there is much beauty to be found within the sprawl. This piece is an attempt to pay tribute to the light, the energy, and the grandeur of our metropolitan areas.
This piece demands a great deal of accuracy and attention to balance. At almost every moment in the piece, there is a rhythmic element in the audio track that the performer must balance to and play in time with.
Micing the marimba will generally yield a better blend. Even if the marimba does not seem to need volume reinforcement, having the marimba coming through the same speakers as the track will help blend the two together.
G-H is probably the most difficult section of the piece. When I am preparing this piece for performance or recording, I spend almost 50% of my practice time on this section alone.
The small-interval triple laterals (166-K, 189-190, 209-224) are easy to underplay. Do everything you can to play with a strong sound and even volume between all mallets. Switching to a harder mallet before J can help with this.
Reflection
As with Kingdoms, this piece was born from my pandemic-era drive towards optimism and wonder. It is easy to look at modern society with nothing but cynicism, but that is an unhappy way to live. I find it is better to attempt to appreciate the good and the beauty in our surroundings… though that is easier said than done.
As a Modern Busy Person with a light case of Tech Addition, “stopping and smelling the roses” is an unnatural choice for me to make. One would think I’d have an easier time of it, since most of my fondest memories are of “smelling roses”, but it is easy for me to go long stretches of time with my mind only on the next task. I keep up with my responsibilities, but I often derive little joy from my surroundings.
The trees in my neighborhood are unremarkable as far as trees go, but they are beautiful if you look at them with a mindset of appreciation. As I walk to the gym, I try to remind myself to look up and appreciate the movement of the branches as they blow in the wind. I try to breathe in and smell the fresh air, and to feel the wind on my skin. I try to be grateful that I get to share the world with such beautiful things, and to remember that existence is a gift. I’m not always successful in these efforts, but I do try.
This mode of thinking cultivates a sense of appreciation and of “wonder” for the world around me. As an artist, it is crucial that I remain curious and interested in my surroundings. As a human, it is crucial that I enjoy my time on this earth.
Process
I am often asked about the process in creating a piece with so many elements, and if I had a specific order in working with the video, audio, or solo part. I won’t say that my process was particularly organized or planned in advance, but the nature of the work necessitated a certain workflow. So, if you find yourself wanting to make something like this, you might follow this approach:
Find interesting, artful stock footage. Save clips in folders based on themes.
Make decisions regarding frame rate and resolution, for artistic reasons (wanting a certain look) and practical reasons (availability of footage).
Avoid mixing frame rates. Use clips that already have your desired frame rate.
4k clips can be downscaled to 1080p, but not the other way around.
Spend hours watching your footage. Which clips are the most interesting? What music do you hear when you watch them?
Choose the clips that you find most inspiring, download them, and start working with them in editing software like Premiere or Final Cut. Put them in an order that feels right.
For this, it’s best to have a source for your stock footage that allows unlimited downloads with a subscription, rather than a pay-per-clip service. I used storyblocks.com for almost all of my pieces.
Export your rough cut, import into your DAW (most DAWs can play videos!) and start sketching out the music based on how the footage inspired you.
My process had a great deal of back-and-forth. I’d write a section of music, then export the audio and go back to my video software and adjust the timing of the various edits to fit more exactly with the music. Then I’d send the video back to Logic, and repeat. This happened countless times over the creation of each piece.
Sometimes the footage imposed limitations on the work. A clip may be too short for my musical vision of it, forcing me to re-imagine the vision or to find another clip, which often came with new musical implications. Sometimes there was simply not a lot of footage (there aren’t many stock clips of whales…especially in 4k and 30p!)