Originally released on March 11, 2012

In this episode, I introduce myself and my musical background, and then talk about my composition “Rue’s Whistle” inspired by the Mockingjay Call from the Hunger Games soundtrack.

You can play the podcast using the play button below, or right-click on the “Download” link to save it to your computer.

Notes from the episode:

Fireside Chat podcast talking about movie trailer Rue’s Whistle on their YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNQP_z1jbOs)

Nate Dean Ross (2026 video is now private) talking about movie trailer Rue’s Whistle on his YouTube channel

Originally posted on June 3, 2012

In this episode, I talk about my jazz fusion piece “Fusion” composed in 1994. I also talk about extended major and extended minor chords.

I started by reading an email from Steve Snively and a comment from Viv Black.

My favorite chords are the extended major and minor chords that are built by stacking alternative major and minor thirds.

For major:

• C-E-G is a major chord
• C-E-G-B is a major 7th. This is a melancholy sound. I play short clips from Tin Man and Ventura Highway by America that use a lot of major 7th chords. Late Day Storm uses 2 major 7th chords for the second half of the chord progression.
• C-E-G-B-D is a major 9th. It sounds like the major 7th, with the addition of the 9th which is a color note.
• C-E-G-B-D-F# is C maj9#11. I played Tell Me A Bedtime Story by Herbie Hancock that starts with the major 9th, and has a nice sequence ending with a maj9#11. (Bmaj7, Gmaj7, Emaj9, Cmaj9#11 – all the F# in the melody)
• C-E-G-B-D-F#-A is Cmaj13#11
• C-E-G-B-D-F#-A-C# is actually Dmaj7 / Cmaj7. This is used at the end of Colour My World by Chicago

For minor:

• A-C-E is a minor chord
• A-C-E-G is a minor 7th
• A-C-E-G-B is a minor 9th – my favorite chord. Zanzibar by Billy Joel uses this chord. My song Fusion uses only minor 9th chords.
• A-C-E-G-B-D is a minor 11th. Funk (for solo piano) and Sleepy use minor 11th chords.
• A-C-E-G-B-D-F# is a minor 13th

The chord progression is simple: Dm9 for 2 measures, and Gm9 for 2 measures.

When I created this in 1994, I was only using MIDI and the sounds that were built in to the PC. I didn’t have any good way to record and mix audio.

I use layering, where each time through the chord progression, a new part comes in, while all the other parts repeat their part from before.

• The first time is just the bass guitar and the cymbals
• The second time is the high electric piano part
• The third time is an electric guitar
• The fourth time is the mid-range electric piano and the bass drum and snare drum
• The fifth time is two shaker parts
• The sixth time is where the saxophone comes in

I played the 1994 version of Fusion.

I then talked about how I re-sequenced the piece in Cubase in 2011. I was able to get better synthesizer sounds, and record myself on the saxophone. I then played the 2011 version.

I came up with an idea of how I can get a better recording of my jazz band arrangements. I can try to play all the saxophone parts, and try to get a trumpet and trombone player to play all the trumpet and trombone parts. Then I can mix the whole jazz band from my computer. If this works, I will publish my arrangement of Miles Davis’s Four, as well as re-recording Powerhouse.

Originally posted May 20, 2012

In this episode, I discuss my new age piece Late Day Storm (May 2012), along with new age music in general and the Tangerine Dream track “Exit.”

New age music is often used for relaxation and stress relief—during yoga, meditation, Tai Chi, massage, and more. It can be acoustic (guitar, flute, piano) or electronic (primarily synthesizers).

Tangerine Dream, formed in 1967, has released over 100 albums, including 30+ film soundtracks such as Risky Business and Firestarter.

To prepare for composing, I spent a couple of weeks listening to new age music, especially Tangerine Dream. I was particularly drawn to “Exit” (1981; re-released in 1994 on Tangents). I liked its ~87 BPM tempo and chord progression (Bb minor to Cb major 7), especially how the Bb note carries across both chords. The layered leads—pan flute, voices, and bell-like synth—also stood out.

I also explored the ~400 patches on my Yamaha YPG-235, focusing on pan flute-style sounds, synth leads, and effects rather than traditional orchestral instruments.

I composed Late Day Storm over four days (about 9.5 hours total). The piece uses an 8-measure progression repeated 11 times:

Dm – Gm – Dm – Gm – Abmaj7 – Ebmaj7 – Abmaj7 – Ebmaj7

There are 13 parts across 15 tracks (two doubled), including:

• Bass: poly synth pad
• Mid-range chords: Fargo + poly synth pad
• Drums: toms, bass drum, cymbals (4 tracks from 2 kits)
• Melodies: pan flute and blown bottle
• Main theme: Xenon pad
• Effects: “popcorn,” rain, wind, thunder

I recorded using MIDI (as in Episode 5, Sleepy), capturing performance data (notes, timing, dynamics), then editing as needed. Once finalized, I recorded each part as audio by soloing tracks and capturing the synthesizer output.

During production, I created rough mixes each day, adjusting levels and refining parts. I added effects like reverb (toms, popcorn, thunder), fades (rain, wind, drums), and used automation on the “popcorn” sound to pan it across channels.

After completing the final mix and fade-out, the piece was finished.

Going forward, I plan to continue composing new age music, explore new synthesizer sounds, and possibly incorporate saxophone—similar to what I did on Rue’s Whistle. Tangerine Dream has used sax since the 1980s and now includes a sax player. I’m also planning to see them live in NYC on July 7.

