Now let’s take a closer look at one of my favorite pieces:

Jack Pearl Clowness by Mike Fahl

Some photos from the opening event at ReBar:

[Show as slideshow]

As a musician, there’s no better way to take out my life’s frustrations than on a piece of music. I consider this one cinematically industrial, edging an escape. It’s heavy in drums, bass, and electric guitar sounds, with swarming bells and a rising climax that explodes at the end. I was able to work out a little angst during the last 20 seconds.  - Scott

This time of year I get in the mood for something warm.  My song is a jazzy lounge piece of piano, bass, drums, percussion, and accordion with a touch of flamenco (I used castanets).  The accordion is something I rarely use in a song as it  can be difficult to pull off without taking the piece too far off its main course.  I recorded several tracks before getting it right in this case, but I’m happy with the results since I played it on full digital keyboard.  I’d like to own a real accordion just for fun.  - Scott

1) It got me jump started and out of the house.  I mean as artists, whether visual or in my case musical, we tend to spend a lot of time working in the creative process, in production mode.  Obviously that is what it’s all about.  Isn’t it also important to get out and be around people and other artists, especially those who are a part of our local community who we can share our work, thoughts and experience?  I think so.

2) It made me take my career as an artist more seriously, and it broadened my sense of responsibility.  I mean nowadays if we want to be a successful artist, then we must wear many different hats.  After the creative process is complete, we must also discipline ourselves to work in the administrative realm, often spending as much time or more on business aspects like: building an artist resume, artist statement, biography, marketing, advertising, tools for approaching different markets, establishing an internet presence, and creating a business plan.  Developing any of these areas may require a different sort of creative mindset altogether, but just like painting or writing a song, you’ll find reward after making the commitment.  The IAAA workshop helped me affirm all of these processes and I left the workshop with concrete tools and material to make a difference in my own development.

Additionally, I’m reminded of an article I recently read on mindset to not only create, but also deliver.  I’m hoping to benefit from some of the insight offered by Steve Pavlina:

Creating value means expressing your unique talents and skills in a way that can potentially benefit others.
Delivering value means ensuring that other people are actually receiving and benefiting from the value you’ve created.

3) I had fun making a difference.  It was a great experience meeting some local artists, enjoying their work, and ultimately giving a public presentation at Traver Gallery during a ‘meet the artist’ event that was a part of the workshop.  Talk about wow!  The exposure from venturing out, the learning process, and making a few connections really helped strengthen my commitment and passion as a professional recording artist.

-  Scott

I’ve always been attracted to and listened to this type of music, even when I was a little kid. My memory hasn’t always the best when it comes to situations, but when it comes to music and identifying just a few notes of a song…then I’m game.  I mean, I can remember parts of music from movies that I saw since age five and have been able to play versions of most themes from memory on the piano.  My mind has always attached itself to sound and sometimes everything audible becomes my memory trigger, as opposed to my other senses like vision or smell.  My hearing has obviously become the stronger sense.

I hope you enjoy my latest composition and recording. Furthermore, this song was greatly inspired by Basil Poledouris‘ score to the feature film The Blue Lagoon (1980).  His work is amazing!  Lastly, I must say that I’m also inspired by modern composer, David Carbonara, whose work can be heard in the television series Mad Men.  I’m a fan of the show, but I especially notice some of the well written score.

I hope you listen and enjoy.  Thanks.  - Scott

I was so inspired by the simple beauty of Fabricio Gretter’s guitar playing, as I found it very clean and exact, that I wanted to do a collaborative project with it.  He agreed to let me do the underscore for the piece, and when it was said & done – he loved it!  Basically, I added everything but the guitar and vocal track, and remastered the mix to establish a more cinematic tone.  By the way, check out Fabricio’s band, Olga Zubarry, from Rafaela in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina.

I like this type of mood setting music, especially in film.  You may find more of Fabricio’s work on sound cloud (click here).  – Scott

A song to celebrate uncertainty.  It begins with piano, then rushes into heavy orchestration including cello, bass, violin, viola, percussion, harp, flute, trombone, and glockenspiel.  - Scott

This score threads dramatic piano and sound effects to create ambiance and suspense, with a climactic point reached by timpani & strings.  – Scott

“Día del Sol” seems like an appropriate title for this bright and heavily orchestrated score.  As the project developed, I imagined it to carry a playful, charismatic melody that’s often found behind animated film.  - Scott

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I’m presenting a story as this music paints an image of drama and suspense, with whimsical notes to stitch the mood. Then, it changes to reflect a sentimental closing that’s simple and nostalgic.  - Scott

