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Decisions
by kassia

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NoDerivs-NonCommercial

Guest views: 657
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Song comments: 42
Tokens: 0
Plays: 82
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Downloads: 44
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Submitted on: Jun 17, 2008 - 12:32:10 AM
Last Updated: Jun 17 2008 - 12:32:10 AM
Description Well, this started out as all my songs do. A 5 minute improvisation on the piano. I then went to work on it with the intention of creating something electronic or synthy. I wanted to explore the instruments in Garageband that I haven't used yet - things I normally don't even think about using.

So, that's where this started. haha - and this is where it's gone. A contemplative mixture of acoustic and synth - a crossroads of styles and moods. There are many decisions being made in my life right now and this piece represents that thought process.


Enjoy!
Hardware GEM PS1600 keyboard, Macbook Pro
Software: Garageband and Audacity
Fan List

KissMeKate

Feter

Muse Ritual

MarkHolbrook

Roxylee

magnatone

drakonis

gail60

guitapick

lavalamp

apb

Reinholt56

futzpucker

blaky smith

Outtaorbit

Char

Bubowski

Skean

tokai

Henke
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KissMeKate said 205 days ago
Yay me first!
I love the sense of exploration that this song has. I can hear both the Shay that I know and love, and I can also hear your trailblazing. We take our old selves with us in everything new that we do, and I love that I can hear you manifest that in this piece.

kassia said 202 days ago
Kate
That trailblazing wouldn't happen if not for your support and encouragement. Thank you.

Feter said 205 days ago
Decisions
So happy what you end up with this piece ..and how
all turn more spiritual than electronic ...the inster-
gives more depth ...too many great elements here my
friend ...thnx alot for sharin such gem !!

kassia said 202 days ago
Feter
I'm really glad you liked this. Spiritual is right! This definitely became a meaningful project for me as I worked on it. As I said, when I started the piece I intended to do a very electronica/synth heavy song. But as I went through it, the decisions I ended up making about things kept taking me back to my comfort zone. I really had to challenge myself to keep trying new things - and I'm very happy with where it ended up as well! Thanks for stopping by and listening, as always!

HenriROGERsoloandbands said 205 days ago
Energy

Nice colors and directions with a cool pulsation .

kassia said 202 days ago
Henry
Thanks for stopping by! I was a little unsure about how the pulsation was going to work out. When I originally wrote that part using the piano, it was WAY overdone, but when I substituted in the synth and guitar sounds it came out pretty cool. I'm glad you liked it!

said 205 days ago
Wonderful!
Beautiful piece and nice description and pic too. Lovely piano playing and fine additional strings and background. Thanks for sharing! Really nice..

Take Care
- Yeman A. Al-Rawi

kassia said 202 days ago
Yeman
Thanks Yeman! Glad you liked this one, since it's a little different from my other ones. Since guitar is NOT one of my strong points, I'm curious to hear from real guitar players how I did with this. And I'm wondering if it's actually really playable! Thanks for stopping by and leaving such supportive comments!

MarkHolbrook said 205 days ago
Well
I think you need to spend MORE TIME improvising on the piano!!!

This is spectacular and it feels like the first in a series kind of pieces!!! When does the 2nd 3rd and other "movements" come out!?

This really is wonderful!

kassia said 202 days ago
Mark
You're great. Thanks for your enthusiastic comments! You know, I hadn't really thought about doing sequels - but now that you mention it...we'll see...

