The Orchestral Balto

HalfBreed · **Posted:** Thu Jun 29, 2006 9:54 pm

Yes GREAT topic. I graduated highschool and I am totally peeved at myself that I haven't picked up my trumpet once after a year of college. I loved playing movie music and I was desperately searching for a Balto score. Even went to the movie staff of the films trying to find some but with no luck. You've really inspired me to go pick it up again.. Man I miss playing.... I was First Trumpet, Section Leader in the marching band and all.... ahhh I miss it *runs off to find trumpet*

SnowWolfMystic · **Posted:** Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:04 pm

Good for you!! Oh, if only they released the scores for movies... they don't even do that with the POPULAR ones, darn it!

If you need something transcribed though so you can play it, I'd be happy to assist.

HalfBreed · **Posted:** Thu Jun 29, 2006 10:14 pm

I had started to try to transcribe the Balto Score but I have had very little experience in transcribing music so that didn't last too long. I think I got about the full part of the woodwind part of the white wolf scene and halfway through the trumpet one

That would be an interesting project to try and release to the balto community though

Swords of the Wolves · **Posted:** Sat Jul 01, 2006 1:38 pm

HalfBreed wrote:

Yes GREAT topic. I graduated highschool and I am totally peeved at myself that I haven't picked up my trumpet once after a year of college. I loved playing movie music and I was desperately searching for a Balto score. Even went to the movie staff of the films trying to find some but with no luck. You've really inspired me to go pick it up again.. Man I miss playing.... I was First Trumpet, Section Leader in the marching band and all.... ahhh I miss it *runs off to find trumpet*

I think I should do that. I'm not sure there is much music from Balto that involves the saxophone which I play (The E flat Alto), but at least it's worth a try!

Koeyohte · **Posted:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:38 am

SnowWolfMystic wrote:

Aww, this entry was really cute! As a future studio orchestral musician, I'm really happy to hear people appreciate what it is that we do.

Could I offer a few corrections?

Saxophones are not part of the symphony orchestra... yes, they DO sometimes come in to play if the piece calls for it (Bolero, Pictures at an Exhibition, etc), but traditionally, no.

Flutes are considered woodwinds just like the oboe, clarinet, bassoon... and their auxillary (double) instruments include the piccolo, English horn, bass/alto/contrabass/Eb/etc clarinet, and contrabassoon.

Other instruments not listed include the pianist (they ARE part of the orchestra), harps, and aaaaaall the percussion! Beyond that, many composers are starting to throw ethnic instruments into the works (check out Wolf Quest's score. They use a number of instruments which definitely aren't in your Western orchestra).

While I'm not 100% sure how it works in STUDIO calls, generally there aren't "chair auditions" like there are in highschool band. Positions open up one by one, and you audition for it and it alone. When I auditioned to be in the WoC orchestra, I would have ended up as the ONLY oboe.

In a symphony, you might audition for 3rd trumpet, or last stand viola.

And actually, yes. In movie recordings, you have to pretty much sightread. You walk in that morning, run through the piece maybe ONCE, and then record. If you miss a beat, you're out... it's quite the business...

Great entry! *thumbs up*

Are you serious???!!!! :shock:

OK, I iwll fix it all.. sorry, I just didn't think that it was right, because of my orchestra and teachers, etc... why would you sightread the day of the recording :oops:

Strange, that is really over my head... I change my info. when I get more time!!!!!

Koeyohte · **Posted:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:43 am

And congrats on being your section leader!!!

I am not in HSchool, but I was the section leader in my group at oe point aswell, and I learned so much,it was my first ever year in an orchestra and I was sothrilled... but Iam playing with my orchestra again in a few months (A different one than the one in which I was the leader of teh section, but the highest one) so I am still very very very happy!!! I really don't know what I would do on monday nights without orchestra practice!!

SnowWolfMystic · **Posted:** Mon Jul 03, 2006 3:40 pm

Quote:

why would you sightread the day of the recording :oops:

Strange, that is really over my head...

MONEY. It's darn expensive to record a score, and it's also the last thing that happens in movie production. All you get is one or two recording sessions of a few hours, which is why you have to be top-notch at playing and sightreading...

Koeyohte · **Posted:** Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:19 pm

SnowWolfMystic wrote:

Quote:

why would you sightread the day of the recording :oops:

Strange, that is really over my head...