I was inspired by zombie movies, aliens, and all things haunted. I enjoyed using a “square” bass hit and sound effects and hope you appreciate the intensity as I meant for this one to be played loud, and perhaps with a nice pair of headphones for details. – Scott

Spotify

TheHypeMachine

Musicovery

FineTune

PureVolume

OurStage

TheSixtyOne

OneTrackMind

TasteKid

MusicRoamer

Enjoy the rhythm.  – Scott

Central Park, Manhattan (35mm film, copyright 1999)

My favorite time of the year to be in New York City is during the Fall, and Central Park is amazing.  This photo shoot I remember quite well as by the end of it I was befuddled.  It’s true that I occasionally like to stop for happy hour.  A beautiful October afternoon, 1999,  my shots were cut short in Time Square, suddenly having dropped the camera on the sidewalk.  Luckily, there was no damage because in that day I was shooting with a Canon AE-1 Program which is built like a tank, and about as heavy as one.  It was my first “professional” camera that I still own.  Despite the hit on concrete, the camera works fine after 20+ years.

I posted this shot because of its tone, contrast, and the symbolic architecture that reminds me of a church.  It has a spiritual quality in that it graduates out of darkness into light.  The repeating oval pattern and suggestion of a cross recall the effect of a stained glass window in a cathedral.  - Scott

I wanted to make a thrilling statement, short and sweet.  I’d written this one just before Halloween this past season.  – Scott

Have a desire for something slow and haunting?  I mixed acoustic piano and electronic sounds to sculpt a very cinematic moment.  It’s ambient.  - Scott

White Palms (digital black & white with hand color, copyright 2008)

I’ve always enjoyed hand colored black & white photography.  Back in the day (around 1988 or so) I developed my own prints and hand colored a few.  I remember the oils being somewhat expensive for me to purchase at the time, I was a student.  Of course now a days this style is created digitally by using software and computer brush tools.  That is how I worked on “White Palms”.  I shot this during a Seattle Winter, just before these trees were cut down for no apparent reason in the Spring.  They were replaced with shrubs.  Too bad.  – Scott

David Lopez (35mm film, copyright date unknown)

The greenhouse at Volunteer Park, Seattle.  I wish I could remember the date I took this photo.  One day I’ll make the time to research my files.  I really like this image of a close friend of mine because of its contrast, character, and the simple smirk of a smile that shows David’s reserved and almost shy disposition.  I intentionally captured his hands in this pose, remembering how my photography teacher, Jane Wierengo, always stated the importance of including hands in portrait photography.  Thanks Jane!  It’s my other favorite part of this photo.  - Scott

Gospel House music?  Sure, I heard a lot of it when I was living in Atlanta.  I’ve applied my sense of humor to this project by choosing certain elements as my sound, including the whale samples and the spoken gospel track that engages the second part of the song.  - Scott

]]> http://www.onetwocreate.com/2011/08/15/get-up-go-house/feed/ 0 http://www.onetwocreate.com/2011/08/13/the-foreshadowing/ http://www.onetwocreate.com/2011/08/13/the-foreshadowing/#comments Sat, 13 Aug 2011 23:41:14 +0000 Scott Lawrence http://www.onetwocreate.com/?p=722

Twin Tower (35mm, copyright 1999)

New York City, October 1999.  I was touring the top of one of the twin towers when I took this shot, obviously facing the sister tower.  Later I realized the plane  in the background of the photograph.  Who knew that two would come crashing down, destroying the towers and many lives in the 2001 attack on the United States?  The enemies knew.  - Scott

98 Degrees (35mm film, copyright 2002)

This is my sister, Crystal Kerwin, cooling off after a walk in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park, the Summer of 2002.  I’m glad I was able to capture the slight movement of her wafting the fan we had just found on the sidewalk.  - Scott

She writes.

Lighten up!

Creativity requires play.  It requires fun.  It requires a sense of adventure.  Learn to look at things a little more lightly and not take them so seriously.  If we take ourselves too seriously, we can’t have that adventurousness that allow us to explore in new places.

I approach this day with a sense of adventure.

This one dated for August 10.  She writes.

Creativity requires experimentation.

The fundamental principle of creativity is that you express something.  You have to let the expressions flow.  You must be willing to allow things to be expressed that are not perfect or wonderful.  People who are creative are willing to make mistakes.  Almost all successful people say that they have had more failures than they’ve had successes.  They have tried many things that have not always worked for them.  Some have been very disappointing, but they have continued to take risks and try again.

I am willing to make mistakes and learn from them.