Waltz for Luma

Score Downloads on YouTube

2011-12-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I just wanted to apologize for all of the broken links on the blog, since I've been receiving a lot of comments about them lately. Please check my YouTube channel for links to all of my scores, and follow me on Facebook and Twitter for more frequent updates regarding new covers and original pieces.

I've also rounded up every video game arrangement I've made between 2008-2010 into this video - please click through to find the list of links to the downloads.

“Zanarkand Sundown” Video, from Final Fantasy X

2011-07-27T10:56:00.000-07:00

My take on “To Zanarkand” from Final Fantasy X, composed by Nobuo Uematsu. There are a lot of great covers of this song out there already, so I wanted to do something a little more... my style :]

Reharmonized and spliced the original melody up quite a bit here, plus minor improv and a brief meter change - hope you enjoy! And apologies, but there is no actual video for this piece. To copy and paste what I told someone: it takes me months to practice for a video, yet only hours to come up with an arrangement... I figure if I sacrifice the videos now and then, I can cover more songs!

Download the MP3 here.

“Planet Wisp” Video, from Sonic Colors

2011-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

“Planet Wisp” composed by Kenichi Tokoi, from the amazing Sonic Colors soundtrack. I’m crazy excited that I had the chance to collaborate with one of my favorite musicians in the universe, Dave Harris (aka Blitz Lunar), an extremely talented sequencer and composer. He transcribed the entire “Planet Wisp” theme (by ear, of course) and I performed the piano part and solos alongside it.

Did you catch the Green Hill Zone reference in the piano? How about pixel Sonic on the right (inspired by http://snakestitch.wordpress.com)?

Download the MP3 here, and be sure to check out Dave’s YouTube channel and website.

As an aside, I started out in the game music community as a MIDI sequencer in the late 90’s, submitting transcriptions of videogame pieces to the Video Game Music Archive. (You can still find a lot of my work there under the alias Sirius. Don’t laugh too hard! I was super young.) I have a lot of admiration and respect for sequencers, as it requires both precision with one’s ear and precision in execution, which in turn requires a command of the technology. Dave and I started talking because of our common history with vgmusic.com (and our common adoration for soundtracks like Bomberman 64) and it’s been an absolute pleasure to get to work with someone who I share some sensibilities with. Plus, I get to show my appreciation for an art form that’s quite sentimental to me, and I wouldn’t be here today without it!

I Got Hit by a Mink Car

2011-07-02T16:57:00.001-07:00

Awhile ago, I was invited to be a part of the Mink Car Cover project with 18 other amazing artists (including Mustin of The OneUps, Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics, MC Frontalot, my almost-roommate Jonathan Mann of SONGATRON, and many more!) The original Mink Car album by They Might Be Giants was released on September 11, 2001, the day of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. We’ll be covering all of Mink Car and proceeds will go to the FDNY Foundation.

I’m so honored to be in the company of all these great artists that I’ve admired from afar. For the TMBG fans out there, the track that I’m doing is “Mink Car” itself as a piano solo. I’m really excited for the whole project! Check out http://minkcarcover.com to read about the project’s background, the artists, and to pre-order the album.

In other news, I’m working on a really cool duet with Dave Harris (aka Blitz Lunar), one of my favorite people in the universe. Red Burst, Yellow Drill, Orange Rocket, Green Hover, Blue Cube, Purple Frenzy, White Boost - can you guess what game soundtrack we’ll be performing from?

Happy 4th of July, American friends! Hope you all enjoy the holiday on Monday!

“Basic Step” Video, from Wii Fit

2011-06-24T10:28:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. Here’s something I recorded last month:

I couldn’t resist. The “Basic Step” theme from Wii Fit is incredibly catchy and charming, and I kept giggling to myself when I came up with the idea. (Notice anything different? I moved... and got a new keyboard! Say hello to my new home and my new Roland.) I had way too much fun with this arrangement! Hope you enjoy.

MP3 available here.

Some announcements and minor changes: the Blogspot URL of this blog will now redirect to http://blog.aivitran.com, and the menu on the top left should tie into my main portfolio site, plus links to my Twitter and YouTube pages. I’m hoping to create one central hub for my work, rather than many auxiliary sites that I sporadically update and randomly direct people to.

Finally - and I feel so narcissistic about this! - I started a Facebook page as another way to get in touch. I get a lot of friend requests and I feel really bad about turning them down (we all want a little bit of privacy, after all) so I hope that this will make things easier.

That’s all for now! It’s been a very busy month for me, and I hope I can show off more music very soon. Thanks again for all of your wonderful words and support, even when I seem to be in “sleep mode”!

“The Legend of Zelda Theme” Video

2011-03-02T01:15:00.000-08:00

The famous Legend of Zelda theme, in honor of Zelda’s 25th anniversary last week! This arrangement is largely inspired by the Koholith Overworld from Link’s Awakening, my favorite rendition of the LoZ theme (with a sprinkle of Ocarina of Time in the intro and Link to the Past at the end).

In the interest of time, I edited the audio in a few places that I was unhappy with instead of re-recording, so the sound may look off from the video in spots. Regardless of its flaws, I hope it’s still fun to listen to!

Musical Sketches: “Butterfly” and “Basic Step”

2011-02-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

Are you a night owl or an early bird? I’m starting to think that I'm a little of both...

My boss at the music school asked me if I feel more creative during the day or the odd hours of the night. Many of my fellow music teachers have all mentioned that the magic happens at night, and I definitely agree that there’s just something about the night, having had my share of sessions where I actually see the sun rise while composing - but I feel inspired during the day, too! You’d think that after all this time, I’d know my own creative process, but I don’t. I guess I’m just a 24-hour music machine.

I did sort of notice something, though. I listened to a few songs that I recorded/composed at night, and then ones that I created during the day. It seems like the music that I make at night tends to be more fun, risky, free and uninhibited, while the music that I make during the day is controlled and concise.

I recorded two new sketches this month. They both took about the same amount of time. And here’s the fun part... one of them was recorded during the middle of the day, and the other was recorded in the middle of the night!

