Hi from a falling Seattle where the leaves are turning the colors of the imagination. I used to teach “Interactive Storytelling” for three years from 2016 to 2019. In one stretch of the curriculum DJ & teacher Bogdan played different world music, encouraging the youthful storytellers (ages 11 to 14) to write what arouse. The same approach is true for my own writing. BRYCE was no exception. Music filled in the details. Music wrote sentences. Music dictated the tempo.
Symphony of Sorrowful Songs
I first heard “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” by Henryk Górecki while driving. As most days, the radio was tuned in to KING FM - our classical music station here in Seattle. Every last Friday of the month the station, which is listener supported, plays requests by its patrons. The person who requested “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” gave me, Bryce and, now, you an inspired gift - we are far more connected than we realize. The tales our surroundings tell to our creative process are impossible to measure or quantify. This piece of music affected me instantly and profoundly. When the soprano came in, my soul ruptured. I parked the car, stayed inside and listened until the very end.
In chapter 2 of BRYCE, our female protagonist Eve plays “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” on her piano as the nuclear reactor explodes and her beloved city becomes consumed by fires. If you haven’t read the chapter yet, perhaps you can do so while listening to this piece of music. It undoubtedly affected and informed the nuances of the tragic love story that the chapter became.
Listen to “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” by Henryk Górecki here.
And to KING FM worldwide online here.
Lisa Gerrard and The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices
My home country Bulgaria has always had a rich music heritage. Lisa Gerrard of “Dead Can Dance” was partially inspired by our folk singing using it to create her own evocative style. In 2017 she gave a concert with the female choir “The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices”. I wrote chapter 3 in which Bryce becomes the gardener of Death to their music. Crafting the character of Death was certainly influenced by this concert.
Listen to Lisa Gerrard and The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices here!
Future Sound of London
My cousin was the first to expose me to the “Future Sound of London” over two decades ago. I can’t tell you how exactly they made it on the listening list for BRYCE. The bulk of the last two chapters was written to their album “Dead Cities”. Their music is described as a mix of techno, ambient, house, trip hop, psychedelia, and dub.
In my opinion the genius of the “Future Sound of London” expands far beyond the above labels. Their music perfectly complimented the tormented AI soul of our character. It set the tempo and tone for the writing. For his madness setting the gardens on fire. Galloping on his horse. Defiant. Resolved. Broken. The choir featured in track 5 became the direct inspiration for the choir of human voices rising over the burning domain of Death in part 1 of the last chapter.
It is truly a pleasure and an honor to be sharing my passion with you. Stay tuned for my next serial online release - EURYDICE.
Stay creative & ever musical!
Bogdan