MIDI

Most people have pages full of MIDI files written by somebody else that they happen to like. That's always seemed kind of pointless to me, so I've got on this site: (a) MIDI files I did myself, (b) CAL (Cakewalk Application Language) files I did myself, (c) other people's MIDI files that I absolutely can't stand, and (d) the little utilities above that ought to be on everybody's MIDI site.

You'll notice that the originals are a little sparse. As I get some of my stuff into Cakewalk, you'll see it below. Come back (moderately) often -- I work somewhat faster than your average glacier.

Original Songs

Kachina -- A product of my junior year in high school (age 15). Teenage angst? Too much Brubeck on the turntable? Anyhow, I had my synth hooked up to my computer so I added an improvized chorus. It’s a jazz tune, so imagine another dozen choruses and you’ll get the idea.
Obrigado -- I wrote this one when I was a whole two years older, though the solos are more what I like nowadays. The main riff is a deliberate deconstruction of a cliche using the minor 11ths I was in love with at the time.
Tell the Difference – I’d listened to the USENET 91 tapes and thought, gee, there were a lot of synth songs there and nobody could tell the difference between them. This is one that I hoped folks could tell the difference about. It’s a time chart that doesn’t sound like a time chart, and a far less in-your-face song than I’d ever written.
Aeo Lido Lady – An exercise for my composition teacher a couple of years ago. The task was to write something in each of the modes (guess which one this is). The tricky bit is that it’s played on all the white keys, even though the harmony just begs for some accidentals.
Two short cues written to order for VRML Dream using melodic elements that were already written: Fanfare and Magic

CAL Files

Appoggiatura.cal -- creates an appoggiatura (grace note) ascending or descending on the current note(s), either on the beat or before the beat.
LittleTrill.cal -- creates a little (3-note) trill by dividing the current note into a triplet, with the second note any distance higher or lower than the first.

My Sequences of Other People's Songs

Goin' Back by Carole King -- arrangement inspired by Phil Spector
Do It Again by Becker and Fagen -- How's my little girl?
Another Star by Stevie Wonder -- A big band arrangement, with a deep bow in the direction of the late Stan Kenton

The Worst Songs Ever Written

These are other people's sequences, but I'm embarrassed to admit I tweaked some of them. I hosed down Cakewalk with disinfectant afterwards.

Annie's Song -- "You fill up my senses, like a fart in a phonebooth"
Feelings -- "Wo wo wo -- urp!"
Have You Never Been Mellow -- Everybody has a time in their life when they believe that radio, or at least one radio station, is listening to them, is somehow about their lives. This song by Olivia Newton-John was the wakeup call that radio can't be trusted.
I Will Always Love You -- Whitney Houston adds that certain "special" touch to just about everything she sings, so it's hard picking just one.
I Will Survive -- Somebody didn't get the message that disco was dead.
Killing Me Softly With His Song -- Roberta Flack did the original and the Fugees resurrected it. Why is this a bad song? Because of the horrible mismatch between notes and lyrics. Say the title. Now is there a less important word than "his"? Yet that's the word that gets the music accent.
Lara's Theme from Dr. Zhivago -- This drippy arrangement would cause an elevator to explode.
Lean On Me -- originally performed by Bill Withers, this was the vehicle for every musically untalented kid to play the right hand part, and the last B-diminished chord without that G in the bass to make it a dominant 7th is guaranteed to set your teeth on edge.
The Macarena -- Well, of course!
Open Arms -- Did you know that Journey used to be a decent rock'n'roll band?
The Rose -- Bette Midler's hysterical performance is really the culprit; the song isn't that vile.
It's a Small World -- How many people's Disney dreams have turned into nightmares by this horror?
Take My Breath Away -- Berlin's only hit. They were so artistically challenged that they couldn't manage to write a bass line.
Tico Tico -- There has only been one cool arrangement of this song (Bill Holman's for Stan Kenton). This isn't it.
YMCA -- The second-worst song ever written about the YMCA.
You Light Up My Life -- For 1000 years religious music has had a certain nobility. Debbie Boone undid that tradition in 3 minutes.

MIDI Music Links

Search and Lists of Lists

MIDI file collections

MIDI Technical Links

Hardware

Software

MIDI on USENET

If you like to listen to MIDI files, you know that alt.binaries.sounds.midi and the newsgroups under it are the place to go. There has been a spirit of generosity on those newsgroups over the years that, unfortunately, like so much of the net, is falling victim to spammers of various persuasions.

The people who in my opinion are the heroes in this struggle get links to their sites when I can find them. The villains get a mailto. Pehaps some of you might like to let these spammers know what you think of them.

A gentle reminder: if you post an ad for a site on alt.binaries.sounds.midi.* instead of a MIDI file or a request for a MIDI file, you'll eventually end up on the right-hand list. Special villainies are noted, including people who advertise off topic (for example, they advertise their site on a.b.s.m.classical but have no classical music files on their site).

Want to end up on the left-hand list? Do what these people do: answer requests and post MIDI files.

Heroes

and

Villains

Bomi -- well, who else would head our list of heroes?
Bob Pedigo (Bad Bob)
Alan Peschke
Doc Doc
Dolphin Systems (Germany)
Dutch (Belgium)
Johan
Lamplighter
Rod McCallum
Rob Goforth
More to come
There's an obvious song to go along with this list, but I like this one much better (seq. by Ann Wallace)

Steven Stein (MIDI Radio)
Joe Rock
Topo Gigio -- advertises a CD-ROM
Samuel Scollet
Guitar Guy
Jerry Wilson
Sidekick -- off topic ads
Maverick -- off topic ads
Joel Driver

The Crispen Family
Saturday, January 8, 2000

MIDI on USENET
If you like to listen to MIDI files, you know that `alt.binaries.sounds.midi` and the newsgroups under it are the place to go. There has been a spirit of generosity on those newsgroups over the years that, unfortunately, like so much of the net, is falling victim to spammers of various persuasions. The people who in my opinion are the heroes in this struggle get links to their sites when I can find them. The villains get a mailto. Pehaps some of you might like to let these spammers know what you think of them. A gentle reminder: if you post an ad for a site on `alt.binaries.sounds.midi.*` instead of a MIDI file or a request for a MIDI file, you'll eventually end up on the right-hand list. Special villainies are noted, including people who advertise off topic (for example, they advertise their site on a.b.s.m.classical but have no classical music files on their site). Want to end up on the left-hand list? Do what these people do: answer requests and post MIDI files.
Heroes	and	Villains
Bomi -- well, who else would head our list of heroes? Bob Pedigo (Bad Bob) Alan Peschke Doc Doc Dolphin Systems (Germany) Dutch (Belgium) Johan Lamplighter Rod McCallum Rob Goforth More to come	There's an obvious song to go along with this list, but I like this one much better (seq. by Ann Wallace)	Steven Stein (MIDI Radio) Joe Rock Topo Gigio -- advertises a CD-ROM Samuel Scollet Guitar Guy Jerry Wilson Sidekick -- off topic ads Maverick -- off topic ads Joel Driver