Sound Arts and Design Blog

For each of the main characters, I have decided to compose a theme for each of them, which will be used in the story to break up the story into each thirds. One for each respective character, with each third taking place from the perspective of each character (Excluding chapter 4 in which the narrator is absent and the scene is instead acted).

For Emeline’s Theme, I decided for to also act as the opening piece, so it also becomes the theme for the whole story. The instruments I used were Acoustic guitar and Harmonica, with a distorted acoustic as a lead guitar. I wanted this to be as close to a grand western theme as possible so I used many of the traits of Ennio Morricone’s western themes, such as the Spanish influenced guitar making use of the Phyrigian Mode (A minor Harmonic Minor) and the harmonica (as used in the Once Upon a Time in the West Theme).

For Jacks theme, I wanted to stray further from the conventions of the western, genre but still maintain some familiarity. I decided to 7/8 time to make it a bit more interesting than another tune in 4/4. I also made use of the fretless electric slide guitar I built last summer which I feel keeps the western aesthetic consistent within the theme.

For Celeste’s theme, I have decided to make in the style of an old-time banjo ballad. For this, I also used an alternate Banjo Tuning (triple C: gCGCC) to pay homage to one of my favourite old-time folk songs, Darling Cora, which uses this tuning to create an almost droney effect with the three C strings. I also used the acoustic guitar, harmonica and my whistling to maintain a sound that fits with the rest of the music.

After writing the script I have since been writing the music for each scene. For the music I want it to be mostly acoustic in nature with most tracks lead by a single acoustic guitar, with mainly improvised solos from other instruments in the breaks between narrated sections. I want the solos to be mainly improvised to give it the sound that the story is almost being performed live like telling a story around a campfire. The skills learned from the improvisation unit with Lucie have also allowed me to be less particular about composing something perfect, to give it more of a human sound. Although most of the sessions with Lucie were more based around free improvisation, without a key I wanted to maintain the Spaghetti western Aesthetic by using a lot of the Spanish sounding, Phrygian mode harmonic minor scales and triads that are commonly associated with the “Western Sound”. I also tried to use instruments like the harmonica and banjo that were popular during the times of the American Frontier.

https://soundcloud.com/cally-spence/western-story-chapters-1-2

(link to the introduction, Emeline’s Theme and the first 2 chapters of western)

5 Compositional Elements That Define the Music of Ennio Morricone

https://reverb.com/uk/news/video-why-is-spaghetti-western-music-so-cool

The first version of my script for the western, which includes notes on how I want the music to sound and the feel of each chapter/scene

Plot Outline and Script

Plot:

• Opens with instrumental theme
• Narrator starts speaking – still with instrumental
• A lone weary woman on a dirt road, been walking since her horse died of exhaustion a few hours ago, she has been riding for days.
• She has been trying to keep up with a man who has kidnapped her love.
• Man is her husband, (arranged, loveless marriage – her true lover is the man’s sister)
• Lost sight of them a day ago when her horse died, looking for next town to ask if he has been seen.
• She comes across a trading post/saloon lonely out in the sticks.
• Asks at bar if anyone has seen her husband and his sister, bar says no but she hears a raucous upstairs.
• She runs upstairs into one of the hotel rooms, she hears arguing
• She bursts into the room seeing her husband and lover, he has gun drawn on his sister.
• Protagonist draws gun as well aims at husband
• Sister draws gun at her, protecting her brother.
• Three-way stand-off, argument.
• Husband shoots protagonist, sister shoots husband runs towards protagonist.
• Crying she sees her dead lover on the floor bleeding out.
• Sheriff burst into room retrain her, seeing that she has killed two people.
• Narrator explains that Sherriff sentenced her to death
• Nobody wins sad harmonica.
• Reprise of Emeline’s theme (first son)

Script:

Emeline’s Theme:

            Moderate pace, acoustic guitar with harmonica and distorted acoustic (fast delay)

CHAPTER 1: Leaving Comfort

Narrator (American accent):

Three days she had been riding, she left home hurried and unprepared with nothing but the weight of her clothes and the iron on her hip. The already malnourished nag she had stolen from the neighbouring ranch had given up a couple of miles back, and that was when she lost sight of them.

Harmonica and Guitar

Who was she in pursuit of? You may ask. Well, I’ll tell ye, that would be her husband and his sister. You see, although they were married you would not be using the word happily in the same sentence.

Four years back her daddy old her like cattle to a wealthy east coast businessman who had just moved his family west in search of cheaper land, that was when Emeline here was married off to their bachelor son. She never loved Jack, but he only had eyes for her. Her eyes in contrast were fixated on his dear sister, Celeste, and so their relations flourished in secret behind the back of her devoted husband, Jack. Well, that was the case until 4 days ago when Jack came home to find his beloved wife and dear sister together.

CHAPTER 2: Pursuit of jack

Guitar (fast) with distorted acoustic as lead

Narrator:

Now Jack was a calm man but that day something snapped behind those deep brown eyes, he stuck Emeline with his revolver frame and when she came to, they were gone.  She ran out of their home in haste to see a distant wagon with the silhouette of jack driving.

