Just this past Sunday I started and finished a full orchestral composition using the Harmony Assistant software that I've enjoyed so much on and off over the years.
<br />
This is the first piece that I really feel is completed and is half way decent. Though I've much more to learn about composing music, especially an entire orchestra, this was an enjoyable start.
<br />
The piece is about 3.5 minutes long.
<br />
<br>
<br />
I have it available to download in mp3 format from the Downloads section. You can listen if you want by clicking here:
<br />

<br />
<a href="http://www.hawkes-haven.com/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=2">Download Rondo March in A Minor by Hawke, 2003-10-26</a> You will need to be logged in to download.
<br />
There are a few rough edges in this particular mix that I amd going to smooth out, I'm just waiting for the improved digitized sound base CD to arrive before I remix and edit the composition slightly.
<br />
<br>
<br />
I am planning to take extra music courses when I start back at school this January towards enhancing my RT  and SW degrees.
<br />
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<br />
This piece was inspired by a riff I came up with just the preceding Saturday while doing my daily practice on my guitar while going to sleep.
<br />
I could hear a lot more acompanying it in my head.
<br />
So the following morning I started composing maniacally, and by dinner time (4-6+ hours later) I had it pretty much complete. The muses had me firmly in their grip!;-)
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The software I use is from www.myriad-online.com
<br />
It's a small French company and their software for the higher end Harmony Assistant that I used for this piece is only about $70 bucks.
<br />
I'm going to try some of the Linux equivalents this week, I like the software, but I despise running anything on Windows anymore. Luckily it's supported on Mac too, so I may switch it to that if I'm not happy with any Linux based equivalents. I'll brush the dust off my trusty old g3-233.
<br />
Hopefully I'll have more time for more pieces and slowly keep improving through practice.
<br />
Ciao.

I just recorded last night some of my flute playing. I did it in a very slow, relaxing style with some echo. It is completely improvised single-take recording without any editing (other than adding the echo and panning to two separate channels (left for clean, and right for clean plus reverb).
<br />
I have them as 256bit mp3 files, there are two pieces. The first is just a couple of minutes, the other about  5 minutes.
<br />
Feel free to download and opine.
<br />
<ul>
<br />
<li><a href="http://www.hawkes-haven.com/arc/mp3/hawke-slowechoflute1-256.mp3">Hawke's Slow Echo Flute 1, Play Time 2:40, Size 4992109 bytes (5MB)</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://www.hawkes-haven.com/arc/mp3/hawke-slowechoflute2-256.mp3">Hawke's Slow Flute 2, Play Time 5:29, Size 10496631 bytes (~10MB)</a></li>
<br />
</ul>
<br />
They were recorded simply with a Radio Shack condensor mic "Electret" using Harmony Assistant 8.4.4.
<br />
A WONDERFUL music composition and editing program, that's less than $100 USD, and blows away many apps I've used in the thousands USD range.

Sunday November 27th, from 4 am to 6 am UTC/GMT (Saturday November 26th, from 8 pm to 10 pm Pacific), I will be doing the first in a series of broadcasts dedicated to music inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien and his works.

It's amazing the vast range (in both styles and quality) of music out there inspired by him.
I'll be playing all style, from classical, baroque, medieval, to rock, death metal, pop, folk, techno, ambient, and much more.

This first show will be more of the classical, baroque, medieval, techno, and ambient songs.
In upcoming days I'll begin listing the various artists on my website.
Future shows will cover more of the other styles.

For details on how to listen, and more, check my broadcasting website here:
http://www.synthzen.com
or
http://www.nekkidradio.com (Look for Dr Z & The Synthetic Zen Show).
You can listen to either the dialup or broadband streams, with any operating system, browser, or streaming media player.

Don't miss this great 2 hour tribute to J.R.R. Tolkien!

