#percussion is really quite useful

[boricuasirena25]

loser, nerdy 2000s ellie x popular, bimbo, mean girl fem!reader headcanons

authors note : just wanted to say thank uu sm for the support i’ve seen on my last post abt nerdy ellie, i fr posted it without thinking and i can tell a lot of yall like it! im taking requests for her so lmk what uu want. :)

cw : some nsfw (some of the things i put in the nsfw might be like pg13 but i still put them there anyways idk 😭), lotta jokes abt boobies, ellie’s PAINFULLY nerdy like oh my goodness. takes place in the late 2000s to be oddly specific.

— SFW

• she has fantasies of you and her in the medieval times, you being the glamorous princess and her being your daring, knight in shinning armor. she literally draws it in her sketchbook, pages filled with doodles of you in corsets or big and gorgeous low cut gowns, her holding up a sword towards your “boyfriend” adrian, who in her medieval universe is “lord adrian of valebrume”, a totally made-up kingdom name that sounds dark and full of lies. she made sure it rhymed with gloom, doom, and consume—because duh, he’s the villain.

• and her favorite medieval scenarios? saving you. you’re chained in a tower. a dragon’s outside. adrian is there, trying to “rescue” you but being a fool. ellie shows up on horseback, sword drawn, cloak flapping dramatically. she slays the dragon, pushes adrian off a cliff, and drops to one knee like: “my lady. i have come for you.” you run into her arms, kiss her hard, and whisper, “you’re all I ever wanted, sir williams…”

• she can solve a rubik’s cube in under a minute. but she will not do it in front of people because she’s been bullied enough. only her stuffed triceratops knows how smart she really is.

• she’s so soft for you it’s pathetic. you could insult her in front of the entire class and she’d still smile and go “you’re so funny…” like a kicked puppy. you could say “shut up, ellie” and she’d respond with “yes ma’am” and a full-body shiver.

• 100% draws on her converse “E + (your initial)” with a heart inside of it.

• she’s, OF COURSE, obsessed with dinosaurs. she’ll say corny pick up lines like “i think if i was a dinosaur, i’d be a simp-o-saurus. because… y’know… for you. i’m simpin’ real hard.” and then she’d probably smack herself in the head after like “what the f*ck was i thinking…”.

• even though she’s HEAVILY bullied (specifically for being a lesbian who’s obsessed with you) shes blessed enough to constantly third wheel with dina and jesse.

• quite literally owns a rubber “i heart boobies” bracelet that she insists is for breast cancer awareness, but really she just thinks boobs are awesome and it’s the only time she’s allowed to say it out loud.

• she’s knows how to skate and does it quite frequently as a source of transportation (until joel gives her his rusted up, old, monster truck that ellie isn’t allowed to get till she passes spanish).

• death note is her favorite manga. she bought the first volume from a crusty used bookstore with joel, and it unlocked something feral inside her. the intensity? the drama? the moral conflict? she ate it up. once accidentally moaned when reading a panel of misa sitting on light’s lap. would never admit that.

• she owns a fake death note she made and writes adrian’s name in it “adrian luis davis – punched in the nuts by a ghost and then falls in a porta-potty in front of the whole school. dies of embarrassment.” then she drew a tiny doodle of him slipping on a banana peel. and if another boy makes you laugh? she flips open her ‘death note’, glares over her glasses, and mutters “he’s done for.”.

• she’d be a marching band lesbian idc, she’d play percussion and have the most wrinkled up band uniform ever. and she literally never wears the hat right. it’s always tilted or falling off her head. one time it flew off during a performance and she had to kick it off the field. she was mad until she looked over and saw you laughing at her in the stands.

• still plays the guitar, (she does in every universe), and she practices every single day. after school, while watching invader zim. she zones out completely when she’s playing. it’s the only time her brain shuts up—unless she’s thinking about your boobs. then it’s just chaos. one night she was home alone and played “the only exception” by paramore after smoking weed and cried because it reminded her of you.

• she didn’t tell anyone. just laid on the floor of her living room like a snow angel in her spider-man boxers whimpering.

• she owns a jennifer’s body DVD and keeps it hidden under her bed. watches it on mute when joel isn’t home. she has the kiss scene with needy memorized (she sometimes even rewatches it and imagines it as u and her).

• she owns a chunky PS3 and plays GTA IV when she’s had a bad day, or is just like super angry as her own therapy. she’ll storm into her room, throw her backpack down, and boots up her fat, fingerprint-covered PS3. the fan’s loud, the controller’s kinda sticky from soda, and the GTA IV disc is always already in. she plays like a menace—steals a car, blasts the liberty rock radio station, and causes chaos in liberty city.

• but if she’s super mad?! like adrian calling her out in front of the whole class once again?! his arms around your waist while you just sit there?! she types cheat codes into her cracked notebook and gives niko bellic rocket launchers and infinite health. she’s full on blowing up traffic jams, launching grenades into alleyways, and driving into the water just for the hell of it.

• when joel checks on her like, “you alright, kiddo?” she just grunts “yeah,” while casually tossing molotovs at cop cars with dead eyes. but she plays minecraft when she’s just chilling. she builds the ugliest dirt houses with torches everywhere and lives like a little swamp gremlin. has one big chest labeled “STUFF” and refuses to organize it. she wears full iron armor and still falls in lava. blames lag.

• OBSESSED WITH SPIDER-MAN. she literally has spider-man bedsheets and posters in her room; one above her bed, one crooked on the celling holding on by a thread (when her fan is on too long it almost blows off), and one behind her door.

• when she writes about you in her journal she puts “my MJ <3”. she even draws it. little comic panels where she’s spidey saving MJ (you) from some made-up villain that originates from adrian. ellie gives herself abs and a six-pack. no shame.

• she also owns a knock off spider-man costume. it’s from walmart and a little too tight, with faded colors and one busted web-shooter strap. she wears it with her dirty converse and grey sweatpants and thinks she’s the coolest thing ever. wears it to the store when joel isn’t paying attention. she once got it stuck in the dryer and cried.

• only wears boxers. various different pairs that r always peaking out of her sweatpants, cargos, or jeans. her favorite pair? her prized possession? a pair of faded-ass spider-man boxers. they’re red and blue with tiny spidey logos all over. she’s had them since middle school and refuses to let them go—even though they’re worn thin, have a little hole on the thigh, and the elastic’s basically screaming for mercy.

• she calls them her “lucky boxers” and lowkey wears them on days she knows she might see you. she also owns black boxers with little green dinosaurs on them and classic plaid ones that r oversized and practically fall off her hips. the waistband’s always showing. always. at this point, it’s part of the fit. she doesn’t even care if they get bunched under her jeans—just tugs at them in the hallway like “gotta air it out.”

• if she’s nervous around you, she adjusts her boxers way too much and acts like it’s not because she’s turned on.

• and for some reason, this loser is like freakishly good at soccer? beastly good. jaw-dropping good. weirdly good. but then again it’s probably because she’s a lesbian. she’s fast, aggressive, strategic—she plays forward like she isn’t afraid to slide tackle some 6’0 dude to the ground. she gets called for fouls all the time because she plays like she’s ready to fight. her coach yells at her all the time; “williams! dial it down!”, “williams, it’s not that deep—GET OFF HER!”.

