'Tis Been a Journey, Yet Not Close (Part I)

Dear readers,

It is quite unorthodox for me to start an article by addressing other people. But given occasion I would like to think that it is the best way to start for this one is not on me.

'Tis been a journey. Looking back 23 years of my life, it sure has been quite a journey. An adventure through many obstacles, impossibles, and most important of all, love and joy. All of these carve me and through the events past time, I transform into the new me.

As far as I can remember,I started out a happy and careless boy. A talkative one which cares nothing about ambition and just live life day by day with joy as any other little boy would. I would talk out loud about my thoughts to my friends and parents purely. I remembered waiting in the porch for them to come home from work and when they do I would run towards them enthusiastically, hug and cuddle with them. My family provides me with everything I ever needed and wanted. I've also met the bunch of my closest friends-even until now-in this time. Through this time, I learned about love, joy, happiness in the purest state. Life is but a fairy tale for me. A life every little boy could ever dreamt of. 

Life sure does have its way with people. All of these, shattered away by the revolt movement the crisis that surge Indonesia. I was about 7 years old by then. Although never said, somehow I could understand that the family business have been going through hell. We moved out to USA. I lost everything of my precious life there. I stayed home everyday, had no chance to make friends because of the culture shock, and of course the financial stress that pressed my family went through me as well. I, who always said my mind and what I want loudly, would restrain from doing so. I, who would go out and play everyday, had a high self-esteem and confidence, meet with friends, talk with anybody, smile with joy, turned quiet and self-reserved. Some might say I turn uncommunicative. Life taught me about hardship, obstacle, and complexity. I learned that life is not a fairy tale which always ends in a happily ever after for everyone.

One and a half year away, my beloved Indonesia has turn back to tranquillity. We went back home. I was about 9 at the time. I was so excited, hoping I could pick up where I left off. Well things does not went as well as I wanted. The lessons I've learned through the last 15 months carve deeply. I went to a new school without knowing how it was to make friends in the new cultural regime. It's as if I've been sleeping for a long time then wake up to find the world an entirely different one. I left Indonesia a naive little boy and came back with a scar. Surely some of my very best friends welcomed me warmly and we are still best friends until today. Full credits goes to the "Seven Godfathers" of GKBJ Samanhudi, in which I may see the light of life shining in the so cruel world of mine at the time. We played, laughed, smiled, shared, hugged, as if we are truly brothers and sisters. I would say this is the purest of all friendship in my life. I, who has turned uncommunicative would be so persuaded to open my heart and trust deeply in them. The problem is, not every one in my life are so persuasive. I do understand that it is entirely my fault for being uncommunicative and perhaps a bit to paranoid towards other's opinion, not to mention my low self esteem and confidence at the time. I had no friends aside from my fellow six. Grade 4-6 of my elementary school was hell. I hated school so much. I felt so lonely despite it being the most crowded place in my life. My junior high years were no different. I kept my friendship only with these six.

As any other teenagers, love sure does come into life for me. A girl appeared that has made my brains turn dead for nearly 8 years onwards. Well by then it was not the most pressing matter. At these time of my life, I also met with the bunch that I would call brothers and a teacher so influential in my life I would call mom even until now. All my regards to Kenan, Erik, and Kak Vera. Along this period of my life I learned on how hard it is to make friends-and by friends I meant true friends-so I would need to cherish them. As I was growing apart from my parents, I also started learning to live independently. Once again I have been transform.

High school. One of the best years of every boy's life. Well, unfortunately not mine. I started to understand my passion in life. This started out as a rivalry in the music school I attended. Well it is an elite class and rivalry and competitive edge is the most effective method to boost our level. With my half hearted approach to music surely I loss on our first event. But me, given the pride for payback and the grace of my teacher to take me in intensive training although I loss, drive myself to be better than him. He would create something marvelous on day one and I would try to overcome him in the next meeting, and he does so, and so on. All along the competitive side, I realized how much I love doing this. Thanks to my friend and rival, Adit for bringing in the sharp edge in our rivalry.

Chasing dreams as an artist, particularly a musician, is a gamble on life. It's not the most steady life at all and you never know the standards of success. It's not something a common people would understand but I know that I have and will pursue my dreams even if it cost me my own life. These cause me a lot of quarrel with my family. Apparently they did not favor the fact of having a son in the entertainment industry. They even cut me access financially in my music education. Fortunately, one of my teacher would take me in. She would pass on her knowledge to me wholeheartedly without asking anything in return. I drive myself to a commitment that I will live a life as a musician, not as anything else. Finally efforts of unwavering heart and hard work starts paying off. My family give in. I changed school to a much more accesible school and a closer one to home. It is to save time on studies and travel so that I have more time to honed my music skills.

Well, this is where I'll be leaving you for now. I started out planning to finish it all in one post but as things goes, I realized it was way to long so part two will come shortly afterwards.

Bengawan Solo from Indonesia Cultural Night 2012, Bloomington

As you might all know the song Bengawan Solo is a very popular Indonesian folk song. Written by Gesang, the tune has attracted many listener from around the world. The song itself was originally written in kroncong style, though now many arrangers have reworked variously.

This particular recording is my arrangement of Bengawan Solo with a western touch. I set up the arrangement to start gently featuring the harmonica as it portrayed a silhouette Indonesia's beauty by dawn. As it move on, the music gets to a more grandeur setting with the orchestra expanding in range and dynamics. This later part portrayed the might and magnificence of my beloved nation, Indonesia. Also, this is one of the first musics in which I play a harmonica.