Butterfly
February 1, 2011

My “day” piece. This is a short idea for a new track that I came up with. I started with a minimal piano line, then threw some strings over it, although I’m not sure how much I like them. The piano part stays for sure, though! No particular reason behind this - I just felt like composing.

Wii Fit: Basic Step Improv
February 9, 2011

My “night” piece, an improvisation on the irresistibly cute “Basic Step” theme from Wii Fit. I was having way too much fun jamming on this tune. If you’ve never heard the original theme, check it out here. (I haven’t played Wii Fit for about two years, but I used to love doing the Basic Step just for the music! It’s certainly not DDR, but I’d still go all out and rock out anyway, while staying in step. It definitely makes my list of favorite video game tracks.)

Hope you enjoy!

“Rainbow Castle” Video, from Mario Party

2011-01-19T02:59:00.000-08:00

My take on “Rainbow Castle” from Mario Party for the Nintendo 64, composed by Yasunori Mitsuda. I loved the Mario Party soundtrack as a child, and this board’s theme was my favorite. (Fun fact: when I was in 8th grade, I submitted a MIDI of this piece to the Video Game Music Archive!)

For anyone who’s interested, you can download the MP3 here. Hope you enjoy!

Musical Sketches: “Assault” and “Feldschlacht III”

2010-10-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

I took a Masashi Hamauzu day recently, and I thought I’d share the results with you guys.

FFX Piano Collections: Assault
September 28, 2010

A 30-second test run I recorded of “Assault” from the FFX Piano Collections, composed and arranged by Masashi Hamauzu. I’ve been practicing this one a lot, and think I’ve mostly gotten the hang of it! I give it another month or so. (Also, I lost the sheet music last week, which is forcing me to play from memory and make up notes that I can’t remember for the life of me... sounds about right.) This one makes my right arm sore after an hour, but the way both hands fly around is so satisfying.

SaGa Frontier II: Improvisation on Feldschlacht III
September 28, 2010

I’ve been on a long SaGa Frontier II soundtrack kick, and among the fantastic stand-out tracks that I listen to a lot (like “Vorspiel” and “Arranguer”), most of my attention has been on “Feldschlacht III”. I go through entire commutes to and from work with Feldschlacht on repeat (and I even learned how to spell it!) The result of my gushing love is a short improvisation that I sat down and recorded. It's messy, but I like how it turned out for a sit-down-for-one-minute-and-wing-it track and think it has potential for a full-fledged arrangement.

More of my sketches here. Happy October, everyone! (Where did this year go?)

Someday, I’ll Tame This Beast

2010-09-16T16:06:00.000-07:00

“Piano Fantasia” Video, from Secret of Mana

2010-09-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

What’s going on here, two posts in one day?!

This is a simple medley I made to cheer a friend up a long time ago, with some themes that I like. I decided to call it a “fantasia” because I was sort of winging it as I went along (quick terminology lesson: a “fantasia” is a musical composition with a more free structure, and it often has an improvisatory feel, sometimes sounding abrupt when it moves between sections. In short, it’s a piece where the composer does whatever he darn feels like.) I really like how it came out.

Secret of Mana has one of the most amazing game soundtracks, and even though I haven’t played the game, the music is incredibly inspirational to me. The themes I used in the medley are “Together Always”, “Color of the Summer Sky”, “Fear of Angels” and “A Bell is Tolling.”

(You can tell what piece I love the most by the fact that I spent a whole 2 minutes on it, hehe.)

Musical Sketches: “Time Circuits” and “Into the Thick of It”

2010-09-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Wow, I’ve been so busy in real life, between teaching piano 6 days a week and then when I’m not working, I’m still working (freelance composing). Unfortunately, that means almost zero time to arrange new pieces, write new scores, and practice. But I finally figured out a way to get around that: post things I’ve already made, but have never shared with anyone before.

I put up a new back-door-page on my portfolio site called Musical Sketches, where I’ve posted a few rough recordings and ideas. It’s kind of like looking at doodles in an artist’s sketchbook, and sometimes that’s more fun; I think there’s a certain charm to seeing a piece of art when it’s unpolished and in a more “natural” state. Well, okay, I’m not sure if that applies to me, but hopefully someone will feel that way about my pieces!

So... enough talking! Let me show you some music.

Into the Thick of It
December 19, 2009

This is a rough recording (or as I was calling it, a “draft of a draft”) of “Into the Thick of It,” a fantastic piece from Secret of Mana by Hiroki Kikuta. If you remember my pal Alex from Dragon Roost Island, this was our second planned duet that we never got around to finishing up. We recorded this to feel out the structure of the arrangement, but even for a “draft of a draft,” I think it turned out nicely. Hope you like it, too! Piano by me; guitars and drums by Alex. The drums were influenced by “Did You See the Ocean” - mmm, two birds with one stone.

Time Circuits
February 28, 2010

This is, hands down, my favorite song from a videogame. I adore it so much, and it even inspired me to play Chrono Trigger. “Time Circuits” is such a unique piece for a game - the instrumentation is exotic, with tabla, sitar and what sounds like some sort of gamelan instrument, yet the notes themselves aren’t “exotic” at all, carrying a sound that’s much more familiar. The result is a beautiful kind of tension, something that instantly inspires the fantastic feeling of far-off worlds and bittersweet nostalgia all at once.

Anyway, this is a little piano sketch that I recorded of it awhile ago. I really like where it’s headed, and I’ll definitely finish it sometime!

Feel free to check out the Musical Sketches page for some original pieces, too. As usual, please enjoy!

A Rainbow is a Smile (Turned Upside Down)

2010-06-08T02:02:00.000-07:00

As a person who’s capable of absorbing a lot of complicated, convoluted music, I’m surprised by how much joy I still find in the simplest of melodies. And I mean simple. When I’m not busy composing for clients and listening to my own pieces as I edit them, you’ll likely catch me listening to “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”

It’s not as creepy as it sounds. I have over twenty piano students at the moment, and the vast majority of them are beginners, so I end up listening to these kinds of tunes for a few hours everyday. Maybe it’s because I’ve been having some bad days on the composing front (long story short: I feel like I’m forsaking my soul to write music that I disagree with), but listening to children’s songs has been cheering me up.

