Another shot at inspirational and uplifting....

[aldicicco]

Thanks to the expert advice on this board, I abandoned MIDI for this listing. Instead I chose to go acoustic piano and fly by the seat of my pants recording this at home. The pieces are "Chasing Leaves" and "Home". Of these two, I think Home might be a little too sentimental and not light enough. I'll find out soon....www.taxi.com/aldiciccoINSPIRATIONAL AND UPLIFTING INSTRUMENTALS in all styles are needed by a great Production Music Library/Publisher that has signed tons of TAXI members over the years, and has made money for many. These Instrumentals can be lush orchestral arrangements, simple/acoustic piano or guitar pieces, lilting/playful Alt Country/Singer-Songwriter tracks, etc. The only absolute must is that the overall tone is very inspiring, heartwarming and light. Think of a commercial where children are laughing, a couple is holding hands and walking along the side of a lake, a baby is playing and giggling with a grandparent, etc. - these pieces need to reflect a warm and glowing mood to support visual scenes of this nature. Best wishes,Al

[kitz]

Al,I love these little tunes. Sound nice on the acoustic piano. Maybe a tad bit of eq - I listened with a little drop at 800 and again around 580 and little boost at 2k. Chasing Leaves reminds me of Charlie Brown for some reason. So nice, and Home makes me think of something from a Ken Burns Civil War movie where the soldiers may or may not be making it home after the war. I'm thinking you're inspirational and uplifting here without going overboard. Kitz

[aldicicco]

Hey Kitz,Thanks, esp on the EQ observation. It's a bit tricky and I still have more experimenting to do. I appreciate your feedback. You nailed it on the feel. The first was written for my young daughter after an especially happy day. The second was written as a Heartland song, with a touch of a hym+like feel. Best wishes,Al

[ideascapes]

Al,Love the solo piano stuff! Chasing Leaves also reminds me of Vince Guaraldi/Charlie Brown. And I could hear Home playing during an interlude in a Woody Allen flick. People love real acoustic piano played with a good touch.I can hear what kitz is saying about the EQ. What mic did you use to record? Opposing mics for stereo would be the way to go, I think. I bet if you toyed with your recording arrangement more you could eventually come up with something a little better and turn out these songs like crazy!See: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may99/a ... o.htmVince

[aldicicco]

Hi Vince,Thanks for your feedback. I think the Charlie Brown connection, besides the general mood, is that Chasing Leaves starts with the same two/three notes and is in the same key. It's incredible how we retain the "correct" key for a song, and that it leaves an indelible impression. I'm virtually certain that the Charlie Brown Christmas song is in E flat. You would have laughed had you seen me set up for recording. It was impossible for me to tweek the mixer and play piano simultaneously for a sound check. My wife was running around the piano re-positioning the mic with head phones on, while she tried to get the proper mix on the board. It was a hoot and something we can always joke about... I'm embarrassed to tell you what the situation was, but all I had to use was one mic; a Shure KSM32. Not high end I know, but enough to get the job done. In fact, I needed to position the mic outside the piano. If I put it inside, the poor thing was simply drinking from a fire hose and got overwhelmed... What do you suggest for my next mic (or two)?I know I need to make a variety of upgrades to my recording situation and this is yet one more item on my wish list. I'm simply happy that I got reasonably close for this listing.Thanks again for your reply and encouragement. I agree - I'd love to crank out tunes like these all day long!Best wishes,Al