• she wears the same cleats from middle school. they’re black, duct-taped, and smell like her garage. her shin guards are always crooked, and her socks never match.

• she once tried to hit you up by calling you mamacita with the worst accent you’ve ever heard. thought it was smooth. just for you to hit her with the dirtiest look ever. let’s just say she never said that out loud again.

• her all time favorite soda is dr pepper. she drinks it a little too much… her bedroom is a crime scene of empty cans. they’re stacked into little pyramids on her windowsill, crammed into her backpack, one might even be under her pillow. joel once tripped over a can pyramid and she screamed like he destroyed a sacred monument. BUT she swears it “makes her smarter.” she’ll sip it during math tests like it’s brain juice. “it’s got 23 flavors, joel. i’m running on 23 IQ boosts right now.”.

• literally owns a faded, crusty dr pepper graphic tee. it’s oversized and has holes in the collar, but she thinks it’s high fashion. it was $3 at goodwill and she treats it like a designer item. if she’s wearing it under her flannel, it’s a special day. she also 100% has a dr pepper can tab on a necklace chain. she popped it off her “lucky can” and wears it under her shirt. when you find it one day and asks about it, ellie stutters, “it’s—it’s like, uh, for good luck. and stuff…”

• dina notices ellie in class going through her sketchbook, finds one page where your name is written next to a sketch of you in a princess outfit. next to it? ellie’s self-insert knight version—sword drawn, hearts floating around them. dina looks up slowly and goes, “ellie… have you spoken to her yet?”

• “she said ‘thanks’ when I let her borrow a pencil. we’re basically married.”

— NSFW

• she gets turned on by the stupidest things about you. the way you chew gum, the way you fix your hair, the sound of your laugh, the way you tie your shoes, the way you stretch in class and your shirt rides up a little. she’ll cross her legs in AP biology like “be cool. don’t squirm. don’t look at her boobs again.” just to take another quick glance down.

• ellie found out what a strap was from the L word. she saw shane pull it out of a drawer once and nearly passed out. didn’t even know what it was called at first—just googled “lesbian harness thing from l word” on ask jeeves. then, when scrolling online she saw this neon green strap-on with a ugly, cheap, fake leather, hideous colored harness—and for some reason, she bought it. i mean the harness was only $29.99, dildo $14.99 and with a shipping of $8 dollars, it’s not like she could afford those $90 ones. now it’s growing dust under her bed.

• her cute, hideous glasses always slide off her nose when she catches you near her in a mini skirt (or she pushes them up to get a better look at my tits) and because of this, she can quite literally draw your tits from pure memory. no reference. no glances. just pure gay brain storage. she knows the exact curve, how they rest when you’re sitting vs standing, how they look in that one white top with the scoop neckline that makes her borderline pass out.

• but even though she knows them like the back of her hand, she still sneaks glances when she thinks you’re not looking. sometimes you’re bent over the locker room bathroom mirror, adjusting your necklace or putting on lip gloss, and she’s across the room—pretending to tie her converse back on but she’s staring dead at your tits in the mirror reflection like she’s about to start drooling.

• and she’s memorized every single bra you own. color, fabric, lace pattern, where it cuts on your back, how the straps sit on your shoulders, whether the padding lifts your tits or not. she knows which ones you wear when you want to feel cute and which ones are for laundry day.

• when she’s high? forget about it. she starts rambling about the “artistic gravity” of your tits, how the curve reminds her of renaissance sculptures, and how she wants to sculpt them from memory using clay she found behind the garage. dina and jesse once walked in on this monologue and left in silence.

• she doesn’t even smoke that often—maybe once every couple weeks if someone else has it. but every time she does? she turns into a flushed, squirmy, glassy-eyed mess who gets insanely horny within ten minutes. like clockwork. doesn’t matter if it’s a chill high or a head high—ellie’s already halfway down bad the moment it hits her bloodstream.

• one time she smoked weed in dina’s garage with her and jesse. the three of them snuck out to her garage—lights off, old couch, lava lamp glowing. they pass it around like total amateurs, coughing and giggling and pretending to be cool. ten minutes in, ellie is absolutely done for.

• her knees are pulled up to her chest, hoodie sleeves over her hands, eyes half-lidded, cheeks flushed bright pink. she’s quiet, too quiet, until dina looks over and goes: “ellie… you good?” and ellie just mumbles, “mhm… i’m chillin’…” while clearly not chillin’.

• she’s thinking about you in a miniskirt. she’s thinking about your glossed-up lips. she’s thinking about your thighs on either side of her head. jesse’s rambling about alien conspiracies meanwhile ellie’s gripping the edge of the blanket, vibrating with how badly she needs to excuse herself. she finally blurts out “i’m gonna go… uh… bathroom. real quick.”

• she bolts toward the house, slamming the bathroom door shut. she barely locks it before her hand’s down her boxers—moaning softly into her arm, her mind spiraling with nothing but you. how pretty you are, how good you smell, how soft your thighs would feel wrapped around her flushed face.

• and her sketchbook is a problem. deep in her sketchbook, the parts she refuses to let anyone else see, are filthy. you sitting on her face, moaning. you spread open with your fingers, juice dripping down your thighs, her name scratched onto your skin. you with hickeys on your chest, teary eyes, flushed cheeks, and the exact position your mouth makes when you’re cumming.

• she’s drawn close-ups of your tits in her sketchbook more times than she can count. like full-studies. the shading, the softness, how the nipples perk when you’re cold. she knows which way they tilt when you’re laying on your side. she draws them squished under her hands. she draws them from memory and gets mad when it’s not perfect.

• and some of her sketches are drawn from scenarios she wishes happened. you sitting in her lap in just your mini skirt with your hand around her neck, you pulling her by the collar into bed with a kiss, you in the school bathroom kissing her against a stall door.

• in which ellie draws herself completely cornered against the stall door. her cheeks are flushed bright red, glasses fogged up, and her lips are shiny from your lip gloss—because you kissed it off her. in the corner of the page, ellie scribbled: “she wore juicy perfume. i could smell it all over me after.”

• remember ellie’s medieval fantasies? well let’s just say they’re not all innocent… a specific one is where she drew you pressed to the castle wall, dress lifted, bent over. ellie’s behind you, armor still on, her gauntlet clamped around your mouth while she takes you with a thick medieval strap—drawn with detailed curve and shimmer of neon green (yes, she draws the neon green strap even in fantasy).

• you’re moaning through her hand, crown slipping, legs shaking while your heels dig into the stone. she adds notes like: “told her to be quiet. she couldn’t.”, “her moans echoed through the halls.”

[gumycandyyy]

୨♡ Ｗｉｎｔｅｒ Ｋｉｎｇ ＨＣＳ ♡୧

I am ashamed of tumblr for not making more fanfic of this funky fruit.

We got some general HCS and then some romantic ones under the cut! (I went a little overboard with the romantic ones, hehe!)

Gender-neutral

୨♡ Ｇｅｎｅｒａｌ ♡୧

-Man's self care routine is off the charts

-I'm serious, he has like- 80 different bubble bath concoctions.

-Smells like mint

-or some kind of cold scent.

