Call of the 12th Dimension

Hi MG,

How much of the melody stated by the violin in the beginning ( and repeated by the clarinet,saxes and trombone at meas# 23 and the alto sax at meas#70, etc.) sounds familiar to you? The entire theme or just the first 3 measures or so?

I have a reason for asking that, but don't want to say why just yet because it will probably sound a little dumb.

P.S.
Sara liked this song. So that's what it should be...a "Song For Sara".
God bless,
Fred

Hi Fred,

Actually it's the first 23 measures that sound familiar, but particularly 1-7.

I have to tell you that I wrote about a minute and 20 seconds as the introduction to a piece for piano and orchestra about 3 years ago, and it did not sound familiar until I'd played it back several times. Then it seemed that I had not only heard it, but heard it with the exact instrumentation. Since then, I've listened to every piano concerto I ever heard, but couldn't find anything even close.

Still, I'm sure I've heard the tune, which is simple enough in structure that it seems almost impossible that it's new with me.

quote:
Sara liked this song. So that's what it should be...a "Song For Sara".

Yes, it should be and shall be...when I can complete the title to "Song for Sara
Variations of XXX by XYZ"

She wouldn't forgive me my plagiarism. And always having found a way to accomplish anything she set out to do, I believe she would find a way to let me know she knew--in no uncertain terms.

As far as the alto sax variation starting at measure 70. Nope. That doesn't sound familiar to me, except as a take off on the theme starting at measure 1.

all best,
mgj

Hi MG,

Quote: As far as the alto sax variation starting at measure 70. Nope. That doesn't sound familiar to me, except as a take off on the theme starting at measure 1.

I actually took the notes from the theme at measure 1 and placed them below the same notes in the Alto sax part ( entered them in the tenor sax staff below ). They fit perfectly.

I don't believe "plagiarism" is plagiarism unless it is intended. There may not be a single song written that does not contain "plagiarism" in some form, no matter how small, in some part of some song somewhere at some time.

I think I mentioned before, my piano teacher would select 4 notes at random ( sometimes 5 just to make it more difficult for me ) as a motif for writing a new song. The only requirement was that those 4 notes had to be used in the same succession and be the beginning 4 notes and repeated as a theme. Everything after the 4 notes was fair game. The genre and the tempo were up to me.
When I wrote " I'll Run Back Home To You ", the motif and the consistant theme came from the first 5 notes of a 300 year old Beethoven aria that was discovered last year in Germany. The manuscript was very difficult to read, but a magazine photographer took a snapshot of the manuscript over someone's shoulder. They were the only 5 notes that were made public. I took those 5 notes and used them as the motif for the song. I refuse to believe I am guilty of plagiarism, even though I intended to use those 5 notes.

Based on that, it may give you some idea why my mind thinks in terms of short motifs. The first 5 notes of your song ( three measures ) remind me of Yale University's song, "Boola, boola". That may not be, and most probably is not, the theme that sounds familiar to you. If the theme is actually from a different song written 20 years before "Boola, Boola", is Yale University guilty of plagiarism?....Nah!, and neither is MG.

Cheers,
Fred

Hi Fred,

Hey, know what? One source that occurred to me frequently was that it might be a college song. I'll take a look at (listen to) "boola boola."
Many thanks.

all best,
mgj