Ant Bowles

Title:    Dance of the Project Managers

Composed by: Ant

Musicians: Ant

 Description: Written in 1999; a duet for 2 classical guitars

Ant says:

 

 I wrote this in '99 after taking some classical guitar lessons. I wanted to write a duet and I had this riff, which turned out to be in 7/4 time. It grew from there. I tried to incorporate motifs from one line into the other line but altered in some way. Originally I intended to use the live Minidisc recording I'd made with my guitar teacher but it had too much hiss. Ended up recording part 1 and overdubbing part 2 into the computer. The slightly strange sound is due to not having a decent enough mic so using the internal piezo pickup that the Alhambra Spanish guitar has.

The title refers to the incredible rise in the workers described as project managers in all areas of employment, but mainly in large firms, and the inversely proportional decline in traditional skilled workers. At one stage in my career as an engineer, I couldn't move for project managers trying to arrange my time, but couldn't find anyone to actually help me do the engineering.
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Title:    Only Me

Composed by: Ant
Musicians: Ant, Voices - Ciara & Ant Bowles Description: This is a piece scored in MIDI with additional voices and electric guitar

Ant says:

Written for this project, I started with several ideas, determined to use some of the composition techniques that Kerry and Ray might have used. As the composition proceeded, instinct and inspiration took over and deterministic techniques became less.

Most of the instruments are from the SoundBlaster Live sound card using free-on-the-Internet Soundfonts. I used Cakewalk Sonar V1.0's staff view to enter notes into the staff with the mouse. I don't play keyboards so playing the parts via a midi cable was out. After the file grew to over 2 minutes, I found Sonar 1.0 started entering notes that I didn't intend. If I entered a Quaver, it would add a whole Cadenza. Mostly this was annoying but once I left it in as it sounded OK. See if you can spot that one. In the end I upgraded to Sonar 3 which worked fine but I'd say I wasted 20 hours trying to sort out these software glitches. My Daughter, Ciara, took over on vocals after I felt unhappy with my own voice on the verses. In the background I whisper along with her.
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Lyrics

 This is about a dream I had. I walk out of the house in the night and into the woods. It's Autumn: toadstools, chilly breezes, damp, fallen leaves underfoot, a little stream trickling down the rocks; but the fairies are out, singing with the breeze, sitting on toadstools, talking to the trees. A gossamer figure takes my hand - my fairy guide, her hands are cold but amongst the eerie sounds of the woods I feel safe.

 

Only Me

Look who's come out tonight
There's a full moon and the stars are twinkling
Barefoot in the silken light
With wispy hair and eyes a blinking
Dazzled by my lantern, she wonders who it is
but it's only me, only me.

Greeted by an icy hand
It's Autumn and the leaves are rustling
The wind sings with a fairy band
She stares, her eyes so wide and trusting
It's not a white knight or your guardian angel
It's only me, yes only me.

-------
Dreams come to life in the night
Follow her down where fireflies beam
Shadows and sighs
The trees are talking 
Whispering on till dawn
The morning calls her on and on and on.
-------

Sitting at the water's edge
Breathing the breeze and toadstool scent
A stream trickles down a rocky ledge
Laughing and babbling on its descent
I hear a voice and wonder who it is 
"It's only me, only me"