Starts soft. Goes hard. (I also made album art for it, click the thumbnail to the left!)linearRampToValueAtTime).I write tracker music. I write in the XM format, first used by FastTracker 2 for DOS, and derived from the old MOD format used on Amiga computers. The neat thing about these module formats is that they don't just store the whole audio stream, they store samples for instruments, which are played in notes arranged in tracks and patterns. This can make the file smaller, and makes it easier to transform and reuse parts of the music. It also has advantages over MIDI music files: you can reuse sections of music called patterns in different parts of a piece of music, you aren't limited to a fixed set of instruments, and your instruments should sound the same anywhere.
From 2001 to 2006, I used SoundTracker, by Michael Krause, to write this music. I stopped for about a decade, and during this time SoundTracker went unmaintained and stopped compiling for me (another maintainer, Yury Aliaev, has stepped up recently, but as of 2021 it still won't compile for me). So when I started writing again in 2017, I switched to MilkyTracker.
I wrote my own browser-based XM player, starting in 2016, in order to play my music on this website. It omits some features of the XM format that I never used, but it can play my music reasonably well. See jsxm for a more complete implementation by Andy Sloane. But my XM player displays the information in the file in more detail. There are also a few more options for playing and editing these files on your desktop/mobile device:
I rarely come up with interesting names for my pieces of music, so I usually name them mysong##.xm where ## is a number, 00-99. Don't be misled by the word "song"; there are no lyrics, though I do often use samples of my own voice as instruments. I don't publish all of my music here (some pieces aren't good, or complete; some are just short loops), so some numbers are skipped. These were originally listed in roughly chronological order, but are now in reverse chronological order, so some of the descriptions might make more sense if you read them backwards. The descriptions for the SoundTracker-era pieces were mostly written in late 2002.
| filename | title | date | links |
|---|---|---|---|
| MilkyTracker era (2017-present) | |||
| chocolate-milk | Chocolate Milk | 2026.01.19 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| Fast, driving, synth-heavy, but includes a sample of me drumming on a full gallon jug of milk. | |||
| lament2 | Lament 2 | 2025.01.24 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| Variations on another theme I woke up with, 8 years after the previous one. | |||
| dark-sheep | Dark Sheep | 2024.10.26 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| Starts soft. Goes hard. (I also made album art for it, click the thumbnail to the left!) | |||
| mysong01e | 2024.07.24 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| After nearly 23 years, I revisit the second XM piece I ever made, which I hadn't published because I didn't have the skill to make it the way I wanted it at the time. | |||
| mysong93 | The Cyans | 2024.05.13 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| Jazzy rhythm with blue-ish synth notes. | |||
| mysong92b | Inversions | 2024.01.12 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| A slow, soothing, synth piece that explores the inversions of two chords. | |||
| charons-hornpipe | Charon's Hornpipe | 2023.03.11 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| A minor-key variation on The Sailor's Hornpipe. | |||
| mysong91b | 2022.07.04 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| A few variations on a fast blues-ish progression, with only synth instruments, influenced by surf music, among others. | |||
| mysong90 | 2022.01.05 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| Simple (2 instruments, 4 channels), but has an interesting rhythm. | |||
| recessional | Recessional for FFVCS | 2021.01.17 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| A piece for officially leaving with no dignity. Combines influences from Sousa marches and circus/fairground automatic calliope music. | |||
| mysong89 | 2020.09.20 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| A simple, chill one. | |||
| iso-elation | Iso-Elation | 2020.04.06 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| Wrote this based on an idea I woke up with during my self-isolation from the pandemic. | |||
| mysong88b | 2019.04.13 | download XM, download mp3, download MIDI, open in browser | |
| A chill one. I'm including a MIDI version because I practiced this a bunch using the Electric Piano 1 general MIDI instrument, and I like how it sounds (though because it's MIDI, it probably won't sound exactly the same for you). | |||
| mysong86 | Oven Beat | 2019.02.03 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| This uses the sounds of my oven preheating for most of its percussion. | |||
| mysong84d | 2018.03.17 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
A melancholy bass contrasting and conflicting with a happier melody. I woke up with the bass one morning and it got stuck in my head for nearly a week until I finished this piece. I recommend using the mp3 link for this one because, in my XM player, Firefox bug 1567777/1171438 makes the happier part not quite sound right (the instrument volume fadeout setting doesn't work properly since it relies on linearRampToValueAtTime). | |||
| inauglam | Inauguration Lament | 2017.01.21 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| Many variations on a theme I woke up with on the morning of a certain orange-american's inauguration. | |||
| SoundTracker era (2001-2006) | |||
| mysong81 | 2006.08.07 | download XM, open in browser | |
| A plodding bass with a meandering melody. Notable for using only one instrument, and for being the last XM music I made with SoundTracker. | |||
| mysong78 | 2005.09.10 | download XM, open in browser | |
| A nice two-pattern loop. | |||
