I'mma write you a kickass MOTIF that will capture the essence of your character in music!

Once again, my friends are doing amazing things, and I must share them with you.

My organist friend Skye, has just posted his own interpretation of the Fifty-First Psalm.

In a comment, I said,


I hope you wouldn't mind my linking to your interpretation. Too often I get caught in the crossfire of DOGMA BAD, and to put the book of Psalms to your own words allows its rich, mystic beauty to touch you, spiritually.

Skye, I hope that you may understand what I'm trying to say here in the right context...

I no longer consider myself a Catholic, or a Christian. But I am still very slowly starting to open myself to a spiritual path, and your retelling of these ancient words helped remind me that the Church does hold a lot of spiritual symbolism to me, and it is not right for me to reject it simply because I disagree with the actions of some churchgoers, or even the Church itself.
I had blinded myself to the simple beauty of the psalms, and your new words allowed me to take them not as oratorial scripture, but rather as the simple statements of humility and grace spoken to an unseen but trust-felt God.

Thank you, Skye. You have helped open my heart a bit today, and that's an area that does not open easily.

At MFF08, I decided to try and ply my music as a theme song composer and see how it worked.

It was fun, and I was moderately successful, but my style as a writer is just a bit too slow to justify taking on more than one or two commissions at a time.

So, I think I'm going to pull back my shingle, finish off the commissions I've got in time, and next year go back to staffing ConSuite and hosting panels.

I'll still be composing, just for my own stuff, and I'll likely still be doing character themes, just not for money. (Though recompense would not be turned down.)

I appreciate how the people who did hand me money have been patient, it's just that I'm living in a very emotionally toxic environment, which is obviously not very conducive for the creative muse.

I am trying to find a new home, whether it be in Racine WI with my cousin, or a shelter here in Waukegan, so I can get out of this mess.

Thanks for all your well wishes and patience.

Hey, folks! My buddy Tom who owns FurryNe.ws is interested in doing an interview piece with the guy who runs BeastPaint and FurSuitSex. (Note: If you didn't already figure out that these links are NSFW, then you deserve to be fired at your desk.)

This is not going to be a trash negative piece, I promise you. Personally, if they did straight videos, I probably would have already given my money to BeastPaint. (Rowr.)

The problem is, we're having a hard time tracking down the guy's contact info. Before you start the simple suggestions, just assume that Tom and I have already tried the usual routes and don't make a jerk out of both of us.

So if anybody has any clue how to get a hold of this guy, I could REALLY use the help.

I am crossposting this anywhere I find context-appropriate, and I encourage you to do the same. This could be a really cool big interview!

My contact info is available through my LJ Profile.

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/g.....sts-in-gaming/

This article exists. Thus, I am compelled to forward it to all who do not value their sanity. Go forth, read, and understand that it really must be a slow news day when this kind of ludicrous hilarity gets greenlit.

I finally found the friggin' little line in the third-party FAQ that tells me how to make the nicey-nice sounds in Finale louder than a whisper!

Literally what I had to go through:

*Open the Instrument Setup tool.
*Make sure I'm using Virtual Instruments, not beep-boop MIDI.
*Hit Edit.
*Search around until I finally find the volume slider for the outside-party's virtual audio rack, and slide it up from -15dB to 0dB.
*Find out that the main program just resets the knob to quiet by taking control anyhow.
*Search around for the tiny little "info" button that first sends me to a 404, and second sends me to this site.
*Which gives me the q/a :
Q: Finale - No Volume:
A: Set dynamic expressions to Controller and Volume.


Fortunately I've used Finale for a friggin' Decade, so I happen to know that what he MEANT to say was "If you are not controlling the volume of the Garritan Personal Orchestra in Finale, then when you try to place a dynamic expression, like forte, you have to click over to the Playback tab that is up at the top of the window, then change it from Key Velocity (which is how it's been done for years up until now when they changed it without telling us) to Controller, then skip the second box that I neglected to mention, then select "Volume," and finally type the volume value you wish to control.

Also: My parents are watching Food Network. Paula Dean sounds distressingly like Heath Ledger's Joker.

Obligatory nonsequitur gaming geekery:
I'm playing Oblivion. My character is an archer assassin, specializing in stealth and alchemy. (Lots of poisonous flora to mix up in Cyrodiil...)

Anyhow, I'm clearing a dungeon, and I realize that I am treating my Icebolt Bow like a SWAT M-15, slicing angles and all proper SWAT tactics for stealth.
What taught me these skills? Games that aim for ultra-realism in tactics, from the very first Sierra Police Quest SWAT through the Rainbow Six series.

Ahoy folks, I am HERE at Midwest Furfest 2008 at our new digs in scenic Wheeling, Illinois.

I've just finished my first day in the Dealers' Den, gotten a couple commissions, and now I can actually cover the cost of my table. I got the call that I can have a table to sell literally eight hours before I left for the con. Still, I jumped on the opportunity and rushed to get my gear in order as best I could. I got my MP3 player loaded with what samples of my work I could salvage, packed several of my instruments, printed off some staff paper, and generally stayed up through the night frantically trying to get stuff ready at the last minute and packing on the fly.