I create this arrangement for a music performance in the event Indonesia Cultural Night @Bloomington this coming April, in which I am acting as the music director.

s'il vous plaît profiter!

Logo Design

Well as some of you have known, I'm quite interested in other area of arts, particularly in design. Have been designing logo and clothes, here and there for a couple occasion but just realized that I haven't even created my own personal logo.

So here am I, creating a couple possibilities based on the same ideas for my name's trademark logo. I am hoping that it might work for my future music production house as well but we never know.

Here's a couple model. Please comment and critic. =)

Overture To Guci From "Dari Sebuah Guci".

This is the first piece I've composed wholly since 2008. After years of doing arrangement and fragment while expanding my ability to create in the manner of orchestra, I felt that it is time to put everything I've learned to create a wholly original piece of my own once again.

This is an overture commissioned by a producer of a book. The book itself is a collection of short story depicting Indonesia's pluralism and humanity, in problems and serenity. The book contains 18 short stories with one music soundtrack to each of it. I was responsible for 5 stories and an overture.

The overture was originally planned to be recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, but then due to some problems the itinerary changed to the Warner Bros. Scoring Studio by Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra in Los Angeles.

Given only 3 minutes as the maximum time window for the overture, I composed it incorporating a couple tunes from the 18 songs of the book combined with some new tunes I added myself. This piece takes extraordinary high techniques to play especially in the strings sections, for the so many speedy passage combined with the irregular rhythmic patterns that keep changing in a very quick pace. I tried to make the atmosphere so various to take the listener through a journey that represent all the character of the whole book: heroic, magical, grandeur, solemn, playful, rage, and passionate.

Enjoy!

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My Kingdom Scene from "Inside Out" Musical

Hi all!! I just finished producing this song yesterday and submitted it to the music director and producer and apparently they love the song so much and dazzled by it.

This is a song I produce for a scene in a musical production in Los Angeles, Inside Out. The musical setting is in the old dynasty of far east China and its king. In this scene he is showing his son, the crown prince, a kingdom so blessed with prosperity, power. Ironically, despite all this success the king himself has lived a depraved life straying from the right path. The music itself focused a lot to contrasting ideas to portrayed the prosperity oh the land and its irony. I wrote an oriental pentatonic tune with a western twist in it, setting up the arrangement in the manner of grand orchestra and and pop orchestra.

I wrote this song a couple weeks ago but due to the workloads I have, only had the time to arrange it just yesterday. Enjoy!! =D

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Should I?

Briggs on the verge
gallows under
wheel swings above
blue below, blue across
Should I?
Should I not?

Fireflies swarm
up and front
Burn!
Yes, burn to hell
Should I?
Should I not?

Fangs of the sky
wings of salvation
to azzure ye roar
heaven above we fly
Should I?
Should I not?

On the end I stood
guillotine at the ready
burlesque of life
end to end
Should I?
Should I not?

drown me gut
burn in hell
fly me dead
chop me head
I should not
I SHALL

Proton Time Signal Ramadhan Advertisement

These are one of my early music scoring and illustration work. Composed around June 2011 and commisioned by P.T. Proton Edar Indonesia. I composed two alternative for the same video. Eventually Proton choose the first one. Enjoy! =)

For better quality of sound please play these:

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And here's the video all combined:

Piano Concerto in c minor, "Dies Irae"

This is is one of my largest original piece. It is composed in 2007-2008. This concerto is premiered on August 2, 2008 in "A Piano Chronicle" concert. Performed by me, Andreas, as soloist and conductor from the piano, accompanied by Young Boys and Yamaha Girls as the digital electronic orchestra and choir. The performance was held in Yamaha Music Center Concert Hall, Jakarta, Indonesia. The 350 capacity concert hall was occupied by more than 500 audience as the young audiences were standing and sitting on the floor in the aisle to watch the performance. The 25 minutes-long  piece is supposed to be performed on July 31, 2010 but due some circumstances the concert was postponed.

Here is the program notes that I wrote on this piece.

Piano Concerto in c minor, “Dies Irae” (2007-2008)

“Dies Irae” means “Day of Wrath” in which represented in the "End Of Time:. This piano concerto mirrors the chaotic atmosphere on the judgment day. As can be heard the army of hell marching onto the earth to collect the damned souls, the scorching hellfire that burn everything standing in their way, and cries of fear and despair of the accursed souls are projected through the ironically lamenting melody in the middle section. How they are trembling of what awaits them as their price of a depraved life. The dramatic atmosphere--fear of hell’s wrath--is spread through the entire piece. Although there are still victorious cheers from the redeemed souls for their battle on the earth is over and they have triumph over hell.  Cheer of salvation.

The gigantic size of the orchestra magnitudes a very strong atmosphere. Not to mention the unusual use of choir in a piano concerto to thicken the “haunting” atmosphere. The incredibly long cadenza indicates the heavy loads the soloist holds. Designed solely for the purpose of showing off the pianist musically and technically, Andreas creates the orchestra accompaniment as supportive as possible, enabling the pianist to explore much more virtuoso figures. The pianist is required a great amount of imagination and mental strength to produce an atmosphere of such magnitude along with the stamina and energy needed to master the technical difficulties and produce a very strong sound to keep up with the large sound of the orchestra and choir accompaniment.