New Music Monday, #16: ‘Steakout’

Every Monday throughout 2023 I will be highlighting a different piece of music that I have either written or been closely involved with. And this week, prepare to go to great lengths to safeguard your personal supply of meat because it’s…


What’s it called?
Steakout.

What’s it from?
‘Mongolian Death Worm: A Puppet Show Musical’, the show what I wrote, starred in, directed, produced, edited etc. with my regular collaborator Mister James Ure during the first national lockdown in 2020. It’s a full 68 minutes of silliness, centring around the search for a mysterious creature that has been pilfering steaks from a village community somewhere near the Gobi Desert.

What’s it all about?
Professor-Roy-Chapman-Andrews-But-You-Can-Call-Me-Roy-Chapman-Andrews has arrived in Mongolia and teamed up with the local Sheriff, and together they are determined to bring the mysterious Worm to justice. But first they have to catch him, which necessitates a whole series of increasingly elaborate schemes, starting with a classic stakeout. This is Roy’s area of expertise, but as the song progresses we learn that Sheriff might not be so well-suited to such subtle espionage!

Listen out for…
A few things, actually:

  • Sheriff’s ringtone at 0:44 (which plays an excerpt from ‘Say Hello To Yellow’) actually provides a cameo for my old mobile phone – a 2006 Motorola W220 which has since been retired due to old age.
  • The reference to Brahms’ ‘Lullaby’ at 1:26 as Sheriff falls asleep.
  • The jaw harp that you can hear during Sheriff’s yodeling sections – a bit of instrumentation I’m particularly proud of!

Find out more at…
www.michaelgrantmusician.com/mdw

A Little Insight into the Life of a Metal Clarinettist

Everybody knows that there’s no clarinet like a nice shiny, freshly-polished metal clarinet. And I’ll be getting plenty of use out of mine this summer with all the wonderful outdoor gigs I’ll be playing with The Jelly Roll Jazz Band. So I’ve been taking advantage of the cold winter months (when outdoor gigs are mercifully scarce) to daringly dismantle and painstakingly polish every little bit of my trademark metal clari!

The dismantled metal clarinet of Michael A. Grant, strewn across a table with a tube of polish, a microfibre cloth, a bottle of methylated spirits and a teeny tiny screwdriver.
The less glamorous side of being in a band.

 
Incidentally, there’s a bit more to cleaning woodwind instruments than just whacking some Brasso on and hoping for the best. Most instrument keys are plated with either silver or nickel, and if you polish them too ferociously or with the wrong product it is possible to wear through the plate entirely, leaving you much worse off than when you started. Silver-plated keys, for instance, are best treated with a jeweller’s ‘silver polishing cloth’, which will gently remove tarnish, or with ‘Silvo’ (the silver equivalent of ‘Brasso’). Even then, if in doubt it’s maybe best to just leave the tarnish on and call it ‘patina’ if anyone asks.

My metal clarinet, however, is (as far as I can tell) made of an alloy called ‘nickel silver’, or ‘German silver’, which with 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc doesn’t actually contain any silver at all. This was a popular material for woodwind instruments back in the early 20th century when my clari was made, and because it’s unplated I can polish it as much as I want without fear of damage! The only thing is it won’t stay super shiny for very long, as it will soon dull again and eventually develop a brand new layer of yellowy-green tarnish. And thus the cycle begins again, but that doesn’t stop us enjoying the shininess while it lasts!

New Music Monday, #15: ‘It’s Harder Than It Looks’

Every Monday throughout 2023 I will be highlighting a different piece of music that I have either written or been closely involved with. And this week, prepare to get angry in four different ways because it’s…


What’s it called?
It’s Harder Than It Looks.

What’s it from?
My 2019 ragtime musical ‘It’s Not Really the Apocalypse’, which tells the story of four old friends who wake up one morning to discover they are the only people remaining on planet Earth.

