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.

Score prep

This past week I've taken on score preparation of The Fall of Fingolfin. You may be wondering why, given the album is complete. Let me explain.

Often symphonies will call for new music to play, and my work certainly qualifies as that. Hence, I've been preparing the scores from the most recent cd, even though most of the parts are quite close to being finished. A couple of these calls are due in the next week and I plan on completing the scores in their entirety in hopes of securing a premier.

Many of these symphonies are local to the USA, and for that I'm grateful. However, if any of you good folks in other places in the world, whether India, Germany, France or anywhere else happen to know of a philharmonie or two looking for some new music, by all means let me know in the comments. Or even better, tell them about the Silmarillion Symphony!

One for the books

This month I've been really encouraged with the response to the Symphony. I still have a few special edition packs in stock too, so get yours soon!

Also, I was able to order more postcards as well. I'm looking at attending some comic con type of events in the future so keeps your eyes peeled for that. I'm looking forwards to making some new friends and getting the word out to more people. Head over to the Facebook page to check out some of the new postcard designs and some other memorabilia.

I was really excited to receive my copies of 'Erebor' from my friends at Inda-gefahrten the other day. It's a beautiful magazine and the interview is so nicely done.

I'm greatly looking forward to completing some new music this year. Much to be excited about.

"Composer in Interview"

I have a bit of a long post this week, as I get to publish one part of the interview I did with German magazine 'Erebor' from the Inda-Gefährten - Deutschlands einzige Tolkien-AG Tolkien class. Many thanks to both Julian and Leonard for setting this up! 

1. You are an experienced composer and musician. How did music became your passion and when did you decide to become a composer?

 Music has been a part of my life since before being born. Both my parents and two siblings are musicians. We've all been to music school and we've all had extensive time performing. I decided to compose seriously in early 2014. I had never put together an album of original works, I had only done a great deal of songwriting and work as a bassist.  I became fascinated by Tolkien when I was 15 or 16, right about the time I started taking music more seriously. I watched The Lord of the Rings a little before that, and i really took to the legendarium. I really became captivated with Tolkiens world when I did a literature assignment using The Lay of Leithian (The Lays of Beleriand). I still remember vividly the covers of the books in my school library. I believe the year after that I picked up The Silmarillion. More recently I've really enjoyed seeing certain ideas that Tolkien places somewhat obliquely in his stories (when the Noldor start making weapons after listening to Melkor comes to mind).


2. Your masterpiece until now is your Silmarillion symphony, which contains of two pieces. How did you became fascinated by Tolkien?

Thank you! That is high praise. To answer your question, I like to think I have a strong memory and imagination. So when I read the books, not only am I looking for musical cues, I am always trying to visualize what is going on. My memory helps a great deal. Then I try to illustrate in my music what I see as the picture. To use a technical term, it's a sort of 'narrative scoring'. And it's great practice for me as someone who is interesting in scoring films.


3. You had contact to music already at the age of four. Is there a composer of the classical, baroque or romantic age that you do admire and does he inspire your music?

May I give a few answers? I grew up listening to a ton of classical and jazz music. I enjoy both. I'd mention to any young musicians reading this - this has been a major influence on me and how my ear has developed. I was lucky to have all this high information music from a very young age, and I'm grateful to my parents for that. For composers - I've always loved Bach and Hadyn in Baroque, Mozart is my hero in classical, and in the romantic era, there are so many. Mahler, Tchaikovsky, Bruckner, Elgar. And Wagner too.


4. We have read that already during your college years you had a concept for your Silmarillion symphony. This concept has been lost, but can you remember how this musical plan differs from the realized music?

Ah, the lost originals. I wish I could resurrect them. Fortunately, I can remember a few ideas, some of which I am coming back to now. I remember the ideas were a bit more random, and the orchestration was not as solid compared to the new material. There were many sketches in the old materials, which makes the loss of them sting a little more.

5. When listening to your music one can actually feel the atmosphere of Tolkien’s great work. A wonderful achievement. Film composers normally have the specific scenes to look at while composing and so can try to express the atmosphere of the scene. You do not have this advantage during composing. How did you approach the Silmarillion? Did you read the respective scenes again and again and tried to find ideas this way?

