Not Quite Goodbye...

Since my last post, I have been meaning to post again, but I never could get around to it. Then I asked myself the question, "Why haven't I posted?" Well, my life isn't exactly "boring"... it's actually quite busy. But my life isn't something that is worth blogging about. Then I realized that I needed to change directions with my blog. So, here's the deal: I'm starting a completely new blog, which will hopefully be better and more interesting. And, it will be pretty much all about music.
So, this isn't quite goodbye. It's just a change in... uh... URLs. Haha...
Thanks for sticking around with this blog for so long! Here's the new link: jonmmusic.blogspot.com
See you on the other side,
Jon M.

Back from NY...

HEY! I would have posted sooner, but wow! This summer seems busier than the normal school year... yeah, that's kind of a creepy thought! lol.
So, about New York: it was "absolutely-without-a-shadow-of-a-doubt" amazing! Here's some highlights:

1.) I got the privilege to meet and talk with the following people:

• Bruce Broughton: he composed to Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Fransisco, Honey I Blew Up the Kid, The Rescuers Down Under, Bambi II, Silverado, and my all-time-favorite-cartoon-movie: Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers. :D We didn't get to talk a lot, but he was (supposedly) shocked to find out I was 16. lol, I'm surprised he was surprised, because I DEFINITELY don't look 25... but, he was great. I got to ask him one question: "Did you really compose to Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers?!?!" He looked at me like, who is this person, why is he talking to me, and how did he know that? But, he said he did, and it totally made my day. I love that movie, so getting to talk to him was great...
• Ira Newborn: he composed the music to Angels in the Infield and Uncle Buck. I asked him, "If there is any advice you could give to me concerning music, what would it be?" Since his original response involved a cuss word, here is a revised version of it: "Work as hard as you can." Well, I guess I have the whole summer to do that... lol.  
• Mark Snow: he composed the music to The X-Files. I got to meet with him last year a lot, and he is awesome. He met with me again this time, and let me do a "show-and-tell" with all my music. His favorite song was "Ranger's Apprentice". :D 

2.) I got to compose to a video clip AND conduct a mini orchestra! This video clip is from a movie called Accepted. (I CAN'T RECOMMEND watching the movie because I haven't seen it). In the clip, there is something in the background that is very crude, so I took it out. Now it's squeaky clean! lol. YouTube won't let me embed it here for some odd reason, so here's the link.
And, here's a video my mom took of me conducting: (my mom had to be there because I'm not "old enough to stay on campus by myself without a chaperone"...)



3.) And, of course, I got to take a couple of pics of...

 ...the subway...

 ...a cool sunset...

...and of course, Times Square. Yes, there are TONS of people.

4.) OK, this is random. Across the street from our hotel, there was a door on a building that was EIGHT STORIES ABOVE GROUND WITH NO STAIRWAY.

Can you say random? And dangerous??? lol... that is definitely the quickest was to the street... and to heaven...
Also, here's another random pic. While walking to the NYU building everyday, I saw this building sign, and had to take a picture:

It reminded me of the Disney show, "Wizards of Waverly Place"... :D

5.) I got to see four shows: In the Heights (with Corbin Bleu! I honestly didn't know he could sing...), West Side Story (I saw two of the main actors randomly near Times Square days after seeing the show... it was awesome!), 39 Steps (that was a really funny show...), and of course, The Phantom of the Opera.

And, that's about it! Thanks for reading/listening!
JonM
P. S. My dogs went to the vet a couple of days ago, and I made this video of it. (My sister was kind enough to film it for me...) Yes, it's cheesy. :D

Blogging at 32,000ft:

Thanks to AirTran, I can now blog at about 32,000 feet in the air! Wow...
So, when the pilot first came on the speaker, he was telling everyone something, and at the end of each sentence, he played the harmonica. And then, at the very end of his speech, he played about fifteen seconds worth of solo harmonica. It was very intense. We all clapped at the end. And then, he came back on the speaker after take-off talking like Arnold Schwarzenegger, and at the very end, he said, "I'll be baaaaaaackkkkk..." Very strange. My response to that was, "Where are you going?!?!" :D
Here's a view out my window:

So, after I put the link to my website on my last post, there have been a lot of people visiting it! Here's a map of everyone who's visited:

I saw that, and wanted to post it. Kind-of cool to see where everyone is from...