What’s it all about?
Our protagonists have got themselves set up and settled down in their new farming lifestyle, but despite the idyllic surroundings all is not well! In this quartet we hear each character expound their frustrations in turn, as the tensions begin to rise and the cracks begin to show.

Listen out for…
The rather splendid finale at 3:03, where I show off my counterpoint-writing ability as all four vocalists sing together in a dazzling display of interlocking polyphony.

Find out more at…
www.michaelgrantmusician.com/inrta

New Music Monday, #14: ‘The National Anthem of Mongolia’

Every Monday throughout 2023 I will be highlighting a different piece of music that I have either written or been closely involved with. And this week, prepare to feel patriotic towards a country you probably didn’t come from because it’s…


What’s it called?
The National Anthem of Mongolia.

What’s it from?
‘Mongolian Death Worm: A Puppet Show Musical’, the show what I wrote, starred in, directed, produced, edited etc. with my regular collaborator Mister James Ure during the first national lockdown in 2020. It’s a full 68 minutes of silliness, centring around the search for a mysterious creature that has been pilfering steaks from a village community somewhere near the Gobi Desert.

What’s it all about?
O.K., so I certainly can’t pretend to have written this one – that would be an interesting claim to fame indeed – but the arrangement is all mine! This track underscores the scene in the film where a hand draws Roy’s convoluted route from America to Mongolia in felt pen on a map, in a parody of the famous scenes in Indiana Jones that represent the main character’s travels from continent to continent. My task here, then, was to come up with a version of the Mongolian national anthem in the style of the ‘Raiders March’ (Indiana Jones theme), but using only 5 instruments. An interesting challenge, and with all things considered I think it turned out alright!

Listen out for…
The counter-melody at 1:32, which reaches up into the uncharted upper ranges of the tuba. It offers a kind of lyricism you wouldn’t normally expect from such an instrument but which does sound rather lovely. Tubby would be proud.

Find out more at…
www.michaelgrantmusician.com/mdw

‘Miniatures’ – The Performer’s Perspective

A big thank you to Jack (whose piano-ing can be heard throughout my new album) for writing this informative blog post detailing his thoughts on each of the ‘Miniatures’! I always find it interesting to hear people’s different views on music I’ve written, and hopefully you too will enjoy these insights from the performer’s perspective:
 

 

‘Miniatures’ – Now Available! : D

It’s Wednesday 29th March – also known as World Piano Day, on account of its being the 88th day of the year – and you all know what that means, don’t you? It means that the release day of my stupendous new album ‘Miniatures’ is finally upon us! Yayyyyy!

The album is available in so many formats that it’s difficult to count them all. You can get a CD, you can get a download, you can get a streaming via Bandcamp… That’s at least 2 formats! (I’m not very good at counting.) And let’s not forget the extra special drinks mats I’ve had made specially to celebrate the release. What a good day indeed.

To mark the occasion, I’ve given the free track ‘Obfuscation’ its own platform on YouTube, for it to delight the world with its harmonious frequencies. Feast your ears here:
 

 

To find out more about ‘Miniatures’, have a listen, and grab yourself a copy, give this lovely big green button a click!


Or if you’re too excited and want to get your hands on the music as quickly as humanly possible, here are the product links:
 

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Before I go, it would be truly remiss of me not to mention that Jack Mitchell Smith (who has graced my album with his pianistic wizardry) is also celebrating World Piano Day by releasing ‘Twelve New Chapters’, a series of solos that take inspiration from each month of the Gregorian calendar. Actually, I’ll give him a big green button as well (but maybe just a pale one – this is my website after all):
 

Click here to learn about ‘Twelve New Chapters’, the brand new piano album from Jack Mitchell Smith!

New Music Monday, #13: ‘Sausage Theft’

Every Monday throughout 2023 I will be highlighting a different piece of music that I have either written or been closely involved with. And this week, prepare to hold on tight to your sausages because it’s…


What’s it called?
Sausage Theft.