The two albums really have two different decision making processes. The Deeps of Time was all about starting from the beginning of everything. So I was composing very much inspired by the first several chapters on the book. After the main composition process (I say that because you don't ever truly stop that process), I had to decide which pieces were strongest and best portrayed the narrative.

On The Fall of Fingolfin, I had to choose rather quickly this time around. I had sketches of every piece, and simply chose the pieces that had the best melodic and storyline potential. I had a lot of re-orchestrating to do as some themes were from 2014, but that's part of the fun.


6. How do you decide which scenes of the Silmarillion you want to transfer into music? Why e.g. the Ainulindale and the Fall of Fingolfin?

Along with James Horner, Howard Shore is my favourite film composer. The score from Fellowship of the Ring is one of the most interesting I've heard. So I really find his work inspiring. Lord of the Rings ended up being about 10-12 hours of music and great music. It's been utterly essential to my musical development. It's been a huge part of me finding my compositional voice. So credit where it's due there. That said, I have to be vigilant that I do not 'unconsciously borrow' material. I want to make certain The Silmarillion Symphony sounds like me, and stealing intellectual property just isn't cool.

Stylistically, when I set out on this adventure, I definitely wanted to follow something Mr. Shore did in LOTR - the use of leitmotif for different characters and cultures. I thought that to bring The Silmarillion to life, I would have to create many different themes. So that is what I feel I've done. I believe it will bring great texture to the work and keep me busy for a long time.


7. Although your music is a new take on Tolkien, we do hear slight connections to Howard Shore in it. For example, you use female choir for the Elven or Valar music or brass in threatening situations or as representation of evil. Do you have been inspired by Howard Shore or did you try to distance yourself musically from him?

Thank you again - that sense of tragedy and grief is exactly what the music is meant to show. Slow, beautiful, with unmeasurable sorrow is how Tolkien described the 3rd theme in the Music of the Ainur. I think that's perfect, and life can be very much that way.

8. From the article about you on the homepage of the German Tolkien Society we have learned that the Silmarillion has helped you to get over the death of a friend. Is this event and its emotional consequences present in the musical work? For us your symphony expresses tragedy, grief and a majestic sense of fate and loss – and therefore it fits Tolkien perfectly.

I have not had a chance to fully commemorate my friend in the music - not yet. That said, March of the Fallen King has a number of elements that I could identify as close to those emotional consequences. As a composer I put my heart and soul into my work, so those griefs and losses are all there. And the time may come when I explore this loss musically.

9. Would you like to record your music with a full human orchestra? Why not start a kickstarter project to get together the money for such a great achievement?

Oh absolutely I would! The Fall of Fingolfin had a good number of human players, which is something I am immensely proud of. I'll be pursuing the full orchestra option in the future, and hopefully for a large scale 60 minute recording. I intend on getting video footage for this as well. I'm glad you've brought up the kickstarter idea. I will be looking at crowd funding for this larger project. I sell the music as well, and that does support my endeavours as well.

Once again, I'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. Julian Eilmann and his class at Inda-Gefährten - Deutschlands for their interest in my work, and for reaching out for an interview! Danke freunde!

With summer around the corner...

I've been having a wonderful weekend off, spending time with family and friends. It's always good to take a little time for things that really matter. I've been doing a lot of work in my studio the past few weeks, trying to improve my composing space. The results have been wonderful as today I was able to spend a good chunk of time scoring a scene for the upcoming Lego Silmarillion short film.

The reel looks awesome so far, and we are almost at locked picture. I have most of the scenes and I'm really looking forward to sharing the music with you this summer. It's amazing what working on a film can do for your craft if you really dig deep.

I've had so much fun writing themes, reharmonising themes, and even recycling older ones. The most exciting byproduct of all this? I'll have a ton of new material for The Silmarillion Symphony going forward. It looks like I have a few long days and nights of recording ahead of me.

