MIDI Equals Fun (Subgum Chow Mein)
I've always considered MIDI music as pretty cheesy, low quality and annoying. The only thing that makes MIDI music even bearable is a really good sound card like the newer Soundblasters that have MIDI wave tables built into the hardware. This detracts a little bit from the clingy sound that makes everyone say, "Ew, MIDI!". The concept of how the files are created using keyboard input has long fascinated me, moreover. I've always wanted a MIDI cable and a keyboard with MIDI output functionality.
Over the father's day weekend, I mentioned my interest in MIDI technology to my dad. He has a large collection of purchased used software (back when used software stores were common), and he thought he remembered picking up a music application that included a MIDI cable in the box. After a long search through his boxes, he found what he was looking for and gave it to me to play with. I borrowed my mom's keyboard which has MIDI input/output.
I'm no musician by any means, but I have an ear for the basic quality of such. I don't know a thing about music theory, notes, measures, or anything of that matter. I simply like to play random melodies and repeating chords. As with most of the songs I have "written", I almost always start with a simple set of random chords. Then I discover a melody that fits in. So the songs end up being quite repetitious, but they are somewhat relaxing to hear - at least for me as I am playing them. In the past I have used tools such as Mod File trackers (Modplug Tracker, Fasttracker 2, ScreamTracker), as well as the awesome Buzz, a powerful freeware music synthesizer and tracker.
Friday night I stayed up a little late and came up with my first simple MIDI composition. It's no masterpiece, not even a song per se. I didn't edit or enhance the music at all on the computer - though I have software to do this. I recorded it raw, untouched. What you hear is mostly the first attempt. I played along a few times prior to recording so I could get the fingering down on the keyboard without constantly hitting 3 keys at once (I have no piano training). This song is a combination of 4 recording passes using an old program called Midisoft Recording Session ("for Windows", as opposed to DOS! - cool because it formats like notated sheet music, so I can learn a bit about all that. Longest paren-pathetic statement in history!). Each pass I added a different part. It's nothing special; feel free to plug your ears if necessary. Perhaps later I'll take out the rough notes, synchronize it to a clear and consistent rhythm, lengthen it and give it some depth, but probably not. I have entitled this little ditty "Alma Alto". It has no particular thought driving it or words to accompany. I generally play music to help me contemplate and to give honor to God, my Father. My spirit is often lifted simply by roughly playing a good ole Christian chorus on the keyboard. I guess that mood is where this melody came from, a lifted spirit (soul).