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Joel Roston Composer | Instrumentalist
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Aug
07

Linking Sibelius and Digital Performer

in Blog
This week, I found myself wanting to link Sibelius (7.1.3) with Digital Performer (8.06) in such a way that each individual Sibelius instrument was connected to its own track in DP. This would allow me to compose in Sibelius, but use samples and processing effects from DP. Seeing as there isn’[...]
Jul
16

Beyond Assonance: Rhyme Attempts in Popular Music 1

in Blog, Just For Fun tags: Anthrax, Cat Stevens, Danzig, Flaming Lips, Lennon, NWA
Below are five of my favorite rhyme attempts in popular music. I did my best to list instances that give me the impression that the artist is sincerely and unambiguously attempting to make two words rhyme. For instance, I didn't include Danzig's "Not of this World" because I get the feeling he's[...]
May
30

NPR and, Tangentially, Prince

in Blog, Hard Bloggin', Just For Fun tags: Chant, Guitar, MBTA, NPR
A while back, I received a call to improvise a "Heartbreaker"-meets-"When-Doves-Cry" guitar solo for a PSA that the city of Boston was doing to promote safety on the T. As is often the case with these sorts of projects, though the production department loved it, whoever had the final say thought[...]
May
28

Defensible Lyrics 1

in Blog, Just For Fun tags: Bowie, Buggin', Lyrics, Truth
This is the first blog post in what will be a lazy series of blog posts cataloging lines from songs that I feel are mostly, if not utterly, defensible. NOTE: This blog post contains language that may not be suitable for people who don't enjoy reading the word "fucker." Here we go: Arti[...]
May
02

Nice, But Bummy

in Blog, Hard Bloggin', Just For Fun, Work tags: Chopin, Ferrara, Guitar, Scarborough Fair
I received a call from a film-composer friend a few weeks ago asking if I could record a classical guitar version of Chopin's [...]
Jan
22

How’s Carl This Time?

in Blog, Hard Bloggin', Just For Fun
There's good preliminary evidence to support this claim: As the excitement builds over the course of each hour-long Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! episode, Carl Kasell’s exclamation of the last two syllables of the word “Chicago,” commensurately, rises in pitch. -- The Backstory Perh[...]
Jan
09
NATO: A Coalition United for Peace

A Coalition United for Awesome Music

in Actual News, Blog, Work
I'm psyched to have had the chance to work with composer John Kusiak on a short film for the Eisenhower Memorial website. The video, NATO: A Coalition United for Peace, details Eisenhower's role in the formation of NATO. Check it out!.[...]
Dec
18

Erlewine Guitars

in Blog, Hard Bloggin', Just For Fun
So, at least once a year I head down to the great and glorious state of Texas to visit family. A few blocks away from my home base here in Austin is a store called Erlewine Guitars. I've attempted, on many occasions, to check out the shop, but it's never been open -- until yesterday. Apart fr[...]
Oct
03

Critical Band

in Actual News, Blog, Work
I'm excited to be playing guitar in a new project, Critical Band, which will have its first show on October 11th, 2013 at MIT's Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge, MA. The eleven-piece ensemble was put together by Evan Ziporyn to celebrate the music of composer Steve Martland. Also on the program is [...]
Aug
23

Official Selection

in Actual News, Blog, Work
A few months ago, I had the pleasure of composing music for a television pilot entitled "Sharing," which was created by Damian Lanigan. I'm pleased to report that it's been chosen as an official selection for the New York Television Festival's 2013 Independent Pilot Competition.[...]