-I feel like he loves dressing up fancy, so he has a closet full of sparkly suits

-maybe even some dresses if he's feeling special.

-Doesn't actually need to wear glasses, he just likes how they look.

-While he loves his winter wonder world, I feel like he'd enjoy rainy weather more than snow.

-He got rid of all his madness and sadness, yes, but I think he'd cry at something especially cute. Happy tears, y'know?

"Why are you crying, sir? Are you okay?" "Oh, it's nothing. *sniff* Just those two rabbits that are cuddling."

-He is really bad at any percussion instrument

-like.. REALLY bad.

-His hands are too delicate for such a garish instrument as the drums!

-He loves playing duets on the piano, but rarely has anyone to play with.

-I mean, he could always concoct up an ice creature to play piano with him, but that's honestly quite dull.

-His favorite movie would probably be an old Christmas movie, like It's a Wonderful Life.

-He gets kidnapped by the Candy Queen so often, that occasionally he brings a book or something snuggly to help him wait for his ice scouts to rescue him.

-He once got so bored while kidnapped that he tried to read to some of the mutilated candy people

-That was the last time he saw his favorite book.

-Safe to say he doesn't bring his favorites anymore.

୨♡ Ｒｏｍａｎｔｉｃ ♡୧

-Will literally spoil his love interest rotten.

-You want that thing you saw earlier?

-Consider it yours

-You'd like for it to snow outside?

-A sprinkle or a blizzard?

-Literally anything, this man will go to the ends of the universe to get you what you'd like.

-Love languages are definitely gift giving and physical touch

-probably acts of service too.

-Loves dancing.

-Loves dancing.

-Whether it be a slow dance or ice-skating, he will take every opportunity to dance with you!

-He adores short people.

-Good, because he's tall as a giant.

-if you're shorter than him, he will no doubt use you as an armrest.

-He always makes remarks on how cute you are.

-Even if you're only two inches shorter than him.

-If you're taller...

-hoo boy.

-Expect him to be all over you.

-figuratively and literally.

-Will want you to carry him everywhere, sit in your lap, rest against you, whatever.

-Just let him touch you.

-He'll talk about how strong you are, how you'd be the perfect chair, etc. etc.

-He does the stupid "How's the weather up there?" jokes.

-Loves your body, no matter what it looks like.

-You're skinny?

-You're easy to carry around and dance with.

-You're chubby or fat?

-Literally will always be holding onto or resting on part of you. He loves squishy people.

-Somewhere in the middle?

-He could not care less. He loves you regardless of what you look like.

-And he makes sure to emphasize his point by complimenting you endlessly.

-He will never leave your side.

-Even if you need space, he doesn't.

-So why wouldn't you?

-Back to our regularly scheduled fluff-

-Candy Queen hates your guts.

-She thinks you're an obstacle, keeping her from the Winter King.

-No doubt tries to kill you.

-Multiple times. a day

-Her plans are always foiled, but if she gets too close to genuinely hurting you, Winter will be so upset.

"Oh, Dearest, please tell me you're okay!" "You are?" "Phew. I don't know what I'd do if you were hurt in any way."

-His petnames for you are probably

-Darling,

-Dearest,

-My love,

-There are a lot more, but those are the main ones.

-LOVES kissing you.

-Anytime, any way.

-He finds it adorable when his nose bumps your face.

-Favorite place to kiss would probably be the back of your hand.

-He is a gentleman after all.

-Overall, he just adores you.

-And he sincerely hopes you love him just as much as he does you.

Headcanon requests are open for Winter King! Don't be afraid to send an ask, and be shameless! I know I am! (No smut tho. Some spice is okay, however.)

Have some free WK art for coming this far!

reblog for a beginner writer?

[pigswithwings]

i used to think that telling the differences between chinese lion and chinese dragon should be easy, but then i remembered that most people have never really seen either. so. i am now going to explain what i know from personal experience.

here are lions - the southern chinese ones specifically. (there exist many other lions such as taiwanese lions and north china lions and cantonese lions but we will focus on the southern lions here.)

they are for performances usually for the lunar new year or other big celebrations. they have two people each performing as the lion's front and back half (the person in the back has to lean over the hold the person in the front by the waist). sometimes the two performers will perform a very athletic/acrobatic display while in the lion costume, the display being the lion performing on very small and very tall raised platforms.

lions have huge eyes (which can sometimes blink) and mouths that open and close for exaggerated expression. they are very furry and they have large mouths, though the teeth on southern lions are usually flat. they have four legs and they are usually accompanied by loud percussive music. lions often interact with the crowd/people around them and tend to act playful.

in contrast, here are dragons.

these are used mainly for the lunar new year. dragons are very long and most of the time do not require people to be in costume (some dragons can be very large and elaborate, prompting performers to wear the dragon itself). because of their length, dragons usually require more performers than lions. dragons are also usually accompanied by percussive music, but they act very differently to lions. the dragon is basically puppeted, and usually the goal is for all the performers to have a very synchronized and fluid motion.

dragons are very scaled. they tend to have horns and be quite spiky. their faces usually are more elongated than a lion, and they have fangs which stick up where a lion's usually doesn't. dragons are usually chasing after a pearl, or the big sphere you'll see in front of the dragon's mouth. though the colors may be very similar to lions, the dragon has a very distinct form and behavior that makes it pretty unique.

i think that it is understandable to get things mixed up between cultures, but it is also good to learn about facets of different cultures (especially cool stuff like this). i haven't even touched on the cultural significance of lions or dragons, just the function and appearance of them. so if this was at all interesting then i encourage you to seek out more information and maybe even see a performance for yourself

[mieudao]

death note characters as people in your orchestra

(ft. L, light, misa, matsuda, mikami)

L

(former) concertmaster (departed the ensemble suddenly and was never to be seen again)

impossibly good and no one can conceive it. plays with horrifying posture but has two dozen competitions under his belt. very lowkey about it too; you cannot tell until he starts playing and the rest is history

never writes anything down (makes light do it during their time as deskies); somehow predicts what the conductor’s going to want before they say it

^ for this reason never has pencils. don’t bother asking. he just looks at you like he’s wondering why you need to make markings at all

weirdly enough a very good leader despite the fact that he hunches over so much

also plays piano excruciatingly well — took it up before violin. yes the horrific posture persists

snacks during break times. if you look closely you can see him sucking on a piece of candy throughout rehearsal and replacing it when the conductor isn’t looking

overall: 8.8/10. feelings are hurt just a little bit in his presence but very solid all in all

light

associate concertmaster turned concertmaster (took over after L’s mysterious departure)

has the simultaneous ire and respect of all the other string players because he’s so impossibly flawless

as mentioned before made all the notations while sitting next to L. carries a burning hatred (“hatred”) for the man in part fuelled by how irritating he thought having to do so was

says he thinks that every other section is just as important as the first violins but you know he’s lying through his goddamn teeth

so disdainful of the violas. don’t even get him started on percussion

if you play a single thing wrong know that he’s cursing your very existence while you’re avoiding the conductor’s eyes

always brings a full pencil case in and is willing to lend you one with a smile (he thinks you’re an idiot for forgetting). exclusively uses fancy mechanical pencils

also plays piano (equally well)

i can’t find the post but someone said that he had a brief stint with the clarinet in junior high and absolutely sucked at it. that’s canon to me

^ this is why he’s particularly salty towards the clarinets

overall: 9/10. tbh he’s impeccable if you aren’t able to detect the meanness in his eyes. point deducted anyways for being a murderous bitch boy

misa

first clarinetist

life of the orchestra; a little on the chatty side but everyone loves her nonetheless (well… almost everyone)

forgets her pencil 50% of the time. the other 50% she shows up with a bedazzled light-up version of one of these:

erases very aggressively when she makes a mistake/has to redo a marking and all i can say is that it shows

has the funniest reactions. will absolutely pull a face when the conductor stops right before her entry (she was counting damn it!!)

