Hey all. I just finished making a cd for my son of the music he has created this summer. I spent about 5 minutes, during the month of June, teaching him how to multi-track on my old(we're talking '99 or '00) keyboard which has 6 tracks he can save to memory. He ended up with 38 distinct songs, most of which included something on all 6 available tracks (which I then moved to my comparably old Fostex digital recorder). There is melody, harmony, rhythm, and on most at least 2-3 different parts.(he may be a prog man)

I should also mention he is only 10 years old and going into the 4th grade with little or no music instruction in school, and has rebelled against the idea of formal lessons on any instrument as of yet.

This may mean nothing to any of you, but is very exciting to me, his proud(perhaps overly so) dad.

Anyway, I just finished and just had to tell someone how happy I am with the end product. He definitely needs a Chapman Stick of his very own soon. He has dabbled with mine, but it feels way too big for him, he says.(I put it in a stand or lay it across a drum throne for him to use, and he stands behind or to the side)

Can't wait to share some, if he is willing!

Mike

Cool Mike! Must be neat to watch that kind of growth happen and I bet hes pretty stoked having his own record at 10.
Rock Star!

cheers,
kev

That's great Mike! Can't wait to hear some!

Thanks guys. Sorry I haven't been back to check on this sooner. I don't seem to get on here as much anymore. His latest, and first cover I think, was Survivor's "Eye of the tiger", Rayman video game version. Much more whimsical than the original. The amazing thing to me is that he heard it on the video game a few times while playing a level, then went down stairs a while later and recorded it drum, bass, guitar and synth sounds(all on the keyboard, over 6 separate tracks) with all the rhythm accents, chord changes, lead melody and in the right key. The only difference is he performed an abbreviated version, more suited to the short attention span of a 10 year old child. (I think maybe 2 verses and 2 choruses).

Later I played the original song from youtube and boy was he dissappointed! "I like my song better", he was heard to utter, and I think I quite agree!

Anyway, if I can figure out how to get the recordings off my fostex and onto the computer, I will surely post some examples here for anyone interested.

Mike

That is truly glorious, Mike! Video game music had a powerful effect on me, as well: I intend one of my first Stick arrangements to be the first part of Mega Man 2's closing theme (from 0:11 to 1:17 below):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys7CC9oP8mU[/youtube]