Subject: Re: My Conlanging History (was: Re: Tolkein?)

> >
> > Any composing or playing ability? Or simply enjoy
> > listening in?
> >
> > Quite a few of us conlangers are also musically
> > inclined.
> >
> > I have never written anything more ambitious than
> > a gig (except for a couple long weird pieces for
> > some conculture); though am happily skilled
> > enough to play for my own enjoyment.
> >
> > Padraic.
>
> Now that's truly odd. I have written three symphonies
> and a couple fo piano concertos plus numerous chamber
> works. I was going to point you to my MP3.com site
> but apparently they took down MP3.com a few weeks ago.
> Bummer.
>
> --gary
I play the Recorder, (and I don't mean "Mary had a Little Lamb"!). In fact,
I play 3 sizes - Soprano, Alto, and Tenor - and I'm the Secretary of the
"St. Louis Recorder Society." For those who don't know, the recorder sounds
similar to a flute (but alot nicer IMNSHO!), but is held straight up and
down, like an oboe or clarinet. It's often taught as a first instrument in
Grade School, hence the "Little Lamb" reference. There's also sizes larger
than my Tenor which I don't play (Bass, ContraBass, and GreatBass) which
are shaped more like bassons. The last of these (Great Bass) are very rare.
I know a man who built one, and its like 8 feet tall!

I also took a few piano lessons, and can bang around on the piano a bit if
I've practiced the piece ahead of time, but I can't really play it fluently
because I find it difficult to think about reading more than one part at
once. (It's like a wierd alien conlang where the aliens have more than one
mouth, and can hold several conversations simultaneously! very
mind-numbing)

I definately do compose music (When I have time for it). In fact, I've been
composing and arranging substantially longer than I've been conlanging. I
usually go for an authentic Baroque style in my music, ocasionally straying
into the Renaissance and "Classical" Eras. I have a directory on my
computer full of little random pieces that I've worked on (in MIDI format),
but there's not a lot of complete stuff in there. Unfortunately, I'm really
bad about completing projects, and college sort of slowed my composing pace
way down. But I have a few fugues, some allegros from various sonatas and
concertos, part of a suite, and some other stuff like that.

Thanks,
~Caleb

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