| mysong75 | 2003.02.16 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| This one was made using sounds from my desk lamp, and basically repeats the same melody and harmony with different combinations of sounds. | |||
| mysong67 | 2002.09.09 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| Nice and quick. I like the synergy (oh Ghod, a buzzword, I must be losing it...) between the overdriven hum and the fan electrical noise :) | |||
| mysong66 | rushing | 2002.09.01 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser |
| I came up with this while walking quickly (marching?) back from the post office (that's on the other side of campus :( ) It's one of my longest songs to date, with many parts elaborating on the same theme. | |||
| mysong60 | 2002.06.15 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| More overdriven, this time a nice overriding bass :) | |||
| mysong58 | 2002.06.07 | download XM, download mp3, open in browser | |
| Kinda neat... more overdriven stuff. | |||
| mysong54 | 2002.05.24 | download XM, open in browser | |
| First real use of an overdriven hum (for me). I like to think this is like a bunch of people scurrying around the feet of a giant battlemech :) | |||
| mysong45 | 2002.04.01 | download XM, open in browser | |
| A happy round :P | |||
| mysong35 | 2002.03.02 | download XM, open in browser | |
| A nice slow(er) one. | |||
| mysong33 | 2002.02.22 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Nice strong beat. Not much of an ending :-/ | |||
| mysong32 | 2002.02.11 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Another happy/ambling song. | |||
| mysong31 | 2002.02.09 | download XM, open in browser | |
| I like this one for the off-beats it has. | |||
| compsong00 | 2001.12.30 | download XM, open in browser | |
| I made this entirely with samples of computer noises (floppy eject, printer, monitor and fan electrical noises) just because I could :) | |||
| mysong24 | recycled mysong09 | 2001.12.14 | download XM, open in browser |
| A recycled mysong09, I started it before realizing I had made this song already. It turned out much better than the original, so I kept it :) | |||
| spooky02 | 2001.12.07 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Guess what? Kinda spooky! (even shorter, a loop) | |||
| mysong23 | 2001.11.30 | download XM, open in browser | |
| I made this one on the same night as mysong22; again it's a short loop, but it sounds neat :) | |||
| mysong22 | 2001.11.23 | download XM, open in browser | |
| This is one of those short loops I was talking about. I only included it because it tended to make me dizzy the first few times I listened to it :) | |||
| mysong21 | 2001.11.22 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Starts out sounding kinda like whining, but it gets better, trust me! :) | |||
| mysong20 | 2001.10.23 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Yet another "happy" song :PP | |||
| mysong18 | 2001.10.19 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Another "happy" song :P | |||
| spooky01 | 2001.10.07 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Also kinda spooky. (short too) | |||
| mysong15 | 2001.09.23 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Longer than most others before it. This is where I first used a round-like song structure. It sounds neat :) | |||
| mysong14 | 2001.09.21 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Another themed song, basically the same beat as 04a, but with a different instrument so it sound like a train. Also kinda short and pointless :) | |||
| mysong13 | 2001.09.21 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Also ambling, but evil-er (skulking? :) | |||
| mysong12 | 2001.09.15 | download XM, open in browser | |
| A sort of ambling song. | |||
| mysong11 | Awaiting Retaliation | 2001.09.14 | download XM, open in browser |
| I made this one while worrying about being drafted in the wake of 2001.09.11 (I was turning 18 soon) Hence the gunshot-like beat. | |||
| mysong09 | 2001.09.04 | download XM, open in browser | |
| This one's kinda short and pointless. | |||
| mysong08 | 2001.09.04 | download XM, open in browser | |
| I don't generally like "happy" songs, but this one just came out that way :) | |||
| mysong07 | Steelwork | 2001.08.26 | download XM, open in browser |
| Another attempt at a themed song, this one didn't turn out so good. I was basically just inspired by the fact that I figured out how to make a sound like a hammer on steel with my teeth and some creative editing :) | |||
| mysong06a | 2001.08.28 | download XM, open in browser | |
| No comment. | |||
| mysong04a | Galloping Cowboy | 2001.08.15 | download XM, open in browser |
| My first really themed one; it's supposed to be a lonely person riding on a horse (a cowboy maybe?). Hence the beat. | |||
| mysong03a | 2001.08.16 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Another simple one. | |||
| spooky00 | 2001.08.15 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Kinda spooky, in a scooby-doo sorta way :) | |||
| egypt00 | 2001.08.13 | download XM, open in browser | |
| From back when I thought I would actually give my songs names :) Sounds kinda like what you'd hear in a cheesy mummy horror movie :) | |||
| mysong02a | 2001.08.12 | download XM, open in browser | |
| Kinda simple, but what do you expect from a budding composer (ok, Mozart wrote symphonies when he was 7, but do I look like Mozart to you? (ok, I kinda do, but I'm not him! :)) | |||
| mysong00c | 2001.08.14 | download XM, open in browser | |
| This is basically the first song I ever came up with on my own. I woke up with it stuck in my head one morning, and was shocked to find out that it didn't come from anywhere but my own head :) I actually have several versions of this, including a midi one, but I think this is the best. | |||
I play keyboard. Here are a few recordings of me playing pieces written by others. I believe all of these pieces are old enough to be in the public domain by now. The audio recordings (including the audio tracks in the videos) are taken from the headphone output of my keyboard as the MIDI recording is played back through it.