Roxylee said 205 days ago
Wow, Shay
You make us feel it.. the time passing and needing to decide, the introspective pausing while we ponder it, the brooding as we look back for a bit, then walking forward into the unknown. Amazing compositions you do, and I think we all want part two of this. :-)

kassia said 202 days ago
Roxylee
Wow! You really got this piece! I'm glad you enjoyed it and felt the emotions I was trying to convey - thanks for stopping by!

magnatone said 205 days ago
Decisions
Congratulations Shay - another spectacular offering. Your sense of adventure combined with the obvious skill and thoughtfulness this piece explores makes for a lush sound experience. I love your choices of instruments and the creative ways you put them together. DOWNLOAD! (And yes - part 2 please!)

kassia said 202 days ago
magnatone
Thank you! Glad you like this one. And as always, thanks for your feedback in the early stages of this piece. You're the bestest.

drakonis said 205 days ago
intriguing and thoughtful
I love the unusual descent into the muddy dark chords and then the sudden resolution, that feels really good. The constant percussive rhythm on the piano almost reminds me of the Vengelis "Chariots of Fire" music with its infusion of energy. The other instruments that swing by to visit are rather well integrated, and this doesn't feel like the beginner's GB-KSA attempts, but instead a bit of careful thought went into weaving them in and then back out. I wish you luck on your journey, offer you friendship, and hope you find the paths you choose full of beauty and enjoyment.
ttfn,
Drakonis

kassia said 202 days ago
drakonis
That percussive sound is actually in the shimmery guitar - I took most of it out of the piano and put it elsewhere. A comparison to Vangelis is always welcome, no matter how it's spelled!

Actually, the KSA members should be proud (or maybe a bit worried) because I really had to challenge myself to keep adding to this piece. I originally had it just guitar and underlying synths - but it definitely needed some more sounds. I'm glad you enjoyed it - thanks for stopping by and leaving your wonderful comments. Always thoughtful and helpful.

drakonis said 205 days ago
what the
I swear I typed Vangelis, and look what came out... weird... I need more coffee this morning.

gail60 said 205 days ago
beautiful!!!
Kassia as all of your music is....this is another beautiful piece. You are a very talented young lady and I know I am in for a treat whenever you post a song. Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Wonderful job!

kassia said 202 days ago
Gail
Thank you! Right back at ya!

lavalamp said 205 days ago
excellent piece
Very nice work. Like the dynamics and soul.

Your playing is fantastic.

Dave

kassia said 202 days ago
Dave
Thanks for stopping by and leaving such nice comments. I must admit I spent HOURS on the dynamics for this piece - so I'm very happy to hear that you liked them!

guitapick said 205 days ago
~
Beautiful piece...

kassia said 202 days ago
Guitapick
Thanks for the listen and comment! As I said to Yeman - I'm very curious to hear from a real guitar player how I did with the guitar part in this, since I've never played that instrument. I would love to hear feedback from you about that part of this song. Thanks again!

apb said 205 days ago
Expressive ..
.. and richly warm toned. A sense of unclarity .. I used to be indecisive, but now I'm not so sure ;o)

Always good to hear a personal experiment away from a regular comfort zone, with top notch results...straight
on into the sunset.

I got the short stabbed note idea .. but sometimes I felt they ended just too abruptly in context .. not those notes themselves but more a little extra reverb on them would add to the "hmm is this the right choice?" factor.

Very minor nit in an otherwise outstanding piece of music.

kassia said 202 days ago
short notes
Hey apb thanks for the great comments!

I'm assuming you are talking about the cut-off notes in the piano part at the end. Those were actually not intentional. I had cleaned up some clips on that part and didn't realize until after I had posted the song that I had messed up a few notes. Thank you for catching that and be assured that it's already been fixed on my home version!

Glad you enjoyed the piece - thanks again!

apb said 202 days ago
your welcome ..

yes, it was nearer the end: 03:40, 03:43 and 04:02 (in timestamps) where the piano notes ended just a smidgen too abruptly for my taste (in contrast to the 'flow')... no biggie. Thanks again for sharing a great piece of music.

Reinholt56 said 204 days ago
Hi Shay.....
I was pleasantly surprised with this music. I thought it was smashing.

The idea of a turning point or crossroads is good in life. You make your own reality. Good luck.

Take care.

Paul

kassia said 202 days ago
Paul
Hey Paul! Pleasantly surprised is good - smashing is even better! I'm glad you liked it.

I'm definitely creating my own reality right now - all those decisions I'm making. The crossroads are what make life interesting!

