I just uploaded two transcriptions I did of music from Sonic the Hedgehog 3. These transcriptions will support my essay in a forthcoming book, in which I analyze the timbre of “Ice Cap Zone” and “Marble Garden Zone.” Head over to the new page to check it out. Enjoy!
Category: analysis
IASPM 2017
IASPM 2017, Kassel, Germany. A brief summary of papers I attended.
What Makes It Sound Like Christmas?
In so many cases, when we’re wondering “what makes it sound ____?” where ____ is Christmas, or metal, or Irish, or whatever, the answer lies not so much in the harmonies, but the timbres. Timbre is probably the most immediate aspect of our musical experience. Why shortchange it in our analyses?
“6 Inch” transcription
I’m still working up a full analysis, and digging up Sufjan tracks to compare it to, but as a teaser, here’s my transcription of the section in question.
Should Have Known Better
I assigned this track for analysis in my pop music seminar, and wanted to share my own thoughts on how this track relates to the concept of fragile tonic and motivic unity.
Analyzing timbre
I’ve removed this post, which was from 2016 (!), because my approach to timbre has evolved a lot. Readers should check out my MTO article instead, which was published in 2020. You can find more publications (all of which was published later than this blog post) on my Research page.
Garden pathing in Kesha’s music
One technique Kesha uses to create humor in her songs is through garden pathing.