One of my eight-year-old students today was learning a piece called, “A Rainbow is a Smile (Turned Upside Down)” composed by Nancy Faber, from the Piano Adventures series. It’s a cute melody on its own, but when I sat down beside her to play the teacher accompaniment, my heart swelled and I started getting emotional over how pretty and uplifting everything sounded. I liked it so much that I even made up some excuse for us to play it together again. (“Let’s focus on the dynamics this time!”)

I don’t care if it’s a primer level piece written for an eight-year-old. I would happily play that duet with any (and all) of my friends.

“Fina’s Theme” Video and Sheet Music, from Skies of Arcadia

2010-04-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, I received a request to play “Fina’s Theme” from Skies of Arcadia. I’d never heard it before, but upon first listen, I absolutely loved it and wanted to cover it someday. This was fun to arrange and I took a lot of creative liberties with it, even composing my own melody at 1:21. Hope you enjoy!

Fina’s Theme
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced
Info: My interpretation of the lovely piece from Skies of Arcadia. (hear the original.)

“Zora’s Domain” Sheet Music, from Zelda: Ocarina of Time

2010-04-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

You asked – and here it is, finally. Enjoy!

Zora’s Domain
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: A relaxing piece first heard in Ocarina of Time, that appears in several Zelda games. (Watch me play it or hear the original.)

Space Junk, No. 1 & 2

2010-04-14T02:25:00.000-07:00

I never wanted to be one of those kids who’d open up GarageBand, lay down tracks in twenty minutes, then call the end result music, but admittedly I’ve been dabbling in exactly that – and it’s so much fun.

These are two short melodies that I improvised, both strangely in the middle of the night. Think of them like an artist’s doodles in a sketchbook. I’m calling them “Space Junk” because 1) the name seems appropriate to my love for Super Mario Galaxy, 2) the two improvisations are named after celestial bodies, and 3) the songs are junk. They make me smile, though.

No. 1: “Hello Moon”
December 30, 2009

This was my first time messing around on GB. I won’t lie, there was a little bit of Bomberman and Mega Man on the brain.

The first thing I “doodled” was the chordal texture, then the drums, melody, and lastly the twinkling countermelody. The idea here (and with my thought process in general) is something that my dad taught me about prioritizing: imagine trying to fill a jar with stones, pebbles, and sand. The most productive way to do that is to start with the larger stones, then fill in the gaps between them with the pebbles, and finally, when the sand is poured into the jar, it’ll naturally fill in the rest of the holes. For me, texture and harmony are the stones, and my main priorities: they determine the overall feel and movement within a piece. The pebbles are the melody: of course I value a good melody, but I think a line of single notes provides a lot more flexibility than a line of chords. And finally, the countermelody is the sand: its main role is to complement all of the elements that are already there.

This method of composing seems better suited to certain kinds of music (like GB doodles) but it works for me, especially when I want to get an idea out there quickly.

No. 2: “Skylights and Stars”
February 6, 2010

I remember waking up in the middle of the night, feeling a little sad. I ended up opening my laptop and recording this tune, before falling asleep again. I think my subconscious influence here was the Tekkon Kinkreet soundtrack by Plaid (which is fantastic, I should mention.)

It’s pretty fun to see how I make music when I’m sleepy and uninhibited. Thank you, GarageBand!

Reason For My Treason: Blood Knight

2010-04-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I wanted to apologize for my silence over the past few months – I promise I haven’t left you all. I’ve been a little swamped by life’s happenings and musical projects, and it’s been quite exciting around here!

Since December, I’ve been working on the music team for an upcoming game called Blood Knight, an epic RPG for the iPhone being developed by iPwn Studios. My partner in crime is my good friend Stuart Nishiyama, along with other talented musicians who contribute and keep us in check. It’s been an interesting experience so far – sometimes smooth, sometimes extremely stressful when there are aesthetic disagreements and tight constraints over our creative liberty. But this soundtrack is turning out to be cool, and I have no doubt that everyone’s hard work will pay off.

So I’m still around, and I’ll post new covers to YouTube as soon as I get a chance to practice and record them. There are a lot of great videogame tunes on my queue and I hope you’ll all enjoy what's to come, when it comes. Thanks for all of your patience and support and see you soon! ♥

(Side note: I’ve been trying to be more active on Twitter, so feel free to get in touch if you want to say hi or see what ol’ me has been up to.)

“Palace” Sheet Music, from Zelda: Adventure of Link

2009-11-28T20:49:00.000-08:00

I’ve received a few requests to transcribe the sheet music for my Zelda Palace arrangement, so hopefully those of you who’ve been waiting for it will enjoy.

Palace
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: This arrangement was mostly inspired by the “Hyrule Temple” theme from Super Smash Brothers Melee. I threw in the notes for the Zelda “secret sound” at the end, too. (Watch me play it or hear the original from the Legend of Zelda: Adventure of Link.)

Masashi Hamauzu: “Defiers of Fate” from Final Fantasy XIII

2009-11-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

(4/13/10: A higher quality audio sample of the theme is out there now, as well as its proper title, so I’ve updated this post to reflect my new finds.)

This piece is so cool! Even though I’ve only played one and a half Final Fantasy games, I’m excited for this soundtrack. I’m a fan of FFX’s music, which Masashi Hamauzu co-composed with Nobuo Uematsu and Junya Nakano. Apparently Masashi Hamauzu is working on the FFXIII soundtrack without Nobuo Uematsu.

“Defiers of Fate,” FFXIII’s trailer theme, composed by Masashi Hamauzu.

I love the blend of electronic and orchestral elements here. Both genres involve a very different palette of sounds and thought process for piecing those sounds together, but they fit together seamlessly in this piece and the composer clearly is fluent in them both. It sets up such a colorful sound world. (The bass accents kind of remind me of Nobuo Uematsu’s music, particularly the Menu Theme from Super Smash Brothers Brawl.)

Since I seem to like Final Fantasy music when Masashi Hamauzu is involved, I started looking into his other works, like the SaGa Frontier 2 soundtrack. I’m finding that I like just about everything I hear of his; at a glance, his music seems to be piano-oriented and mixes a lot of light electronic textures with heavy ambient chords and orchestral sounds. (Did I mention before that I’m a fan of light, “sparkly” sounds?) I think I’ve found a new favorite composer!

