The Witch (Part I: The Weavers)

So - this is the beautiful and well-written game "The Witch" that my bff Elizabeth Swensen created for her Masters in Interactive Media.  (Go her!)  When I heard she was doing it, I offered my services.  (She is probably my favorite person to collaborate with.  We've been doing various casual creative projects since middle school, so I would know.)  Anywhoo, ended up doing the music and some of the artwork, which was cut from construction paper.  I cut some stuff, then handed it over to Elizabeth, who edited the layout/colors, etc.  She worked really super hard on this project, and it even made one dude cry when he was telling her how much he loved it.

(My artwork: Everything but the city wall, top right.)

So an overview of how the game works:

One travels through the world as a cloaked female figure: the Witch, choosing WORDS that define how others perceive and react her, such as "Friend" or "Half-Wit" or "Diseased"   Once she picks up what she needs in the city, she returns back to her hometown, passing familiar landscapes.  However, these landscapes are not what they were before.  The words with which you have chosen to mask yourself have affected the landscape, and you travel back through a world that both familiar and changed.  I'm not going to get into detail, because as soon as it's up and running for reals, you should play it.

So in composing the music, I wanted to create the same sort of feeling.  I created what I called a "base track" for each level (often piano) and then layered other tracks on top of that depending on the mood of the scene.  

I play all the instruments in the recordings.  

This blog is organized by landscape, not the actual order in which the game progresses, as I composed music based on landscape.  The track names with the double asterisks **Before and after the Title** are my favorites.  

PART I: The Weavers

**********************************

**The Weavers #1 - Day**

The Witch, a young girl, is leaving home to go to the city.  

(My contribution to the artwork in this scene is the Witch figure.)

The four Weavers tracks are by far my favorite. This is the only set I where I actually notated the piano part, and didn't borrow anyone else's material.   (I think I really need to notate things: it seems to turn out better.)

The piano is my base track.  You will hear it in the return three Weavers scenes.

I used only piano for this opening scene.  The timing is a bit odd: 

[ Section A: 7/4 (x2) 4/4 (x3) ] x2

[ Section B: 4/4 (x4) ] x2

[ Section C: 5/4 (x3) ]

[ Repeat Section A ]

**********************************

**Weavers: #2 - Young**

The girl comes back to her hometown, and sees a reflection of herself as a young woman.  

(My art: both Witches.)

In this track, the added instruements are violin, and a free synth keyboard app on my iPod. Funny story: I've always wanted to play a stringed instrument (no, piano doesn't count), so I finally bought a violin. Yes, It's bright purple. Before this recording, I'd probably only held a violin for about two hours (a generous estimate.)  Which is why the violin tracks used in the recording are sliiiiighly off key. On purpose.  Heh.

**********************************

**Weavers #3 - Wise**

The girl returns, and finds a wise reflection of herself.

(My art: both Witches.)

Added instrument: guitar.

**********************************

****Weavers #4 - Ragged****
My very favoritest track of them all

The girl returns, and finds a ragged, old reflection of herself.

(My art: both Witches.)

Added instrument: clarinet.  I adore seconds!  

**********************************

**Fwd. to Pt. II**
The Bridge

**********************************