What’s it from?
‘Mongolian Death Worm: A Puppet Show Musical’, the show what I wrote, starred in, directed, produced, edited etc. with my regular collaborator Mister James Ure during the first national lockdown in 2020. It’s a full 68 minutes of silliness, centring around the search for a mysterious creature that has been pilfering steaks from a village community somewhere near the Gobi Desert.

What’s it all about?
My my, it’s already week 13 of New Music Monday – an unlucky number for some, but especially so for Larry Chops, the unfortunate Mongolian butcher whose prize sausages are stolen to the sound of this music. The track as a whole accompanies the very opening of the musical, from the theatrical drum roll as the curtains open, to the ominous tuba notes as some hidden creature begins tugging at the string of sausages, to the final suspenseful build-up before Larry runs on shouting “AAAHHHH NOOOOO, MY THHHOTHAGETHHHHHH!!!”

Listen out for…
The distinctly ‘crunchy’ chord in the ukulele and piano at 0:20, which (for those of a theoretical disposition) is composed of two diminished 7th chords a semitone apart! Mmmm, crunchy…

Find out more at…
www.michaelgrantmusician.com/mdw

The Longest Night, from ‘Miniatures’ – Exclusive Video Performance!

‘Miniatures’ release day is almost upon us, but if your appetite for piano music isn’t already sufficiently whetted then I’ve got just the thing to get you in the mood!

Long by name, long by nature, this piece forms track 8 on the album and draws you into a dark disturbing world where at times even the piano itself seems to scream in desperation, before the subsequent tracks gradually move you back out into the daylight and towards a happy ending…
 
‘Miniatures’ will be released on Wednesday 29th March.

Don’t forget to pre-order your copy today and get a lovely little drinks mat featuring original artwork absolutely free!

Side view of drinks mat, featuring piano artwork from the album cover of 'Miniatures' by Michael A. Grant.

Free Drinks Mats For Everyone! Hooray!

Everyone, that is, who pre-orders a copy of my brand new album ‘Miniatures’! Don’t forget, the album will be released on 29th March so you’ve only got a week left to pre-order and get your mittens on one of these beauties at no additional charge…

Side view of drinks mat, featuring piano artwork from the album cover of 'Miniatures' by Michael A. Grant.
Mmm-mmm, dat’s a mighty fine mat!

 
Drinks mat in action, featuring piano artwork from the album cover of 'Miniatures' by Michael A. Grant.
 

Find out more here.

Watch me talk all aboot it here:

 

New Music Monday, #12: ‘Every Hero Needs A Villain (Trad Remix)’

Every Monday throughout 2023 I will be highlighting a different piece of music that I have either written or been closely involved with. And this week, prepare to take a break from me relentlessly plugging my new album because it’s…


What’s it called?
Every Hero Needs A Villain (Trad Remix).

What’s it from?
‘Mongolian Death Worm: A Puppet Show Musical’, the show what I wrote, starred in, directed, produced, edited etc. with my regular collaborator Mister James Ure during the first national lockdown in 2020. It’s a full 68 minutes of silliness, centring around the search for a mysterious creature that has been pilfering steaks from a village community somewhere near the Gobi Desert.

What’s it all about?
This lovely lil’ melody plays right at the end of the film, over the credits, while various outtakes and comical mishaps play on-screen and mesmerising scrolling text gives information about all da people who done stuff. It’s a jazzed-up instrumental version of a song that appears earlier in the show, when the baddie sings about all her evil schemes.

Listen out for…
My wonderful green ukulele! At a mere £12, that uke is one of the cheapest instruments I own, and it doesn’t get many opportunities to record on account of the acoustic compromises inherent in such a low-priced piece of equipment (to phrase it politely). But none of that matters if you whack the thing hard enough, as I demonstrate with aplomb in this recording.

Find out more at…
www.michaelgrantmusician.com/mdw