I've Been Here Before

I like to think that music is an exploration rather than an activity with a goal.

I spent a great deal of time today frittering on the keyboard until I found the Harp SRX patch in the INTEGRA's Complete Orchestra expansion. This harp sound isn't very realistic, but it sounds interesting, and sometimes that's just better. I added a touch of Hall 2 reverb, and it added a depth to the sound that was very special.

Music isn't written so much as it is found. You hear whispers of it when you wake up, before going to bed, in idle moments, while people are talking, and in the sounds of the world around you. Music is everywhere. Your job as a composer is to capture it, bring it home, and make sense of it. But it's not yours to keep; not yet. It stays with you only by your will to keep it alive.

Music is familiar and nostalgic. When I return to music after a long time away, it feels awkward at first, like touring a home that's no longer mine. But after I've had a chance to walk the halls and see the old spaces, my memories come back, and it's like I never left. I say hi to my old friend, and we stay awhile.

This place feels new, even though I've been here before.