Some fun news

I've been working away on Beren and Luthien quite a bit these past weeks. This score is really coming along nicely. I've made the Prologue from Beren and Luthien streamable on soundcloud. Check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/aarondunnbassist/prologue

Also, I received notice that my interview with Dr. Julian Eilmann has been published in the German school magazine 'Erebor'. I will be publishing the English translation shortly. I am beyond grateful for the support of Dr. Eilmann and his class!

As always, I really appreciate any sharing you can do via social media. It really helps!

Thoughts on the next step

With the Fall of Fingolfin now shipping, I've once again started to look ahead to what's next for me with The Silmarillion Symphony. I'm still working on Beren and Luthien, which is a major project of its own.

Today however I would like to offer something different. This may best chance for readers and fans to give a little input on the project as a whole. So I have some questions for my readers and supporters.

1. Is there a style you're desperate to see employed in the music?
2. Is there a particular instrument that really signifies a part of Middle-Earth to you?
3. Is there a specific musician we should contact to have play on an album?

While some of this is rather off the cuff, I would love to see some of your opinions in the comments below.

You can hear and purchase the music at silmarillionsymphony.bandcamp.com .

The Fall of Fingolfin

Discussing the Music Part 5: The March of the Fallen King

This post is the final five part series on my latest album, The Silmarillion Symphony Ep 2: The Fall of Fingolfin. To start with part one, click here. To listen to the music, head over to silmarillionsymphony.bandcamp.com and buy The Fall of Fingolfin. 

And now we’ve made it to the final piece in The Fall of Fingolfin album - The March of the Fallen King. This is a sorrowful piece, written like a funeral pomp.

In The Silmarillion, there isn’t much said about Fingolfin’s burial. Only that his son Turgon buried him on a mountain above the secret city of Gondolin. So my piece is very much a thought on how Turgon’s march up the mountain upon hearing the news would’ve felt. Slow, sad, and surreal. One can also take the tack that the elves of Turgon’s house in Gondolin, along with the family present there, would’ve carried the King’s body slowly, mournfully, up the mountain to finally bury their fallen king. 

Thus, the instrumentation is rather sparse - the piece is really written for a small ensemble - a few strings, two horns, and some woodwinds. I suppose the music could also be interpreted by this part of the book:

"Great was the lamentation in Hithlum when the fall of Fingolfin became known, and Fingon in sorrow took the lordship of the house of Fingolfin and the kingdom of the Noldor…” (The Silmarillion, pg. 154)

Thank you very much for reading this series. It’s been a joy sharing this commentary on the music with you. I do hope you’ll share these posts with the Tolkien fans around you, and the music as well.

To get this album for yourself, click here.

Discussing the Music Part 4: The Fall of Fingolfin

This post is part four of a five part series on my latest album, The Silmarillion Symphony Ep 2: The Fall of Fingolfin. To start with part one, click here. To listen to the music, head over to silmarillionsymphony.bandcamp.com and buy The Fall of Fingolfin. 

“And Morgoth came.” (The Silmarillion, pg. 153)

And so we being the title track. This track was actually a speed writing exercise when I began it in early 2015. This track is all about the single combat between Fingolfin and Morgoth.

It begins with a large low bass note, some high strings, meant to signify Morgoth’s mammoth size. There is also a horn call, echoing in the mountains, with a trumpet response, which is a miniaturized arrangement of Fingolfin’s heroic theme,

 In the book, Tolkien describes it like this:

“And he issues forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the King like a tower, iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword Ringil, that glittered like ice.” (The Silmarillion, pg. 153) 

More music comes in, this time with repeated strings patterns, to depict how I see this combat going down - somewhat in an encircled pit. You can almost get a sense of the stage being set for this fight. I see this introduction sort of as Morgoth and Fingolfin staring each other down, somewhat trying to intimidate one another. Then another theme emerges - the heroic theme. This is Fingolfin’s theme, filled with a sense of heroism mixed with doubt. 