Covers in Progress: “Assault” and “Gusty Garden Galaxy”

2009-11-20T01:59:00.000-08:00

It’s been slow around here again, hasn’t it? I’ve been working on a few small projects, both as a personal hobby and for clients.

On the YouTube end, I’m trying to decide what song to cover next. At the moment, “Assault” from the FFX Piano Collections is the farthest along, though I still have a long way to go before I can perform it.

“Assault” from the FFX Piano Collections, a beautiful piano arrangement of the original, composed/arranged by Masashi Hamauzu and performed by Aki Kuroda.

The other piece I’m working on is “Gusty Garden Galaxy” (by popular demand) though truth be told, I’m stuck! I’ve worked out an introduction that I like, but it’s tough recreating the sweeping emotions of the piece without an orchestra to back me up. I also want it to stand as a good piano arrangement rather than a simple imitation of the original, so we’ll see how this goes.

“Gusty Garden Galaxy” from Super Mario Galaxy, also considered the main theme of Mario Galaxy. I believe it was composed by Koji Kondo, but I’ve been known to credit everything to him and should probably check on that.*

*Thanks for correcting me, guys! I had a feeling I was giving Koji Kondo too much credit again! Mahito Yokota composed the Gusty Garden theme.

“Besaid Island” Video, from FFX Piano Collections

2009-10-13T22:16:00.000-07:00

Thoughts Here and There

2009-09-30T02:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven’t posted anything new in nearly a month. I’ve been a bit distracted lately, but I think I have good reasons! The biggest news is that I’m back to teaching piano. It’s nice to have a consistent work schedule, and with my hobby as an arranger-transcriber, I can easily assign pieces that my students are interested in.

My second bit of news is that Alex introduced me to FF6, my second Final Fantasy. I’m sure many of you already realize this, but THIS GAME IS AMAZING. We recently completed the famous opera scene, which left me awestruck. After experiencing the inventiveness and sheer variety of characters and things to do, backed by a beautiful soundtrack (and feeling like I’ve only scratched the surface of the story) I feel inspired and ashamed that I’ve never played it before. I’m not very far in the game yet, but if things continue on like this, I think FF6 could easily sit among my favorites.

The most striking piece of music for me so far has been the “Serpent Trench” theme. It’s such a cool orchestral sound for a video game, and I can’t imagine many situations in any RPG that would allow a piece of music like this. Walking-pace string pulses, flitting motifs, unusual chords that give it somewhat of a surreal tone... I love it!

“Serpent Trench” from Final Fantasy VI, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.

And the third reason why I haven’t uploaded a new video is because I’ve been unhappy and picky. For awhile now, I’ve been practicing “Besaid Island” from the FFX Piano Collections. I memorized the notes about a month ago and can get from point A to B, but rather than “reciting” the piece from memory, I’d like to be “fluent” in it, to where it feels completely effortless. I do feel like I’m close to nailing it, though, so I’ll try to post it soon.

(Somewhat unrelated, I’ve also been teaching myself “Rufus’ Welcoming Ceremony” from the FF7 Piano Collections and Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G Minor, which now that I think about it, have quite a few similarities. I suppose I’m in a chord-smashing mood.)

“Dragon Roost Island” Video, from Zelda: Windwaker

2009-09-03T23:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve been dying to cover this song for a long time, and yesterday it finally happened. My friend Alex and I put our own spin on the “Dragon Roost Island” theme, arranging it for piano and guitar. We recorded separate tracks for the background strumming and three layers of clapping (three layers times four and a half minutes… you do the math! Our arms were so sore.)

We also made the video after recording the audio – trying to sync our performance was pretty darn funny.

This was a blast to work on, and I hope I’ll get to do more collaborations like this in the future!

“Rikku’s Theme” Video, from FFX Piano Collections

2009-08-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite arrangements by Masashi Hamauzu from the FFX Piano Collections, an adorable rendition of Rikku’s Theme with hints of bossa nova. I downloaded the sheet music from SODA Sheet Music and altered it a little bit for accuracy.

I also added an extra high E at the very end, which wasn’t in the original performance by Aki Kuroda. For some reason, it just felt right!

The FFX piano arrangements are very inspirational to me. I’d definitely like to take an example of their inventiveness when I make own game music arrangements in the future.

“Palace” Video, from Zelda: Adventure of Link

2009-08-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

The famous “Palace” music from Zelda II, a quick gift for a good friend. It’s a simple arrangement that only took about 15 minutes to come up with, but it’s been awhile since I’ve posted a video, so why not?

Despite my silence on YouTube, I’ve been working on a number of videogame arrangements – the ideas on my to-do list have just been taking some time to write and practice. In fact, I met up with the multi-talented Alex Culang yesterday (one of the artists behind the Buttersafe webcomic, and a multi-talented musician) to jam on our Dragon Roost Island arrangement. I’m also working on a monstrous Melty Molten Galaxy duet with Zach Sershon (zachpiano on YouTube). So, keep your eyes and ears open!

A Custom Boss Battle Medley

2009-08-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

The last time I put together a Boss Battle Medley, I picked songs that my friend Mike and I enjoyed mutually since it was a gift to him. He’s familiar with a lot of SNES/Playstation RPGs that I’ve never played, like Final Fantasy, Chrono Cross and Secret of Mana.

Between the “you have good taste” comments I received about it, I began to realize with guilt that the medley didn’t quite capture my taste, since I was arranging it for someone else. I started to wonder what I’d put in my own boss battle medley, were I arranging one as a gift to myself. After coming up with a list of songs, I’ve decided that the end result would sound... interesting. Even awful. Or maybe amazingly epic. It’s hard to tell.

I’d open with “The Extreme” from Final Fantasy VIII, using the introductory section between 0:19-1:40. I also like the sound of 3:16-3:48.

I’d want to play something crazy, like “Danger” from Secret of Mana.

Or the lick at 0:44 from “Meridian Dance.”

