5 Composers 1 Singer ft. Adam Neely, Aimee Nolte, 8-bit Music Theory, Ben Levin

In this latest episode of the "5 composers" series, there's a new twist - each composer chooses the text for one of the others - the task is to write a short piece for classical soprano and harp. The texts chosen included a tweet, a meme, and a beautiful poem written by a relative of the composer when one of the poet's own relatives passed away. Featuring Adam Neely, 8-bit Music Theory, Aimee Nolte & Ben Levin
Special thanks to soprano Mary Bevan MBE www.intermusica.co.uk/artist/...
and harpist Eleanor Turner www.eleanorturner.biz/
PDFs and MP3s of all the pieces are available on my patreon: / davidbruce
Aimee Nolte's Channel:
/ noltefam
Adam Neely's Channel:
/ havic5
Ben Levin's Channel:
/ nimajqeb
8-Bit Music Theory's Channel:
/ @8bitmusictheory
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[@AdamNeely]

Wow, Mary and Eleanor sound so damn good! Thanks for having me!

[@benthepen3336]

Good Job, Adam👍

[@DBruce]

I'm gonna be scared of you whenever you start speaking softly from now on :-)

[@persaporto2603]

They are lucky that they had the chance to attend this amazing project! And your music was so good!

[@drekfletch]

If you’re interested in soprano and harp and have not heard it before, I recommend Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols. The Interlude for solo harp is especially moving.

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

Shoulda gave David the extra sauce. Only use 4 of the 5 pentatonic notes, your choice of which, but you're locked into those 4.

[@pheasantlogie6791]

5 COMPOSERS 1 MARIACHI BAND

[@DBruce]

Now that I would love - do you know any? :-)

[@pheasantlogie6791]

@@DBruce unfortunately no! Haha

[@fullerdiscontents8050]

@@DBruce The only ones I have head live in Europe is "Mariachi Fiesta México" in Stockholm, but googling "Mariachi" and "London" brings several results. I suspect just picking a convenient time zone and go trough the bigger cities will give you an ample list to choose from. A first scan of the London results results is that "Mariachi Las Adelitas UK" seem good and having a complete lineup of the main instruments, with most others being smaller and usually lacking the Guitarrón. Both these bands seem still active and have youtube channels you can check out. You can of course consider bands outside of Europe, but then your question is basically equivalent to asking if someone knows any rock bands, you're probably better off narrowing it down. You can try asking on twitter if anyone knows a Mariachi with some members either teaching or having studied in a conservatory, that ought to yield a reasonable list.

[@jayphonic9244]

But do they write the drill too? Who does the guard work?

[@tompw3141]

Also: 5 MARIACHI BANDS 1 COMPOSER

[@BenLevin]

Sweeties? *check* Cuties? *check* Gorgeous Music? *check* Form complete, I'm calling my mom and bragging. Thank you David for this bright light!!!!

[@DBruce]

Thank you my bioluminescent buddy.

[@rockyliamscott01]

You did such an amazing job with this challenge Ben!

[@gsauss]

Your song made me tear up. The empathy behind your music is absolutely thicc.

[@episodicstudiosllc]

Dude, your song got me crying over here. Amazing.

[@beyshore_]

@@episodicstudiosllc Currently crying.

[@AimeeNolte]

THE ERUPTION QUOTE IS THE VERY FIRST THING THAT THE HARP PLAYS. 😂🙃

[@mostesthighest]

I was hoping it would be in the vocal

[@ArianSadrayi]

Well masked!

[@gabrielcayer2705]

Quoting Eruption quoting Kreutzer études

[@richarddoan9172]

ngl, I was waiting for the tapped arpeggios the whole time.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

I could feel something familiar in there, thanks for locating it though! :D Great piece!

[@wurree]

She made two cups of tea and only took one. So simple in it's storytelling yet so captivating. God that song was beautiful.

[@agnesarellano6033]

god i just realised that :c

[@expilectakunai]

great... now that I realized that I'm crying even harder, dang bruh *:c*

[@andrewstump6138]

I knowww😭, it's so beautiful yet so heart-wrenching, wow I love it

[@fikradas]

The climax "I miss you in so many ways" line was absolutely breathtaking. Ben always provides for quirky and whimsical music, but man does his sensitive side deliver. I'm stunned.

[@interstellish]

Yeah, I teared up.

[@8bitMusicTheory]

This was so fun to be a part of! Thanks so much for having me, David!!

[@persaporto2603]

Well done! :) It was amazing!

[@TedMackey]

Very Britten like writing!

[@SamStrane]

Awesome!! Huge fan =]

[@sergejnekrasov7688]

You look like I always imagined you to look like!

[@user-jv3cy7bq6s]

it was amazing :^)

[@khalylehagood3222]

I am here because drunk Neely said it was gonna be good.

[@khalylehagood3222]

Also wow Aimee and 8 Bit, rad grabs.

[@harbar20]

Wait WHAT

[@WesCAddle90]

Tell us more man, where did you see drunk Neely?

