Author: Forte Maestro

As the Prancing Pony stirred during a slow early Autumn morning, soothing sounds lofted through the ethereal with an airy delight.

With the gentle strums of a fine Lute of Ages, a minstrel Hunter crafted delightful ballads, to keep the morning mood lightened.

He can be found often playing music at the Prancing Pony.

Praeradio is our Solist pick for the week.

 

Greetings, glad to meet you!

Praeradio: Glad to meet you too!

 I like to ask musicians how they got started performing. What can you tell us about that?

Praeradio: Originally I started playing back when I found out how popular bands were.

 Have you always been on Landroval, or have you come from another realm (server)?

Praeradio: I have always been on Landroval for the past 5 years.

 Do you have a particular style of music you like to play?

Praeradio: I tend to play all ranges of music, from show intros, to rock, edm, etc.

 What have you enjoyed most about the music community?

Praeradio: I’ve enjoyed how accepted it is and shared with other players.

 Do you ever perform with a band, or do you prefer to perform as a soloist most often?

Praeradio: I mostly solo due to the fact that all my friends have left…

 Sounds like you need to make more friends!

Praeradio: I’ve gotten some friends from offline to join me recently, we might even make a guild.

 There are alot of events out there that people commonly attend. Have you attended any of these events, such as Ales & Tales, Weatherstock, or band performances?

Praeradio: I’ve gone to Weatherstock a few times over the years.

 You can tell alot about a musician by the instrument they enjoy most. What would you say is your favorite?

Praeradio: I’d have to say it’s the lute and harp, or theorbo when it can be heard.

 Do you transcribe or compose your own music?

Praeradio: Sadly no, I wish I could though.

 When you get new music, where do you usually go to acquire music?

Praeradio: I used to go to LOTROABC.com, not sure if that’s up anymore or not though.

What would you say would be the best advice you could give to any up and coming musician?

Praeradio: If they play by hand, never stop practicing. As for people like me who use song book, try to find songs you enjoy playing, not just based on popularity.

 Do you have anything particular you would like to say to the music community about you, or your life as a LOTRO musician?

Praeradio: Just keep it up, and that I’m normally found in the Prancing Pony, just look around and you might find me.

 Are you on twitter, facebook fan page, or have a youtube that you like to communicate your life in LOTRO?

Praeradio: Not exactly, I’m not much of a person for social networks.

 Excellent! Want to thank you for taking the time with us!

Praeradio: Any time.

Forte Maestro is the writer for the Bard Chronicles at LOTROPlayers, and Dean of Forte’s Academy of Music of Music.

You can follow him on Twitter @forte_maestro
Or subscribe at YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/user/FORTEsSchoolofMusic

Some years ago, I had previously published an article about the coordinated dance lessons the faire lady Madaelin had instructed attendees at an Animal House concert on Landroval. With the new influx of players to more condense servers I wanted to share this great information once again, as it can never age. Perhaps with this information, it will help ease synchronizing of dances at events. As a hobbit I am always stumbling around. We look less drunk if we are stumbling around in sync with other dancers!

Going through all the dances, she trained them to move the way the pros do it! What made this hobbit jump for joy is the “Star Burst” pattern dance they did, back to back as they stepped along to Dance_Elf2.

Xandrin says, ‘Maddie, I’m happy you out and whipped us into shape tonight. It always great fun when you come to town.”

Graciously, Madaelin the magnificent Maestro of Movement is happy to present to you how even you can stomp in step, instead of stumbling and fumbling:

We learned them in order of their difficulty to master.

Dance_elf: This dance begins when the lead dancer returns to the starting position and pauses. You will see them set both of their feet and that is the point at which you join in.

Dance_elf2: Just like the first elven, the dance lead will waltz out, and then back again. Simply wait for the lead to return to the starting position and pause, then join in just as they are starting out again.

Dance_man: For this dance, watch for when the lead is done with wagging their finger and clapping their hands. Their feet will begin to move back towards the start position, but you must begin before they set their feet. Many times the lead dancer’s arms will just be resting at their hips at the moment best to join in.

Dance_man2: For this dance you must watch for the rotation where the lead dancer performs the four kick steps run through. The dance has a two kickstep run, and a four, after the four kicksteps they will move all the way to the right. You simply join in as they start to the left again.

Dance_hobbit: For this lively dance, you must watch for when the lead dancer raises their left arm. When they do so, their elbow will be pointed directly to the left (9 o’clock position) and they will begin to perform a counterclockwise spin. When that left elbow is pointed towards the 12 o’clock position (sometimes sooner, sometimes a little later if your connection is lagging, or fast) that’s when you join in.

Dance_hobbit2: For this dance you must wait for both large leg sweeps to be completed. After that watch for the lead dancer’s right foot to reach the farthest back spot. Then you join in just as they begin to stutter step forward again. You will see a little heel-hop as they start forward and that is the spot to join in.

Dance_dwarf: For this dance, there are two ways to join. The first you can watch for the lead dancer to be all the way to the right, and join in as they take the second bounding step towards the left. Or, you can target the dancer you wish to match, and using the target circle at their feet, wait until they are all the way to the right, and join in as soon as they hit the middle of that target circle.

Dance_dwarf2: The hardest of the dances to time, but if you watch for when the lead is crossing their arms behind their back it helps a lot. There is a split second right before those arms cross, and they lean heavily on their right foot, that’s when you join in.

And on the side we learned the third dance of man for those that had it.
Dance_man3: For this dance you simply watch for when the lead dancer spins to the right, wait until they move to the left, and join in as they slide to the right again.

And for posterity, we didn’t cover this one but many sometimes are curious.