Muse Ritual said 204 days ago
I am....
Dying to work on this piece. Even without the back story you can feel the wandering and decisions of navigation taking place. I feel all at once the trepidation, fear, excitement and courage... most of all courage. The fool takes that first step unknowing of what may befall but emerges in their own mastery of the experience. Uhhhmmm, not that youre a fool or anything.. yeesh.. whatever! LOL. Its awesome Shay :D

kassia said 202 days ago
Muse
Hey! I started improvising, wanting to write something happy and joyful after finishing Remembrance. This is what came out. haha...as you described, a little of everything. The gamut of emotions we go through with each decision we make, especially those big, life-changing leaps of faith. There's a bit of fool in us all - had I chosen to stay in my comfort zone (both in the song and in life) I would have been surrendering to that fool. So perhaps I will have to write a 2nd movement of the emergence of that mastery you speak of.

Thanks for the listen and your wonderful comments.

kassia said 202 days ago
ummm
ummm...that's not to say that I've mastered anything, of course. It's a constant learning and growing and emerging. lol...ok enough outta me.

Outtaorbit said 203 days ago
very nicely done
love the open feeling of this song

kassia said 202 days ago
orbit
Thanks for the listen and comment. It does have an open feel, doesn't it? Not sure how I accomplished that, but I like it too!

thetiler said 203 days ago
Like that pic !
of course the music fits right in as well. Like how you do the the fun keyboard work about 3/8 through were it gets into a reverb-chorus dulcimer synthy thang:) Makes for a nice bouncy dreamy feel.

Enjoy ! Well done and a great listen ! Exceptional synth sounds. And good choice of sounds I might add.

kassia said 202 days ago
Tiler
Thanks for your great comments! I'm glad you liked the sounds. I must admit I spent more time on getting them right than on anything else in the piece. I'm trying to learn my way around effects and instrument settings - so I'm very excited that you liked them. Thanks for stopping by!

Char said 202 days ago
Well,
you made some good choices and showcased your piano playing well. This has determination in the face of necessity. It is a beautiful piece. Thank you.

kassia said 202 days ago
Char
Thank you! To be honest, I had taken all of the piano out of this for most of the time I worked on it and only added it back in at the very end. I'm very happy to hear that you liked it. Thanks for stopping by!

Alannah said 201 days ago
Beautiful .....
... of course ... as always ... as expected Kassia ... you truly do have some talent !!!! I look forward to hearing tunes from you when I get the email notification .... (you know in spots I heard snippets of "Sweet Child O'Mine" ) .. which has always been a fav of mine to belt out at the Karaoke bar .....

Bubowski said 199 days ago
A nice mixture...
Beautiful harmonies and subtle instrument selections. It sets a wonderful mood.

--Graham

tokai said 190 days ago
lovely piece
well played and your style is really shining through here. Very smooth and wonderful ride you have taken me. Nice one!

ic42 said 189 days ago
a decision is made
if there is no doubt, then a decision is made. it is music with doubt, then resolution. it has strength. there is no doubt, this music is beautiful. thank you for the strength. 0x0

said 177 days ago
Decisions.
Wow !
Kassia you got some serious talent here. You are truly amazing.
I worship this one. It sounds gorgous. Thank you. I am blown away and Thank you for this wonderful Download.

YOU ROCK :)


Peace Dee.

Artist Profile
kassia photo
kassia

Artist Bio I guess I should tell you a little about me. I live in the mountains halfway between Santa Cruz and the Silicon Valley. I'm a music maker, animal lover, book reader and nature explorer. I play piano and french horn and can't sing worth a damn. I've ha...[more]
Artist Music
Winter Whimsy
Max's Theme
Someday
Among The Trees
Untitled
Determination
Springtide (w/Mark Holbrook)
Journey
Doubts
Decisions
Remembrance
Witch's Waltz
Lazy Afternoon (improv)
Sit Down (swing)
Sit Down
Summer Storm (with Motu)
Ember (kassiafied)
Island Hopping
Letting Go