Preview: Follow the Light

Here's another preview. This one is a tune called "Follow the Light" that I anticipate to be the "single" from the "Shadows and Light" project I hope to release sometime this year.

The Creative Process is Funny

I was sitting looking at the news headlines last night when this idea for a piece of music came into my head. These things often hit me all at once, as if packaged and delivered by my subconscious mind. I immediately fired up my music software (Acoustica Mixcraft 6, if anyone is interested) and started working on it.

A Dark Trailer

Here's a dark or meditative trailer that can evoke all sorts of emotions in your next media project. The 60-second timing makes it a good choice for commercial broadcast applications.

Add this brooding piece to your stock library today!

My Growing Guitar Fantasy

I've been working on tracks for an album I want to release sometime this year. On one of the tunes, I decided I wanted to lay down a real electric guitar track. I've used sampled guitars for some of the royalty-free music I've created on Pond5, but wanted something a little more realistic and expressive for this track. So I pulled out this old guitar of my son's - a Chinese knockoff of a Fender Strat, I think - and wailed away.

I'm no virtuoso by any stretch of the imagination. It was a struggle to get what I wanted. The intonation on the guitar isn't that great, but with processing (love that digital technology) I was finally able to get the sound I wanted. In fact, I'm so happy with the final outcome I plan to pull out an old classical guitar I've had forever and use it on some of the other tracks I'm prepping. Wish me luck.

March Madness

Yesterday, I took the whole day to watch the NCAA college basketball tournament. It was one of those "bucket list" sort of things I had always wanted to do at least once. I'm glad I did, but now it's time to get back to writing music. I did create one short piece Wednesday - an "impish" introduction - that is now online at Pond5. I'll be posting a sample of that here at some point, maybe next week.

An Ambient, Ominous Underscore

Here's a simple underscore with piano over a shimmering bed of electronics, great for conveying a sense of foreboding in your next media project.

Add this suspenseful underscore to your stock music library today!

What's in a Name?

I have a very common name. It seems thousands of people have it. The best known is a former American football player from the 1980's-2000s. A different Bruce Smith won the prestigious Heisman Trophy as the best collegiate American football player in 1941. Others with the name are poets, politicians, academics, artists, and yes, musicians.

I could have taken a stage name, like Gordon Sumner (Sting) or Saul Hudson (Slash) did. But this is the name my parents gave me. So I figured the easiest thing to do was stick "this" in front of it, so no one would get the idea that I was "that" Bruce Smith.

Romantic Vista

This is another one of my best-selling royalty-free tracks. It's available in 30 and 60-second versions, so it's a great choice for commercial applications. It has a sort of new age feel with a light beat and a tabla rhythm.

Add "Romantic Vista" to your stock music library today!

Sold!

I woke up this morning to find I had a confirmed sale of the Smooth Soprano Sax track that I posted here just yesterday. It's now my best seller outside of holiday tracks. I'm very grateful to everyone who has bought and supported my music.

Smooth Soprano Sax

This smooth jazz piece, featuring a Kenny G-influenced soprano sax, is one of my best selling royalty-free tracks to date.

Add this smooth track to your stock music library today!

Working on a Single

Those who have read this blog (probably both of you at the date of this post) are probably aware that I have a goal to release a CD/digital album before the end of this year. I have composed almost all of the pieces and have versions recorded that I want to refine. You can find a preview of the track "Point of Departure" elsewhere on the site.

However, it occurred to me that it would be worth my while to have something suitable to release as a single. So I've been working on a nice upbeat little tune. The working title is "Follow the Light," which ties in with the overall "Shadows and Light" theme of the collection. It's 140 beats a minute and I did a neat little electric guitar solo in the middle. (I needed about 30 takes and massive tweaking to get the sound I wanted, but I think it's worth it.)

When it comes together a bit more, I'll post a preview here for anyone who may be interested.

An Exercise for Me

Yesterday morning, a video artist posted an urgent need on the Pond5 audio forum for a 60-second piece of music for a trailer. Her project documents women and children who have overcome challenges. I had some things to do yesterday afternoon, but after I got home I sat down and pulled together a piece with thick strings and piano. I uploaded it last night, and after the Pond5 curator approved it I posted a link to it in the forum. I hope it's in the neighborhood of what she's looking for, but if not that's OK. What was important to me was that I was able to create a piece of music to a specification (of sorts) on quite short notice. That's big because I'd eventually like to make something approaching a living doing work like this. I'll try to post that piece here later this week.

An Epic Title Theme

Here's some epic music for your next independent film project.

Click here to find out more!

An Intense String Underscore

Here's a slow-tempo, but energetic string underscore for conveying tension and drama in your media projects.


Make this intense underscore part of your stock music library today!

Positive Vibes

Here's a nice track to accompany positive, uplifting scenes in your media project. It's available in :30 and :60 versions, and the :60 version is also available as a music bed excluding the melody line until the :50 mark.

Add "Positive Vibes" to your stock music collection today!