Originally posted May 6, 2012

In this episode, I talk about my composition “Sleepy” composed for a jazz combo in 1991 .

I thank a woman from Argentina calling herself Nightlock for @mentioning me on twitter. @ItsAboutJobros tweeted to her followers about how she liked my Rue’s Whistle song on my YouTube channel.

I then talk about 4 types of minor scales:

• Natural minor
• Harmonic minor – raised 7th
• Melodic minor – raised 6th and 7th up, but natural minor down
• Dorian minor – raised 6th. Sleepy uses only Dorian scales.

Sleepy is a laid back song. The title refers to the state of most college students.

The chord progression is:

• D Dorian – 8 measures
• C Dorian – 4 measures
• D Dorian – 4 measures

The melody in a jazz combo piece is called the “Head.” It was originally performed with an alto sax and trumpet, but on this recording I used 2 alto saxes (I play both parts).

The first 2 lines are unison, and the third and fourth lines are in harmony – the two parts play a third away from each other.

Normal form of jazz combo music:

• Play the head
• Someone improvises a solo
• Someone else improvises a solos
• and so on until everyone who was going to solo has soloed
• Play the head again
• End

Usually the horns improvise first (saxes, trumpets and trombones). Then if the piano is going to solo, it does. Then if the bass is going to solo, it does, although this is more rare. If the drummer is going to solo, it usually does last, but it usually “trades” measures with the other soloists.

This recording is 3 minutes, 3 seconds long. In this recording:

• the head is 1st time through progression (30 seconds)
• sax solo is 3 times through the progression (1 1/2 minutes)
• bass solo once through the progression (starts at 2 minute mark, lasts 30 seconds)
• head – once through progression
• slight chord change at the very end – ends on Bb maj13#11

How did I record this:

• Sequenced drums – hi hat, ride cymbal
• Sequenced a walking bass line
• Recorded a piano part – using same open chords used in Funk from episode 4
• Edited the above parts MIDI until they were good enough
• Recorded 1 part at time: played the MIDI and recorded the audio onto the computer
• Took computer, interface device (Steinberg CI2), microphone, mic stand into basement, headphones. Played the recording of drums, bass, and piano, and recorded the sax lead part – for beginning and end
• Then played the sax harmony part – for beginning and end
• Then I improvised sax solos – took a number of takes, and used one I was happy with
• I finished by adding snare drum and a couple of cymbal crashes and the bass solo

I then play Sleepy.

I went to a choir concert this week. One piece was composed by a student, and it got me excited about choral music. I arranged a song called V’Shamru for 4 singers or 4-part choir. (The words are an excerpt from the book of Exodus about keeping holy the Sabbath day, and the original music was composed by Debbie Friedman.) I may be able to get 4 singers and record that for an upcoming episode.

Originally released on April 22, 2012

My composition “Funk (for solo piano)” was composed at Penn State for a composition class. We had to write a piece using a lot of perfect fourths. I created this piece for solo piano for that exercise.

Below is a link to a PDF of the sheet music. You can click on it to view, or right click to download it to your computer:

Funk (for solo piano) sheet music

“Funk” refers to the rhythms. In my jazz bands, we played a number of funk songs that had a lot of 16th note beats, and a lot of syncopation.

Originally released on April 8, 2012

In this episode, I talk about my composition “Powerhouse,” composed and arranged for a jazz band when I was in high school.

I begin the episode talking about the response to episode 1, Rue’s Whistle. I read a website comment from Rich Snively, Jr. I talk about the Hunger Game movie and what the “Rue’s Whistle” scene was like.

I then talk about the standard pieces in a big-band-type jazz band.

I talk about the natural minor chord progression Cm, Abmaj7, Bb, Cm that I used on this piece, inspired by songs composed by my high school friend Steve Lanciano.

I then review the form of the song:

• Short introduction
• A section repeated 3 times layered with saxes the first time, trombones added the second time, trumpets added the third time
• B section with 3 overlapping parts: sax long note pads, trumpets 4-part harmony melody, and trombone counter-melody
• C section repeated 6 times layered with low instruments, tenor sax/trombones, lead alto/2nd trumpet, and the rest of the parts
• Solo section where I improvised a saxophone solo. Near the end of the solo, I improvised on top of horn background parts – one of my most joyful experiences in music
• quick intro, repeat of A section and coda

I then play Powerhouse.

I then talk about podcasts, and how you can find and subscribe to this and other podcasts in iTunes or other podcast directories. You can find podcasts about almost every subject you are interested in.

This feed intermixes the podcast episodes (usually released every other Sunday) with the compositions they are about (released about 1 1/2 weeks later). If you subscribe in iTunes, please use “download all episodes” option so you don’t miss any podcast episodes.

You can play the podcast using the play button below, or right-click on the “Download” link to save it to your computer.

In this episode, I talk about my composition “Fountain” inspired by the fountain outside the old music building at Penn State.

The original Fountain melody was composed for a composition class. This piece was sequenced and recorded for an Electronic Music class the following year.

I talk about chord progressions, and I play this piece’s chord progression: Em, Cmaj7, Am7, Bm7, Am7, Gmaj7, D/F#, D. I talk about the 6 times through the chord progression and what the different parts play each time. I then play the Fountain piece.

You can play the podcast using the play button below, or right-click on the “Download” link to save it to your computer.