Creating music in conlangs adds depth to corresponding cultures by reflecting musical styles and genres.
The songwriting process in conlangs involves considering cultural context, instrumentation, and adapting melodies to unfamiliar scales or vocal styles.
Deep dives
Margaret's Interest in Composing Music in Conlangs
Margaret's interest in composing music in conlangs stems from her long-standing passion for music and singing. She studied music, including opera, during her teenage years. As her various hobbies and interests converged over time, she realized she could create musically creative pieces that complemented her conlangs and added depth to the corresponding cultures. This approach allowed her to explore different musical styles and genres to reflect the cultural practices and preferences of the communities associated with each conlang.
Eric's Involvement in Composing Conlang Music
Eric has been involved in music for most of his life, composing and playing the piano from a young age. When he met Margaret, they began collaborating on cover songs and original compositions. As Margaret introduced him to her conlangs, Eric started composing backing music and arrangements for her conlang songs. Their collaboration expanded to create melodies and instrumental parts that complemented the cultural and linguistic aspects of Margaret's conlangs.
Influences of Different Scales and Instruments
To create a holistic cultural experience, Margaret and Eric experimented with different scales and musical instruments within their conlangs. They aimed to break away from traditional Western European music and consider the cultural context of each conlang. For example, when designing music for the Tulsi culture, which is imperialistic and militaristic, they incorporated brass instruments associated with battlefields and marches. They also considered the limitations and pros/cons of instruments based on the technological advancements within each culture.
Songwriting and Arranging Process
The songwriting and arranging process involved a combination of inspirations, cultural influences, and collaboration. Margaret's songs often originated from simple vocal melodies and incorporated inspiration from nature or cultural practices. The arrangements involved working with Eric to determine instrumentation based on the materials available in each culture. The lyrics were written to align with the conlang's grammatical structures and cultural themes, aiming for coherence and authenticity. The process of adapting melodies to unfamiliar scales or unique vocal styles was a creative challenge that they successfully overcame.
Margaret Ransdell-Green and Eric Barker come on to talk about the music they created for Margaret’s concultures in the world of Aeniith, which they performed at LCC8. Top of Show Greeting: Muipidan Transcript {00:00:00} {Greeting} {Music} George: Welcome to Conlangery, the podcast about constructed languages and the people who create them. I’m George Corley. With... Read more »
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