^ i love her but she is a serial miscounter. comes in wrong so many times but no one has it in them to get really mad at her

doodles on her sheet music when she’s bored

100% has her phone on the music stand and is playing project sekai while the conductor grills the other sections

also in choir (absolutely kills at it. our soprano queen with a complex)

overall: 8/10. good player, better as a soloist, here for the vibes. chatterbox

matsuda

second violinist just trying to get by man…

major culprit of tapping his foot and being so focused on counting right that he doesn’t realise everyone in a ten mile radius can hear it

pretty good all in all though. has a genuine enthusiasm for the music and puts a lot of work in; just tends to fumble a bit in the heat of the moment

uses regular traditional pencils —  i feel like he’s an HB man. surprisingly quite good with remembering his; brings a few but generally only has one on hand at his stand

^ if you’re in need and are close enough he’s willing to toss it to you (gets excited when this happens + is unfortunately not subtle about it)

dreams of being randomly asked to play the solo, stunning everyone into silence, and then getting moved to front desk

overall: 8/10. great ensemble player but please learn to tap inside your shoe

mikami

principal cellist. the ‘p’ in ‘principal’ stands for ‘passionate’ because… wow

has a very dynamic style of playing. extremely funny since everyone else in the section is just sitting there normally and he’s nearly throwing himself out of his seat (bro it’s a downbow… it’s just a regular downbow…)

^ though he does have the most epic final flourish at the end of the piece i’ll give him that

flawless pencil etiquette. keeps his pencil case full of perfectly sharpened 2B pencils (with erasers) under his seat and will lend one to those he deems deserving

typically uses a .7 mechanical pencil for himself. his notations are flawless. sheet music is without a single crinkle too

willing to help/answer anyone’s questions abt the actual music as well

stares down anyone who isn’t playing up to par (fear him) and practices religiously

overall: 9.2/10. also flawless on the outside. minus .8 for being slightly terrifying and also the killings

this was fun lmao and only partially based on people i have encountered irl. might make a follow-up for the other characters too!!

edit: follow-up was made. part 2 (takada, aizawa, ryuk, rem, sayu, soichiro) here :)

[banned-transit]

Meet the band! (left to right)

Jessica K, lead guitarist. Literal goddamn rocket scientist. Constantly impressed by her, and I also have a suspicion that god created us both specifically to destroy each other.

Haven (me). I write stuff, play bass, and look cute - and I'm good at two of those things.

Michelle Broussard, lead singer. STEM girly who can reach the top shelf. Her haunting pipes are what inspired the formation of the band.

Esme, percussion. Probably the third most Denvery person I know (affectionate). Total sweetheart and quite skilled at smacking things. We get to sit/stand next to each other on stage.

Ani Rey Briggs, rhythm guitarist and basically the founder of Banned Transit. Unstoppable force.

We're from all over: Florida, Utah, Texas, Tennessee, and Colorado. Our genre is equally eclectic: a bit punk, a bit Irish trad, a bit bluegrass, all squeezed into the word "folk" and we just pretend it fits there.

This post is coming really early on. We won't have anything for you to listen to for like a week maybe. Stay tuned, bitches. Love y'all.

[azrail-has-a-vendetta]

okay- I woke up in a cold sweat and made this. I introduce to you: instruments the bat-fam plays *jazz hands*

Bruce: grew up rich; probably plays piano at least and maybe a string instrument like that violin (I can see him being a bass or cello guy) doesn’t play much and is sorely out of practice.

Dick: grew up in the circus; so probably doesn’t play a traditional instrument if any- may play a little organ or a percussion instrument.

Jason: grew up poor/on the streets; plays piano quite well (Alfred taught him and then got him lessons) also plays guitar (self taught).

Tim: Grew up rich; plays both piano and violin, was a prodigy in both and often had to play the violin for guests, doesn’t play much now but will occasionally play and is pretty good for not picking it up for months to years at a time.

Damian: grew up as an assassin; may have learned a string instrument (can also kill you 19 different ways with said instrument) but doesn’t play. Has a secret desire to (Jason teaches him some piano).

Steph: criminal father; she seems like a band or choir kid tbh, she probably plays a brass instrument I can see her terrorizing the family with “Careless Whisper” on the saxophone at every possible moment.

Cass: assassin; flute and voice. She plays the flute and it’s the literal best thing you’ve ever heard. No one knows how she learned. She also sings when she is alone and has a really pretty voice. You can catch her humming around the manor sometimes.

Duke: I’m not really sure how he grew up; he probably has the voice of an angel and sings with Cass a lot. He also seems like the kid to play drums or a brass instrument.

Barbara: commissioner’s daughter; she was probably a choir kid, also plays some piano or guitar. One time her choir concert was interrupted by a bad guy when she was in middle school and after Batman took care of it she managed to force him to sing a solo; Gordon still has it on video. Barbara threatens to use it against Bruce all the time.

Alfred: no one knows for sure, but he seems to play a little of everything, and is actually a pretty good teacher.

[samhaft]

Hey Sam, hope you and everybody are doing alright up there.

I was wondering how you go about writing lyrics? Re-listened to the Zero One album recently and it blew me away just as much as it did the first time. You have such an ear candy manner of flow and I just can’t quite wrap my head around how you even start to write that sort of thing out. Do you start with words or a rhythm first or is it something that takes both a bit at a time?

Thanks, and stay safe!

Thanks for your kind question!

For my flow when it comes to rapped lyrics - where the emphasis sits, where the rhymes are placed etc, I like to think of it like writing a drum part! Without a melody I’m sonically essentially a percussion layer, so thats always been my approach - if you were to play my stressed/unstressed syllables on a bongo drum, ideally it would sound pretty good!

As far as my process, I almost NEVER write lyrics without music existing to write them over, because - as a percussion part - I need the music to inform what sounds groovy. On the other hand I rarely write vocal rhythms without the words, because the words help inform where the emphasis can sit / rhymes will sound best. One thing I also use a LOT is sound repetition - where beyond the rhymes, I’ll use a lot of vowel and consonant sounds that are similar enough to feel “rhymey” without locking into a full rhyme - this is something you hear a lot of in hip hop, but is less commonplace in sung pop music.