So yes, I'm spending most of the con in the Dealers' room, playing the crowd, handing out business cards, pointing to my FurAffinity gallery, and trying to part the poor furries from their sparse spending cash. A couple have even handed me some already, and I've got the laptop clicking away working on the new pieces!
Cash in hand bumps a commission to the front of the waiting list. Sorry folks, that's the way the game is played. Though my list isn't all THAT long just yet, nor do I really expect to get all swamped with work.

Tomorrow night is my musicians' Jam Session that I've worked hard to make happen. I've got my viola, a spare fiddle, and the keyboard to offer. I sincerely hope I'm not left holding the whole thing myself. Just gotta see what happens and run with it!


Heh, we just had the annual fire alarm. It wouldn't be a Furfest without the entire hotel gathering in the parking lot. I mean, really, there are better ways to do a mixer - but hell, it's tradition. At least we haven't broken the elevators yet!

Okay, back to composing. I want to have a good start on this piece to show the patron by Sunday afternoon.

The hamster maketh merry,
- Zel

Ahh, once again  fidelio-roo brings the awesome. While I may create "listenable" and "pretty" music, he makes "meaningful" art.

For instance, his latest class project. Simple, yet strikes very deeply to the root of the issue at hand. (mildly NSFW, tasteful use of sex toy)


And of course I had to go and ask him an uncomfortable question because it was just sitting in the back of my mind. "... Did you buy the buttplug specifically for this project, or did it come from your personal collection?"

Awesome answer that made me shut up for a minute: "Specifically for this piece; it was half-price because it was second hand. (LATENT HIV AND CRABS MAKE IT MORE MEANINGFUL)"

---

In other news, I decided to do a little bit of research. One of my recent commissions liked the sounds I was using, but not the actual music. The character is a Kitsune who plays Go, so I'm using traditional Japanese instruments. I realized that if I want to use a Koto, I should at least have the decency to look up how the darned thing is tuned and played. Sure enough, I was WAY off with my assumptions. Music geeks may become educated herein. So, I'll keep it to the pentatonic more, though I've finally gotten down how to emulate the inherent pitch bending techniques in Finale.

Oh hey! Lemme plug the most excellent  foxamoore right here, he's opening up commission slots! The man is AMAZING with his music, and in a higher pricing range than I am.

That being said, I'm still open for commissions myself. It looks like I've got a successful sale on my FurBid auction, but those are only hooking the lowball bidders.

I work on a sliding scale for my theme song commissions, and I'm very eager to do more detailed work! However, a hamster's gotta eat, and twenty-dollar teaser commissions just don't pay the bills, nor do they satisfy me as an artist. I wind up giving the twenty-dollar auction winners closer to my fifty-dollar work, just so I can look myself in the mirror.

But, c'est la vie, I'm still working to get my name out.

Hey there, folks. I was just hit by a school bus on my bicycle today while looking for a job. I could REALLY use a commission or two to help pay for the bike repairs so that I can get back out on the job hunt.

For the record, I am unhurt past a nasty bruise along my left thigh. I've been biking a long time, plus I'm a professional wrestling fan... I know how to fall and roll to prevent serious injury. The bike chassis is mostly undamaged, but the front wheel was run over by the bus tire, and one pedal has to be replaced. I lucked out big that these seem to be the only major repairs. Still, I'm currently unemployed, and this is my only transportation. So if you can help me out, either bid on this auction or contact me directly for a commission, and I'll do what I can to work for my fix-it-up.

WOOHOO!

The very first theme song commission auction at FurBid is done as of yesterday, and mad props to  bjorngrafeldr for supporting an up-and-coming musicker!

His profiles on LJ and FurAffinity are starting to tell me a bit about him, and this portrait really gives me a good feel for the character.

I can already start to see Bass Viols and the Bassoon providing the heart of the character - I just wish I had some good col legno violin/viola soundfonts to provide the click of his claws across a library's hardwood floor! I may bring those out with stacatto high winds instead, perhaps...

I'm thinking of something with a flavor similar to the Grandfather's theme in Peter and the Wolf, only a little less aggressive. That kind of stout and stodgy pacing back and forth, a wizened strength mixed with a restless energy.

I've already started writing the theme. You can hear the bear shuffling about, looking for just the right book, then settling in for a good read.

I just got word back from the director of programming for Midwest Furfest.

We are GO for the jam session, I repeat, GO for the jam session.

Running from 8-9PM on Saturday night, but there's nothing booked in the room after us so we can feel free to run long.

Conbook description as it stands currently:
MFF has started to see furry musicians bringing their instruments to the con in recent years, but up until now we've had no place to play aside from the official lobby piano. This year, we're looking to wrangle together a musicians' circle and make an official jam session!

Please keep this to acoustic instruments, to keep noise issues to a minimum. If you happen to have an extra instrument handy that you might be willing to share, do feel free to bring it along too! You never know who's in the audience that might not have realized this opportunity.


Hope to see you guys there. This may help set the tone for more music panels in conventions to come.