Ahhh, end of the Full October Moon... perfect time for a story about a young man & his fiddle! 

From Jim Henson's Storyteller Series (1987) - "Fearnot"! 

"Beginning to End" - "The darkest cello music" from Hedyamps Studio, performed by Aimee Norris... so beautiful! 

...tried playing by ear, yet? 

Happy Halloween!

I'm still working on a bunch of these tunes, but have to post a swinging tune I saw while taking a break today (thanks to The Session)! 

"The Devil's Schottis" - composed by Vicki Swan, she teaches it on the nyckelharpa. 

YOO-HOOoooo... learn it from this video tutorial, but there's also sheet music (Fiddle Notation at The Session)!  The link to her website is in the video desciption.

Michael Burnyeat shows HE had fun with "Jump At The Sun"!  Mentioned it earlier, creepy/bouncy English tune by John Kirkpatrick - notation can be found on The Session.  Jeez, almost forgot I wanted to spend more time practicing this one!

Halloween Fiddle Set - Michael Burnyeat!  LOVE that Michael plays many different styles of fiddling!  Starting out with such a happy tune is pretty scary.

I'm always amazed I feel such an extreme mood/atmospheric transformation at this time of year, especially living far enough North to see it surround everything as the days grow shorter.  It's like Nature gives us a vivid celebration of how wonderful life has been, but at the same time it's a warning to prepare for the harshness/darkness of Winter.  The juxtaposition of ominous & hallow creates such a weird energy... add music & it makes magic. 

Never really felt it much when I lived in Kansas even though it did change seasons enough to snow there, just nothing dramatic - not the colors, or the cold/damp that gives a chill & no Cider Mills.  I'm pretty sure folks living in other areas of the Country, especially where suffering from Hurricane damage/aftermath, probably aren't feeling anything Halloweeny this time of year - hope everone is starting to get their lives back in order. 

My Grandkids had fun trick-or-treating with their folks.  I don't think it's so much about getting candy, but the ooo's & aaah's from what they think is their frightful appearance.  I remember such a thrill (even when my Daughter was young) when we'd walk up to houses that were decorated - especially if candy-givers were dressed in costume!  Folks around us haven't been decorating their yards as much since covid (even us) - maybe our neighborhood has just gotten 'old', but sure miss it!  My Grandkids said they want to keep the Halloween spirit going longer - which I can enjoy up to Thanksgiving, but then it feels like Christmas takes a hold (also hate that Xmas stuff is out so early).  ...going to have to concentrate on more of a haunted house theme with the kids next year. 🎃 

Recently took a closer look at Composer Randall Standridge (Randall Standridge YT Channel) because several of his 'darker' pieces caught my attention.  He's composed some really fun music for Concert Band, Marching Band AND String Orchestra students (Band Grade 1.5 on up)!  Randall's business (Randall Standridge Music, LLC and Grand Mesa March) includes quite a few other composers! 

There's a lot of cool Marching Band music arrangements!  🤔... I can see playing string instruments in Marching Band - EVEN CELLO!  ...but, just playing the music (without the marching) is much more enjoyable for me. 🤭 

The Black Cat (Concert Band, Grade 1.5) - Randall Standridge.  So fun! 

Goblins & Ghouls (String Orchestra) - Katie O'Hara LaBrie, Randall Standridge Music. 

Darklands Legends (Darklands Symphony Suite of movements 2,3,4), Randall Standridge. 

VERY diverse pieces on Randall Standridge's YT Channel - some more examples for Halloween: 

The Darklands Symphony Full Score (video Blog 6) - 5 movements: Darklands March (1:07), Dance of the Mad Prince (4:15), The Serpent Priest and the Black Bell (6:30), The Queen's Masque (9:19), Darkheart (11:46). 

Symphony no.1: A Ghost Story - Full Symphony.  Story of the 4 movements in the video description. 

The Kraken (String Orchestra) - Kevin Sluder, Randall Standridge Music. 

La Bruja (String Orchestra) - Jorge Vargas, Randall Standridge Music.

Ghosts of Bohemia (String Orchestra) - Joshua Reznicow, Randall Standridge Music. 

March of the Arachnids - Randall Standridge.  From 'The Garden Suite' (2nd movement) - could be great fun to embellish this one!

Just make sure if you play from a score of transposing instruments - check to see if the parts have been transposed, or not.  It's easy to transpose an octave lower (or higher) on the fly, and many of us are used to not only reading Treble Clef, but also Alto Clef & Bass Clef.  So,we are familiar with the concept of transposition - just usually not for the specifics of wind & brass instruments. 

My VERY FAVORITE... 'Santa The Barbarian' Series! 