Before I go, I wanted to share in the excitement of the release of the first The Voyage of the Dawn Treader poster!

I. Can't. Wait!!!
I'll post more soon...
Jon M.

It's Been a While, Hasn't It?

Hey guys! It has been WAY to long since my last post...
So, here's an update of my life:
1.) I now have an official music website, but it still needs some work (like, a lot of work...). But let me know what you think!
2.) I have finished composing music to a book trailer for author Jacob R. Parker, who has written a book entitled Kestrel's Midnight Song. 

3.) My music is on Robert Liparulo's new site for his "Dreamhouse Series"! It is near the middle of the page"soundtrack page". Let me know what you think!
4.) I am going to New York again! God is so amazing, because He has made everything about the trip possible. Like; getting a hotel, a place for me to print my music, and even getting a scholarship to the camp I'm going to. So, while I'm in New York, I will go to a college's "film-scoring workshop" where I will be able to meet some relatively-famous film composers (but sadly, not Hans Zimmer... lol), compose to a film-clip from a movie, and have it played by a real orchestra. I will actually get to conduct the orchestra, so I am a little nervous. But, I can't wait! So, prayer is greatly appreciated (especially because my hands get shaky when I get nervous, so that makes it slightly hard to conduct... lol).
That's about it... I am hoping to post a small post everyday while I'm in New York. (Or, almost everyday...) It depends on how much free time I have.
Thanks for reading/listening!
Jon M.

Alice in Blunderland...

I was really excited to see Alice in Wonderland. I knew about the movie at least a year ago (before any of the publicity), and then in July '09, I saw the trailer the day it came out. So, three days ago, I was running into the theater (right after school let out) to go see this movie. What I saw was a disappointment. 

The thing that made this movie terrible was the plot. Everything else was fine:

• the actors (Anne Hathaway was hilarious, Johnny Depp was as crazy as ever, and Helena Bonham Carter did a great job screaming "off with their head!!!").
• the music (a little similar to Danny Elfman's last score for Tim Burton's film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but that is understandable).
• the costuming (amazing... absolutely stunning).
• the animation (it was obviously fake, but it was still amazing/whimsical looking).

The plot was supposed to be:
"Burton's new movie features a 19 year-old Alice who's forgotten all about the Wonderland (or Underland, as Burton rechristens it) of her childhood, preparing for her engagement to a wealthy young lord. Panicking at the moment of truth, Alice flees into the woods, falls down a rabbit hole, and finds herself in a strange world that remembers her, even if she doesn't remember it. A prophetic scroll reveals that Alice is fated to become the savior of Underland, slaying a terrible beast of legend and freeing the land of the Red Queen's tyranny." (taken from kotaku.com)

So, in a way, this movie sounds like it has a plot, right? Sorry, but no. 
Just a warning: if you go see this movie, don't expect anything "plot-wise". There will be no "twists or turns" in the story. Instead, look at the costumes, the animation, and listen to the music. Then, you might get something from it. 

One more note: it was officially "Rated PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar." OK, REALLY?!?! Yes, really...

My Music Is On YouTube!

Hey! So, I composed some music to a "book trailer" for Curse of the Spider King. Let me know what you think! (And, btw, I know that me saying "My Music is on YouTube" isn't that exciting for some people (because they post videos all the time), but it's the first time for me, so it's relatively exciting for me... lol).

Also, I was taking pictures, and I got a really cool shot of my brother's harp:

Idk... it's definitely a different perspective.
Everyone have a great weekend!
Jon M.

Book Signing!

