My comment on this video post:

Hello Mark : )! Just want to share a vid with you that i've made over a year ago! Your music transport me, just like Pink Floyd : )! Thanks for sharing your GREAT talent with us...XX

11:47

Pink Floyd - Marooned & Coming back to life (HD)

Pink Floyd - Marooned & Coming back to life
I dedicate this video to my dear friend "1ILovePoems" : )!

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Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for...

Sent to: MrCampy123

This is amazing! This is the kind of music that inspires one to create without worries of what expectations are. In my opinion, expectations hold back creativity.
It we everything that's expected, how do we progress in creative ways. I"m not advocating a constant breaking of the rules but a stepping over the line occasionally.
Thank you for this post...I'm sure it will trigger one of use to push the other foot over the line just a bit further.

Just my opinion you know...but one I believe in.

Mozart and the Ivory Tower

This is my video description of a YouTube video I have uploaded. 

 My love of music history knows no bounds. I could talk about the connection between ancient, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, impressionism, 20th century, jazz, blues, rock, pop, metal, folk, county, world, latin, all day long. The ties between what we do now and what was done in the past are strongly rooted in Beethoven. Therefore, they are rooted in Mozart, Haydn, Bach, Palestrina, and on and on. The realization of this will open your mind to the wonder of music. The wonder of it's creative potential and it's effect on the human race for thousands of years. All serious musicians owe it to themselves to begin a serious study of the phenomenon. 

Your future creative output depends on your dedication to learn where what we do today came from. To not is to jeopardize your enjoyment and production of your inner composer. The fascination with music history for me has been in my mind since I was around 16. It came full force around 25 and has never wavered. 

I hope you find my work on this short piece thought provoking. I attempted to use the guitar as the emotions of Mozart. A genius who was never appreciated, taken for granted, and used by many. A man who cared only to create music that never stopping burning in his brain. The guitar cries out for recognition, a recognition that he never could attain due to typical ivory tower thinking by those who haven't a creative bone in their body. Unfortunately, this thinking remains with us today. Conservatives, who would not dare to attempt anything new, strive to hold back our youth who possess amazing creative skills. Skills that threaten those in powerful positions in the world of music. However, some of us understand, and we will fight for the rights of our young musicians who hold the key to the future. 

This is an excerpt from a conversation with a student of mine. If you think that young people are not on to us "older and wiser ones" then this will open your eyes.

I wish that was the case. A lot of people that can BS everything and have good relations with others get a lot further. Some people don't have the opportunity to do that no matter how much they learn. 

This is the most telling statement:
I barely know any people in high school that can even think outside their social life and educational life. Everyone is so determined with goals. Thats good, but some people set them so high that they crash and never get back up eventually. Society kills so many. And it's humans that created it. 

Many people use the strategy today to acquire jobs and higher positions, because due to the economy, government, and other factors, certification and education aren't the only things that will get you a job.  

The government is corrupt, and so is education. Based on what you said, it's an implication that everyone learns differently, and thus, the educational system is useless. People however use tactics to get themselves into positions they want, while most are oblivious, and I personally think it's not fully moral.

The story goes on...

"Innocent Believers" - A Twelve String Guitar Composition

Please try something new...if you teach.

A RANT ON EDUCATION FROM A TEACHER...ME!
There is no system where you can put 20-30 kids in a room and expect them to learn from one teacher doing the same boring lecture format.

The best learning environment is one where students are active and engaged with each other in group tasks where cooperation and the sharing of ideas and methods takes place. We spend millions on coming up with

ways to teach more effectively when it is really simple.

Put down the books for at least half of the class, roll up the sleeves, and get an active, creative, and engaging project going where all learning styles are free to function. Then see the innate power of youth come alive in a classroom that is NOISY WITH ACTIVITY. Ohhhh no I can have noise in my classroom...that's unacceptable..." Shut up! Then be happy when 15% of your class actually understands what you're teaching and the other 85% leave with absolutely not progress, and worse, no motivation.

THERE I SAID IT! SO SUE ME IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT!

REFLECTION A MUST

The following is a brief letter written the day after a performance by the session students at my performance studio.