I’ll break down an example from the title track zero_one. Rhymed sounds are bolded and color coded, and one interesting move you’ll notice is inserting a syllable into our two syllable ‘level’ rhyme on ‘several’ for a little bit of ear candy, but I want to focus on the italics:

Lost the plot and so I play it again

Needing a friend, needing an end, a creed to defend

proceed another level to battle a devil

combatting several enemies with the

anatomy of a rebel

“Proceed” takes our ‘eed’ and adds an ‘uh’ sound in front of it - now you’d never say ‘proceed’ and ‘enemies’ rhyme - they don’t! BUT the last two vowel sounds are ‘uh-ee’ in both words - and I add a THIRD sound atop that stack with “enemies” which is the ‘en’ sound - so later in that line when I hit “anatomy” it sounds really pleasing to the ear, because beyond just closing our ‘at’ rhyme, it starts with ‘en’ and ends with ‘uh-ee’. And in fact that ‘uh’ sound is also how I pronounce “the” “to” “again” “a” “defend” “several” “of” etc etc etc - none of which are rhymes! But instead repeated percussive use of that one vowel sound over and over throughout. You’ll notice my pronunciation is completely internally inconsistent based on what sounds I want to emphasize at the moment! The “the” at the beginning is ‘thuh’ but the one after “enemies” is ‘thee’ to better match the sounds I’m emphasizing!

Ok I’m looking at this wall of text and feel like I must be rambling like a crazy person so I’m gonna stop lmao

Most of this is an intuitive process for me, I’m not writing up diagrams like that as I write lyrics, but I’m just trying to visualize for you what’s happening inside my brain as I write. Hope that makes sense?

If you’d like to watch me actually write stuff, the linktree in my pinned post features a class I sell that lets you watch me write two songs in real time!

[cafedragons]

for us, full integration is like... a soundboard, almost.

every alter who's a part of my collective self has a volume slider. alters can get turned up or down, but they are always part of the overall sound being produced. most days since october, max's volume has been set the loudest, followed by charger's.

anyone who knows max's vibe knows that she's super gentle natured and a bit of a goober, like a playful clarinet.

charger is more like a violin. quirky, energetic, and a little bit out-there so to speak. he can be quite harsh.

jukebox is like a kazoo or some other fun instrument.

mocha is gentle and competent, like a flute.

nitro is like percussion, especially battery like drums. steady, logical, consistent.

java is an electric guitar with distortion. he's unafraid to stand out and be loud and say exactly what he thinks.

all of us together make up the whole sound that is aven, but sometimes the volume of the drums is turned way down while the flute has an emphasis, or any other combination like that.

that's why i wouldn't really call our fluidity "switching". i'd call it "fluxing" or "dialing" or something like that, because we're all part of the same soundtrack. just sometimes one of us needs to be a bit louder, a bit more dominant in that mix.

[angelicenjolras]

OK, FINALLY I GOT AROUND TO FINISHING THIS

LES AMIS + OTHERS IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CONCERT BAND AU

My qualification for this is that I've been playing flute in concert Band for 5 years, and been in the top band for 4 years, im extremely qualified/hj

Enjolras: 2nd chair flutist. He's been playing flute since middle school and joined the top band freshman year. Jehan and him often go to each other houses to practice with each other. He gets really bad anxiety on concert day. Also did chorus, but only for a year before quitting. Incredibly good at playing by ear

Combeferre: the only Bassoonist in the band. Started playing bassoon freshman year and joined the top band sophomore year. He would also love to play viola, but he has too much on his schedule. Stays after school to practice, often with Courfeyrac and/or Enjolras. hears the "bassoon in German" jokes way too many times and is sick of it.

Courfeyrac: 1st chair trumpet and also the section leader in marching band. He started playing trumpet when he was really young and joined the top band freshman year. Him, Bossuet, and Bahorel stay after school a lot for brass sectional practices. Every time the band plays Sleigh Ride, he wears a silly horse mask when doing the horse whinny (like what this dude did)

Jean Prouvaire: first chair flutist. Started playing flute really young but only joined band their last year in middle school and joined the top band freshman year. Once stayed overnight at Enjolras' house to help him get down certain parts in Satirical Dances (that song is a nightmare). Puts a little Santa hat on their flute every winter concert (i recommend everyone to do this it's very funny and makes your instrument look very cute). Incredible at playing by ear

Bossuet: Tuba player that doubles on Trombone often. Started playing freshman year and joined the top band sophomore year. Did marching band for a bit but quit very early on. He messed up on his trombone solo once during MPA, and it haunts him since. Instrument gets so out of tune so often it's insane. He loves listening to music and just playing along with it, even if he doesn't know the notes

Joly: plays 3rd clarinet. They played a bit in elementary school and picked it up again freshmen year because Bossuet was joining the band, then joined the top band sophomore year. They're not the greatest clarinet players, but they're having a lot of fun, and that's all that matters. They love to look for sheet music of video game music they likes. They use the schools clarinet, so they clean it excessively before and after they use it. Sucks at playing by ear

(Just adding here, Musichette isn't in the band but in the string orchestra, and she plays cello!)

Feuilly: plays tenor sax. Started playing in the first year of middle school and joined the top band sophomore year. He plays tenor sax in the jazz band. Deep love for soul music and listen to a lot of older jazz. Him and Enjolras did a duet for solo and ensemble once. He would love to learn bass one day.

Bahorel: percussion. Started band freshman year. Really liked the idea of banging on shit and making a nice rhythm. Often, he gets in trouble for playing way too loud, but other than at hes pretty good at most percussion instruments....besides the triangle, somehow. He always wanted to play french horn when he was a kid.

Grantaire: honestly i was stuck figuring out what to make him play, then @ghost4tets mentioned on one of my post how they could see Grantaire playing oboe and thats actually so perfect, I can totally see that, especially because back in my middle school top band one of the oboist did not care about the band at all, and I think that's Grantaire in a way. He would join junior year, and no one has any idea how he even got in the band because he clearly never practices, which was odd to them bc he clearly seem to like music (gose on hours long rants about classical music). The main reason he joined is because he once heard Enjolras playing and thought it was the most beautiful thing he ever heard, and he wanted to hear more of it. Genuinely loves the people in the band, and the band likes him enough to keep him around (even though he's clearly not practicing at all)

Marius: 1st chair Oboist, played oboe a bit when he was younger and joined the top band junior year because courfeyrac told him it was a great way to meet others and a nice hobby to get into (plus the conductor was looking for a oboist who would actually learn and play the music). He has a huge crush on a certain violinist in the sting orchestra. Courfeyrac and him practice a lot after school.

Cosette: violinist in the string orchestra, started to play violin first year of middle school and joined the orchestra freshman year(there is no top string orchestra because there's only a mixed orchestra in the school) became really close friends with Musichette. Her and Enjolras (bc they will forever be twins in almost every au i make) love picking out songs they know and playing together. Very good at playing by ear. Has a crush on a certain oboist in the top band.

Eponine: isn't actually in the band but visits the band room almost every day after school, mostly to talk to Marius. Taught herself how to play piano and loves to play on it whenever she visits the band room. Even though she isn't actually a band member, the band still treats her like she is a part of it and loves her dearly

Ok I think thats it for now

[emberphoenixisgoingtolive]

HTTYD characters as classical instruments

Hiccup plays cello. He would be an incredible musician, but I think he’s the kind that would take too much creative freedom with the music and goes off-time with the beat (much to the dismay of the conductor because he really has a lot of potential) but he’s content sitting second desk or something. He also plays piano and can compose really well, as he has a lot of natural creativity (and what is composing if not engineering and building of sound?). I also think he’d be an amazing and charismatic conductor post-movie-1 Hiccup. Also violin and cello/piano is a beautiful duo and Astrid and Hiccup totally would duet together.