These are the lyrics to a piece I wrote and composed the music for back, heck somewhere between 1990-1991.
This was inspired by my reading Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series.
I have an old recording from "way back when" of this song that I burned from casette to mp3.
You can listen to it (and others) here:
Incarnations of Immortality (1991) mp3
You can see the list of my songs here:
Old Static page of Synthetic Zen

Chord progression:
F#dim
Gdim
Adim
Aaug
Click the "Read More" link to view the lyrics...

Incarnations of Immortality (c) 1990-2005 by Hawke

There's a mistress of fate
Three into on they make
And they will not wait
for any Man...

Death rides on a horse
Pale, and steady of course
Collecting his souls
of Everyman...

There's a slave of destiny
Who cannot be set free
And follows the threads
of the Tapestry...

From the mists of Chaos
She does form her threads
To weave the pattern
of You and Me...

(Chorus)
(Chorus part 1:)
(Chord progression: E, F, G, A)
So you thought you could
do what you wanted,
Live life to the fullest
everything you wanted,
But when Thanatos
does arrive,
When you are no longer alive...

(Chorus part 2)
(Chord progression: Dmin, Cmin, Dmin, C#min, Cmin, G, Ab, A)
You will see how gaunt your soul is,
And you will never find solace.
You'll fall down
to Lucifer's old realm.
Where Satan rules,
You'll pay your dues.

(Chorus part 3)
(Chord Progression: D,A, C, G)
But the cycle
will continue
You'll be
Stuck.
You can run
if you want to
You're out of luck.
The flames will
keep on burning you
you'll be stuck.

(finale)
There's a mistress of fate
And no one can make
her
late.

Streetwalkin' (c) 1992-2005 by Hawke

My eyes climb
Through the craggy rifts and valleys,
towers and highways
of her weather-beaten face.

My heart feels for
the deep scars and furrows
welts and bruises
of her hammered grace.

Oh, don't you see?
Oh, won't you feel?
They're everywhere,
but invisible,
to the cold eyes
staying within
themselves.
The selfish lives
staining their own souls.
Seeing only the narrow point
of their own goals.
Ignoring the other's please for kindness,
And trampling
yet another
under.

(Chorus)
Oh, can't you see?
Oh, won't you feel?
Please let me have the strength,
not to close my heart.
I feel, uncertain, like many
of what exactly is my part.
(/end chorus)

See them limp along
hand holding
grubby child's hand.
Calling out to anyone,
just to help them stand.

One cowers in a corner
shelter made of plastic.
But there still is power
though calloused under
many layers of bootprints
on face and back.
They still survive,
just a little longer.
Just a little longer.

(back to chorus)

A BMW drives on by
drivers nose pointing to the sky.
She doesn't let herself see
the little girl sitting on the curb,
who does cry.
Who does cry?
Missing her parents
who are no longer
around.
Gunned down.
In the alley way
just because they had a jacket
that some coked out wacko
wanted to sell.

(back to chorus)

Dark clouds gather
and empty their deluge.
Washing away
the filth and sundry sewage.
The little girl looks up,
tears mingling with rain.
She's closing her heart,
so she won't feel the pain.

Then someone blocks her view
of the overcast sky,
an older bearded man,
with a smile very wry.
She sees his tattered cuffs
and sees the compassion,
even through the gruff.
He extends his hand,
out to her.
And thus slows down
the scarring and closing
caused by another
dirty town.

(Finale)
Oh, don't you see?
Oh, won't you feel?
Please let me have the strength,
not to close my heart.
I feel, uncertain like many,
of what exactly is my part?
What can I do, to help stop the pain?
Where do I turn,
to stop the drain
of all the souls
down the gutter
with that gangrenous rain?
Please let me
have the strength
not to close my heart.
I feel uncertain, like many
of what exactly is my part.
My part, my part, my part.
What is my part?

