And NOW, the moment I've all (of me) been waiting for!

Around midwinter having accrued some new BiaB Chinese instrument samples I began working on this "Quan Yin" composition on 25th December and I finished it on 1st January, making it my first new piece for 2024. On 2nd January I began creating a new CGI Quan Yin character for the planned video as I hoped to use 8-12 new scenes, but ended up creating 30 - though only 24 are used - and I finally completed it in the early hours of the 25th. My new Quan Yin character is a young version of the compassionate Chinese goddess who's most often portrayed as an adult as while I'm able to morph my CG characters down in age, all the way in subtle stages to toddlers, the only assets I have for ageing them, which don't work in the same way, result in more of a crone. In one video scene Quan Yin is joined by her Mongolian parallel, Senjidema, and in another scene by Shakti, her Indian counterpart.

I ask the potential listener and viewer to first listen to the music without watching the video ~ ie: on SoundCloud ~ just for the music's sake as I've often found that the visuals distract from the full vibe, or if already viewed before reading this, please listen a 2nd time without any distractions. It's a big ask as this homage to Quan Yin is 6:44 in length, but it's worth listening to without distractions.

YT Link:

SoundCloud Link
https://soundcloud.com/chay-tana/quan-yin-chay-tana-aka-wao-band?si=4e790ce3db8c4061ab51347384dafced&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Guzheng: Snow Gentle World Flow ~ Dai Lin Hsieh
Dizi: Silk Smooth World Groove ~ Charlie Lui
Enya Warm Pad & Strings
Piano: Snow Gentle World Flow ~ Miles Black
Erhu: Avatar Relaxed Groove ~ Yun Song
Acoustic Bass 1: Avatar Relaxed Groove ~ Byron House
Drums 1: Snow Gentle World Flow ~ Jeff Lorber
Viola: Viola & Violin Ballad ~ Avery Bright
Electric Bass 2: Tin Whistle Light Folk Pop ~ Tobin Frank
Organ: Country Rock Guitar Solo Pop Ba ~ Gene Rabbai
*3 x Pixabay SFX: see below
Drums 2: Tin Whistle Light Folk Pop ~ Brian Fullen
Tin Whistle: Tin Whistle Light Folk Pop ~ Geoffrey Kelly

*Natural Thunder - SoundForYou
*Light Rain Ambient - Mikhail
*Evening Birds Singing In Spring - Background Sound Of Nature

184 bars; 4/4, G; tempo 105; Time 6:44

I really like this. A really beautiful homage to the goddess, Quan Yin - the great Bodhisattva, as some portray her, in some cultures. May this beautiful music you have written, as an homage to her, bring peace and tranquility to all who listen. I know that it relaxed me, and my chattering mind, for the entirety of the track.

So well written - a tour de force, in that respect. Well done.

Thanks Musician17! I got more joy out of creating this piece - probably my best composition to date - than any other so far, though having the Chinese instruments meant I could experiment more. That's what I need to do in future. I'm so pleased that you also appreciated it from the spiritual perspective.

No worries! May I ask, if that's ok with you: where did you get the Chinese instruments? No worries if it's a secret - but I would love to know! Thanks, in any case, for a track I really did enjoy.

They're BiaB, the styles listed above, but I can't offhand recall the PAK they're in. I couldn't update to the full 2024 as I'm low on PC space, but I really wanted the Chinese instruments. I was advised re which PAK on another forum so I'll see if I can find it.

I think it must be this: PlusPAK Upgrade 2024 for Windows (BUPP-I)

Chay, really nice composition! Love how it started out as almost an abstract tone piece but evolved into various western style themes while not losing the opening feel. The sound effects were nicely placed, too. Just nicely conceived and executed all the way through. I did listen to the Soundcloud post, since I'm one of those that get distracted by visuals. Ha!

Beautifully serene that calms the troubled mind, WaoBand.

Vic

Nice. A very pleasant listen.
Nice use of those new BIAB RTs.
Good mix.

fj

Beautiful and very relaxing.
Enjoyed the listen a lot!
I think this is my new favorite piece of yours

A very lovely, well-constructed piece! I can only imagine that you are very satisfied with the end result! Everything sounds just right and beautiful! Take care, TB

Hi, Chay.

Pleasant and relaxing.

I'm not really well versed in the style (although I assume the organ isn't a traditional Chinese instrument ), but a pleasant listen.

Did just what you said before you asked, Chay. Love the thoroguhly relaxing melodies that transform time and place. It all put me in the best mood to re-listen while watching the cool magic you created. Some would say that's 15 minutes I'll never get back, but I say that's 15 minutes I'll do again. I like the way the tune develops. Man, you did an amazing job with the the different settings and clothing you created for Quan.

Musican17 said, "I really like this. A really beautiful homage to the goddess, Quan Yin - the great Bodhisattva, as some portray her, in some cultures. May this beautiful music you have written, as an homage to her, bring peace and tranquility to all who listen. I know that it relaxed me, and my chattering mind, for the entirety of the track.
So well written - a tour de force, in that respect. Well done."

After first listening to SC, then watching the video and later reading the reviews we don't have much to add to what Musician17 eloquently expressed.

The creativity involved in the audio and video production is manifest.

It was a wonderful listen this morning while gazing at our forest out the "studio" window.

Terrific use of those RTs and a fine mix.

J&B

A very calm and peaceful piece of music.
Excellent use of those RTs.
The mix is spot on.

Thanks Ron! I find some videos work perfectly with the music, some okay, but others, no matter how good, do distract.

Thanks Vic! Your comments always appreciated.

Thanks, Floyd. Glad you enjoyed it.

I still have a few instrumentals from 23 to create videos for, but one of those I just prefer listening to than this one, but as they're so different they can't really be compared. Though so far I think this is definitely my best composition and mix. Certainly my most original.

