Forests, Mountains and Monsters

Never apologize for writing too much. There is no such thing! How else would we get to know you better?

I love Gotterdammerung! Though it's hard to choose a favorite that is right at the top of the list. Axes are my first passion in medieval weaponry but maces run a close second. There's nothing like a good blunt, smashy weapon! A favorite torture is hard to choose but I think it would have to be the pear of anguish. (We actually had a really good thread about tortures at one point. You should check it out!) And a favorite book is terribly difficult as well. At the top of the list though would have to be The Animist by Eve Forward and Through Wolf's Eyes (and subsequent books in the series) by Jane Lindskold. I'm an avid reader of fantasy but also quite enjoy myth, folklore, and fairytales. I'm afraid I do not play 40K but my husband did for quite some time. He had many armies including a very extensive army of Tyranids. These were always my favorite and I got to keep a few of my favorite models when he decided to sell his armies. How I miss all those little bugs . . .

To Envy

Well I'm sincerely glad you like Toccata and Fugue in D minor and I found that video thoroughly enthralling thank you (although I'm now extremely jealous of his guitar and effects). I'm also jealous of your brilliant sounding course, I really like your idea of the seasons/human life combination (especially the winter/death section!!) I also never compose in major, it just doesn't sound correct to me and seems to comparatively lack in emotion to that of a minor key (whenever I compose I also ensure there are lots of diminished and minor arpeggios, they sound great in almost everything). How do you develope your musical ideas and how do you like to compose? Do you just improvise something and write it down if you like it or do you use plentiful theory and write in accordance to what it dictates? (hah I've probably got more questions for you than you for I). \"How Many points do you have?\"...
\"(I didn't understand it at the time, I just nodded, smiled, then wandered off to prod at pretty things, much to the annoyance of the guy persisting in asking me about points).\"
I can imagine just the scene, absolutely hilarious!!

To Cemwerewolf

Hmm true I found it extremely difficult to decide on those few operas and thinking about it I'd probably even change a couple... Haha I concur smashy weapons are great, were or are you part of a medieval re-enactment group per chance? I was in one but alas no longer, I'd always use maces or flails (definately the most satisfying to bludgeon someone with :evil:) I haven't read either of those but I will keep both eyes peeled for them as long as I can see. Tis a shame your husband stopped, tyranids are wonderfully grotesque pieces of plastic

EternusAtrumDiligo wrote:

Well I'm sincerely glad you like Toccata and Fugue in D minor and I found that video thoroughly enthralling thank you (although I'm now extremely jealous of his guitar and effects). I'm also jealous of your brilliant sounding course, I really like your idea of the seasons/human life combination (especially the winter/death section!!) I also never compose in major, it just doesn't sound correct to me and seems to comparatively lack in emotion to that of a minor key (whenever I compose I also ensure there are lots of diminished and minor arpeggios, they sound great in almost everything). How do you develope your musical ideas and how do you like to compose? Do you just improvise something and write it down if you like it or do you use plentiful theory and write in accordance to what it dictates? (hah I've probably got more questions for you than you for I). \"How Many points do you have?\"...
\"(I didn't understand it at the time, I just nodded, smiled, then wandered off to prod at pretty things, much to the annoyance of the guy persisting in asking me about points).\"
I can imagine just the scene, absolutely hilarious!!

Rargh. I envy that guy and his guitar-playing-abilities ever-so-much.

Everything I compose ends up in a minor key. It can be infuriating at times, especially when you need a section that's in a major! But I do agree that minor keys have a lovely, melancholy, meaningful and emotional depth to the sound. I love things with diminished chords.

As for musical ideas - I get inspiration everywhere - Sometimes I can be walking alone on a frosty morning to college and I'll just hear a melody in my head, or poetry will spring to mind. At times, just looking upon a scene or just shuffling through thoughts will bring to mind a new sound. It's very sporadic, but usually I have too many ideas and lots have to be cut out if I'm to create a structured composition. I find it difficult to just compose on the spot.

If I'm being structured, then musical ideas would usually be developed by focusing on a main melody that I like and altering it. The rest would depend on what structure the composition would be in, e.g. ABA format, binary form etc. If I'm not being structured, then I just listen to the tune I like and write down whatever the music tells me to. Usually melodies want to move one way or another.

I usually begin by improvising and then once it's written down, it's later altered to be correct according to music theory. >.< Bah! I took up the guitar deliberately to understand chord structures better. So far, it's quite useful, although in this year's and next year's course, I have an advantage by being a piano player, seeing as we're studying Bach chorales and it involves treble and bass clef reading. The previous course didn't have any of that. Envy's turn to shine. *Giggle*

EternusAtrumDiligo wrote:

To Cemwerewolf

Hmm true I found it extremely difficult to decide on those few operas and thinking about it I'd probably even change a couple... Haha I concur smashy weapons are great, were or are you part of a medieval re-enactment group per chance? I was in one but alas no longer, I'd always use maces or flails (definately the most satisfying to bludgeon someone with :evil:) I haven't read either of those but I will keep both eyes peeled for them as long as I can see. Tis a shame your husband stopped, tyranids are wonderfully grotesque pieces of plastic

I'm afraid that I'm not involved in any sort of re-enactment group but I've always had a passion for medieval weaponry. My husband and I have recently started what we hope will someday be a very large collection of weapons someday. So far we have only a morning star and a boar spear though. And I do quite miss seeing the bugs in action but, there is murmurings from my husband of a future collection. He always enjoyed assembling and painting the models and is considering collecting them again for that purpose. Perhaps my home will be infested with the buggy little guys again some day soon.

A very belated welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it here