So, today, I went to a book signing for Percy Jackson and the Olympians. To be honest, I haven't read the series, because I think it has a little too much magic/Roman-god stuff in it for my liking. But, I went because, instead of the author signing books, it was the three main actors from the upcoming film, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lighting Thief. They are: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, and Brandon T. Jackson. The only reason I went was to get Logan Lerman's autograph. Why? Well, have you ever seen the movie Hoot? If not, it's a great movie. Logan Lerman played the main character in the movie (Roy Eberhardt). Hoot, which is also a book, is pretty good. What I really wanted was for Logan Lerman to sign my copy of Hoot. I was very blessed because I did get it signed. It was crazy, because of all the people, but I I was able to get him to sign it, and that's all I wanted. I did feel bad though, because the other two actors didn't have anything to sign (they just kind of looked at me and said "hey", like "so... you don't want us to sign anything?"). But it was fine, because I'm sure they didn't mind not signing anything. lol. Here's some pics!

Logan Lerman:

Alexandra Daddario: 

Brandon T. Jackson and Logan Lerman:

And, a pic of my book, signed by Logan Lerman!

The pics are terrible, but at least you can recognize the people...

Well, that was my Saturday. Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll post more soon!

Jon M. 

P.S. He (Logan Lerman) shook my hand! When I first watched Hoot, I would have never had thought that I would one day shake his hand... who knew! 

Proud SAT Survivor

I am a proud survivor of the SAT! After 5 hours of pure, heartless torture testing, my brain has officially transformed into macaroni. I think I did OK, but with the SAT, you can never tell. I can definitely say one thing: the SAT sure knows how to put the "sat" in "saturday"...
Anywho, the song is coming together well. I have upgraded my software (yay!), so I'm just getting used to it. I almost have the first song done, and I'm getting overloaded (in a good way) with many more ideas for songs to come. Can't wait to share the songs with you guys!
So, I drove myself to take the SAT. I realize as I enter in the building, I forgot my watch (yikes!). There was no time to go back and get one at my house, so I walk into the testing room, sit down, and hear the ticking of a clock very close to me. I got very excited, and looked up at the wall to see if a clock was really there, and this is what I saw:

I had two reactions:
I care!!! A lot!!!
Wow... that's a big help...
Thankfully, there was another clock, but I could barely see it. But, everything worked out OK.
Well, I'm off to compose. Have a great weekend everyone!
Jon M.

Update on the "Update on Life":

So, I was really nervous (yeah, of course) on how I would do on some practice SAT homework. Last time I did some practice, I got 3 out of 11 right. Yeah, OUCH. So, I spent about an hour today doing two Critical Reading sections, and guess what? I got 14 out of 15 right on one, and 17 out of 20 right on the other. I was so surprised! Thanks whoever prayed for me! It's definitely working! lol.
Today, I'm going to go start composing the first song for Curse of the Spider King. I can't wait to share it! And, btw, I have an official deadline now: February 28th. Why that date? Well, it's complicated, but basically, I'm in this contest for Curse of the Spider King, and everything that you complete relating to the book is due on March 1st. So, I subtracted two days to be on the safe-side, and that is my deadline.
Have a great weekend!
Jon

Update on Life...

Hey, so on Amazon, they raised the price of Curse of the Spider King back to normal. Whoops! lol.
If you guys could pray for me, that would be great. I have to take the SAT on the 23rd (yikes!) and a lot depends on how I do on the test. And plus, I get extremely nervous. Easily. In fact, I'm trying to conquer getting nervous, but it's not working very well. I did a speech in one of my college classes a couple of days ago, and it failed. Seriously. lol, oh well.
Thanks! Have a great weekend!
Jon
P.S. Once the 23rd is out of the way, I will be able to really start working on my project for Curse of the Spider King, and I'll be able to set a deadline. Trust me, it will be cool.

