ALBEDO Facebook Fan Page & New Album Coming Soon!

ALBEDO now has a new and improved Facebook Fan Page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ALBEDO/136188775570

      I've added two new tabs: “Free Streaming” and “Albums”. The Free Streaming tab (on the left under our picture) has links to where you can listen to our music online for free. It has has a few songs to listen to farther down the page. Under the “My Band” tab there are a lot more songs available to listen to without having to leave the safety and security that Facebook brings to all of us (Alright, maybe I won't go that far, but you can listen to a lot of songs without having to go to another website). The Albums tab features our latest two albums “Digital Fingers” and “7^th Heaven” along with links to iTunes, Amazon, Zune, etc. There is also a “Store” tab where you can find merchandise items like Ringtones, T-Shirts, and things of that nature.

      Here's some very exciting news. There will be a new ALBEDO album coming out soon! The project is called “Forgotten Lands” and will have select songs that I have written for a video game of the same name that will also be released soon. It was requested that I write a full orchestral score for the game, so that's what I've done. Like most video game music it will have a variety of different styles mixed in with the main orchestral works.

http://www.albedomusic.com/albedomusic.html

      If you would like to hear one of the songs from the soon to be released album, it's currently being featured on the “FREE MP3” page of the website. Just click on the link that says “Forgotten Lands”. It's a low quality mp3 of one of the first drafts of the song, but it gives you a basic idea of what the album will sound like. I will definitely be giving you more information about this album when it gets closer to being available. It's currently scheduled to be released by Thanksgiving of 2011. Which means I better get back to work, so that I can release it on schedule. Until next time!

http://www.albedomusic.com/freemp3.html

ALBEDO

http://albedomusic.com/albedo.html

Top Selling Indie Music

      I've recently added a new page to my website called “Top Selling Indie Music”. It's a list of the best selling music by Independent Artists, plus a few editor's picks. It features various genres and has links to their music on CD Baby's website. It currently has the top 5 of each genre, and will be expanded in the future to feature the top 10 and will have more genres added to it.

http://www.albedomusic.com/indiemusic.html

      I've also added a bunch more eBooks to my website. They're currently featured on the “Ebooks” page, and are only $1.99 each. You can download classic literature in PDF or EPUB format. You will be redirected after your payment to immediately download the file, and there is a 30-day money back guarantee if you buy it directly from us. There are also links to find them on Lulu's website. 

http://www.albedomusic.com/eBooks.html

      I would also like to inform you of a few collaboration projects I'm currently working on that will be available some time in the near future. First, I'm writing music for a computer video game for TBC Productions. They have requested the music to be written in the style of Final Fantasy, so the compositions will be for full orchestra. The title song from the project is available to listen to. It's currently on the “Free MP3” page of my website, and is called “Forgotten Lands”. The link is listed below. Second, I'm also currently working on a collaboration between ALBEDO and Lillywhite. Steven Grames has made a poetry CD and has asked me to write some background music for it. You can listen to one of them “Surrender at Sea” on his website at the link below. He has requested that the music be electronic, so I've written it in a New Age/Ambience style. Both collaborations are currently being worked on from both ends, and I will definitely let you know when they are finished. Enjoy!

http://www.albedomusic.com/freemp3.html

http://www.stevengrames.com

ALBEDO

http://www.albedomusic.com/albedo.html

Transposed Parts & Classic eBooks

      I found a nice website that sells sheet music in PDF format that you can download immediately. The website is called Load CD. I've added some transposed parts for Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker and Fourth Symphony (will come in handy if you play Bb Trumpet or Bb Clarinet and don't own one in A), some well know classical pieces in full score plus parts, and sheet music from our latest classical album “Digital Fingers” for Symphony, Concert Band, String Orchestra, String Quintet, and Woodwind Quintet.

http://albedomusic.load.cd/sheetmusic

      Lately, I've been working on something a little different. I don't always contain myself to just music and sometimes branch out to different forms of media like books or videos. So, I've been formatting and creating eBooks of classic literature. They're available on our website and on a website called Lulu in PDF and EPUB format for immediate download. They're only $1.99 and more will be coming soon. If you have any special requests that you would like me to do, please let me know. Eventually, I would also like to make some audio book versions for CD and mp3 download. I'll keep you updated on that project when it gets closer to completion.

http://www.albedomusic.com/eBooks.html

      I'm also working on a special “How To” book for those of you who are musicians out there. It'll explain how to record your music, how to get it online, plus more. More details will be coming soon about that, and I'll keep you posted about it. In the meantime, you'll just to have to wait with baited breath, and try to enjoy yourselves while you're at it. Talk to you later!

ALBEDO

http://www.albedomusic.com/albedo.html

Free MP3s and Royalty Free Music!

I've added a few new pages to my website. “Free MP3” and “Royalty Free Music”!

http://www.albedomusic.com/freemp3.html

http://www.albedomusic.com/royaltyfree.html

The Free mp3 page has free downloads of various songs I've written over the past 7 years. Including songs from the albums “7^th Heaven” and “Digital Fingers”. It even has a few songs that haven't been released yet.

The Royalty Free page also has free downloads, but these has been designed specifically for film makers to use in their films. It includes some of my songs and also some well known classical pieces. 

No e-mail required, no registration, just follow the link and download all you want!

For those of you who missed the performance of Kelly Richardson's “Battle of Shiloh” at Carnegie Hall last month, you will get a second chance to hear it. The American West Symphony will be performing it on Wednesday June 29^th. It will be at the Sandy Amphitheater 9400 S. 1300 E. in Salt Lake City, UT and will start at 8:00pm. And the best part is...it's free admission! If you miss it you can still hear it on the album “Digital Fingers” by ALBEDO.

http://www.albedomusic.com/albedomusic.html#digitalfingers

ALBEDO

http://www.albedomusic.com/albedo.html

New and improved website with lots of FREE stuff!