Astrid plays/leads first violins. I think she would make an incredible, confident and strong leader. She would 100% work the hardest to be the best in her section to an almost obsessive extent, until it stopped being as much fun as it was. It was Hiccup who helped her to gain the joy in playing totally not from hours of duetting in empty practice rooms which turned into makeout sessions.

Heather plays violin. She would definitely have the technique and sight reading skills to sit front desk, but would still let Astrid take the lead. There used to be competition between the two, but that’s all in the past.

Ruffnut plays double bass. I can see her enjoying the way the posture looks and feels on the stool and the low notes, but cello was too ‘classical’ and formal for her. Specifically, she started playing it to be in a jazz band and got roped into orchestra via her friends

Tuffnut plays percussion. He’s that one asshat at the back with one bar in the concert and vibes while the other sections suffer through the difficult pieces. But I think he would have such an amazing time playing all the different instruments and multitasking. Tuff would also have the most fun making innuendos about all the other instruments (the conductor says “you need to adjust your fingering,” “tongue that D a little firmer,” “blow harder at this bar” and he goes nuts)

Fishlegs plays/leads oboe and flute. He can play panpipes in canon, and he seems like the kind of person who would be happy with a smaller part. Also, (he will never admit it) but he loves being the instrument everyone tunes to because it makes him feel a bit more respected.

Snotlout plays tuba. His personality just screams ‘brass player’ and I think he’d want one of the bigger brass instruments (even though carrying it kills his posture). Also he loves having the big solos (occasionally) and getting the chance to show off. He’s also a secret fan of the Star Wars soundtrack. He also gets very flustered by all the hot brass men.

Dagur plays viola. I honestly don’t know why, I think it would just suit him. He enjoys playing something similar to his sister (but not the same, so there’s no rivalry, ofc) and enjoys the richer sound than the violin. He’d also beat the fuck out of anyone who dares make fun of his instrument (which is... a lot).

Mala plays a lot of things. I was caught between several, so I decided she would be a multi instrumentalist - clarinet, bassoon, violin, and piano. She’s good at piano (maybe even on Hiccup’s level, but she’s also a lot older) and usually plays clarinet, bassoon or piano, depending on what the orchestra needs. However, if they’re short on violins, she’d be a good, solid stand-in. She’s generally just a one-woman army of musical force.

Throk plays trumpet (and he is very serious about it). It’s really difficult to smile while playing a lot of brass instruments, and I think that’s quite in character. In a modern universe, I also think he’d be a huge Star Wars fan, and the brass section has a lot of solos/important bits, which he would really vibe with.

Viggo plays piano. He’s just got that highly intelligent, quiet, condescending, evil vibe about him (no shade piano gang). He’d definitely enjoy sitting at the back and not having to do much, while being secure in the thought he’s more musically skilled than half the orchestra. He also plays the organ, and has a taste for Baroque music over modern stuff. He helps Hiccup with composing, since he’s good at composition too.

Ryker plays the triangle. Fucking hates it.

Stoick... I was really not sure about. Timpani has a really strong, commanding sound, as Stoick does, but he also seems like a brass player. Tuba is also low and bellowing, but isn’t usually as important as stuff like trumpets and trombones, but all those instruments seem too small for Stoick’s massive hands.

Gobber plays saxophone. He’d definitely engineer a prosthetic (or some kinda device) that can press enough of the keys. If he couldn’t, he’d play percussion. That’s definitely possible with a prosthetic limb, and also, he would find percussion so much fun. I can see him attaching a drumstick onto his prosthetic arm and having the time of his life.

Valka plays cello and violin. She has this lovely, ethereal vibe about her that just screams renfair–type violin. But the darker, more mysterious sound of cello could speak to her too. She’s definitely a string player. She probably taught Hiccup how to play cello. She’s also one of those people who is very spiritually connected to music (as I am) and has more emphasis on feeling the music above the technical aspects.

Eret plays French horn. I’m not sure what makes me go for this, I just feel like he’s a brass player, and French horn is the only brass instrument I haven’t listed yet.

Gustav is a piccolo player. He loves irritating people by squeaking it in someone’s ear. I think he started off on violin and got dumped at the back of second violins, which pissed him off so much, he learned piccolo out of spite.

Wingmaidens are flautists. They have that floaty, soft vibe about them, and the flute has lots of soaring passages that would be well suited to the flute.

[nevermorgue]

Nevermore the Musical Concepts PART 3

I'm picturing how some of the character's solos/more personalized songs would sound. Firstly, I imagine the majority of the musical to be in minor keys. Major keys sound a bit too happy/not as catchy. Everything being in a minor key gives it a more eerie vibe, reminding us that everyone is dead. Maybe at one point one song is in a major key to throw off the overall sound. Maybe Merry and Mourn prefer major chords, or Montresor switches between the two to emphasize how he is "not like the rest of them". Imagine Eulalie's using the sounds of traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen, the koto, and the shakuhachi to name a few. The notes blend together, nice and soft like lullabies with eerie vocal scoops and enka sounds. Her melody occasionally is a nod to the Itsuki lullaby, the one she sang to the children before dying. Some of the notes repeat themselves throughout her vocals depending on the song/lyric choice. Berenice has a jazzy, faster paced influence. Her voice is rough, scooping and using vibrato as much as she can. I'm sure her vocal growls are fantastic too. I think her and Eulalie singing as a pair during the Ring the Bell song could be a really nice blend between a fast paced, jazzy percussion and softer tones of Japanese instruments. And do not even get me started on Will. He matches vocal style with whoever he is singing with. Most of his parts have a country sort of twang to them as a nod to Montresor, but he doesn't get anything unique on his own. The other characters' instrumental styles blend together and he just sings on top of it, contributing nothing special to the song. If he did get a song on his own (A lament of some sort, questioning his friendship with Montresor) I would assume it would start more country rock sort of vibe in reference to Monty, but slowly goes into something a bit more unique; classic rock. Classic rock with light guitars and a beat that feels much more upbeat, rather than the creepy/catchy vibe that Nevermore songs give. Not only is he "breaking away" from his previous manipulation, but in a way he's also stepping up as he too is now performing in a major key, which the other proper antagonists do. Annabel Lee and Prospero match each other a lot. Classical strings and a LOT of harpsichord usage. For Annabel Lee I specifically think of "ANTI THE HOLIC" by cosMo@Bousou-p in terms of vibes. Just imagine something fast paced and classical, matching her energy. Prospero I picture in a similar light, slower but still with the same elements of classical instruments pushing his voice forward and making them come across as ethereal; in charge. "Gothic and Loneliness" by Narushima Takashi has a fantastic instrumental that I envision a lot of the songs to have a similar vibe to. Fast paced but still classical and orchestral. The hints of electric sounds being nods to more modern characters. It all depends on who is singing and what the song is. Ada has a similar thing to Will where her instrumentals try to copy Annabel's but always seem to be missing something whether it be another instrument or a note goes up instead of down. Almost there, but not quite right. Morella having a Celtic influence and plenty of harp and violin. Imagine the other voices drowning her out, leaving her trapped in between a mess of voices and unable to choose what melody to sing along to, so she shakily creates her own. And lastly to end off for now, Duke is the only baritone in the misfits and tends to be the support, the foundation when they are all together. Lenore balances out in Alto, keeping the higher voices grounded with mainly harmonies and the occasional melody line. Normally, the main character sings melody always, but I think when all of the misfits sing together her going to harmonize makes more sense. She is the backbone; the one keeping them all together. Pluto is a tenor, Berenice is a mezzo, and Eulalie is a soprano. Morella is also a soprano, and she and Eula tend to harmonize a bit in group songs.