Okay, I'm getting ahead of the season now. 🤭

@Gordon Shumway -

Been info on 'Day of The Dead' Celebration in several threads here.  I LOVE the concept of a time when people can not only honor anchestors/deceased loved ones, but feel closer to them spiritually.  Check out posts #49, 51, 67 on pg 3 & 4 here - for more links/info, including 'Allhallowtide' (Western Christian Season of Oct 31, Nov 1st & 2nd), Samhain/Samhuinn (Oct 31 eve & Nov 1st), and for more 'Dia de los Muertos' music. 

Think folks like to take advantage of reasons for fun celebration when it comes to the intangible.  Spirituality, magic, the supernatural - 'guising', pretend play... my imagination feels like a natural playground for fantasy... maybe also for an escape (or maybe reaction) to unpleasant things in real life.

Besides learning about the Witches of Galecia & Astura, I found parts of Spain are big on celebrating La Castañada (or Castanyada) - an Autumn Festival with roasted chestnuts, other traditional treats & visiting cemetaries.  Found old Northern & Southern Basque traditions (France/Spain) of frightening folks with pumpkin lanterns in the dark - great stories.

Gau Beltza (Black Night)/Arimen gaua (Night of Souls): errituala 2020 

It's interesting to me to find similarities between old Autumn, Winter/New Year and Spring folklore/rituals/tradtions from Medieval Cultures, how some are kept alive (and I feel I've barely caught a glimpse) - where we only have Halloween.   

Christmas Goats, Grýla, Grulicks and Skeklers: Shetland, Nordic and Gaelic Connections  - Terry Gunnell, Professor of Folkloristics at the University of Iceland.

Gau Beltza (Black Night)/Arimen Gaua (Night of Souls): history and origin of Basque Halloween

Outer Hebrides & Shetland Guising

Oidhche Challain: No admission without a rhyme - (New Year's)

The Castanyada in Catalonia: What is it and why is it celebrated?

Going to be fun to find more MUSIC connected to these traditions - that can be played on Fiddle, Viola & Cello! 

This HAS to be my last post here, for awhile... learned a lot this year & have enough to keep me busy for some time!   

I really enjoyed the 'Music Theory is Witchcraft' video (post #63) - it touched on tri-tones. 

Can we even create spooky music without any tri-tones? 

If you know of any spooky/haunting tunes that don't use any, let me know... I mean, I want spooky/haunting/eerie music that sounds good, not just atonal.

I never could understand the association of tri-tones to 'devil's music'... I've definitely heard worse intervals!  

Found Adam Neely shed some light on the 'myth' (in his usual humorous fashion). 

The Great Myth of the Medieval Tritone Ban 

Dissonance is important because it creates TENSION!  Music just doesn't seem interesting to me without a little banter between dissonance & consonance (TENSION........ and release! Thread). 

@Gordon Shumway -

All I find so interestingly different about the Mexican Day of The Dead, I believe came from the few Mexican States (La Huasteca region) that traditionally celebrate 'Xantolo'.  It seems (to me) to be more than the typical memorial/upkeep of cemetaries, with more harvest & indigenous pre-Hispanic influence.  Found some dancing (Danza de Varitas) very similar to Morris Dance!  The 'Flight of The Hawk' is performed at the end of Harvest, too (men hanging upside down as they 'fly', gyrate down a very tall pole).  It's still celebrated between Oct 30th & Nov 2nd - I hope to learn more about Xantolo.

Have you tried playing any of the music? 

"Xochipitzahuatl" (Flor menudita) - Son Huasteco style violin tutorial (Tonatiuh Barreras).  It's a ritual song & dance, done without lyrics for Xantolo.

This La Bruja de la Huasteca (The Witch) tutorial for violin (Tonatiuh Barreras) is traditional in the areas Xantolo is celebrated & played at a fast tempo.  ...much more Son Huasteco style music associated with Xantolo - I'll post links in the Mexican, Hispanic and Latin American Thread

More for Day of the Dead - another "La Bruja" (The Witch), in Son Jarocho style, AND all within the Viola range.  Might be something to have fun with on your new Viola! 

This last tune I like is a 'vengeful' ghost story!  "La Llorona" is a violin tutorial (from music 4 humans).  "[The Ghost] is said to roam near bodies of water, mourning her children whom she drowned in a jealous rage after discovering her husband was unfaithful to her. Whoever hears her crying either suffers misfortune or death and their life becomes unsuccessful in every field." 

I really like Stefan Jackiw! 

Found this video where he helps one of his students... 

"Bring Out the Creepy Crawlies", in a passage from Prokofiev Concerto No. 2 (Stefan's Sessions)!  Check out more about Stefan (https://www.stefanjackiw.com/).

I hear a huge difference in the bowing, but think I'm going to be slowing this down a little & going over it a few times - cause it flew right by like a bat outta... 

...oh yeah, I've seen spiders run that fast - up close & personal. 🕷