Mostly a very jarring, on edge, electric guitar piece with heavy distortion, not a lot in the way of lyrics, but here's what few words I did write down for it. This would be around spring 1991, while I was living in the "Hobbit Hell Hole", I believe, and I had goen about 30-45 days, in middle of downtown Salt Lake city without talking to a single human being, and living on peanut butter and honey sandwiches and water....


Beautiful Noise
Em
Fm
Gm

I have lost my mind
I have lost my mind
Poor lost soul
Poor lost soul

You see my mind cracking
And you stand there laughing
What? I am a beautiful NOISE!!!
(harmonics)

I have no real idea when it was I wrote this. Somewhere between 1989 and 1993/4ish.

As I type up these lyrics, I don't remember writing them exactly, but I think I can place the time period roughly around summer/fall of 1993-5ish.

Violent Skies
Chord Lyric
G Purple rose
E Violent rose
G Purple rose
E-G-F-F-E Bring's tears to my eyes
Bring's tears to my eyes


Purple rose
Dark lullabies
Purple rose
BRings tears to my eyes
Brings tears to my eyes

A She's a treat
G/F And I adore her
Such conceit
and I ignore her
I get beat
and I implore her
F-G-A Don't finish me
Don't finish me!


She's a threat
And such a whore
We just met
And she wants more
Throws her net
and I do implore
Don't finish me
Don't finish me!

She's a girl
for one, two (2) admire
A rare pearl
three, four desire
When she twirls
I cry to her
Don't finish me
Don't finish me!


Lying rose
Evil disguise
Dying rose
Don't finish me
Don't finish me.

I think I wrote this clear back aroun 1989ish when I was living in Brittainy Apartments in Murray Utah.
I suspect it was after an unpleasant breakup, but I don't recall exactly.

Individual notes, then chords
1: A,B,C, C-Chord
2: C,B,A, A-Chord
3: Chords: D-F-C-F
4: Chords: D-F-C-G
5: Chords (E-chord variants): A, Ab, G, F#

Little Child (or The Dark Sea)
1: So my children
2.: Don't weep now
1: Follow me
2: I'll show you the way
3: Children laughing, playing today
4: Children who do what they may
5: Little children are swimming
5: Into the little, black sea
5: "Little children!", I do cry
5: "Don't swim there or you will die!"
5: But they go further out
5: Beyond hearing my true shout
5: LIttle children are swim-ming
5 (but end on F chord): Lost into the very black thing.

1: So my brothers
2: Don't weep now
1: Follow me
2: I'll show you the way
3: Brothers, laughing, playing, today
4: Brothers, who do what they may.
5: Dearest brothers are swimming
5: Info the dark, black sea.
5: "Dearest brothers!" I do cry
5: "Don't swim there, or you will die!"
5: But they ignore my loud plea
5: and go deeper into the sea
5: Little children are swim-ming
5 (end with F chord): lost into the very black thing.

1: So my ladies
2: Don't weep now
1: Follow me,
2: I'll show you the way.
3: Ladies laughing, playing today
4: Ladies who will hurt who they may.
5: "Sweetest" ladies are swimming
5: Into the little, black sea
5: "Sweetest ladies!" I do cry
5: "Go swim there, you won't die"
5: But they know the sea from withing
5: And they take and throw me far in
5: "Sweetest" ladies are all laughing
5 (end with F chord): As I'm lost into the black thing.

1: So I do find
2: Their dark heart
1: It is the
2: Little blackest sea
3: Sisters created for their joy
4: Their dark trap makes me a toy
5: But no more, will I play
5: For the ladies best lay
5: Though it's fun, and I'm good
5: I won't take that dark hood
5: So I ignore their calling pleas
5: And I escape their black sea
5: Little child is swim-ming
5 (end with F chord): Lost into the very black thing.
End on F down to C, down to A minor.
This is a pretty darn awful recording (terrible singing, etc.), but I did make it, so I'm linking to it, but you've been warned....
Little Child (Black Sea, aka "Sweetest Ladies")
(c) 1989-2006 by Hawke (who else would want it anyway! :-P ).