The Idea:

Hey! So, I have a crazy idea. I've been reading Curse of the Spider King, and music ideas have been rushing through my head, and I really want to get them out for everyone to hear. So here is my idea: compile all of the themes I'm hearing, and make "an album". Like, a legit album. Maybe twenty songs. But, there has to be a deadline. I don't know what I'll make the deadline date, but I'll think up something. What do you think? Would you be interested in listening? Giving advice to me as I will surely hit writer's block??? Let me know!
Jon
P.S. Curse of the Spider King is now $9.78 on Amazon... so, if you want to read it, now would be the time to get it.

Snow Day!

It is definitely a snow day here in Atlanta! I got some pics of our lake:

My brother broke the ice with a canoe oar to see how thick it was. About 1.5 inches! Not enough to skate on or anything though...

Here's one of my driveway:

And then here's one of Pepper in the cold wind, trying to decide, "Will I go down into the yard?" lol:

Have a great day everyone! And let me know what you think of the African song when you get a chance, because I'd love some advice!
Jon M.
P.S. In the picture with Pepper, to the right, next to the railing, you can see a miniature archway with what looks like colorful plankton growing on the side. That is actually something that goes in our fish tank as decoration, but we left it outside accidentally. I should probably go get it... lol, just in case you were wondering, that's what that is!

Snow and Books...

It's snowing here and school is officially called off for me! Yes! lol. So I guess tomorrow, I'll work on the "African Desert" song, and probably read some.
I wanted to share with you guys this awesome deal on Amazon: Robert Liparulo, an amazing author, has a series called Dreamhouse Kings Series. The first book, House of Dark Shadows, is on Amazon for bargain price (link). If you want to read a new series that is amazing, this is a series to look into. I actually composed some music for it, and it should be on Robert Liparulo's Website soon. It isn't on there right now, but as soon as it is, I'll let you know.
Have a great weekend!

Jon

DUMA

Hey, I just watched the most awesome movie ever! It's called Duma... I don't know why I liked it so much though. Maybe it's the "deep down inside of me" longing for adventure that made me and the movie click. Or something crazy like that. Now, here is something crazy, especially for me to say: I think it might have been better than movies for Narnia. If your in shock, sorry, but it's true. I got the soundtrack, and it has inspired me to write an African song... so I started, but the flute in the software wasn't sounding to great. So, I recorded myself playing the flute. I did it with a "wooden flute head-joint". Not a lot of people know that there is such a thing. Here's a picture of mine:

Basically, a wooden flute head-joint is like a normal silver head-joint for the flute, except it's wooden. Wow, that was complicated... not. lol. The clip of music that you can hear is only about a minute because I don't want to spoil the whole song. Please please PLEASE let me know what you think! Link to song. Btw, the song isn't finalized or anything... this version is just a rough draft.

So, here's some random stuff:

I was taking a picture of my dog, and I didn't realize the flash was on. Oops! Oh well, he was practically blind to begin with... lol, seriously, just kidding.

Our lake froze over. Again. It is freezing here in Atlanta. Well, for us, that is. 16 degrees Fahrenheit is nothing for some people.

I'll post some more later...

Jon M.

Music:

Hey guys! I've decided to blog some of my music. I hate to say this, but I have to: the songs are copyrighted by me. Sorry!

1.) Ranger's Apprentice (this song is for the book series Ranger's Apprentice). You can listen to it on the side bar, or download it from my website...

2.) Curse of the Spider King Theme (this song is for Wayne Thomas Batson's and Christopher Hopper's new book Curse of the Spider King). You can listen to it in the side bar. Wayne Thomas Batson has written The Door Within, The Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire, and Christopher Hopper has written The Rise of the Dibor, The Lion Vrie, and Athera's Dawn. (Link to Mr. Batson's Blog and link to Mr. Hopper's Website and link to the Curse of the Spider King's Website.) There are two versions of this song, and the other version should be in the book trailer for Curse of the Spider King.)

I hope you like the songs! I'll have more to post soon...

Have a great New Year's Day!

Jon M.