Budafulmusic

Recently, I’ve been seeing a few top 10 favorites lists so I’m going to give it a go. OST stands for Original Soundtrack, that is, a soundtrack to a film. Parameters for this list are as foll0ws: 1 best score from 10 of the best film composers, no repeats of composers.

1. Signs by James Newton Howard, more about how one family copes with pain and trouble than about aliens, this OST is not for the faint of heart. It quite possible could be one of the most unnerving soundtracks I’ve heard but the final two tracks are worth the dissonance (aka set theory). Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a small sampling of music that I have written for the Distance Learning division of BJU Press.

This cue is taken from “Mice of the Herring Bone,” an audiobook turned animated video put out by JourneyForth Books. I scored the majority of the film, adding short cues here and there to add to the drama. It was a really neat experience, one that I hope will come soon again. Click here to listen: MBH DVD menu

Much of what my work consists of is coming up with small little ditties, or what the commercial world calls jingles, for the various needs of the classes. “We need a ditty to go with this PowerPoint animation.” “This section is boring, we need a ditty to liven it up.” Ditties vary in length from 1-30 seconds. Here are two examples: ditty16, ditty44

This final track was taken from the end credits of a project called “Beyond the Canvas,” a video series about the arts produced by BJU’s own Museum and Gallery. BTC-endcredits

Enjoy and thanks for listening.

p.s. I’d like to know what you think. If you like, go ahead and leave a comment.

I love listening to music. Listening again and again to other composers’ music is what gives me that “next great idea” for my own compositions. In this post I’d like to showcase some of my personal favorites. There are many great recordings out there and my personal tastes will most likely change and mature over time but as of now I would like to share some of what I think are some of the best recordings available today and I’ll limit myself to 10. It could easily rise to 40.

Yes, I listen to a large variety of music but these recordings here are what I come back to and appreciate even more each time for their aesthetic beauty and masterful craftsmanship.

1. (Conducted by Robert Shaw) One word: Incredibly awesome! Anything more would fail to do these two masterpieces justice. Glorious!

2. Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back (Composer John Williams) This odd addition of a soundtrack may seem out of place here but in terms of being enjoyable and wonderful music, it is one of the finest in the world of soundtracks. There are some very fine moments all throughout the score, especially in the finale.

Read the rest of this entry »

As promised, here is a sample of a recent recording that I made. Click on the link below to listen to it. It is an arrangement of the hymn, Come, Ye Sinners written for an upcoming project of mine. More about that when it is released…

RESTORATION

Also for your listening enjoyment is a piano solo that I wrote entitled “The Celestial Railroad,” based off of the short story of said title by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is a recording of me performing at the annual composition concert held at BJU on April 29, 2008. Click below to listen:

The Celestial Railroad

A new web site has been birthed into cyberspace and you are among the first to view it. Thanks for coming! This site is dedicated primarily to promoting and publishing my musical endeavors for the world to see and hear. Though at times, I may succumb to the occasional attempt at humor or other non-musical venture.

Those of you who know me well know that I don’t throw hissy fits when people mispronounce my name. That said…let me give a word of explanation about it. It’s pronounced “b-YOU-da”! Just Google it and you’ll find out that there are several places that agree, in particular, the township of Buda, TX. Just think of the site name, it is no accident that I picked this title. Just say Beautiful and you’ve said the [hopefully] synonymous term for Budaful Music. And yet people still call me Buda “bu-da.” Read the rest of this entry »