Wrote this just before a friend named Scott Bliss came to visit after he moved to California.
He helped me flesh this out and we did an improve live recording of it. I'll add the link for that later.
It actually came out pretty decent for a rough draft. Would be nice to refine and re-record it some day.
It was around Summer of 1992 or 1993 I think.

Hear My Plea

Hear my plea
Won't you set me free
Ooooh set me free

Don't throw me
In chains and irons
Don't lock me behind the door
Don't tear my flesh
Don't rip my soul
Don't ignore me anymore

Don't you see
I'm a human being
Can't you see
I deserve freedom

Don't walk away
Don't throw away
What we've built today
Don't turn away
Don't scorn today
Set all free any way
Set all free any way!


Below is a link to listen to the very rough, improvised recording Scott and I did on the fly. It's rough, but fun, and wasn't as bad as it could have been. :-P
Hear My Plea, vocals and guitars Hawke and Scott. (c) 1994-2006 by Hawke

I wrote this when I was living in Villa Franche around Summer 1993.
I had a lot of fun with "Special effects" When recording it, for example, the "boiling mud" was me holding a microphone over my mouth as I "gurgled" slowly some pepsi, and other such "Analog" special effects. The recording is less than perfect on the then new Yamaha M2HB 4 track (with 6 input) recorder, but it was fun anyway, though darkly humorous.

The Final Tour

Welcome to a world
Where Evil rules
Piles of gold
and hills of jewels

The laugh of Satan
and the fires of Hell
can be bought
in a can
or found in a shell.

Hear the dragon's roar
and the breath of doom
no one can ignore
in any room
in any room.

The screams of ecstasy
mix with agony
and create a music
of haunting cacauphony
haunting syllogy

The trees provide no shade
from the unseen moon
and the heat of the fires
freezes to the bone
freezes to the bone.

On you left
are the lost souls
Those who died
with no accomplished goals
with no accomplished goals

On your right
in the boiling mud
are the people
who drew human blood
drew human blood

Before us you see
is the flaming pit
for thee.

The screams of ecstasy
mix with agony
and create a music
of haunting cacauphony
melancholy tranquility
clarity, lucidity
haunting syllogy

The Final Tour 1994 recording From the Muses of the Early Days album. (c) Hawke 1994-2006.

Another one I'm not sure when I wrote. I'll again guess from 1989-1994ish.

Wandering Dreams, Full Circle

Through sky blue torrents
And rivers of lava (fire?)
I can't be bent
I can't be bent

Deep red welts
Show on my soul
Life with no goal
Life with no goal

Wandering dreams
Slandering thoughts
meandering hopes
slaughtering loves.

If it goes on
And becomes the song
I'm sure of fate
I won't last long
Then one walks in
Lighting the dusk
Is want a sin?
Then I ask
Where do I begin?
Where do I begin?

Wandering dreams
Wanton thoughts
Clearing hopes
Dreaming of love

Keep the golden heart
Close to my start
When it once begins
Such golden glory
Is the middle of the story.

Time wanders once again
Loves and passions do wane
One feels stronger,
ther other stranger
No arguments
We drift apart
though no change of our heart.
So what has happened
I'm back at the start
But now with a broken heart.

Sky blue torrents
Rivers of blood
I am bent
and drowned in the flood
drowned in the flood.



Wandering dreams

This was an amalgamation of thoughts, ideas, experiences, images, and people based on my multiple times of having to live on the streets and other generally homeless periods of my life.
I really like this song, both the lyrics and the music for it, but my voice just can't do it the justice of what I hear in my head, and I hope some day I can find someone who can, who would be willing to sing and record it for me some day.
I think I wrote it around '94-'95 ish.

Streetwalkin'

My eyes climb through
the craggy rifts and valleys,
towers and highways,
of her weather beaten face.
My heart feels for
the deep scars and furrows,
welts and bruises,
of her hammered grace.

