Hello from Texas

[ChuckyLee]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Charles, and I live in Southeast Texas. I’m over fifty years of age and have been passionate about music since I was a kid but only involved in making music off and on throughout my life. I am just now joining this site because I have recently jumped into the deep end with computer music production. A good friend of mine is programming a computer game and he has asked me to write music for his game. For the last month, I have been exploring and learning all I can about Linux music production.

Here is the setup that I have currently settled upon:

DAWs & Sequencers:

* MusE sequencer for arranging and recording midi and audio compositions —> sends go to Ardour
* Hydrogen for drum tracks — sends go to Ardour
* Ardour for running softsynths & plugins; bouncing tracks, mixing & mastering

Instruments:

* Yamaha PSR-275 keyboard that I’ve had for decades —> sends to MusE
* Fender Aerodyne Jazz bass —> sends to GuitarX
* GuitarX as my amp —> sends to MusE

Equipment:

* Behringer UCD-102 USB Guitar interface
* E-mu midi cable
* PC running Linux Mint Cinnamon; Jack 2; Liqourix kernel

My musical tastes are wide and varied. Here is a lengthy but incomplete list of who I listen to:

King Crimson, Yes, ELP, Pink Floyd, Rush, Steely Dan, Queen, Muse, Frank Ferdinand, St. Vincent, Cate le Bon, The Cardigans, The Cranberries, Duran Duran, Blondie, The Fixx, (New Wave in general), Sting, Suzanne Vega, Fleetwood Mac, Heart (70s only), The Beatles, Oscar Peterson, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, (The American Songbook), Igor Stravinsky, Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Tchaikovsky, Jean Sibelius & Gustav Holst.

I look forward to meeting everyone here and talking shop!

[Basslint]

Hello Charles,

I see a lot of good stuff there, both as a musician as a listener. We share some bands we like, including prog rock, jazz and new wave acts. And I lol'd at Heart (70s only) Welcome!

[ChuckyLee]

Thanks, Basslint.

The 70s thing could be said of a lot of bands of that era, but when I looked at my list, Heart's peer groups managed to make music that I enjoy from the Eighties. Yes, King Crimson, Queen, Pink Floyd all have Eighties music I like, but not so much with Heart. Oh, well. That reminds me, I forgot to include David Bowie in that list. He, too, transitioned well into the following decade. Can't forget Bowie. Although not from the Eighties, the album, "Low," is one of my favorites.

Cheers,
Charles

[Basslint]

Thanks, Basslint.

The 70s thing could be said of a lot of bands of that era, but when I looked at my list, Heart's peer groups managed to make music that I enjoy from the Eighties. Yes, King Crimson, Queen, Pink Floyd all have Eighties music I like, but not so much with Heart. Oh, well. That reminds me, I forgot to include David Bowie in that list. He, too, transitioned well into the following decade. Can't forget Bowie. Although not from the Eighties, the album, "Low," is one of my favorites.

Cheers,
Charles

Agree with you on Bowie. He was great in the later decades as well!

I think some of the prog rock bands which transitioned to a New Wave-y sound made very good stuff. You mentioned King Crimson, which definitely fits with their Talking Heads-inspired sound in Discipline, I would also mention Peter Gabriel's solo works.

[Michael Willis]

Hi Chucky! I spent a little bit of time living in both San Antonio and Austin at two different times in my life. I don't know how far "Southeast" you mean, but one weekend we took the kids to the beach at Corpus Christi, then camped overnight at Goose Island State Park, then visited a Texas history museum in Victoria the next day on our way back to Austin. It was a quick trip, but it was great fun and to this day remains one of my fondest memories.

You have a great list of musical influences, I like that it has a lot of prog rock and romantic-era orchestra stuff! Let us know what questions you have, there are a lot of friendly people here with a variety of experience that are willing to help in what ways we can. I hope to hear some music from you soon.

[ChuckyLee]

I would also mention Peter Gabriel's solo works.

Thanks. I'll have to check his works out.
Charles

[ChuckyLee]

I don't know how far "Southeast" you mean.
Let us know what questions you have, there are a lot of friendly people here with a variety of experience that are willing to help in what ways we can. I hope to hear some music from you soon.

Thank you for the welcome, Michael. As far as Southeast Texas is concerned, I live in Bryan, Texas (Texas A&M area). However, as you mention San Antonio, I grew up in San Antonio during the 70s and 80s.

Charles