Another vlog

So with ComicCon coming in just a week, I only had time to record this rather short video. Come see me at Hampton ComicCon on October 21st at the Hampton Coliseum. I'm really excited to meet some new people and chat about the symphony.

Best,
Aaron

A little bit of everything

As I am preparing for ComicCon, I've had a few other creative inspirations along the way. I have begun work on a 5th work. This is early days, but the ideas are fairly sound. Who knows what will come of this.

I am also pleased to see that my friend Dr. Julian Eilmann's book J.R.R. Tolkien - Romaticist and Poet is now available in English. I'll be looking forward to it's availability in North America.

I also am continually amazed at the work coming from The Guildmaster Studio. Beren and Luthien is almost fully animated and the scoring process has been a blast. This whole film has been an amazing experience, of which I am very excited to share when the film is released.

Cycling back to ComicCon, I have received new print materials as well as my sign. This is all new for me, so it's very exciting.

Beren & Luthien, ComicCon, and more.

This weekend I've been working on marketing material and product for the upcoming Hampton ComicCon, which is just over a month away. If you're in the Hampton Roads area I'd love if you'd stop by and say hello. My banner is just about done - just needs to be ordered. I'll also be getting some prints done for my collaboration with The Guildmaster Studio for the short film we've been working on. It's coming soon, and looking great. I'd love if you'd check the trailer out and share it too.






Music from The Fall of Fingolfin, which can be heard in full here

Old recording photos

Some of these are 3 years old. But these pictures are from the beginning of the Silmarillion Symphony recording process.

Paul Earle, violin

 Darlene and Aaron Dunn

 Aaron,  engineer

 Darlene Dunn, flute

Three years

This past week I received a funny little notification from Tumblr that The Silmarillion Symphony turned 3 this week. Amusing as this is, I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude to those of you who have supported the project. To the many who have written about the project, or interviewed - you have my gratitude and my sincere thanks.

It's been an inspiring journey for me as an artist over these years. Believe me when I say that the music publicly available is only the tips of the iceberg. And I greatly appreciate your audience as one who is growing in their craft and bent on improving day by day. 

For this year I still hope on having a soundtrack to release in the short film trilogy "Lego Silmarillion: Beren and Luthien", so there should be new music out this year. I still have to mine the text a little more for films two and three, but there should be thirty minutes of new material. 

I have also undertaken composing themes for Gondolin, as you might have heard in my preview video. I'm planning on taking a long time to get that together. This is quite possibly the story that is most dear to me given its many-faceted and far reaching trajectories in the book. 

If I was to assign a vague order to the whole project thus far, it would go like this:

Ep. 1: The Deeps of Time

Ep. 2: The Fall of Fingolfin

Symphony 3: Beren and Luthien 

Symphony 4: Gondolin

Past these I do not know which of the other stories would come next. Obviously the Children of Hurin (of which I have sketches) is absolutely essential to the saga, so I will need to give that a proper treatment. I will have to get rolling on the War of Wrath as well. And who could forget the Unnumbered Tears (sketches here too)...

That's not even all that I have planned. It'll be enough for one blog. 

Thank you again, to those of you who have contributed art, musicianship, marketing, money and general good vibes. I've really been blessed by all of this. 

Best wishes,

Aaron

Last week's update!

I've been a bit late on sharing this news, but here is last week's video with some updates on the project!

Tragedy

This week I'm in a bit of a somber mood, given the passing of yet another fellow musician and human being. Many of you would be familiar with Linkin Park, and the voice of Chester their lead singer. May he Rest In Peace.

In hopes of avoiding participation in reckless speech, I turn yet again to contemplating Tolkien, and his amazing gift for insight through story. I harken back to The Silmarillion, where the previously chained Melkor is freed to live in Valinor, though hate still resides in his heart. He devotes himself to spreading lies amidst his seeming wise counsel, and the Noldorin elves receive it. Sure, he helps them in their crafting, all the while sowing seeds of distrust in the minds of the elves toward the Valar. This leads the Noldor to making of weapons and the poisoning of the Bliss of Valinor. 

It is amazing that Tolkien puts this so saliently at the beginning of the book. To put it reductively, I believe Tolkien to be saying this in that text - that it is the whisper of evil that causes one to ponder violence (including violence against oneself).

As it pertains to suicide and depression, there's really only one exhortation I can give, after looking into the abyss more than a few times myself:

Don't.Give.Up.
Don't listen to that voice.
We need you here.