[@khalylehagood3222]

@@WesCAddle90 Twitter

[@Tabu11211]

Dam I need to sub his patrion again

[@joafus]

"I'm dying to be restricted!" Oh ben you naughty little boy

[@itsschwarbage6303]

"Soprano makes tea and breaks my stupid little heart."

[@huhneat1076]

Adam neely realizing that 8-bit couldn't repeat or legitimize _sweating_

[@nitrozeus951]

Adam with tears in his eyes: "But.... i always thought.... i always believed repetition legitimizes" *goes on to have a full mental breakdown

[@yuvalne]

"Music makes you feel feelings, lyrics make you think thoughts, songs make you feel thoughts." ~Ben Levin

[@therealmrfishpaste]

...EY Harburg

[@aidanfoley5627]

I was looking to see if anybody else put that, 22:24 if you’re wondering

[@sgnosymfoemos]

A great quote

[@alicec1533]

It's not Ben's quote, but it is a favourite of Ben's

[@danepher]

Yip Harburg said that 70 years ago.

[@AimeeNolte]

Amazing experience all-around, David. Thank you to you and the performers!

[@DBruce]

You're the best Aimee! Thanks for being such a great part of this one. You definitely had the most challenging text!

[@edskodevries]

The poem you read brought a tear to my eye. Beautifully written and quite emotional.

[@persaporto2603]

I wish I could join this challenge as well! ;) I loved your music so much! Thank you :)

[@rickwoods5274]

Has she heard this? It's such a stunning rendition!

[@Tr1sh4Lynn]

Your piece felt like a Celtic air. And for some reason, I also feel like I’m being introduced to something. I liked this a lot.

[@ianmsutherland]

I wish I could see the faces on everyone who experiences Ben Levin here for the first time, then goes to visit his channel.

[@dundy96]

Lol. As I read this I had just finished Ben's piece lol. You should've seen my face then haha

[@artemlyubchenko3022]

Ben missed the opportunity to write "Oh, Lydia" in Lydian.

[@gunterbunt]

i guess missing lydian implies to not have it

[@yuvalne]

This comment caught me off-guard

[@liamthelitlord5738]

Yeah, it offended me

[@tenorman1971]

Fauré quotes the Lydian mode in his song Lydia.

[@resourceress7]

Well maybe that was part of the point. Lydia is, in fact, conspicuously absent in the poet's life.

[@xBUMSKIx]

“..read various shirts from the people who stormed the capitol.” hahahaha - that idea has legs

[@mesastreatexit]

"Please sing as if you are singing to yourself while doing a mundane task that reminds you of someone you" is the best direction ever

[@tmzFRM]

yes! Ben always kills with directions that seem vague at first glance but end up being actually perfect.

[@luanocarroll9021]

When Ben's piece didn't resolve, that spoke to me so much...

[@dominikkurowski3145]

wow

[@_BearKeeper]

Ben's pieces in these videos almost always make me cry and I'm not sure how he does it

[@jibster5903]

I disagree, it resolved on the teaspoon, a weird resolve, but it felt like one, strong ending. (in my humble opinion ofc lmao, everyone experiences it differently, but i like thinking about it this way)

[@yuvalne]

Aimee getting more and more frightened as 8-bit Music Theory reads the text @14:22 is hilarious

[@Accordeonaire]

The "Lydia" piece wrecked the hell out of me.

[@elliottmanley5182]

Of all the composers in the world, I never imagined Ben Levin would move me to tears.

[@petervanderwaart1138]

Ben's videos are so out there, it catches you by surprise to find he has such a deft hand with melody. It's apparent in othe 5 Composers compositions, too.

[@FreakieFan]

He really put his heart and soul into that piece. You can see it by his reaction while listening to them perform his piece.

[@metalsalsa]

A lot of his music can make me pretty emotional

[@findtheearth]

Sometimes I put off watching his videos because I find them a little too intensely emotional. Gotta wait for the right mood.

[@alvarezblanco]

Ben can touch the right fibers

[@koolkid00gman]

This sounds like the music of an Opera where a cat called Lydia is travelling to Pompeii aboard a ship called the 'Billy o' Tea' and ends up getting killed by a medic and it finishes with the owner singing the O'Lydia poem! Such amazing work as always!

[@mortisCZ]

It makes roughly the same sense as most operas but it's bloody beautiful and full of emotions.:-)

[@WhatAreDrums729]

"I just want the boxes to be empty again" is too good a line for a cat book.

[@calamari3707]

Poor Adam had to wake up early for his meeting with Bruce lol

[@sierra3644]

loll

[@HughResnick]

And let it not go unremarked that Mary and Eleanor did a wonderful job with the different sets and camera angles.

[@auldthymer]

And staging! Was not expecting staging -- understated and evocative. A very nice embellishment

[@samuelsmith6281]

Yeah I did enjoy the changes to the staging and camera angles which just added to the different feel of each piece.

[@lachiripiolca]

That was such a nice detail

[@thejameslehman]

I see you remark and raise you a replied remark.

