Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 11/13/24

SEE BUTTON FOR THE YOUTUBE VIDEO BELOW.

THE PLACE

Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, in Smithtown, New York, covers about 550 acres of parkland laced with well-kept trails. Park Map

THE LENS

This was a bread-and-butter shoot: gimbal for the walk, tripod and telephoto for the stationary shots.

THE MUSIC

I played the traditional tune Roslyn Castle on the fiddle (sheet music) with a pulse-style rhythm track, which I played on the bodhrán. I’m using a 16” Remo tunable bodhrán with a synthetic head and a double-sided tipper. The bodhrán’s shell is 5” deep.

I played the tune three times through on the recording, with double stops on the first repeat, and a harmony part, which I played on a second track, on the third repeat. I made up the harmony part using a concept called “chord stacking,” which I learned from watching a video a couple years back posted on YouTube by the violin educator and virtuoso Christian Howes. The technique involves writing out the notes of chords as they relate to the piece you’re playing, and simply using those notes to improvise or to create accompaniment to melodies. Find out more about Christian Howes here.

THE GLASS

Work continues to restore the brewery. It’s more pliers and wrenches than hops and malt at the minute. I’m reminded perseverance is the lifeblood of any endeavor.