[kuliak]

Decentralized sequencing.

The core of this sequencing was the idea to "strum" Floom by taking an offset into Vice Virga then using an offset to quickly send it through multiple outputs in series. I couldn't quite get it right this time but want to go back to that idea! What I found as I was tuning it though was that, a bit slower, rotating the gates and triggers to different JF voices sounds really nice, and I can generate new sequences using the random mode Adv and Offset of VV independently! So that's the main voice, with a bit of Bib and Data Bender spice.

Percussion is simple - I have a steady ABD kick distorted through MinEQ, Archer's Rig triggered by the "spare" VV outputs through Mum M8, all through Ikarie as I love to do.

Finally, I have a 2OP PM patch from Three Body through an LPG, then both sides of DLD and finally Prism configured like a resonator.

Since the random VV sequences are mostly so pleasing, I literally had just the base of this on in the background for hours yesterday and today before setting on what final bits to add. Really lovely!

[gaijin-fujin-resonance]

ストレリチア / Strelitzia

Due to my family background (my grandparents were botanists in southern Africa) I know Strelitzia as the crane flower. It’s an incredibly nostalgic plant to me, as its image used to adorn the back of the aerogramme letters I received from family abroad as a child.

So I suppose I was expecting more of an African sound, all chiming guitars and sweet harmonies? So wow, was the psychedelic sitar sound of Strelitzia a surprise!

It was impossible on first listen to tell if it was a sitar, a guitar, a synth, or what. Thankfully, Imai’s production notes for Sound & Recording Magazine answer that:

今井寿: あの曲では星野がシタール・ギターを 弾いていて、僕のギターはシタールのエフェ クターをかけた音です。ELECTRO-HARMONIX Ravish Sitar というモデルですね。 Imai Hisashi: In that song, Hoshino plays a sitar guitar, and my guitar has a sitar effect applied to it. It's the ELECTRO-HARMONIX Ravish Sitar model.

This pedal is, frankly, one of the grooviest things I’ve heard in years. Just listen to the official demo recordings from Electro-Harmonix to get an idea of what it’s capable of.

It’s quite one of my favourite things about Imai, the delight he clearly takes in experimenting with the oddest and strangest of guitar pedals. I love that Imai (despite regularly achieving some of the most beautiful guitar tones known to humankind throughout the band's recording history) has absolutely no respect for the guitar as a guitar player. He treats the thing purely as a note-generator to be processed, run through effects, manipulated, modulated and otherwise completely f*cked up until it’s almost no longer recognisable as a guitar. In my books, this puts him up there with people like Kevin Shields and Robert Fripp, in terms of rearranging my perceptions of what a guitar is even capable of.

Anyway! On to the song itself, pretty much a rough guide to all of the wonderful elements that make up Imai’s sonic landscape. Strelitzia starts starts with classic Imai slithering insect noises - they might be sonic artefacts of the effects pedals, or they might be percussion run through a really extreme phaser effect? Then the song kicks in with our old friend, a pedal point on the bass, with an occasional semitone down to keep it moving. (The song is only 74 bpm, almost shockingly slow for a B-T song, but it never seems to drag.)

I’m working under the assumption that the guitar in the right channel is Hide’s sitar guitar, since it has quite a natural sitar shimmer. The guitar in the left channel has a slightly more synthetic tone, more flanged, so I presume that’s Imai with the Ravish pedal? Then straight down the centre, the main riff is played on a sound that I, as a westerner, would describe as a little banjo-like. But the particular resonances definitely make it sound more Asian, perhaps the lightly bending and warping tone of a Shamisen or even Koto?

At 0:44, when the live drums kick in, the left hand guitar goes a little farty - but it’s all about context. With the fluttering symphony of psychedelic sounds weaving and echoing around it, I don’t mind a little synthetic squelchiness. In fact, it provides a nice build and lift indicating the song is preparing to move to the B-part, as the bass finally shifts off its pedal point and starts climbing what feels like an endlessly ascending Escher staircase, to provide melodic dynamics while the guitars stay on their hypnotic drone.

If Imai really wanted to, he could drag that build out a little longer? He definitely knows how to do dancefloor dynamics, as shown on the song Subrosa and previous bangers like Gustave. Some day I’d love to see him abandon all pretense of the standard Verse-Chorus pop arrangement and just really go all out on an endless dancefloor loop with a build and a drop and no B part. But the vibe shift here from the A part to the B part really reminds me a little of Todd Terje’s Inspector Norse. It’s got a similar sort of long hold on one two-note bass riff, which builds and builds - until at last, when the bass finally moves off that single note at 3:37, it feels like the whole world tilts on its access, like a plane taking off and immediately banking sharply. It’s a gloriously ecstatic moment!

This is basically a rock song done in the form of a dancefloor filler - in the place of a guitar solo, at 1:36, he has put in a classic dance drop. Everything cuts out except for some pretty extreme Einstürzende Neubauten metal-banging!!! YES!!! ROX0R!!!! MORE OF THIS PLEASE!!!

Then it’s back to the lovely phased-out, droney sitar-strumming with beautiful warm vinyl crackle in the background, and it’s technically not a true instrumental because there is a whispered Syd Barrett vocal at 2:11 just as the big echoey synth kicks on, but I’ve no idea what he says. (And please don’t any Japanese-speakers ruin it for me by informing me he just says “now” or “start” or “1-2-3-4!” or whatever!)

The whole sequence repeats again, almost exactly as before, with more vinyl crackle and insect noises accompanying us out. The second time the B part repeats, there’s a lovely wooden percussion (marimba?) sound doubling the guitars in the background, like a stately minuet of odd noises. There’s something so pleasing about the arrangement, like a very formal, exactly lined up arrangement of extremely weird sounds. This is one of those tunes that really gives me hope for the second season of B-T, that there aren’t just new songs sleeping in the brains of Imai and Hoshino, but entirely new genres lurking in their future. Can’t wait to hear more!

[sivavakkiyar]

Hey here’s a nerd thing. You know that famous story about Zappa writing a letter to Varese and getting a response from him and them talking on the phone when he was 16 (or something)? He kept the letter above his piano in his house for the rest of his life (it was even there when Gaga owned the house)? He never shared it himself, he always just shared Varese’s response, but we actually *do* have the letter he wrote to Varese, and it’s kind of fascinating and revealing:

Mr. Edgard Varèse 188 Sullivan St. New York, New York

Dear Sir:

Perhaps you might remember me from my stupid phone call last January, if not, my name again is Frank Zappa Jr. I am 16 years old ... that might explain partly my disturbing you last winter. The reason for my letter at this time is that I am visiting relatives in Baltimore and as long as I am on the East Coast I hope I can get to see you.

