Full Moon Prize for J & K

I said I would create a piece of music for whoever chose the winning name for my new EMU midi controller. The keyboard is now called Clé Raga thanks to dual winners Kathryn in Trinidad and Jayme in Toronto. Congratulations.

The resulting piece of music (I decided to go with whatever I created upon first trying out the new keyboard) accompanies the above video which I shot last night on the way home from a yoga reunion.

Dev is driving. The motion of the car as I point my camera up causes the moon to bounce. Note how the upcoming streetlights give the feeling of zooming through planets.

Jasper in concert ... and the winning name

Those who own cats will know how they love to monopolize everything. Jasper has a knack for spreading out exactly on the part of whatever book or document I'm reading; coming to lounge precisely on the piece of the page where I'm writing; stretching his body horizontally across the bed, leaving me enough space to perch precariously at the edge. It comes as no surprise that he has also taken possession of the new keyboard. Clearly it belongs to him.

The first notes of his new composition

Belting out the lyricsHeadbanging
After all that music making, time for a cat nap.

Jasper and I thank all of you who took the time to think up and submit such meaningful names (for the new keyboard). While we feel that each one had its own beauty, we particularly liked Clé ... the idea of a key to open new doors. Plus piano keys and musical keys are all inherent in that name. If we were being really strict about it, that name would actually be disqualified for not being put in the comments section (as requested). But ... we'll ease up this time.

We also liked the meaning of 'Raga' ... "Raag, in the Sanskrit dictionary, is defined as "the act of coloring or dyeing" (the mind in this context) and "any feeling or passion especially love, affection, sympathy, vehement desire, interest, joy, or delight"

The keyboard's name is Clé Raga: the key that opens doors to love, affection, interest, joy and delight.

Congratulations to Kathryn and Jayme. Your mp3 prize will be delivered to you some time soon.

Help me name my new keyboard

Time for some new music with my new EMU

I'm happy with my EMU Xboard 25 key MIDI controller which I got last night (in perfect condition, purchased second hand from Coreysan). I can already feel that fun times and great music will come of it. It's big enough to not feel like a toy and small enough to be mobile and go traveling with.

My other keyboard, Haniel, died quite a while ago. Haniel had hundreds of great sound banks and patches (i.e. musical samples/tones for different instruments) stored in her and I would do everything (sequencing/composing/recording) right there in the keyboard. If you click on my Reverbnation page and listen to the music there, all of it (except the songs with acoustic guitar and 'Raindrops on Skin' which is a combo of Garageband and Ableton Live) was created with Haniel.

The EMU is a MIDI keyboard, used to trigger the sound samples in computer-based music programmes. i.e. I can't create music within (or using just) the keyboard itself as with Haniel.

If you've been reading my blog for a while you will know that I give my pieces of equipment meaningful names:
Karishma (video camera)
Dandelion (drum)
The camera formerly known as Synchronicity (now renamed Phoenix because she fell on Valentine's Day and rose from the ashes)
Supernova (little go-everywhere-with-it camera).

WHAT'S IN A NAME?
Instead of me coming up with the name for the new keyboard, I'm throwing out the opportunity for you all. You can leave your suggestion in the Now is Wow Too comments section along with a brief rationale (i.e. why you gave it that name). I'll go with the name/rationale that resonates most with me. As a prize, I will compose a short piece of music for the winner.

Thanks in advance.