Thnaks, Torrey. Yes, I definitely felt very satisfied with the result of this composition and mix as both that and the video took such a long time to complete. The challenge now is to do better, but that's not so easy as first inspiration is needed, then getting the right chord structure can be very hard work. I've 3 new compositions in process at the moment, but so far neither are inspiring me.

Thanks David. No, the organ isn't traditional chinese, but then neither are the piano, tin whistle, viola, acoustic and electric basses, and drums! For once I can't refer to myself as being pre-postmodern!

Thanks so much, Marty. Most of the images in the video are full 3D models, one uses an HDRI I've used before, another just a backdrop for 3D scenes, but once I've created a new 3D character, which can take days to weeks, even the simplest images can be fiddly. The penultimate 3D environment in which Quan Yin is with 3 other characters, 1 of them the Mongolian Senjidema, took me a week to complete. But it's always enjoyable even when it's difficult getting things right. Ditto the music.

Thanks, Janice & Bud! I truly wish I could play music while looking out of a window to a beautiful forest! Where I am now I can't even play music through speakers without disturbing my neighbour, an older lady in her 80s, as the two flats are only separated by plasterboard walls. I wasn't told that before moving in so I assumed they had to be brick. I'd not have moved in had I known, plus even worse the place is haunted and my housing association has never replied to my complaint about it as it would cost them to move me or fork out on hiring an exorcist, which I don't think would work anyway - I explain why in a an ongoing FB 'blog' I've been writing about it. Two neighbours and two social housing officers take it very seriously, but my guess is that the line manger is a sceptic and so sees me as the problem, not the premises.

Thanks, Mario! Really pleased you enjoyed it.

WaoBand,

That is a beautiful piece of music... The instrumentation is blended so well - love the mix.

Excellent!

Bob

Chay:
Very nice, indeed.

Thanks Bob! Much appreciated.

Thank you, Ed. Glad you enjoyed it.

An erudite and sumptuous performance so befitting the use of the instruments conceived thereto, but having delicate and imperial sensibilities, I found that in spite of the royal splendor, it included five more notes than I could palate, and so I became aristocratically impatient with it towards the end.

Nevertheless, a noble effort, Wao Son.

Really lovely project!!! I had no idea BIAB could do this!!! WONDERFUL!!! Take care. Greg

[quote=David Snyder]An erudite and sumptuous performance so befitting the use of the instruments conceived thereto, but having delicate and imperial sensibilities, I found that in spite of the royal splendor, it included five more notes than I could palate, and so I became aristocratically impatient with it towards the end.

Nevertheless, a noble effort, Wao Son.

Sorry, David, but you lost me after "An ..."

Thanks, Greg. As I've only been producing instrumentals with BiaB - long story short, where I live I'm unable to record anything that I can't do with headphones alone - what I've found, though seemingly obvious is little touched on, which is that the bedrock for any song and particularly for instrumentals is the chord structure. With BiaB one can't instruct the musicians what to play or how to play it, so once I have an idea about what I want to do I obviously start with the chord structure, but I then I have to try as many different samples out as I can - one new piece I'm working on required my collecting 59 samples to see which worked best, although I'll probably only end up using 12 or under, but so far it's not working as I hoped using only 11 selected samples as the chord structure doesn't have the right dynamic. The next key thing once one has the right structure and the best samples is arranging the piece and this is where the excellence of BiaB as a creative tool is demonstrated. BiaB has been close to a life-saver for me. Thanks again for your positive response.

I like the way you use the exotic eastern instruments along with the traditional western ones. It is quite an extensive project and an expansive soundscape. Very well done, Tom

Hello Chay,

I've always believed Asian music has sound that tugs at the heart - emotional and well-disciplined. You did a great job on this. The fluite is special! Great job!!!

Alan

Thanks so much Tom!

Thanks, Alan! I agree re Asian instruments. Another beautiful sounding flute is the Indian bansuri, which I'd like to see in BiaB.

Calming and beautiful, I enjoy hearing those Chinese instruments in BIAB used in competent hands. The story moves on gently and the sound effects add realism, feeling that I'm witnessing a lovely ceremony somewhere in Asia.

Janne

Hi WaoBand,

Instrumentally very rich composition. It's pleasant and relaxing. The mix is ​​excellent as well as the melodic lines I appreciated. well done.

Jani

Thanks Janne! I never considered a cermony as I was fixated on the character of Quan Yin, but you're right.

Thanks Janni. Thanks for listening and I'm very pleased you enjoyed it.

Hello Chay,

Thank you very much for inviting me to this work.
Currently, Western music is the mainstream in Japan too, so I myself am not so familiar with traditional Japanese music or Chinese music.
However, I still have the opportunity to listen to them sometimes, so I would like to comment on your song based on that knowledge.
First of all, I thought it is a very ambitious work.
I think it's well done and I can feel the Chinese atmosphere everywhere.
However, it's a bit disappointing that when violins, violas, organs appear, they carry Western atmosphere to the song.
I think it would be a good idea to play a Chinese scale melody with MIDI instruments without using RealTracks.
Although it is a long piece, it is a wonderful instrumental piece that will keep my attention until the end.
And the video is also great.
Enjoyed my listen and watch a lot.

Best regards.

Shigeki Adachi

Shigeki, thanks for listening and for the detailed commentary. Using BiaB samples alone made it impossible for Eastern and Western not to mix after the 1st cycle/chorus as there are no Chinese instruments other than the dizi which can take a lead. I tried using pipa, but it just didn't work with the piece. So only the viola worked for the 2nd cycle/chorus - there's no violin in it, just the viola - as it's the closest I could get for the feel of the piece. I'm glad you enjoyed the video images, too