Somewhere in the medley, I’d try to squeeze in the “Decisive Battle” from FFX, as featured in the Piano Collections.

I’d also include several boss battles that were definitely not meant to be played on the piano.

“Dark Beast Ganon” from Zelda: Twilight Princess.

“VS Altair (Part 2)” from Bomberman 64.

“Master Hand” from the original Super Smash Brothers.

“Smithy Battle (Part 2)” from Super Mario RPG.

Some medley that would be, huh?

waltzforluma MP3s on last.fm

2009-08-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

I’ve noticed that several people rip MP3s from my YouTube videos, so I’ll try to make things easier for you guys and post the high-quality stereo files. Look out for a “Videogame Piano Covers” album on my last.fm profile:

http://last.fm/music/Aivi+Tran

I also put up some original compositions for free download, so feel free to snag those if you’re interested. I’ll add a lot more music once I get some decent recordings.

“Alone in Kyoto” by Air

2009-08-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

This summer has been full of new experiences for me, and I owe my long absence to a few things. Back in June, I went to Germany to visit family and spent a week sightseeing around Italy. And last week, I took a spontaneous road trip up to Portland, Oregon with Ryan for fun. (And it was fun. During our final night there, we went to Jimmy Mak’s jazz club and kicked back with some drinks. I need to get out to jazz clubs more often...)

During the 10-hour car ride between San Francisco and Portland, I kept hitting repeat on a song by Air that I’ve never paid much attention to and now find myself head-over-heels for: “Alone in Kyoto” from Talkie Walkie. The song is calm and contemplative with a steady, pulsing rhythm and has a lovely detached texture, mixing the short sounds of guitar/piano/pitched percussion with longer, sustained electronic ones. It was also written for one of my favorite films, Lost in Translation.

Maybe it’s my piano bias, but I love sharp attack/quick decay and “sparkly” sounds like piano and guitar. Also, “Alone in Kyoto” strikes me as something that more modern RPG music should resemble, and I mean that as a compliment.

“Alone in Kyoto” by Air, set to a scenic video.

Gonzales’s “Solo Piano” Album

2009-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I are big fans of Canadian music. By that, I mean that a lot of the artists that we like happen to be from there, like Metric, Reverie Sound Revue, Feist, and Peaches, to name a few.

We noticed that both Feist and Peaches often collaborate with an artist called Gonzales, so finally we decided to explore his other works. I was pleasantly surprised by who and what I found: a pianist.

Jason Beck’s (aka Gonzales’) album Solo Piano, released in 2005, is a collection of short piano works, performed by Gonzales himself. The pieces are moody and minimalistic in nature, at times resembling the works of composers like Erik Satie. I encourage you to check out Gonzales’s piano music if you’re into Satie, or even film composers like Yann Tiersen. For the pianists out there, there’s a sheet music book as well.

Gonzales performing “Gogol.” This piece was used in one of my favorite films, Paris je t’aime.

E3 2009 Trailer for Super Mario Galaxy 2

2009-06-02T16:11:00.001-07:00

I can’t tell you how excited I am. Looks like Yoshi will play a major part!

Updates & Projects

2009-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

It’s been slow around these parts, so I figured I’d share what I’ve been up to. Two weeks ago, I composed music for Rozen Maiden, a short film by a graduate student in Hong Kong named Nanami Cen. It’s my first film soundtrack so I’m excited! I posted two of the tracks in the new Film Music section of my web portfolio.

I’ve also been updating the rest of my site slowly, adjusting the layout and trying to finish up my recordings. (I just learned that IE slaughters my CSS code, ugh!) I haven’t had much time for YouTube because of this, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some projects swimming around. I’ve been toying with these ideas:

“Dragon Roost Island” from Windwaker (possible piano/guitar duet)
“Melty Molten Galaxy” from SMG (possible duet with zachpiano)
“Overworlds of Zelda” medley, featuring themes from OoT, Windwaker, TP, LttP, and LA
FFX Piano Collections

Hopefully I’ll have something new to show off soon!

Motivic Transformation

2009-05-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

Small homework assignment from my sophomore theory class. The exercise was to take a pattern of notes – a “motif” – and spin it into an entire piece, by writing it backwards, forwards, higher, lower, in a different rhythm, etc. Hence the title of the assignment, “Motivic Transformation.”

I use a few motifs, but my main motif is only 4 notes long. To the composers out there: remember that one small idea can take you very far, so if you’re stuck, recycle!

A Taste of the Dark Side: Music from the 20th Century

2009-05-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, one of my friends asked me to recommend some classical music that “wasn’t puppies and rainbows.” Inspired by this little interaction (and feeling a little huffy that the Bartók I sent in response was too much to handle) I wanted to share some of my favorite 20th century works, an era notorious in my theory classes for its “dark” qualities.

Dmitri Shostakovich
String Quartet No. 8: III. Allegretto
(1960)

Shostakovich dedicated this string quartet to the victims of totalitarianism in Russia. As with much of his music, it’s both beautiful and grotesque. Performed by the Kronos Quartet.

Igor Stravinsky
Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring): Act II – “Cercles Mystérieux des Adolescentes” and “Glorification de l'Elue”
(1913)

The Rite of Spring is a ballet about a primitive ritual, in which a young girl dances herself to death in sacrifice. It’s a staple of 20th century music, and caused a riot on its opening night in 1913.

Bela Bartók
String Quartet No. 4: I. Allegro
(1927)

We studied this quartet in my third year of college, as an example of arch form and a different way to approach tonality. Performed by the Takács Quartet.

Arnold Schoenberg
Pierrot Lunaire (Moonstruck Pierre): Part II - VIII. Die Nacht
(1912)

Performed by Christine Schäfer.

George Crumb
Black Angels: I. Departure
(1970)

Crumb composed Black Angels for electric string quartet, influenced by the Vietnam War. The opening part is called “Threnody I: Night of the Electric Insects.” Performed by the Kronos Quartet.

“Midna’s Desperate Hour” Video, from Zelda: Twilight Princess

2009-04-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

A somber piano piece from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. It plays once in the game, when Link carries the wounded Midna to see Princess Zelda.

