The Music of Shippy Hollow
A lot of people have asked how I do the music on this site (and yes, a few ask, why?). First of all, I've been a student of music forever; just another casualty of the Beatles' impact on my generation, but I've always been fascinated with different production styles and the producer's impact on the overall sound. I also enjoy most musical styles and appreciate much of the new stuff out there. It's overwhelming to stay current, but try I do. I have a Bachelors of Music in Composition from the UofO (and actually won a full ride scholarship for my final year of studies) and had always thought that after college I'd work at a studio and develop an emphasis on production. But then life happened. As far as the music on this site goes, I play all of this stuff on the keyboard using very realistic sample libraries to emulate the sound of - say - strings, trumpets, guitars, etc. I play the parts one by one until I have a piece. In many cases there are upwards to 40+ tracks comprising one of my tunes. The drums are programmed via the computer - and it's amazing to me how realistic one can make them sound. I am still a student of all of this (especially mixing and mastering) and hopefully I'm in a constant state of evolution. The compositional aspect of my music is magic - I don't even understand it. Thanks for your interest!
I've actually had a couple requests from people who wanted to hear my music without the visuals. And they wanted to listen in the car, etc. So... I went back and started remastering the music into CD format. In about half the cases, I also changed a few things in the mix or even in the recording itself. Anyway, the music is now "out there" on the internet in most of your favorite retail and streaming sites. It exists both physically and digitally (and locally at Out on a Limb, North Coast Books, Big Foot Coffee Roasters, and the Interpretive Center's gift shop). The pictures below are links to get you started:
Soundtracks - Volume 1 is a bit more ethereal than its successor. The music is synthy and orchestral; very "soundtracky". The suites are entire soundtracks to their respective videos. But the majority are regular old tunes.
Soundtracks - Volume 2 is quite a bit more song-oriented than its predecessor. The music is band-like; lots of folkish-type stuff, but still very "soundtracky". The suites are entire soundtracks to their respective videos, while the medleys are portions of the soundtracks.