Ooooh, don't you see?
Ooooh, won't you feel?
They're everywhere,
but invisible,
to the cold eyes
staying within themselves
The selfish lives
staining their own souls.
Seeing only the narrow point
of their own goals.
Ignoring the other's please for kindness
and trampling yet another under.

Please let me have the strength
not to close my heart.
I feel
uncertain, like many
of what exactly is my point?

(I) see them limp along
hand holding grubby child's hand
calling out to anyone
just to help them stand.
One cowers in a corner
shelter made of plastic,
but there still is power,
though calloused under,
many layers of bootprints
on face and back
they still survive
just a little longer
just a little longer.

A BMW drives on by
driver's nose pointing to the sky.
She doesn't let herself see
the little girl sittingon the curb,
who does cry.
Who does cry?
Missing her parents
who are no longer around.
Gunned down.
In the alley way
just because they had a jacket
that some coked out wacko wanted to sell.

Ooooh, won't you see?
Ooooh, can't you feel?
Please let me have the strength
not to close my heart.
I feel
uncertain, like many
of what exactly is my point?

The dark clouds gather
and empty their deluge
washing away
the filth and sundry sewage.

The little girl looks up,
tears mingling with rain.
She's closing her heart,
so she won't feel the pain.
Then someone blocks her view
of the overcast sky.
An older bearded man,
with a smily very wry.

She sees his tattered cuffs
but sees the compassion
even through the gruff.
He extends his hand
out to her.
And thus slows down,
the scarring and closing.
Caused by another
dirty town.

Ooooh, can you see?
Ooooh, do you feel?
Please let me have the strength
not to close my heart.
I feel uncertain, like many.
Of what exactly is my part.
What can I do, to help stop the pain?
Where do I turn to stop all the drain?
of all the lost souls, down the gutter,
with that gangrenous rain.
Please let me have the strength
not to close my heart.
I feel uncertain, like many.
Of what exactly is my part.
my part
my part
my part. I did a recording in November 2005. It's not very good, alas, my singing is far from adequate. And I had a sore throat then too. But it hopefully gets the rough idea apart of it's potential. Please feel free to comment (other than my crappy singing, and less than stellar guitar trying to sing and play at the same time). ;-)

Streetwalkin Guitar and Vocals 2005-11-19

Today, I had to sing in front of several instructors, and the Director of the Music Program at EWU.
I was very nervous, and it was very stressful leading up to the event.
I had unfortunately missed a number of voice lessons over the quarter, and was ill prepared on one song in particular, but of course all areas were impacted by missing such sessions.
The accompanist I was going to use ended up not being available, and I didn't realize that until only two weeks before this performance.
So, I was scrambling.
The songs I prepared to sing were:

• Caro Mio Ben
  
  
  “Ah, dearest love”
  
  
  by Tommaso Giordani (1730-1806)
  
  
  Edited by John Glenn Paton
  


• Amarilli, mia bella
  
  
  “Amarilli, my dear one”
  
  
  by Giulio Caccini (ca. 1545-1618)
  
  
  Edited by John Glenn Paton
  


• Let Us Break Bread Together
  
  
  African American spiritual
  
  
  arranged by Gordon Myers
  

I was given a list of possible accompanists, and began emailing and calling from the list.
The first several were already all booked up.
As the final week before the performance approached, I found one who is a graduate student in the last year of his master's degree in music, who would take me on, but for a fee of $25.00.
I jumped on it, but only had very little time to work with him.
It became apparent, that though he was a fairly good pianist, I don't know how much experience he had an accompanist, and it was more akward than with the previous one I used, however, we muddled through.

I'm very, VERY, VERY much a NOVICE singer. I've a Loooooooooong way to go before I can sing without the probabilityof making people wince. But I have to start somewhere I guess.

So, we squeezed in a couple of short rehearsals just before, and it was apparent I was in a LOT of trouble with the newest (to me) piece Amarilli mia bella, which I'd only had bout 2-3 lessons on to that point.