Fun fact: the entire melody is just the Hyrule Field theme with Midna’s theme interjected, over an arpeggiated reharmonization.

Same Sky Video Blog

2009-04-27T16:37:00.000-07:00

Eddy Fattig a.k.a. D3stinySm4sher featured my work in his videogame video blog, Same Sky! He introduces his VG music spotlight and my Super Mario Galaxy arrangements at 3:14.

Eddy is currently a Reviews Editor at Zentendo.com. I believe this is his first time venturing into the world of vlogging, so head on over to his YouTube page and give him a couple stars and some feedback about what you’d like to see in his future videos.

Final Fantasy X Piano Collections, by Masashi Haumazu

2009-04-25T13:49:00.000-07:00

I confess: the only Final Fantasy game I’ve played is FF4, but I’m pretty familiar with the music in the series. I need to spill my love for this gorgeous album that I finally got my hands on.

The Final Fantasy Piano Collections is a series of piano arrangements from the games. These arrangements sometimes adhere closely to their original inspiration, and other times they take on their own adaptations.

The tracks from the Final Fantasy X Piano Collections mostly fall into the second type. Arranged by Masashi Hamauzu and performed by Aki Kuroda, these piano pieces are beautiful, intimate, and remarkably inventive versions of the original melodies. Some tracks seem to draw influence from late romantic and early 20th century works like Debussy’s piano preludes (an era I’m in love with, I should mention!)

The “Besaid Island” theme from the game has an ambient melody that repeats itself. This imaginative piano version flips that motif inside out, transforming those few notes into a lovely musical piece.

The gentle charm of “Rikku’s Theme” is brought to the higher ranges of the piano with hints of bossa nova.

The planing chords of “Song of Prayer” are reminiscent of the mythical splendor of “The Sunken Cathedral” by Debussy.

“Waltz for Debby” by Bill Evans

2009-04-11T17:13:00.000-07:00

Videogame music isn’t the only kind of music that inspires me, believe it or not. I wanted to share one of my favorite songs today – “Waltz for Debby” by the legendary Bill Evans, one of the sweetest melodies I know of. My boyfriend introduced me to Bill Evans a few years ago, and I quickly came to love his lyrical piano melodies. This piece is a musical portrait of Bill Evans’ niece, and originally appeared as a piano solo on his debut album, New Jazz Conceptions.

The Bill Evans Trio performs “Waltz for Debby.”

Also, in this video, Monica Zetterlund rehearses the vocal version of “Waltz for Debby” with the Bill Evans Trio. I’m not sure of the lyrics since I unfortunately don’t speak Swedish, but this is the lovely English version:

In her own sweet world
Populated by dolls and clowns
And a prince and a big purple bear
Lives my favorite girl,
Unaware of the worried frowns
We weary grown-ups all wear.
In the sun, she dances to silent music,
Songs that are spun of gold
Somewhere in her own little head.
Someday all too soon,
She'll grow up and she'll leave her dolls
And her prince and that silly old bear.
When she goes, they will cry
As she whispers “Good-bye.”
They will miss, her I fear
But then so will I.

“Good Egg Galaxy” Video and Sheet Music, from Super Mario Galaxy

2009-04-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

I’ve been sick and holed up in my room for the last few days, but somehow I managed to find the energy to perform the “Good Egg Galaxy” theme. This is the first Super Mario Galaxy song that I transcribed to sheet music, back when the game just came out. The arrangement has gone through a lot of changes since then, as I’ve become familiar with the music and a little more confident in myself as a pianist. Hope you enjoy it!

Good Egg Galaxy
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Advanced
Info: Version 3, updated to match what I play in the video. Smash your piano appropriately. (Hear the original.)

“Wind Waker Unplugged” Video, by Fredrik Larsson

2009-03-31T00:50:00.000-07:00

Many Zelda games seem to possess their own musical flavor, from the Chinese opera-inspired soundtrack of Majora’s Mask, to the melancholy digital sounds of Midna’s world in Twilight Princess. Even though I haven’t played much of the game itself, the charming Celtic-inspired music of The Wind Waker has grown to be one of my favorite Zelda soundtracks.

I found this one-man band medley video of mostly Wind Waker themes by Freddie25 on YouTube, and I can’t help but to feel awed and inspired long after the final chord.

“To the Gateway” Sheet Music and Video, from Super Mario Galaxy

2009-03-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

To the Gateway
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: This peaceful theme is heard in Gateway Galaxy, and the first time you enter the Comet Observatory. Watch out for all those sharps and double-sharps! (Hear the original.)

“Buoy Base Galaxy” Video #2, from Super Mario Galaxy

2009-03-26T01:21:00.000-07:00

My second attempt at “Buoy Base Galaxy,” with less mistakes, fuller chords, and fewer bleeding thumbs than my first video. The quality of the first one bothers me, so I’m mostly just pleasing myself here. (Though, I rush in this one... I’ll never be happy!)

Organizing the Library

2009-03-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

If you see any drastic changes around here, don’t be alarmed – I’m just trying to get cozy. First of all, I posted some information about song/sheet music requests, so if there’s a song you’d like me to play or make sheet music for, check it out.

Secondly, I categorized my sheet music by difficulty level. I took a lot of things into consideration when I was judging the difficulty of each arrangement, and this is generally what I came up with (keep in mind that these are just guidelines, everyone is different):

Beginner sheet music is intended for pianists who are learning the ropes and have been playing for around a year or two.
Intermediate sheet music is intended for pianists who usually play for fun, have a few years of experience, and are pretty comfortable with reading music.
Advanced sheet music is intended for pianists who have been studying seriously for awhile and are more technically capable.

Lastly, I’ve been working on a lot of Super Mario Galaxy arrangements over the past few weeks, so you SMG fans can be expect some goodies in the days to come.

“Midna’s Desperate Hour” Sheet Music, from Zelda: Twilight Princess

2009-03-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

I received a few requests to perform “Midna’s Desperate Hour” from Twilight Princess on YouTube, so I transcribed it to sheet music a few months ago in preparation.

Midna’s Desperate Hour
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: A somber piano piece that occurs when Link carries the weakened, wounded Midna to see Princess Zelda. (Hear the original.)