Dance_jig: This dance cannot be put into the same step, unless you are of the same race and gender as the person you are trying to match up with. So for many it is more socially accepted that you just join in at any time and have fun with it! Since everyone will be jigging in their own variety.

Forte Maestro is the writer for the Bard Chronicles at LOTROPlayers, and Dean of Forte’s Academy of Musicof Music.

You can follow him on Twitter @forte_maestro
Or subscribe at YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/user/FORTEsSchoolofMusic

There I was, visiting the ole Prancing Pony for a bit of ale, and came upon quite a talented solo musician playing upon the worn carpet afront the warm fire of the entrance way. Listening to her, Caranelanor played a mix of different music as the tavern folk and heroes chatted and danced away.

I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce another musician to the community. Soloist are those who often perform by their selves, for the enjoyment of others.

This is what we talked about…

Greetings, glad to meet you!

Caranelanor: Nice to meet you, too, although I think we’ve met and just not interacted

 Ah very nice! and Glad we finally met officially!

 I like to ask musicians how they got started performing. What can you tell us about that?

Caranelanor: In-game or IRL?

Both, has real life influenced your life as a musician in LOTRO?

Caranelanor: Reverse, really. I was a musician IRL, and tried the music thing in beta, and was like ‘Noooo, I can’t do this.’ I didn’t think about learning it until this character was made and she decided she plays

 Have you always been on Landroval, or have you come from another realm (server)?

Caranelanor: I’ve been on Landroval since the beginning, and was one of the ones in the RP bunches when we decided to try to make an Unofficial RP server, like we did on CoH

 Do you have a particular type of music you like to play?

Caranelanor: My own liking’s are broad, although I can’t stand rap or “noisy” music. For the .abcs, I look for songs that will work and sound good.

 What have you enjoyed most about the music community?

Caranelanor: Hmm.
Caranelanor: Just the lightness and fun, mostly.
Caranelanor: I mean, yeah, it’s not lore or whatever, but… fun.

 Do you ever perform with a band, or do you prefer to perform as a soloist most often?

Caranelanor: I’m just going to be solo. No band. Once I figure out a way, I can work this into RP.

 There are alot of events out there that people commonly attend. Have you attended any of these events, such as Ales & Tales, Weatherstock, or band performances?

Caranelanor: I go to Weatherstock. I don’t usually go to a concert.

 You can tell alot about a musician by the instrument they enjoy most. What would you say is your favorite?

Caranelanor: Lute of Ages.
Caranelanor: What does that say about me? XD

That you like good ole Classic instruments hehe

 There are good and parts about the current music system. What are your favorite and no so favorite parts about it?

Caranelanor: My favorite part is that it lets us actually choose the music we bring in. The not so favorite is the gazillion lines of text spam at concerts.

Do you transcribe or compose your own music?

Caranelanor: I haven’t composed in over 15 years. By transcribe, do you mean I write the sheet music?

 I mean by transcribing midi files into ABC song files.

Caranelanor: Yes, I do that.

 Composing as it writing your own ABC files from real music of your own creation.

Caranelanor: Oh.. I haven’t brought in anything I wrote, yet. This is all commercial music.

 What is your favorite tool to transcribe with?

Caranelanor: Maestro is my only tool, so far.

 What would you say would be the best advice you could give to any up and coming musician?

Caranelanor: Real musician or in-game musician?

 In-game staring musicians

Caranelanor: Play what you love.
Caranelanor: and don’t do lyrics
Caranelanor: Well, not in RP hubs anyway XD

 Well considering you have great taste in clothing, that is sound advice.

Caranelanor: Everyone loves the new surcoat

 Only those who can wear it well!

Caranelanor: I also like to bring in obscure music or music the younger players wouldn’t have heard.

 Excellent! Want to thank you for taking the time with us!

Caranelanor: Thanks for the interest in me :>

Forte Maestro is the writer for the Bard Chronicles at LOTROPlayers, and Dean of Forte’s Academy of Musicof Music.

You can follow him on Twitter @forte_maestro
Or subscribe at YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/user/FORTEsSchoolofMusic

 

 

What has often drawn many of us to the world of Lord of the Rings, is the great music system we have grown to love. It has drawn is together as a community, far greater then any MMO out to-date.

Many have gained a satisfaction with the art of transcribing music in to the ABC song system that governs the music with in the game. But, there are a few who endeavor to step foot deeper into the fine task of composing original music with the aim of providing the community with genuine music.

I have been known at least once before with my composition of “Sunshine – Forte’s Opus 1” to do so myself. That composition itself, with the pain staking task of writing sheet music meshing multiple instruments together, took me around 2 years to complete. A big feat for such a small hobbit who wasn’t formally trained in the art of music. But, it goes to show, with a bit of dedication and goo hearing, what someone, anyone, can do.

The time has come that I set myself aside again, and began the piece that will mark my second full  original score for music in LOTRO. This work, writing sheet music step by step took me a year to complete.

I bring to you “Far Away Bree-Town” composed by Forte Maestro

LISTEN  on Sound Cloud

READ the Sheet Music

DOWNLOAD the Full Score

DOWNLOAD the MP3

DOWNLOAD ABC Song

This piece was an adaptation from my recently released “Minstrel’s Mirth,” where the tune was slowed a bit and the original single flute notes were shifted to the harp and flute, after tweaking a bit.

Also check out “Sunshine – Forte’s Opus 1”

LISTEN on Sound Cloud

READ the Sheet Music

DOWNLOAD the ABC song

Be sure to check out the Video Lessons and Music at Forte’s Academy of Music