Caro Mio Ben and Let Us Break Bread Together, weren't great, but at least I could get through them "in the ballpark" and had them memorized in time for the performance, though I couldn't really spout any of the background information (history, translation, etc.) effectively.

So, the day of the performance arrived, and I (yet again) screwed up the day for everyone by having been up until 2:00 trying to get work done, and so overslept and only had time for a feeble excuse for breakfast before the kids had to go, and I had to leave not long after.
It was a very rocky morning, and not a good way to start out an already stressful situation.

I arrived 35 minutes before the performance to try to get in a last minute rehearsal.
I'd been listening to some mp3's of the Caro Mio Ben and Amarilli, to try to get them stuck in my head, which definitely helped in jus a few days.
Unfortunately, I over practiced in this cramming approach, and I could tell my throat and voice were getting raw and worn out.

Finally the time arrived to perform, and fortunately they didn't require me to do all three songs, only the two I had memorized (phew!!!).

It didn't go perfectly on my part, I could tell my voice was strained and a little horse, but I wasn't too far off on the notes and timing (though it definitely needs a LOT more work on my part).
However, they (the Jury) said I did ok, we'll see what the grades say.

Then the director asked to speak with me immediately afterwards, "Uh oh" I thought, what'd I do now?
He took me upstairs to his office, had me close the door and sit down, while I wondered what he wanted.
It turned out he just wanted to listen to my compositions that I'd given him recordings (and tablature) of several months back in the hopes of his approving getting some live performance(s) recorded of one of my pieces (the string quintet for mandolin).
He listened to about 4 other pieces first, then finally the quintet.
He seemed to enjoy (though as others have noted, there was the "Redundancy" factor to my pieces).
Anyhow, he handed back the folder and cd, and said thought we could indeed do something next quarter. He suggested for the piece, instead of using mandolin with a quartet, to use a marimba instead. I can hear what he's saying, sounds like an interesting combination.

So, hopefully sometime this Spring quarter 2006, I will have 5 real musicians performing and creating a recording of one my compositions!

I'll cross my fingers on that.

Meanwhile, I need to find a new accompanist that I "synch" with better.

I'm signed up for choir, and voice lessons next quarter, but this time, I'm need an accompanist that I can meet with once per week (in addition to the weekly voice lessons) so that I'm more prepared for the Spring '06 jury performance.

Btw, don't wish me luck, instead "break a leg" is the correct parlance in the industry. ;-)

Meanwhile, I have a lot of making up to do on the home front because I screwed up not only the morning for everyone, but the afternoon as well because I forgot about some important obligations other's had and arrived home too late.

I need to dust off that cat o' nine tails I believe...

Well it's "Dead Week" (as in Finals Week) at the University.
So even less time than before.
I have a Recreation Management report due Monday.
Athletic activity report due, Martial Arts report due, have to have the Japanese related to the Karate class memorized (as well as the form, applications, Ran Dori, etc.), final project for Art in Rec. And I've completely blown my Intercultural Communications class. :-(
One point of interest coming up is on June 13th, I have to sing for the Jury Review.
Fortunately this time I have a wonderful accompanist, Carol Miyamoto. I am very fortunate she agreed to work with me this quarter, and I hope she'll continue to do so in the future.
The songs this quarter I have to be prepared to sing are:

Today, I had to sing in front of several instructors, and the Director of the Music Program at EWU.
 I was very nervous, and it was very stressful leading up to the event.
 I had unfortunately missed a number of voice lessons over the quarter, and was ill prepared on one song in particular, but of course all areas were impacted by missing such sessions.
 The accompanist I was going to use ended up not being available, and I didn't realize that until only two weeks before this performance.
 So, I was scrambling.
 The songs I prepared to sing were:
  
Caro Mio Ben
  "Ah, dearest love"
  by Tommaso Giordani (1730-1806)
  Edited by John Glenn Paton
  
Amarilli, mia bella
  "Amarilli, my dear one"
  by Giulio Caccini (ca. 1545-1618)
  Edited by John Glenn Paton
  
Let Us Break Bread Together
  African American spiritual
  arranged by Gordon Myers
  

 I managed to get an accompanist last minute...