I’m more likely to transcribe a simple piano piece than an orchestral one, even though playing complex music from sheet music seems more helpful. With orchestral pieces, I like having the freedom to choose what instruments and musical textures to accent, and I interpret the original differently each time I perform it. Transcribing notes to paper is difficult when I don’t have a specific plan (as opposed to something like the “Boss Battle Piano Medley” arrangement.)

On the other hand, when the original piece is a piano solo, I try to replicate it note-for-note, which makes writing sheet music more helpful. That being said, please enjoy “Midna’s Desperate Hour.”

Super Mario Galaxy, Sheet Music Set: Part II

2009-03-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

I’ve gotten a lot of score requests for these two songs, so here they are at last. Enjoy!

Buoy Base Galaxy
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Advanced
Info: An epic orchestral piece from Super Mario Galaxy, based on my video cover. (Watch me play it, or hear the original.)

Rosalina’s Story/Sad Story
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: An arrangement combining “Rosalina’s Story” and “Sad Story.” These two themes play during Rosalina’s story readings in the library. (Watch me play it, or watch the original story reading.)

“Boss Battle 2” Video, from Star Fox 64

2009-03-05T00:49:00.000-08:00

Three days in a row! This one goes out to my fellow sort-of-old-school gamers. My gaming roots lie in the N64 - it was only a matter of time before I indulged.

Super Mario Galaxy, Sheet Music Set: Part I

2009-03-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Comet Observatory (Reduced Version)
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: The simplified version of the Comet Observatory waltz; it sticks closer to the in-game version. (Hear the original.)

Comet Observatory (Full Version)
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Advanced
Info: The arrangement from my Comet Observatory Medley video. (Watch me play it, or hear the original.)

File Select
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Beginner
Info: The music that plays during the file select screen. This is good place to start if you’re just learning to read music or play piano! (Hear the original.)

This One’s for You

2009-02-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone for the kind comments on my blog and YouTube channel up to this point. I haven’t responded to all of them, but I promise that I read every single one! Sometimes I just feel shy about writing back and saying hello. I’ve only been on YouTube for a few months, and I’ve never “put myself out there” like this before, so I’m still getting used to receiving compliments and letters (and the occasional flame). Overall, I’d say I’ve gotten a friendly welcome to the internet. It’s encouraging to know that my work is appreciated, so thanks again for all your support. ♥

I’ve been pretty busy in “real life” for the past week. My friends and I just finished recording a piano-flute duet that I composed last year, featuring a real mic set-up, a real flute, and a real grand piano. We spent two days recording the piano part, two days on the flute, and one day mixing. I’m so excited – now that I have my recordings ready, I can put up my composition portfolio (and hopefully, a job will follow!) I owe my friends so much for this; it was a huge favor.

On the internet end of things, I’ve been getting “Buoy Base” sheet music requests every day (no joke) so I should probably get to that. I’ve also been practicing for my next video… I won’t say what it is exactly, but it’s an N64-era boss theme. I hope you’ll enjoy the things to come!

Fantasia for Ryan

2009-02-13T10:14:00.000-08:00

“Fantasia for Ryan” is a love song that I composed and performed on Valentine’s Day in 2006.

This piece was inspired by the music of Joe Hisaishi and a bit of jazz pianist Hiromi Uehara, two composers that the recipient of this piece and I both admire. I spliced this video in the middle, since I didn’t want to start over after messing up near the end of the piece (I’m short on time this week)... I also forgot to smile since I was a little nervous, but I’m always happy when I play this.

Chrono Trigger Piano Arrangements, by Zohar

2009-02-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I came across a very talented pianist who goes by zohar002 on YouTube. I was blown away by his Chrono Trigger piano works; his arrangements are rich, elaborate and creative interpretations that maintain the essence of the original melodies. For anyone who’s heard of the Final Fantasy Piano Collections, I think these arrangements are worthy of their own “Chrono Trigger Piano Collection.”

If you’re interested in some challenging but beautiful Chrono Trigger piano arrangements, I encourage you to check them out here (for both sheet music and MP3s): fffa123jp's Yahoo! Briefcase

In “Corridors of Time,” Zohar somehow manages to juggle all of the instrumental melodies between two hands, giving an epic touch to the bittersweet nostalgia of the original.

In “Secret of the Forest,” his delicate touch and embellishments evoke the sleepy mystery of Guardia Forest.

“Buoy Base Galaxy” Video, from Super Mario Galaxy

2009-01-20T16:53:00.000-08:00

The awesome “Buoy Base Galaxy” theme from Super Mario Galaxy. This is my first energetic piano cover on YouTube, and what an epic battle it was. My arms were sore, my fingertips felt raw and I cut my right thumb on the keys!

“Organization XIII” Sheet Music, from Kingdom Hearts II

2008-12-13T00:15:00.000-08:00

Organization XIII
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Info: A contemplative, deep piano theme from Kingdom Hearts II. The ending in this arrangement is borrowed from “Another Side,” an expanded version of the Organization XIII theme used in the Deep Dive trailer from KH: Final Mix.

“Jolly Roger Bay” Sheet Music, from Super Mario 64

2008-12-11T12:34:00.001-08:00

Jolly Roger Bay
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate
Info: This song is usually called “Dire, Dire Docks” after the more difficult water world, but I was terrified of that level as a kid, so I’ve always referred to it as JRB.

The syncopations in the sheet music can look intimidating, but if you ignore the exact note durations and play what feels right to you, it should sound fine, since the JRB theme has an improvisatory feel anyway. I just wanted to get as close to the original recording as I could.

Song/Sheet Music Requests

2008-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Do you take song requests?

I’m definitely open to suggestions, though it may take me awhile to get around to them. Please leave a comment or email me with the name of the song, what it is and where it’s from, and a link to where I can listen to it. (I prefer videogame music!)

Can you make sheet music for this song?

I make sheet music for most of the pieces that I perform on YouTube, but in case you can’t find what you’re looking for, here are a few things you can try:

1. Check sites like gamemusicthemes.com and sodasheetmusic.com to see if other arrangers have transcribed it already.
2. Search online to see if there is an official song book that you can purchase.
3. Leave a comment or email me asking (nicely, please - no whining and begging!)
4. Hire me to arrange it for you - just email me for more info!

