Milton Metal (aka Sonnetgarden)

[brinstar]

Okay, one more attention whore post. {CLIFF'S NOTES: Just skip down to the link.}

For my final project in ENGL330E: Chaucer/Milton/Shakespeare I was allowed to create a musical interpretation of any of the works we read throughout the semester. I chose the pair of John Milton sonnets L'Allegro and Il Penseroso, and got to work. I recorded every note of every track myself, then mixed and mastered them, which took me probably a grand total of about 20 hours.

Final project presentations were today, I read my commentary aloud and pushed play on the classroom PA. When it was over I got very hearty applause, a lot of great comments, and several people asked me if I had extra copies. I told them I'd put up a web page and email them the link.

This link.

If you are unfamiliar with the original sonnets, you will likely find the commentary helpful in relating them to the music.

Enjoy, I hope!

[Evermore]

very cool. I like the 2nd song the best. Put some lyrics to it. I can if you want. Just listening gave me some ideas

[Drem]

add lyrics? lol

nice work, alex. as usual

[leah]

oh my. "the bear at dawn" is fawesome.

[Evermore]

add lyrics? lol

nice work, alex. as usual

Why not?

[Ginzburgh]

Can I make the formal request to create a forum called:

"Brinstar's Side Projects and School Stuff"

?

[kinghooter00]

That was pretty sweet. I heard someone else do this pretty good. check it out if you want.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

[kinghooter00]

by the way, evermore, your avatar is great.

[Ginzburgh]

Speaking of avatars, King is your avatar from a Takashi Miike movie?

[Harrison]

It's Kim Jong Il

[Drem]

nope it's Akira Kurosawa

@ evermore: because the song already tells a story based on a set of words. why would you write more?

[brinstar]

Can I make the formal request to create a forum called:

"Brinstar's Side Projects and School Stuff"

?

i know, i feel like a spammer posting all this stuff. sorry if it seems that way ;\


and yeah-- i kind of thought adding words might make the song* too claustrophobic. one of the things i love about instrumental music is that without lyrics to TELL you what the song's about, you are free to take from it whatever meaning you want. to take a piece like The Bear at Dawn and stick words in it limits it to what i'm saying in it instead of what you're reading in it. does that make sense? i dunno, it's hard to explain.


*by which i mean The Bear at Dawn. I would accept that Ignis Fatuus could have benefited from some sort of lyrics, as the arrangement wasn't quite as layered as TBAD.

[Trielelvan]

I don't know, I think I disagree Brin. Ignis Fatuus was like taking an ocean voyage at night and held its own beautifully without lyrics.

TBAD (roflz @ acronym) is such a dramatically suspenseful piece. The imagery I kept getting was very Shadow of the Colossus-esque.

Brilliant work man. Really beautiful.

[brinstar]

you always have the best mental images

[Drem]

Shadow of the Colossus-esque.

god damn that game is awesome

[Evermore]

nope it's Akira Kurosawa

@ evermore: because the song already tells a story based on a set of words. why would you write more?

Put the words to the music to tell the story to those who do not know it. Also, you could then submit both versions comercially.

[Evermore]

Can I make the formal request to create a forum called:

"Brinstar's Side Projects and School Stuff"

?

i know, i feel like a spammer posting all this stuff. sorry if it seems that way ;\


and yeah-- i kind of thought adding words might make the song* too claustrophobic. one of the things i love about instrumental music is that without lyrics to TELL you what the song's about, you are free to take from it whatever meaning you want. to take a piece like The Bear at Dawn and stick words in it limits it to what i'm saying in it instead of what you're reading in it. does that make sense? i dunno, it's hard to explain.


*by which i mean The Bear at Dawn. I would accept that Ignis Fatuus could have benefited from some sort of lyrics, as the arrangement wasn't quite as layered as TBAD.

I understand. It was just a suggestion. i was thinking more comercially then artisticaly.