Guitar and harmonica

Narrator:

With blistered feet from worn leather boots, Emeline continued down the dirt road. She had passed multiple abandoned wagons now, could they be Jack’s? there was no real way of telling. What she did know is that this road was the only safe passage through this barren and unforgiving land, and there was no way highbrow Jack would be able survive out there without supplies, so wherever they were headed it was bound to be on this road.

Guitar and harmonica, also flute

The sun was low, and dusk was rolling in when Emeline spotted the first sign of civilisation she had seen since she left. The literal sign in question reading “Tanners Bridge Town, ¾ mile”, she picked up her pace and saw the timber roofs peeking out just beyond the foot of the ridge.

Jacks Theme:

            Acoustic/electric: maybe slide guitar + harmonica, 7/8

Chapter 3:

            7/8, similar to Jacks theme but slower, more serious

Jack’s perspective from point of finding Emeline and Celeste. Leaving with Celeste, wagon breaking on the trail – travelling to hotel in tanners Bridge hence broken wagon passed by Emeline.

Narrator:

After 3 long weeks in his father’s factory, Jack couldn’t hack another week of intense labour and decided to take the fourth off, with his father’s permission, of course.  Spending four weeks away from home jack hoped he had left his wife Emeline in good company of his dear sister Celeste as he usually would when leaving home on business. Now if you have been listening keenly, you can probably tell where this is all headed.

Instrumental

Four of Jacks happiest years fell away in front of those deep brown eyes, he had never felt such distrust, betrayal and range in all his years on God’s fine Earth. The heat of the moment got the better of him and he lost it, and well I guess you know the rest. After three days on the road Jack and his then captive, Celeste, needed rest if he was going to continue back along the road to his father’s factory. A small mining village of the name, Tanners Bridge crept up on them from behind a ridge, this seemed like an appropriate place to rest up for the night.

Chapter 4: Tanners Bridge: Saloon and guesthouse

New scene – inside moderately busy saloon, piano playing (maybe banjo?)

No narrator in this chapter – 5.1 surround

Fight with Emeline on centre channel, Surround L/R Jack and Celeste.

Hear footsteps approach the bar.

Barman:

Can I help you ma’am, you look a little lost?

Emeline:

(tired), Have you seen a man and a young woman come in?

Barman:

Look around darlin’, you see many young folks in here, we don’t exactly get much new folk around-

• Interrupted by raucous and shouting upstairs,

Emeline:

Thanks

• Wooden floor footsteps across room and walks upstairs
• Muffled shouting behind wooden door
• Opens door, sees Jack and Celeste
• Jack has gun drawn on Celeste

Jack:

            (distressed) HOW DARE YOU, HOW Dare you, I’ll do it

• Cocks gun
• Emeline grabs her gun from her waist and cocks her gun too, points at Jack
• Jack moves gun to Emeline

Celeste:

            NO, NO stop it!

Emeline:

            Get out of here Celeste, you don’t want to see this.

Celeste:

            He is my BROTHER!

• Pulls her gun out points it at Emeline

Emeline:

            (distressed) Don’t do this, you know I Love you.

• Jack screams and shoots Emeline, she drops to the floor

Celeste:

            (Angry) NOoo

• Shoots Jack, body falls to the wooden floor.
• Celeste starts to cry
• Door Bursts open

Sherriff:

             What on Gods fine Earth is going on in here

• Celeste still Crying

Celeste:

            It was h-him *Sniff*

Sherriff:

            Ma’am I am going to have to take you in on suspicion of murder.

Celeste:

            (In denial, protesting) NO, no it wasn’t me, I didn’t start this

Sherriff:

That’s for me to decide ma’am, now if you would kindly step away from the bodys and step this way.

Celeste’s Theme:

Electric Guitar comes in with drums– quick lead line before narrator comes in.

 CHAPTER 5: Tanners bridge Demise

Guitar, with electric lead, slower

Narrator:

Now that poor girl Celeste, she didn’t get much a fair trial when her turn came round, after spending the rest of the night in a cell. Sherriff Riggs decided there was sufficient evidence to convict her of murder and hence she was sentenced to death by hanging, real nasty way to go.

Guitar continues

Sherriff:

(loud) Celeste Edwards, you have been found guilty of double homicide in this here town, as punishment for this, most inhuman of crimes, you will be hung by your neck until you are pronounced dead, do you understand this.

Celeste:

            (Crying) Ye… yes, I do understand.

Sherriff:

Good, now let’s get on with this

• Celeste still crying, stool is kicked by sheriff
• Sound of body struggling and rope swinging

Emeline’s Theme (Reprise):

Alternate version of first song starts playing – Emeline’s theme (reprise)

https://designingsound.org/2010/08/20/red-dead-redemption-exclusive-interview-with-audio-director-jeffrey-whitcher/

For my compositional strategies element 2 assignment, I have decided to make a western audio narrative, in the style of a radio drama with elements of story telling mixed in with music, much like the episodic radio dramas of the 1950’s and 60’s.

I have decided to have a central narrator for most of the story, as I do not have access to voice actors, so this would allow for most of the story to be described by myself. A large inspiration for this piece would be the Red Dead Redemption series of video games which I played over lockdown, which I feel that the music is exceptional at following both the action and more quieter, slower sections of the games. This is a feeling I would like to recreate in my audio drama.