Mena song and violin piece

Hey everyone! I forgot to post my piece from yesterday, but I wrote a song for a close friend of mine who was feeling a bit down.

And my composition today is a small improvisationary piece for solo violin (the score is called Neue Datei). I don’t have a lot of experience writing for strings (especially double stopping) and wanted to try out something nice and easy. 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/7nzofaax18rmmuk/AACwNUGqcKoWJsiRhKPzrF1Ga?dl=0

Mena lyrics

When you’re getting in a pickle

And you’re feeling blue

She’s the hammer and the sickle

That’ll pull you through,

She’s a buddy she’s a pal

and she’s here for you

It’s Mena Mena Mena!

Her tongue’s really big

But it moves quite quick

She’ll stick it in your mouth

Like a Bolshevik

This chick’s thick tongue’s

Like a magic trick

It’s Mena Mena Mena!

Chorus

Mena my friend it’s all ok,

You’ll fight to live another day

You’ve got the strength,

Let’s hear you say

I’m Mena Mena Mena!

She’s a sassy little lassy

And she’ss speak her mind

She’ll rip your ass in two

If she’s so inclined,

Her tongue is sharp

But her heart is kind

It’s Mena Mena Mena

Mena takes nine naps every day,

She’s a connoisseur of naps

She’s a sleep gourmet

If she’s hungry or thirsty

Back away

From Mena Mena Mena

Chorus x 2  

The Orchestrated Path (from Carnival of the Chinese Animals)

Happy Sunday everyone!

Today I orchestrated a few measures of the piano score from a couple of days ago. 

I’m finding it very interesting to have 2 cellos but no viola. 

Here I’m voicing them in very close dyads, but I’ll double the lower cello with the violin one octave above. 

It’ll be like the right-hand of a Brahms piano piece, just at lower pitches.  This should add a Brahmsian richness as long as the dynamic is soft, otherwise it’ll sound thick.

Incidentally today is Richard Gill’s birthday. Thank you Andrew for your post a few days ago honoring Richard. I didn’t know he was the inspiration behind your Month of Music project. Richard and I worked most closely together on the unique ABC reality TV show Operatunity Oz where he was a judge and I was a producer of the soundtrack album. Happy birthday Richard.