Improvised/Arranged Songs (Mostly Vocal)

(some of it's silly, some of it's crazy)

"Improvised Midi"



Brian on "drums" and I smashing away at an invented midi setting on Mom's really old keyboard. I suppose this could pass for video game music?
Created August, 2007.

"Fever"

Can't remember how many of me sang this.
Probably six and a half.
Improv based on a poem I wrote when I was sick.
Music created Summer of 2007.
Poem created about two or three years before that.

"The Beauty of the Earth"

Improvised harmony with myself based on the original hymn.
Inspired by Dad's old favorite family band "Second Chapter of Acts" and sent originally to Candy by e-mail.
Not sure if she heard it before she died.
Created November 5, 2008.

"A Dream is a Wish"

From Cinderella, but in 7-part harmony with myself.
A little improv.
Created February 1, 2009.

"Geographical Solution"



Based on the song that Sharon and I are composing.
As this is in 8-part harmony with myself, this is the latest version of this arrangement.
Original created October 14, 2008.
Remixed February 28, 2009.

"Wade in the Water"

A little improv audio recording in 4- and 7-part harmony.
May be inspiration for a future gospel choir song for my class.
Created May 10, 2009.

Engrish - イングリシ

This is one of my favorite subjects of study here in Japan. Some of the choicest specimens of Engrish come from T-shirts, notebooks (notebooks particularly marketing toward Japanese students studying English), food, junior high students' poetry/test answer sheets, and the Japanese English teachers. The following is my latest compilation of finds. All typed examples are displayed exactly as seen printed. Please to enjoy.

Category One: T-Shirts

Brandy
No name girl
BANG
The seed grows
I have control
CAUTION
BETTER
The seed grows on the light brown before long.
The people, I will plow it together.
The seed grows on the light brown before.



SHIFT
the
***GLOBE***
Since it was early in the morning the
air was refreshingly pleasantly cool.
FEEL RELIEVED
MAKE A ROUND THE WORLD TRIP
Blessing of Mother Earth
MAY THE BLESSING OF
GOD BE UPON
YOU



POP
IDOL
IS
DEAD
BOREDOM AND NOT REAL

Category Two: Notebooks

MAGICAL CAT
I wAnt tHE CATFOODs
PLeASe PLeASe PLEASE




This note book has been differently
made up to each subject.
We would hope that your marks will improve




CUTE
ROCK
I feel refreshed
at this moment.
I've never experienced such a feeling!
Now, I feel very
comfortable




Look! That man is delighted.
Deep impression will enrich our
mind. The dish as the perfect
degree of tastiness. Today we'll
serve special deliciousness to you.
All kinds of tastes are loaded. These
dishes are made by hand completely.
-
TODAY'S
GOOD NEWS
New life begins from today.
Being surrounded by my fa-
vorites... My dream that has
begun to move. Let's produce
an elegant dining table. Soft
light makes foods delicious.
The table today is fully loaded
with every kind of taste.
Ever deepening taste of my
household dishes. I've come to
know true joy. I now live nicely.
Ah! An actual sense.



Lovely dessert forest
Let's go out in a dreamy mood.
All are glittering, aren't they?



I could have one hope.

Category Three: Food

My gum is blacker than your gum. I call it "black black."

This coffee is the boss.
It's also rainbow mountain blend.




Come on.
You know you want some CREAP in your coffee.

(Apparently creamy+powder=creap)




Enjoy the bright and refreshing taste.




New! Crunky slim packs!

Category Four: Student Writing

PART ONE: TEST ANSWERS
Sadly, some of these make sense.
(present) (past) (participle)

speak spork sporken
spend spoot spoot
take toke taken
teach trought trought

The correct words in parentheses
(Fun misspellings)

smire (smile)
figer (finger)
high king (hiking)
"Please tell me the way to the pork." (park)
"I wasn't bappy." (happy)
e-meal (e-mail)
T-shat
T-shart
brack (black)
"Do you like mush?" (math)

PART TWO: POETRY
These are actually quite brilliant.

English
It Subject
difficult, difficult, difficult
I can't speak English
good.


Game shop
It fun
I want games but
I don't have money
Sad


Sky
Like sea
Wrap of all
Very big and gentle
Warm

Category Five: Japanese English Teachers

(As was written on the back of the students' summer homework)

Here you are!
You did the good job!!
I'm very glad to see your hard work.
This is something to give you!!

(Excellent example of the the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs: when I was asked to hand papers to the students)
Vs.1: "Can you help me to pass out?"
Vs.2: "I'm in a hurry because we have to pass out."


I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE OF...
ENGRISH FROM VERY FAR AWAY...

If You Want to Watch a Movie at the Theaters in Japan

It's best to think twice:

a) Round-trip train ticket to the nearest city that has a movie theater is 960円 (~$9.60)

b) The movie ticket itself costs 1800円 (~$18.00)

Thus, it technically costs about $27.60, per ticket, to watch one movie. So I better know that I have to see the movie at the theater. Otherwise there's surfthechannel.com or iTunes. Because the local video/DVD store only has Region 2 DVDs (which I cannot play on my computer).

God-damn-bless the fools who invented region codes.
That's all I have to say.
For now.

Late Night Inspiration

I never know when inspiration will hit. It is not mine to decide. So, here it is in its pure, silly self. So, Sharon, if you want to be free, be free. There's a million ways to be, you know that there are. (TURN UP THE VOLUME)

Song: "If you Want to Sing Out, Sing Out"
by Cat Stevens

Bounty hunter

Today, after returning from the caves in Kanameta, I saw the spider web of the giant spider we once saw at night before group a few nights ago. Well, it wasn’t out on the web, so I thought I would bring it something to come out for. I found a largish beetle over by the apartments and I said to it as I was carrying it to its doom, “It’s really kind of morbid of me, but I’m really interested in seeing you get eaten.” I tossed it under-handed a few times and the beetle just went up and not into the web. So finally I threw over-handed and it landed in about the middle of the web. As the beetle struggled futilely, I saw other much smaller spiders start to descend away from the web, like they wanted to get out of the way of something. Then from a crack in the old building it was living in, the giant freaking spider crawled out and shuffled quickly to the beetle. At last I saw it in daylight. Freaked me OUT. It wrapped the beetle and then after a few moments, carried the thing about 3/4 its size back to the building and up into its crack to eat. Wow. Not only do I feed meat to Chau, the starving dog, but also live creatures to starving spiders. I’m a vegetarian?