New and improved website with lots of FREE stuff!

http://www.albedomusic.com

We've improved the picture quality of our website, along with adding two new pages full of free downloads.

The first is our FREE MP3 page. This page has free downloads of ALBEDO's discography in low quality mp3 format.

If you want high quality mp3s, then you'll have to follow the links to iTunes, Amazon, Zune, etc.

The second is our ROYALTY FREE page, which features free high quality mp3 downloads of ALBEDO songs and classical music that are all royalty free.

All the ALBEDO songs on this page are less than 120 seconds long which were designed specifically for filmmakers to use in their films. All of the classical music songs are full length.

No registration required, no e-mail required, just come on over and download all you want. Enjoy!


- ALBEDO
http://www.albedomusic.com

ALBEDO Free Online Streaming

        I've been spending a lot of time lately putting my music up on several websites for online streaming. My favorites include:

Reverb Nation- http://www.reverbnation.com/albedo
Bandcamp- http://albedomusic.bandcamp.com
Soundcloud- http://soundcloud.com/albedomusic


        There are many others including: MySpace, Facebook (My Band) & You Tube. You can find links to the rest of them on my website: http://albedomusic.com/albedolinks.html

http://youtu.be/bNSHd1nKI24


        Two months ago the Davis County Symphony performed several songs from the Digital Fingers album. The song Creaturehouse by Steven Grames & Eric Kartchner is currently available to view on You Tube. It wasn't a perfect performance, but they did really well for a community group that's never heard the song before.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pljvODeX_f8



        There are more albums looming on the horizon, including a collection of scores I've written for video games and a New Age album based on Astronomy. Also, ideas are in the works for a possible sequel to Digital Fingers, and a Christmas album may not be too far off as well. I'll keep you updated once more information becomes available.


- ALBEDO
http://albedomusic.com/albedo.html

The 8 Best Mannheim Steamroller Songs From Their “Other” Albums

The 8 Best Mannheim Steamroller Songs From Their “Other” Albums

The Mannheim Steamroller “other” albums are considered to be everything but their Christmas and Fresh Aire CDs. Mannheim Steamroller is a pioneer of the new age music genre, and has continuously been producing original and arranged music for the last several decades. I am a huge fan, and have picked out, in my opinion, the 8 best Mannheim Steamroller songs from their other albums besides the Christmas and Fresh Aire series.

Here are my top 8 picks, in chronological order….

1. Tigers & Lions- Saving the Wildlife, 1986

I’ve been listening to this song for almost my entire life, and it’s always been a favorite of mine. The ethnic sound makes you feel that you’re in India surrounded by Tigers. This song plus several others were written for the soundtrack of a PBS special about saving the wildlife. Wolves is another excellent song from the album, and if you’ve never seen the music video for Wolfgang Amadeus Penguin it’s hilarious.

2. Fugue- Impressions, 1993

When Chip Davis first met his very good friend Arnie Roth (Mannheim’s violinist) he thought he was a really classical guy. But later found out that when he was in college he played in a heavy metal bad. So, Chip wrote this song for Arnie, which is why it’s on the album Impressions (an album made up entirely of gifts that Chip Davis wrote for various friends and family members). He describes this song as a “Gothic Concerto Sounding Dooda Something or Other”, and it’s quite en excellent piece.

3. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious- Mannheim Meets the Mouse, 1999

I hope I spelled that right! I love most of the songs on this album, and was especially pleased with this arrangement of my favorite Mary Poppin’s tune, which recently had a successful run on Broadway. This album is an excellent collection of arranged Disney tunes and should be in your collection along with their Christmas albums.

4. You’ve Got a Friend In Me- Mannheim Meets the Mouse, 1999

I love the synthetic bass line of this song! Not only is this a classic Disney movie and a great Randy Newman song, but it’s a brilliant Mannheim Steamroller arrangement. When this album was released I drove down to the music store during my lunch break in order to get it. I first heard about it when they performed Under the Sea at their live show during the Christmas in the Aire tour.

5. Slo Dancin' in the Living Room- Romantic Melodies, 2001

This song is quite different from all the others I have picked. For me, it just paints a very quaint little story about a loving married couple spending a few minutes of their busy day to be romantic and slow dance together in the living room. With, most likely, screaming children and burning food on the stove in the other room.

6. Mt. McKinley- Spirit, 2003

The feel of this piece is very American, which is why it blends so well into Mannheim’s patriotic album- Spirit. It’s an original composition by Chip Davis and channels Aaron Copland and other great American composers. It’s short, but sweet. The Star-Spangled Banner is another wonderful arrangement on this album which also appears on the albums Impressions and To Russia With Love.

7. All Hallow’s Eve- Halloween, 2003

This Halloween piece, an original composition by Chip Davis, fits perfectly into the season. It’s always well received at Halloween parties. I wish they had thought to do Halloween albums back when they first started. I wouldn’t mind if they released a few more. I’ve always thought it was funny that they put “Deranged by Chip Davis” on the album credits.

8. Creatures of the Night- Halloween 2, 2006

This creation was designed for dance clubs, and was the first time that Mannheim Steamroller did something for the Dance/Techno genre. In the music video you get to see Chip Davis play the Theremin creating all sorts of eerie sounds. They even went as far as to create a line dance specifically for this song for people to dance to in clubs.

Whether you agree with my picks or not, there is no disputing that Chip Davis of Mannheim Steamroller is the best contemporary composer/arranger of our time.

If you like New Age music than you might like ALBEDO: a New Age / Classical Artist that has been heavily influenced by Mannheim Steamroller.

Click Here to download 3 of his hit tracks for free!