If you know me in real life, you probably know I absolutely adore early music. This piece borrows melodic sensibilities from Hildegard von Bingen - a female* composer noted for her ascending leaps of 4ths and 5ths. It's a melodic gesture that doesn't turn many heads today, but is something that wasn't really idiomatic for the 1100's.

This sketch came out of a personal low point. We work hard to succeed at doing the things we love, but sometimes a crack in our egotistical armor compromises structural integrity and everything comes crashing down. This short vignette is a lamentation of short-comings when your best is just not good enough.

The modal gestures are heavily influenced by Hildegard von Bingen, but the portamento violin takes its cues from appalachian music. The harmony is loosely based on Arvo Pärt's tintinnabulation technique, though I took liberties where I felt necessary. As part of an exercise, the tracks on this blog are typically written and produced quickly resulting in most being 2 minutes long or under. That said, this one keeps haunting me. I may release an extended version in the near future.

As with all the things posted here, this is freely available for use in games and/or animation projects. It also works as a sort of demo of my style and abilities. I’m actively looking for new gigs, so if you like anything here please get in touch and we can discuss some custom work. This piece isn't a loop, but I've provided files I think will be easy to work with. I've split the piece up into Drone/Violin I/Violin II files. This should make editing this piece for your project extraordinarily easy. I also provide the piece in its entirety. The track is short, but I think it says what it needs to say. If you would like to use this royalty free track please message me.

GL016 The Horror of Self Files

*The composer's gender is noteworthy as females were largely marginalized in this era. Aside from creating breathtaking music, her work encompassed medicine, visual art, and literature. She's a fascinating individual.