MONEY. It's darn expensive to record a score, and it's also the last thing that happens in movie production. All you get is one or two recording sessions of a few hours, which is why you have to be top-notch at playing and sightreading...

I would think that they would be allowed to keep the parts for awhile... I understand the money part, but I don't understand why they aren't allowed to take the parts with them. Sorry if I am missing something. Do you know any more about this? Thanks, I will edit the post soon, I hope! :wink:

JazzyWolf · **Posted:** Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:02 pm

That part I don't know, my guess would be because the composers are on such a tight scheadule that they finish composing the music only a few days before the recordings are done.

Interesting thing is that Miles Davis often was know for doing the same thing. Many musicans who played with him would only have a few days notice and hardly any time to look at the music. His reason for doing this was because he belived it forced the musicans to focus more and concentrate harder.

Koeyohte · **Posted:** Fri Jul 14, 2006 1:30 pm

Danman wrote:

Great Topic, very interresting^^. But i think there´s a lot more the explain about Orchetra Instruments or more about the String Section...

That Violin thing was right, i agree. But mostly Main Themes and melodies are played by severall Strings, up to 21 Violins and sometimes even more. Violins and other Strings can be played in:

- Vibrato (String is beaten like a pulse wich is ending with a vibration in the String)

- Pizzicato (aKa String Piano techniques, sorry it´s way too long to explain^^)

- Open String (Full fade in/out for the strings)

- Harmonic (Just i lightly touch on the String with the Bow, for a smooth atmosphere)

- And a lot of more^^...

Just that for the String section. Maybe you heard of the Orchetral Remixes i made from the Balto Movies, i get my professional software finaly in the next week, i allready prepared everything for the Instruments, i make progress, finaly...

I sent you a PM, Danman. :wink:

Thank you for all of that, but I do already know how to do it all, and I explained that it would be a lot to add! Just read your PM.

SnowWolfMystic · **Posted:** Fri Jul 14, 2006 2:23 pm

Danman wrote:

- Vibrato (String is beaten like a pulse wich is ending with a vibration in the String)

- Pizzicato (aKa String Piano techniques, sorry it´s way too long to explain^^)

- Open String (Full fade in/out for the strings)

- Harmonic (Just i lightly touch on the String with the Bow, for a smooth atmosphere)

Hey, Dan! Another composer, that's awesome. How lucky that you have some great software coming in... I'd be very curious to hear your remixes. Are they uploaded somewhere?

The terms are actually easy to explain in a few words:

Vibrato can be used on ANY instrument. It's just bending the pitch back and forth quickly to make the sound more expressive.

Pizzicato is plucking the string.

Open String just means they don't have any fingers pressed down on the strings.

Harmonics are high overtones that can be produced as you described. *nod*

Koeyohte · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2006 10:55 am

Yeah, great job!!!!! I can't see it now, but I will look later!

SnowWolfMystic · **Posted:** Tue Jul 18, 2006 6:02 pm

Danman wrote:

Okay, i had to say that i don´t know this Finger thing, just how it Sounds like

. Say, are you that "legendary" (right, legendary^^) SnowWolf? Drew told me a lot from you, only good things for sure :wink:

. The Sketches of the remixes are uploaded in Steets Article, or here (http://baltosource.timduru.org/balto.php?act=profile&id=1085) in my Profile. I´ll order the Program tomorrow or Monday, i just wait to get payed for that little vacation job in the Supermarked^^. Yeah, i think those remixes are nice, but have you heard the Song, i composed for the Balto 4 Trailer? Don´t know why, but this Song makes me so proud... I think it´s the best Instrumental Song i ever wrote, so maybe that´s the Reason. I also copyrighted the Main Theme of the Song, because i´m scared of those whole stealing stuff...

Aww, you flatter me! I'm the Snow Wolf that Drew knows, yes.

She told me about you as well.

And she sent me your Balto 4 trailer, so I've got it here. You have every right to be proud of it... I especially like the main theme, as it's very reminiscent of the main theme in Wings of Change. It has the same epic-storytelling feel to it, not to mention modal minor progressions. Are most of your works for string orchestra? Nice job on the remixes too... I'd love to chat with you and trade songs perhaps.

I do lots of remixing, or rather orchestrating, myself... but as I'm a poor student, I do all my work with MIDI and the occasional lame soundfont. I'm very envious that you'll have your neat program... it should be so fun to work with. Maybe one day when I'm 50 I can get some too and redo my works...

Animation Source Forums

The Orchestral Balto