It might seem strange but ever since I was 13 I have been interested in your music. The whole thing stems from the time when the keeper of this little record store sold me your album "The Complete Works Of Edgard Varèse, Volume 1." The only reason I knew it existed was that an article in either LOOK or the POST mentioned it as being noisy and unmusical and only good for trying out the sound systems in high fidelity units (referring to your "IONISATIONS"). I don't know how the store I got it from ever obtained it, but, after several hearings, I became curious and bought it for $5.40, which, at the time seemed awfully high and being so young, kept me broke for three weeks. Now I wouldn't trade it for anything and I am looking around for another copy as the one I have is very worn and scratchy.

After I had struggled through Mr. Finklestein's notes on the back cover (I really did struggle too, for at the time I had had no training in music other than practice at drum rudiments) I became more and more interested in you and your music. I began to go to the library and take out books on modern composers and modern music, to learn all I could about Edgard Varèse. It got to be my best subject (your life) and I began writing my reports and term papers on you at school. At one time when my history teacher asked us to write on an American that has really done something for the U.S.A. I wrote on you and the Pan American Composers League and the New Symphony. I failed. The teacher had never heard of you and said I made the whole thing up. Silly but true. That was in my Sophomore year in high school.

Throughout my life all the talents and abilities that God has left me with have been self developed, and when the time came for Frank to learn how to read and write music, Frank taught himself that too. I picked it all up from the library.

I have been composing for two years now, utilizing a strict twelve-tone technique, producing effects that are reminiscent of Anton Webern.

During those two years I have written two short woodwind quartets and a short symphony for winds, brass and percussion.

Recently I have been earning my keep at home with my blues band, the BLACKOUTS. We have done quite well and in my association with my fellow musicians I am learning to play other instruments besides drums.

I paint in oils and watercolor and last year produced a cartoon film in school by painting color directly onto a 250 foot reel of cleared 16 mm movie film. I painted on the color in such a way that I managed to closely, but not completely, synchronize their movements to your "DENSITY 21.5" and the second "movement" of "OCTANDRE". It brought about some amazing results from the audience and my counselors in the office allowed me to make a trip I had planned to Walt Disney studios with the film.

Nothing ever came of my trip, but when I got back to school I was informed I had a chance to be skipped from the Junior year in high school to the Freshman year at the junior college which adjoined the school as an experiment.

I went to the Jaycee and studied harmony and music appreciation and history for one semester and came out of it with A's and B's.

I plan to go on and be a composer after college and I could really use the counsel of a veteran such as you. If you would allow me to visit with you for even a few hours it would be greatly appreciated.

It may sound strange but I think I have something to offer you in the way of new ideas. One is an elaboration on the principle of Ruth Seeger's contrapuntal dynamics and the other is an extension of the twelve-tone technique which I call the inversion square. It enables one to compose harmonically constructed pantonal music in logical patterns and progressions while still abandoning tonality.

Would you please reply as soon as possible because I will not be here much longer. My address here is 4803 Loch Raven Blvd., Baltimore Maryland. Phone Hopkins 77336. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,

Frank Zappa Jr.

[bennetisaac]

ghost eyes marching band au bcus the first day of band camp hit me like a bus. if ur in any discord servers with me shut up you haven’t seen this before

tobias: drum major

nobody knows how or why tf he was picked. carmelo’s just a little shitty about it but he won’t say anything. Tobi’s movements are very rigid and sharp. he will NOT hesitate to make your ass run if you aren’t paying attention / doing the right thing. Before that, he played tenor saxophone / plays it during concert band. doesn’t have a cool salute even tho rudy BEGGED him to make one.

rudolph: gaurd

HE IS SO LOUD AND EXCITED. arguably the most enthusiastic person there. since tobias is too quiet, he helps lead the warmups. hes really spirited at football games and always makes the band bus to comps REALLY REALLY fun. he brings a HUUUUGE bag to camp so everybody has what they need. he plays flute / percussion during concert season.

emilio: bass clarinet

very strong clarinet. he’s a strong marcher, he just has to take breaks pretty often. he’s the senior that everybody is afraid of because he’s been doing it forever, even if it wasn’t at their school. he’s got perfect pitch and is not afraid to tell you if you’re flat. he’s that kid who’s REALLY good at his instrument it’s scary

carmelo: drumline, base drum

he was really hoping from drum major, but he still loves his percussion. he’s the section leader. they all fuck around and tobias has to yell at them a lot to quit. he used to be in the pit, but he likes drumline more. nobody knows if he’s serious about band or not. that kid who’s always on his phone. he’s the kid who brings a speaker on the band bus

EXTRA PPL

francis: percussion , keyboard

only really joined because he had absolutely nothing else going on for him. it’s also unclear if he’s serious or not. carmelo’s always out of place cus hes over near the pit talking to them.

dino: tuba

he’s arguably the best brass player they have.

mattias: percussion , guitar

he was only needed for this show in particular because there was a guitar solo in it, and Tobias volunteered him. he loves band a lot and thinks the people are fun. tried to march once and almost immediately hit the blacktop.

adam: drumline, snare drum

was forced into joining early by rudy, actually really loves it. has become carmelo’s “favorite newbie”

VARIOUS HC

tobias throws chalk at peoples heads to keep them focused.

speaking of chalk, they almost got it taken because carmelo / his percussion friends all went around getting their hands covered in the chalk and slapping their friends asses (specifically black shorts) to leave white hand prints on them. carmelo promptly got chased around the field by rudolph

phillippa is 10000% a band mom. she volunteers for everything she ever can. people have started calling her mom or mama phillippa

tobias has the entire score memorized and WILL call you out by name if you fuck it up

rudolph is the biggest advocate for the guard to ever exist. “we should eat first because we have to do makeup before the competition!!!”

[samneric-ericnsam]

Hellooooo kiddos… if you’re feeling up to it, you should talk all about what your lives were like before… everything. With the presumed drastic change from then to now, I hope you treat yourselves with excessive kindness! It’s certainly deserved.

(Also, if you please, let Ralph know that I’m proud of him. I simply think he needs to hear it.)

“Oh- We don’t mind at all! It’s a little hard to recall everything since things have been a little blurred with all that’s happened. We spent a lot of time at school and didn’t see our parents much, since we really didn’t want to have to fill out the papers.”

“yeah, the papers were always such a difficulty to go through. But it really didn’t bother us much not seeing our parents, since it gave us more time to work on learning. we actually did quite well in school.”

“and we enjoyed our classes quite a bit! we were both in the orchestra, since our parents thought it to be beneficial to us.”

“I played the Violin and eric was on percussion. (i was second chair😁). we didn’t really see much of the boys in the island while in school, mostly just maurice and harold, since they shared a few classes with us.”

“Oh- and thank you so so much for what you said. we really try our best and we’re glad to hear that- though our best isn’t always too beneficial to others- still, grateful nonetheless!!”

“we also told ralph what you said and he appreciated it greatly! he even teared up a bit. he’s been dealing with the whole ordeal a little strange, but he’s been getting better lately.”