| title | composer | composition date | performance date | duration | links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 | Frédéric Chopin | 1839 | 2025.11.02 | 2m04s |
MIDI audio (4.9KB),
MP3 audio (1.4MB), MP4 video (18MB), 'Tube |
| Some low notes omitted due to instrument limitations. | |||||
| Waltz in A minor, Op. 34, No. 2 | Frédéric Chopin | 1838 | 2025.05.31 | 6m25s |
MIDI audio (17KB),
MP3 audio (4.3MB), MP4 video (61MB), 'Tube |
| The Entertainer | Scott Joplin | 1902 | 2024.07.28 | 5m06s |
MIDI audio (18KB),
MP3 audio (3.5MB), MP4 video (52MB), 'Tube |
| If you've heard one rag, this is likely the one you've heard. A much simpler version of this is one of the first piano pieces I ever learned, but I finally got around to learning the full version. | |||||
| Solace, A Mexican Serenade | Scott Joplin | 1909 | 2023.11.18 | 6m03s |
MIDI audio (18KB),
MP3 audio (4.1MB), MP4 video (64MB), 'Tube |
| It took me a long time to get the rhythm of the second strain right. | |||||
| Pineapple Rag | Scott Joplin | 1908 | 2023.05.25 | 4m23s |
MIDI audio (20KB),
MP3 audio (2.9MB), MP4 video (47MB), 'Tube |
| Some low notes omitted or transposed up an octave due to instrument limitations. | |||||
| Fantasy No. 3 in D minor (K397) | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 1782 | 2022.07.23 | 5m58s |
MIDI audio (11KB),
MP3 audio (4.0MB), MP4 video (61MB), 'Tube |
| Some low notes omitted/transposed due to instrument limitations; recorded at lower volume level. | |||||
| Bethena, A Concert Waltz | Scott Joplin | 1905 | 2021.09.30 | 5m54s |
MIDI audio (21KB),
MP3 audio (3.9MB), MP4 video (59MB), 'Tube |
| Some low notes omitted due to instrument limitations. | |||||
| WTC I, Prelude 1 | Johann Sebastian Bach | 1722 | 2021.08.08 | 2m19s |
MIDI audio (4.8KB),
MP3 audio (1.6MB), MP4 video (26MB), 'Tube |
| Hungarian Dance No. 5 | Johannes Brahms | 1869 | 2021.08.07 | 56s |
MIDI audio (3.6KB),
MP3 audio (645KB), MP4 video (8.9MB), 'Tube |
| Prelude in C Minor, Op. 28, No. 20 | Frédéric Chopin | 1839 | 2021.08.03 | 1m32s |
MIDI audio (2.0KB),
MP3 audio (1.0MB), MP4 video (13MB), 'Tube |
| Played an octave up due to instrument limitations. | |||||
| Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2 | Frédéric Chopin | 1832 | 2021.08.02 | 54s |
MIDI audio (1.7KB),
MP3 audio (610KB), MP4 video (6.0MB), 'Tube |
| Simple version. | |||||
| Greensleeves | Richard Jones? | 1580? | 2021.08.01 | 41s |
MIDI audio (749B),
MP3 audio (469KB), MP4 video (5.6MB), 'Tube |
| Simple version. | |||||
| Gnossienne No. 1 | Erik Satie | 1893 | 2021.08.01 | 2m53s |
MIDI audio (5.2KB),
MP3 audio (1.9MB), MP4 video (26MB), 'Tube |
| I had to record this at a lower volume level to avoid clipping, so the noise floor is higher. | |||||