"Above the Horizon" - Derek H.
2025-06-05
WINNER of Exemplary Award - Wisconsin School Music Association Composition Project
In his words of his exemplary winning composition - "This project includes myself playing every instrument except for drums, which I used digital a drum pad to record. I played the rhythm guitar, lead guitar, harmony guitar, and bass. There are no vocals on this track, for I wanted the guitar to be the melody and stick in the listeners ears. The signature sound in this song is the "organ" which I made by recording myself playing the trumpet. Then, I quick sampled the audio in Logic Pro, and added a TON of special effects onto it, including reverb, distortion, phaser, and more. In total, I had 10 effects on the trumpet, and that is what gave it the organ-esque sound. I also did this with an instrument called a thunder tube, where a member of my class recorded it, and I sampled it ad added effects. This is seen in the very beginning of the piece. It added a layer of mystery to the already mystical intro. My guitar playing on this song can always be better, but after 19 takes of one run, it seemed a little redundant to keep recording, so I figured the best take was good (for now). overall, this song took a lot of work and dedication, but it has all come together into a work that I can be proud of. This song was inspired by none other than THE Yngwie Malmsteen, a Swedish shred guitarist who incorporates classical progressions into classic metal music. This work made me become more aware of the chords I am using and the notes I'm playing on the guitar. The combination of organ/harpsichord is something Yngwie does in lots of his music, and I really thought I could make something inspired by it. It's taken a LONG time, but I finally have my final draft of this song and I really think that it captured the essence of classical music and metal. After all, metal is just classical music + electricity. Overall, I feel good about this song and the way it incorporates many different styles of music and gives inspiration to combining genres."
DownloadFiletype: MP3 - Size: 3 MB - Duration: 3:06m (160 kbps 48000 Hz)
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