Email question received:
I read quite a few articles on the internet but still not sure who actually first composed Ave Maria, despite so many name changes to the music. I read that Bach, Schubert and Gounod were at least the three persons associated with Ave Maria but separated by hundreds of years apart. The music on Youtube and other places are the same for all three. Can you tell me?
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGHExRPCnKs
Justin Bieber raps live during an interview with Power 106FM. I know we all like to make fun of the Bieber but this is actually a pretty good rap. I’ve run a rap artist forum for over 10 years and members there were like “ORLY?” – they give respect to the Bieber.
I think Justin should hire me to orchestrate a hip hop album for him. Now THAT would be very cool. Wouldn’t surprise me if JB ends up having a very long career like Frank Sinatra.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tWfYpPxOD8
In a conversation today I was reminded that Nat King Cole was a great pianist who later got fame for his vocals. So here are some clips of Nat King Cole on piano.
Clip above is Nat King Cole piano blues.
Here he is playing Tea for Two:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5fuaYI-JUk
David Foster’s 10 tips for songwriters from his speech upon accepting the BMI Icon Award.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVjreXFoJk
Barbara Walters interviews Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy LaLiberte.
“One of the things that makes billionaires successful is their reaction to failure.”
– Robert Frank, Wall Street Journal
That is such a great quote. Maybe not in the context of billionaires, but in the context that to be successful there is usually a lot of risks and with that comes occasional failure. It’s how we react and use those failures that can help propel us to each new chapter and goal.
Continue reading “Guy LaLiberte – From Street Performer to Billionaire”
Great interview with Danny Elfman on his music scoring of the Cirque Du Soleil show “IRIS” showing at the Kodak Theater in Los Angeles, CA.
Continue reading “Danny Elfman on scoring Cirque Du Soleil’s IRIS”
Conrad Askland’s Haunted Mansion Sound Effects released October 17, 2011.
This was a very fun, exhausting and scary project to work on. The fun part was I improvised a lot of different creepy pipe organ, harpsichord and piano music to create a feel I liked for the different Halloween themes. My favorite part was playing a lot of JS Bach style pipe organ bits interspersed with the expected Halloween tritone movements.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76mLvy5ZDK0
Cirque Du Soleil ZAIA Performance on China TV. This was a promo excerpt shot for Chinese television – it is not a live shot from the ZAIA theater in Macau.
Email question received:
Hi Mr. Askland,
I am trying to break down the storytelling structure of Fiddler on The Roof.
I would like to talk to you, briefly, about who is the antagonist. What is
Tevya’s want. What’s his need. What you think the filmmaker’s statement is.
Norm Jewison said Fiddler’s about trying to maintain traditions in a
changing world. Do you think he’s saying that it is important or that it’s
not important to maintain traditions in a changing world.
Kind regards,
Glenn
Continue reading “Email Q&A: Fiddler on the Roof plot antagonist”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAQZ8JKnDTk
Original organ improvisations by Gaylord Carter for the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland. If you’re into vintage theater organ improvisation I think you’ll really enjoy this video.
Learn how this man created the spooky organ music in the Ballroom of Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Find out how it was made, who wrote the music, who played it, what organ was used, and hear the first version that was never used.