Sylva Train Runnin' | Big Band Swing

Sylva Train Runnin' | Official Motion Picture Score from A Fire Within 

Hello! Over the last calendar year, I have been creating my first short-film called A Fire Within. When completed, the film will follow the tragedy between two friends: Sam and Andy. The story focus on the theme of betrayal as being cordial does not stop greed or jealousy from bubbling within someone.

This score is paired with a travel sequence in the film and is my 4th attempt at writing for Big Band Swing. I am very happy with the result and simply wanted to share it! The style was meant to replicate late 40s/ early 50s swing to match the era in which the story takes place. I sampled a little of Miller's "Chattanooga Choo Choo" to help tie into the railroad theme with the main structure being based in verse-chorus with multiple repeats and a key change. 

If you would like to know more about the score, go to the "About" section on page 4!
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Program Note:
A Fire Within is an original story written by Mason Kistler detailing betrayal between two friends. Featuring an original soundtrack, soundscape, voice cast and more, this story established itself as the first short-film made solely in the video game Railroader, which was released in December, 2023. Join the orchestra as they bring you in towards this cinematic universe and involve yourself in their soundscape. All aboard as the saxophones open the throttle and the ensemble leaves the station! 

[DO NOT REPLICATE]

Hello again @MK_Piano!

This is a cool big band piece meant to imitate a train!  I wonder if you've ever heard of the Copenhagen Steam Railway Galop?  It is another wonderful example of a piece meant to imitate the sound of a train getting started and chugging along.  It's a very musically inspirational topic to write music to.  And supposedly, Prokofiev loved to write music on train rides.  I think there are some obvious flaws in your piece so please forgive me for pointing them out!  LoL  The piece is very simple and once it gets started, doesn't know what to do with itself.  You employ the use of the common up a step modulation to try and infuse the music with some freshness and excitement towards the end of the piece.  I've been guilty of using that kind of modulation myself as well.  But the piece is basically the same 28 measure phrases repeated over and over.  That's my only critique.  It would have been nice to hear some kind of development or maybe variations?  Thanks for sharing!

5 minutes ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Hello again @MK_Piano!

This is a cool big band piece meant to imitate a train!  I wonder if you've ever heard of the Copenhagen Steam Railway Galop?  It is another wonderful example of a piece meant to imitate the sound of a train getting started and chugging along.  It's a very musically inspirational topic to write music to.  And supposedly, Prokofiev loved to write music on train rides.  I think there are some obvious flaws in your piece so please forgive me for pointing them out!  LoL  The piece is very simple and once it gets started, doesn't know what to do with itself.  You employ the use of the common up a step modulation to try and infuse the music with some freshness and excitement towards the end of the piece.  I've been guilty of using that kind of modulation myself as well.  But the piece is basically the same 28 measure phrases repeated over and over.  That's my only critique.  It would have been nice to hear some kind of development or maybe variations?  Thanks for sharing!

 

You have no idea the wonderful suggestion you have bestowed upon me. I have been searching for various ways to capture a steam locomotive with the western orchestra. That piece is SO COOL!! It's luckily on IMSLP too, so now I have a score I can study. Thank you!! 

Yeah... The repetition was more for simplicity to be blunt. I felt I did good with the saxophone writing, however, I admit I am not too knowledgeable on ways to utilize the brass in the Big Band style. In the film, it is cut in half with the key change happening after the first shout/ chorus section. So in context, it only repeats the form twice. I copied the first section in this version as a means to extend the work. Thanks for the comments!