After that, we have more staring and little bits of sparring going on - Morgoth’s main theme has not come in yet. Then a repeat of Fingolfin’s theme. We have some string parts that for me signify the shrieks of the orcs as their master is wounded. It says in The Silmarillion:

“Then Morgoth hurled aloft Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld...Many times Morgoth essayed to smite him, and each time Fingolfin leaped away, as a lightning shoots from under a dark cloud; and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds, and seven times Morgoth gave a cry of anguish, whereat  the hosts of Angband fell upon their faces in dismay…” (The Silmarillion, pg.154)

After the shrieking, we get Morgoth’s theme - with a contrabassoon and bassoon along with pizzicato strings, giving a sense of mischievousness about what’s about to happen. Morgoth has eventually tired the King out, and the King has tripped into a pit (made by Grond). The heroic theme, now in full force, has changed - the doubt is taking over, as the hero must surely die. Yet Fingolfin has one last strike as Morgoth bears down upon him with his shield:

"But the earth was all rent and pitted about humanoid he stumbled and fell backward before the feet of Morgoth; and Morgoth set his left foot upon his neck, and the weight of it was like a fallen hill. Yet with his last on desperate stroke Fingolfin hewed the foot with Ringil, and blood gushed forth black and smoking and filled the pits of Grond.” (Ibid)

So died Fingolfin. It is said that Morgoth broke the body of the King, and would’ve throw it to the wolves, but the Lord of Eagles came, marred Morgoth’s face, and took the King’s body to Gondolin. There he was buried. 

To get this album for yourself, click here.

Discussing the Music Part 3: Rochallar

This post is part three of a five part series on my latest album, The Silmarillion Symphony Ep 2: The Fall of Fingolfin. To start with part one, click here. To listen to the music, head over to silmarillionsymphony.bandcamp.com and buy The Fall of Fingolfin. 

This week I’ll be discussing the third piece on the album - Rochallar. Rochallar, if you are familiar with The Silmarillion, is Fingolfin’s 'great horse’. In this part of the story, Fingolfin is coming to grips with what evil has wrought all around him, and that his people have been decimated. So he decides to ride forth alone and challenge Morgoth to a duel. More on that later.

The way the piece is arranged is almost in a two scene format. The first section of the piece, which is in 3/4, is a sort of introductory part. In my mind, Fingolfin is enraged, and is preparing his glorious horse for his ride to Angband. I sort of picture his son Fingon entreating him not to go, understanding that this cannot possibly end well and of course not wanting to lose his father. You can almost picture the end of section one with Fingolfin riding through the gates, and Fingon watching from the walls.

The second section of the piece switches to an aggressive 7/4, depicting the intensity what’s said in the book:

“He passed over Dor-nu-Fauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking that Orome himself was come: for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar.” (The Silmarillion, pg. 153)

The piece continues from there, and beings a final crescendo as Fingolfin arrives at Angband. I imagine he would’ve commanded Rochallar to return home at a certain point, although the book does not tell us what became of him. The piece ends with a series of accented sforzandos, and some horns calls, meant to represent Fingolfin’s smiting of the doors of Angband and the sounding of his horn:

Thus he came to Angband’s gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon its brazen doors, and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. (Ibid)

At the very end of the piece, after the horn calls, a distant, echoing drum sound. This is Morgoth walking forth slowly from his subterranean throne - from Fingolfin’s perspective.

To get this album for yourself, click here.

Discussing the Music Part 2: Sons of Finwe, Sons of Beor

This post is part two of a five part series on my latest album, The Silmarillion Symphony Ep 2: The Fall of Fingolfin. To start with part one, click here. To listen to the music, head over to silmarillionsymphony.bandcamp.com and buy The Fall of Fingolfin.

In this week's blog, I want to discuss the second piece on the album - Sons of Finwe, Sons of Beor. This piece is special to me, in that I've actually had the main theme sketched out since 2014 when I started this whole enterprise. When I was in piece selection mode for The Fall of Fingolfin, this was one I wanted to have on the album because of its epic yet doubtful style. As this piece follows 'Sudden Flame' on the album, it's meant to show the somewhat misguided valour of the Elves in their fight against Morgoth.

