I wrote a short piano piece last summer, and practiced it this week. I recorded it at the end of my last recording session and now have put it into a video. I am not at my the computer lab so I cannot edit in final cut, which means I cannot edit videos in HD. Nonetheless, hopefully the music of this piece (and Montella's painting) will conjure an image in your mind of a haunted house in the country hills...

The Video:

http://youtu.be/sdLWsvmrGM8

The Audio:



The soundtrack of the video is the same as the audio.

Hope you can enjoy

~Riley

I'm nor sure of this one to be honest. It seems a bit thin. The main theme, stated twice, has some potential. Then comes what seems like a quote from Despair, played twice, and then a perfunctory ending. Strange structure ! I think you'll need to do a bit more development here.

Considered for an elementary piano student, I think this is all right.

@ Chris and Eddy thanks for the feedback~

@ Chris

you wrote:



You have noticed the quote from despair! You know my music too well --though I will say this quote (in its approximate form) is in g minor this time, not d minor as it sounds in despair. I agree this piece could use more development. I really was shooting for a basic impression, and in the video you see the front of the haunted house, really only a small taste of sorts. More development might mean you would hear some music that would symbolize the house's interior ; creaking floors, howling goblins, squeaking bats and the like

@ Eddy

you wrote:



Thanks for listening and the compliment, I have thought about rounding up a bunch of sketches I have written and then self publishing them through amazon. It seems however, (at least from a biz standpoint) that the market is saturated with beginner piano books that presents short easy pieces with little illustrations that capture is some way the mood of a piece. Other books are simply bestsellers for the reason that they have been in the biz for a while (i.e. Alfred's tried-and-true Basic Piano course) I cannot draw such great pictures so I am happier for it to be an avocation then something to sell, an easy way to make gobs of cash.. Not that you were saying this, just something I was thinking..

~Riley

Hehe, I would know Despair, having practiced it for months


You would not need to make this into Hollywood program music. Probably best to convey a mood/atmosphere than actual 'facts', hint at things rather than spell them out graphically.
It's just that the structure "a - b - abrupt ending" is IMO not convincing.

Thanks, for the compliment, though I assume you are joking?

You must really be in despair if you cannot find any better pieces to practice than my "despair."



I was just listening to MacDowell's "Haunted House," from his Op. 61, Fireside Tales. it is decidedly more convincing :

http://youtu.be/bqSdiISqxdI

Hehe yes of course. I don't think the whole process took more than half an hour altogether.


Sure I can But it's great to record a nice piece without having to work for weeks or months.

And now something completely different. I stumbled on this funny video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ene0Qc75qRU
You must have some local fame to have a dog named after you

Hi Chris



Oh, I see!



Of course the hard work pays off if those pieces were written well. For example if I had to listen to a piece and it was between say "after pergolesi" and "despair" I'd choose Hamelin, or should I say Pergolesi. It sounds more complex than my piece and I think you recording though not hamelin's sounds good. I wonder how long it took Hamelin to learn it, his own piece? I don't imagine he sightread it flawlessly



I watched the video. I've had girls call me cute, but compared to that puppy (or any of the other two), I'm nothin'

~Riley