In continuing with my long-running tradition of making a new tune every Federal Holiday, for MLK Jr. Day, here is "Breaking of Nations," for piano, guitar, bass, and drums (none of which are "real" instruments, and all are Kontakt plugins). Not Sticky in the least, so I'm rocking it out here in Teflon World.

I'm attempting to use Logic Pro X, particularly its "Drummer" feature, which follows a track with the kick and snare. I'm importing drum lines from it back into Pro Tools and into NI's Studio Drummer. I find Logic Pro X maddening to use after years of PT, but it has many features for automation that I like. I will be syncing LPX to PT in the future, as I explore this new production method.

At 160 BPM, we're cooking along, and I'm not sure if this is finished, or merely begun. It's not even remotely MLK-themed, as it sounds more polka-rock than soul or R&B. And I don't think I'll be using "Polka Rock" as a descriptor anymore, as I'm not near cool enough to bring Polka back. It's got a slight OOMPAh feel to it is all. But now I've put polka into your head.

Cheers! "Breaking of Nations."

https://soundcloud.com/stephen-sink-1/nationbreaking

Adds: Here's the original 6-minute version of "in Time with the Breaking of Nations," with piano and strings. After listening to it again, there's a lot I'd steal from that one to add back to the new version. But that's the way of these things. If I had started with the original instead of just sitting down and noodling with the chords, I wouldn't have come up with new sections.

Here's the original (listen to the new one first--it's all produced and stuff, and guitary).

https://soundcloud.com/stephen-sink-1/i ... rings-only

And the new version done this morning:

Pretty cool Steve,

Actually sounds like it could be a great opening track to TV show, very easy on the ears with a lot of orchestration. Good job.

Brother! you are really developing a wonderful style and sound that is all YOU!!! great to listen to and very inspiring!!

What I really like about Stickist is that as Stick players we are willing to embrace our
inner urge to be composers. The Stick is after all a composers instrument in that if you are a soloist you become by default and out of necessity a composer. But there is a rub off effect
that playing the Stick informs all the other instruments you might work with, so that even if your composition has little or no Stick the guitars, piano, drums, strings, etc are more clear and
precise because of the Sticks influence.

jRj
*j*
.~

Really cool as always, Steve! Nice work!