I was given a list of possible accompanists, and began emailing and calling from the list.
 The first several were already all booked up.
 As the final week before the performance approached, I found one who is a graduate student in the last year of his master's degree in music, who would take me on, but for a fee of $25.00.
 I jumped on it, but only had very little time to work with him.
 It became apparent, that though he was a fairly good pianist, I don't know how much experience he had an accompanist, and it was more akward than with the previous one I used, however, we muddled through.
 
 I'm very, VERY, VERY much a NOVICE singer. I've a Loooooooooong way to go before I can sing without the probabilityof making people wince. But I have to start somewhere I guess.
 
 So, we squeezed in a couple of short rehearsals just before, and it was apparent I was in a LOT of trouble with the newest (to me) piece Amarilli mia bella, which I'd only had bout 2-3 lessons on to that point.
 
 Caro Mio Ben and Let Us Break Bread Together, weren't great, but at least I could get through them "in the ballpark" and had them memorized in time for the performance, though I couldn't really spout any of the background information (history, translation, etc.) effectively.
 
 So, the day of the performance arrived, and I (yet again) screwed up the day for everyone by having been up until 2:00 trying to get work done, and so overslept and only had time for a feeble excuse for breakfast before the kids had to go, and I had to leave not long after.
 It was a very rocky morning, and not a good way to start out an already stressful situation.
 
 I arrived 35 minutes before the performance to try to get in a last minute rehearsal.
 I'd been listening to some mp3's of the Caro Mio Ben and Amarilli, to try to get them stuck in my head, which definitely helped in jus a few days.
 Unfortunately, I over practiced in this cramming approach, and I could tell my throat and voice were getting raw and worn out.
 
 Finally the time arrived to perform, and fortunately they didn't require me to do all three songs, only the two I had memorized (phew!!!).
 
 It didn't go perfectly on my part, I could tell my voice was strained and a little horse, but I wasn't too far off on the notes and timing (though it definitely needs a LOT more work on my part).
 However, they (the Jury) said I did ok, we'll see what the grades say.
 
 Then the director asked to speak with me immediately afterwards, "Uh oh" I thought, what'd I do now?
 He took me upstairs to his office, had me close the door and sit down, while I wondered what he wanted.
 It turned out he just wanted to listen to my compositions that I'd given him recordings (and tablature) of several months back in the hopes of his approving getting some live performance(s) recorded of one of my pieces (the string quintet for mandolin).
 He listened to about 4 other pieces first, then finally the quintet.
 He seemed to enjoy (though as others have noted, there was the "Redundancy" factor to my pieces).
 Anyhow, he handed back the folder and cd, and said thought we could indeed do something next quarter. He suggested for the piece, instead of using mandolin with a quartet, to use a marimba instead. I can hear what he's saying, sounds like an interesting combination.
 
 So, hopefully sometime this Spring quarter 2006, I will have 5 real musicians performing and creating a recording of one my compositions!
 
 I'll cross my fingers on that.
 
 Meanwhile, I need to find a new accompanist that I "synch" with better.
 
 I'm signed up for choir, and voice lessons next quarter, but this time, I'm need an accompanist that I can meet with once per week (in addition to the weekly voice lessons) so that I'm more prepared for the Spring '06 jury performance.
 
 Btw, don't wish me luck, instead "break a leg" is the correct parlance in the industry. ;-)
 
 Meanwhile, I have a lot of making up to do on the home front because I screwed up not only the morning for everyone, but the afternoon as well because I forgot about some important obligations other's had and arrived home too late.
 
 I need to dust off that cat o' nine tails I believe...