Looking back on the playing tonight. I was struck by what the studio is all about. As performances move forward it becomes clear that learning is ongoing in the process of performance and points directly to what we do with the students. There were some unbelievable performances tonight. 

 

These moments showed in great detail the power of youthful creativity and skill. In some ways, tonight was some of the best playing I've ever witnessed from the veterans. They were calm and relaxed, and took chances.

As players mature week by week, and as they prepare month by month, the evidence clearly shows that moments of professional playing are occurring. This continuation of what could be a lifetime of constant improvement could lead to very positive results in any number of ways in terms of their active involvement with music.

The moments of less-than-perfect playing are also themselves a move forward as self-correction will occur in time leading them to the some inevitable end, mastery.

Thanks to all who sacrifice time and effort to give such a great opportunity for all who would choose to work for it. Only good can come from being involved in such a creative, challenging, and worthwhile cause. Tomorrow and everyday after, will bring forward movement and greater opportunities for all.

Composition Session-

Student-Brandon Mijares 

Instructor-Mark Campayno

*These notes were taken by me during a 45 minute theory/composition lesson. They are posted to show the in-depth learning and teaching that can occur in a relatively short time.

Composing from the DIATONIC-BASED theory we've covered so far.

*A funk-based two chord riff or vamp was presented using the chords Em7-Bm7.

Key = E minor 

Style=Funk/Rock

Chord progressions:

Em7  Bm7 

Em7 Bm7 Am7 Bm7

Em7 Gm7 Dm7

Intro progression:  Em7  Bm7  Am7  Bm7

Question comes up, "What to play for intro in order to set up the piece for later 

development?" 

*A single-note funk melody using E-D-G notes was decided

upon. Those happen to be three of the four notes from an 

Em7 chord, which happens to be the "tonic" chord. 

A decision to add drum loop will be applied. A funky live drum loop was chosen. 

Verse progression:  Em7  Bm7

*An arpeggio pattern was applied here over the progression.

Em7 was inverted and played as a "D Major" basic shape on

the top three stings in positions 7 and 14.

7th position gives us D-G-B, which is a G major triad. However, 

and more importantly, it is an Em7 chord with no root!

14th position gives us A-D-F#, which is a D major triad, we are 

more concerned with it's "real function", which is a Bm7 arpeggiated

triad.

Chorus Section:

Em7  Gm7  Dm7

*A discision was made to use tapped arpeggios over the progression. Once a pattern was decided upon, it was applied to all three chords.

*As you can see, we have a movement away from our original E minor tonality.

The Gm7 has no relation to current key center. Therefore, a mode change is in order.

However, being that this will not a single-note solo per say, the original arpeggio/tapped

pattern. This section will lead us back to our intro progression.

Solo Section:

Em7  Bm7  Am7  Bm7

*As for a "method" of soloing over this progression, it was suggested to use some chromaticism

in the scale (E aeolian), in addition to wide intervals and string skips. Obviously, and for the purposes of the tone used (GuitarRig "God's Love"), slurs are endemic to such a solo. As for

why chromaticism within the aeolian scale? Remember that the piece is based on a very strong funk rhythm and chord pattern. Therefore, an approach to soloing naturally calls for "outside" tones

that, when placed appropriately, give the solo section extreme listenability and interest. 

Verse Breakdown:

The original chord progression of Em7 - Bm7 returns with some changes. The arpeggios are now played with distortion therefore making the part heavier. In addition, power chords augment the section as they are allowed to ring for the value of each. A "chug" rhythm has been added to the texture. The "chug" is an E power chord with the b9th tone (F) added. 

Interlude:

A mode change has occured. As you have seen, the addition of the F note during the chug led to a F diminished 7th arpeggio run that typically resolves up 1/2 step to our tonal center of E minor. However, resolution was made to F major instead giving a clear signal that the piece is now in another "zone". An angular two measure F major melody was applied that takes the music into an interlude of guitar melodies based on the repeated pattern.

This is an all-guitar section using multi-layered spacey clean guitars. 

The return of power chords (F-E-D-C-Bb-A-G-F) underneath signal a return to our original sections.

In the next installment, we will analyze the return to the original key of E minor and how that was accomplished. 

An mp3 of this composition will be provided after the next installment of this article.