Contact

2008-12-08T02:00:00.000-08:00

“Space Junk Galaxy” Video and Sheet Music, from Super Mario Galaxy

2008-11-19T18:37:00.000-08:00

The “Space Junk Galaxy” theme, one of my favorite songs from Super Mario Galaxy. I instantly fell in love with it when I heard it.

Space Junk Galaxy
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced
Info: The arrangement from my Space Junk Galaxy video. (Hear the original.)

I’m not sure if this has any place here, but this was a very emotional piece for me. My grandmother just passed away two weeks ago, and in the midst of this strange loneliness, I felt the need to play this sweet, beautiful song for both her and myself.

This was a heartfelt and therapeutic performance for me, and for those of you who enjoyed it, thank you very much.

The Enchanted Rose

2008-11-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

“The Enchanted Rose” is an alternate theme that I composed for the Beast’s Castle world from Kingdom Hearts II. I’m a fan of the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack by Alan Menken, and when I imagine the Beast’s Castle, I think of watery piano runs, haunting strings and gentle melodies. I was a little jolted by the crashing cymbals and fast pace of “Waltz of the Damned” from Kingdom Hearts, so I wanted to try composing something closer to Alan Menken’s enchanting soundtrack, while keeping the light-hearted bounce of Kingdom Hearts music.

Ever notice that the “Prologue” from Beauty and the Beast sounds a bit like “Aquarium” from Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals?

Sick Fingers

2008-11-13T11:18:00.001-08:00

Hello! I’m still alive; I’ve just been down and out. I have a few YouTube covers in line for when I’m feeling better, like an F-Zero medley and “Space Junk Galaxy,” which might be more appropriate for my sick fingers at the moment. Hopefully I’ll be back in shape soon!

“Freezeflame Galaxy” Video, from Super Mario Galaxy

2008-10-17T00:58:00.000-07:00

I was toying around with the idea of a “cold versus hot” medley, using the Freezeflame and Melty Molten Galaxy themes from Super Mario Galaxy. They complement each other so well – they’re in the same key and completely opposite in character. Freezeflame is sparse and electronic, while Melty Molten is epic and orchestral.

Sadly, I’ve been having trouble playing Melty Molten, so here’s Freezeflame Galaxy on the piano by itself.

“Boss Battle Piano Medley” Sheet Music and Video

2008-10-16T20:21:00.001-07:00

Boss Battle Piano Medley
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Advanced
Info: A monster medley of boss battles that I arranged last year, as a present for a friend. These pieces are included in the medley, however extensive or brief (click on them to hear the originals):
Dino Piranha (Super Mario Galaxy)
Zeromus (Final Fantasy IV)
Tatakau Mono Tachi (Final Fantasy VII/Advent Children)
Boss Battle 2 (Final Fantasy IV)
The Extreme (Final Fantasy VIII)
Meridian Dance (Secret of Mana)
World Revolution (Chrono Trigger)
Danger! (Secret of Mana)
The Brink of Death (Chrono Cross)
If you decide to perform this, please credit me for the arrangement. (It’d also be nice if you’d let me know where I can see you play it, though it’s not necessary.) Thanks!

“Song of Healing” and “Fairy Fountain” Sheet Music, from the Legend of Zelda Series

2008-10-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Two Zelda tunes for pianists of all skill levels!

Song of Healing
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Beginner-Intermediate
Info: From Majora’s Mask. I made this for one of my piano students (who played it beautifully! I was so proud of her.)

Fairy Fountain
Format: PDF
Difficulty: Advanced
Info: From Link to the Past, and heard in nearly every Zelda game after that.

“Shadow’s End Forest” Video, from Chrono Cross

2008-10-01T21:35:00.000-07:00

My arrangement of “Shadow’s End Forest” from Chrono Cross, for six hands (three pianos).

Fall of Innocence

2008-09-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

“Fall of Innocence” is a piano solo that I composed for my good friend, Dianne. When we were 17, she opened her heart to me and told me about her mother’s tragedy from her childhood. Inspired by her courageous smile after her loss, I wrote this while thinking of her.

“Comet Observatory Medley” Video, from Super Mario Galaxy

2008-09-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

My arrangement of the “Comet Observatory” theme, “Rosalina’s Story” and part of “Sad Story” from Super Mario Galaxy.

Zelda: Ocarina of Time Videos

2008-09-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

An OoT medley and cover of “Zora’s Domain,” performed by yours truly! OoT is a game that’s near and dear to my heart, and I’ve been playing a lot of these songs on my piano since childhood.

Music from Ponyo and the Mononoke Symphonic Suite, by Joe Hisaishi

2008-07-24T13:42:00.000-07:00

The new Miyazaki movie, Ponyo On A Cliff By The Sea came to theaters while I was in Japan! I wish I had known... I didn’t end up seeing it, but since I’m a big Joe Hisaishi fan, I picked up the soundtrack before I left Tokyo.

I’m a little disappointed because it’s not as melodically memorable as Hisaishi’s recent Ghibli soundtracks, but it still has lovely bits of his style and his richest orchestrations yet. I think my dismay comes from the movie itself, not Hisaishi’s talent - Ponyo seems to be geared toward a younger crowd than Miyazaki’s previous movies. As a result, its music sounds cheerful and heroic with open chords and harmonies, rather than mysterious and surprising like Hisaishi’s work on Spirited Away or elegant and breathtaking like that of Howl’s Moving Castle. The Ponyo soundtrack is still fantastic and has many gems; I was just hoping that more of it would be like his other music that I’ve come to love.

On another note (pun totally intended), I’ve been listening to Hisaishi’s Princess Mononoke Symphonic Suite a lot lately, specifically a track that I never paid attention to before - “The Forest of the Deer God.” It’s amazing. The Deer God’s theme in the movie is pretty simple, but the expanded symphonic version is a full exploration of the melody that borders on Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring.” When your favorite film composer is capable of writing music like that, it’s inspiring to know that great movie soundtracks and great classical music can exist in the same world.