Rick Alan Rice (rar)'s Reel

On another compositional track, the tune "Phrygian Dominatrix" is an exercise in writing in the Phrygian mode. This is one of those modes that the likes of Dream Theater get lost in because it is just inherently spooky and dark. I used it to build a really lovely story about somebody in a dead relationship who can't find anything on his car radio so would just prefer to die. You read about that kind of stuff all the tme.

I don't usually promote my own musical ambitions because people will point and laugh, but maybe I can get away with it regarding a couple current postings of new original material. I have been playing around with different approaches to songwriting and have a couple exhibits. The first is Donald's House, which is so named because it is an exercise in chord substitution, ala the kind of thing that Donald Fagen does with his "fake jazz" (his words). The song "Donald's House" is nothing like a...