The way the text reads really doesn't show too much in favour of the Elves in this fight. I must confess - I needed a little brightness in the program, and I think a bit of alliteration on the plot. A sort of hypothetical adventure into how the Noldor would've fought back. These are First Age elves who have seen the Light of the Trees. These people can fight.

Seeing as the Elves are beaten rather severely in the Dagor Bragollach, the end of this piece is once again the Noldor looking upon their fallen comrades, their cousins and even their brothers.

Also in this part of the book, Men fight and die alongside the Elves. It is in this battle where Barahir (remember Aragorn's ring in Lord of the Rings?), a man, rescues The King of Nargothrond, Finrod Felagund from certain death. Finrod gives Barahir a ring (hence the name 'the Ring of Barahir') and swears an oath of friendship to help his kin when the need would arise.

In sum, here we have a piece that is meant to show the best of Elven bravery and honour, ill-fated though it was.

To get this album for yourself, click here.

Discussing the Music Part 1: Sudden Flame

So the new album is doing well. I'm enjoying all the feedback I'm getting from all over the world. I thought I'd start a little series talking about the music from The Fall of Fingolfin. Today is track one - Sudden Flame.

The music begins with some familiar material - it's a modification on my "Music of the Ainur" theme with some strings and a choir. The choir was a late addition to the score, meant to tie this album to the last.

As far as plot - the piece is meant to narrate the first couple pages from the chapter "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and The Fall of Fingolfin" from which the album derives its name. In this chapter, we have the Noldorin elves considered launching an offensive against the besieged forces of Morgoth. The majority of them were happy with the state of affairs at the time so in the end, no plans of Fingolfin (the High King) or of the Noldorin royalty came to fruition. And there was piece for a time. 

A short time. For Morgoth, the Dark Enemy had been readying a force to break the siege that had lasted almost four-hundred years. In the winter night, suddenly "great rivers of flame" burst forth from Angband. (You hear this in the piece when the low string and percussion hits are played.) Thus begins the Battle of Sudden Flame (or if you like, the Dagor Bragollach).  This is the first time we see dragons in Middle-Earth, as Glaurung the "father of dragons" is first revealed, complete with an army full of orcs and Balrogs.

As the music continues, you have war drums consistently playing throughout the second half of the piece, symbolizing (in a sense) that the flames of war and the forces of evil are in fact overwhelming the Elves. At the end of the piece, we hear a short reflective piece, where one can picture the Elves counting their slain and mourning their losses. 

Below, we have some artwork called "Sudden Flame" by Darlene Dunn. This image became the covert art for The Fall of Fingolfin (click here to purchase). 

Great news

A few of you would've seen that The Silmarillion Symphony was recently featured on Sci-Fi Fantasy Network last week. I'm always very thankful when people share my work like this. So a very special thank you to Francesca at http://www.scififantasynetwork.com. You can see the article here.

In the next couple weeks I'm going to be getting ready to do a blogging series, a sort of composer's journey spot chronicling my process of producing The Fall of Fingolfin. I'll be talking about plotlines, how the music shadows the book, and why I think this is all so important.

I'm relishing all the support I'm receiving from fans everywhere. If you're new to The Silmarillion Symphony, please subscribe to the blog, and of course the Facebook page.

If you haven't gotten hold of the new album, The Fall of Fingolfin, you can do so at my bandcamp page.

Best wishes,
Aaron

Happy New Year

As I'm sitting home on a snowy day, (rather unusual for where I live) I've been given a little time to reflect on the last year, and plan for this year. I'm very excited as more Silmarillion Symphony work has been released (get it here) and there is more to come in the first half of this year in the form of Lego Silmarillion: Beren and Luthien. It's my first film score that's over two minutes, so I'm thrilled with that. 

The studio has received an overhaul after I moved house a month ago. So the recording process is going to get much better in all aspects. 

Also, at the above link you can purchase my full discography at 20% off, granted that you're following on Facebook. That includes both The Silmarillion Symphony Ep.1: The Deeps of Time and The Silmarillion Symphony Ep.2: The Fall of Fingolfin. I am immensely proud of these works and will be making steps toward getting them played live this year. 

Very best,

Aaron and The Silmarillion Symphony.