[@HughResnick]

@@thejameslehman aha! A veritable hit! Touché!

[@MattyPanda]

You could say Adam made you use the catatonic scale

[@jpizzleforizzle]

I was searching for this exact comment. Thank you.

[@RogLichKing]

I cried my ass off listening to "Lydia, oh Lydia", thanks Ben and Aimee's mom :')

[@StrongBadger]

"Music makes you feel feelings, Lyrics make you think thoughts, songs make you FEEL THOUGHTS, and that's what's going on today, baby!" -Ben Levin

[@taco_engineer]

David's felt like he had so much familiarity with the 2 instruments that he could take them to places the others wouldn't be able to. However, Adam's also brought significant maturity. Sometimes it's fun to see what people can accomplish when they are significantly out of their element (not just being safe) and sometimes it's fun to see a master at work. This video brought both.

[@falpsdsqglthnsac]

I was completely unprepared for a song that starts with “that moment when”

[@leeceero]

I'm a simple man. I see David bruce ft. Adam Neely, 8-bit Music Theory, Aimee Nolte & Ben Levin, I click

[@alicec1533]

I love Ben's compositions so much. the power of "I'm coming home" not resolving to a 'home' chord. She's coming home, but she's not there yet... I love it, so powerful.

[@hotasiangarbage8476]

The musicians, Mary and Eleanor, were so playful with the material. Class!

[@Just-Michael]

Ben's piece did bring a tear to my eye. We suddenly lost a family member last night.

[@LemonMeringue4]

I’m very sorry for your loss and I hope you and your family are doing well

[@theelectricant98]

same

[@milesdavisahead]

Do a five composers challenge with brass quintet

[@redundantqwail9088]

Boost this, what a good idea!

[@ethanepperly5645]

+

[@noviatoria2436]

+

[@falpsdsqglthnsac]

+

[@AMTunLimited]

At first I thought it was a nice touch that Ben instructed them to make two cups of tea, the I realize THE PERFORMER MADE THAT CHOICE AND IT WAS PERFECT. AHHHHHHHHH

[@qwertyTRiG]

Ben's actual instruction was to sing as if to oneself while doing a mundane task. It's perfect. And yes, making two cups of tea and then taking only one was probably the performer's decision, and it worked so well.

[@Antilles1974]

First Five Composers Adam Neely: "Why aren't we all writing for button accordion?" Latest Five Composers Adam Neely: "More people should write for soprano voice and harp!"

[@YanickFM]

Ben's "HEEHEEHEE" when he hears the tweet in a song

[@AlessandroSistiMusic]

00:00 - Introduction 02:18 - 8-bit Music Theory (intro) 03:11 - The Wellerman (performance) Text: Wellerman Restriction: Do not repeat any phrases 07:35 - Ben Levin (intro) 10:24 - Lydia, Oh Lydia (performance) Text: "Lydia: A Song" (poem by Nolte's mother-in-law) Restriction: Use only one non-diatonic chord 14:11 - Aimee Nolte (intro) 15:17 - The Last Days of Pompeii (performance) 18:48 - alternative ending to The Last Days of Pompeii Text: Movie poster from "The Last Days of Pompeii" (1935) Restriction: Quote "Eruption" by Van Halen at least once 19:23 - Adam Neely (intro) 20:55 - That Moment (performance) Text: Tweet by @matthewgoldin on 2020-10-22, "That moment when … " Restriction: At least 40 seconds of the 60-second piece must be pianissimo 24:23 - David Bruce (intro) 25:35 - Moving to California (performance) Text: "Cleo's" story from Felines of New York Restriction: Use only pentatonic scales (in any key) 31:26 - Final thoughts and outro

[@julianhaupt1480]

Thank you internet stranger!

[@AlessandroSistiMusic]

@@julianhaupt1480 you're most welcome :)

[@Tabu11211]

Mvp

[@sierra3644]

thanks!!

[@lilac_hem]

thank you so much ahdjfjf

[@anton8064]

from now on when I tell someone off, I'll just say "ben, that's jazz" in a disappointed tone

[@edcrypt]

Next one: 5 composers, 1 recorder ensemble. Should be an interesting challenge

[@clemensscholtysik9096]

I'd absolutely love this. Great idea!

[@ChiefFalque]

Recorders are so underrated

[@oldvlognewtricks]

More lied should be sung while making a cup of tea.

[@oldvlognewtricks]

And David’s whole world in a song should be expanded to a whole evening. Someone get the theatrical rights to Felines of New York?

[@DBruce]

@@oldvlognewtricks crossed my mind :-)

[@oldvlognewtricks]

@@DBruce Can I pre-order a ticket/sheet music? 😍

[@qwertyTRiG]

She's a good actor as well as a singer, isn't she? I imagine that the staging of that was her own choice.

[@brianstephens8337]

Ben setting text: achingly beautiful song perfectly suited to the themes of loss & grief that he has been presented with Ben choosing text: here are a few of my favorite Tweetes

[@coachsteve.]

Aimee's song sounds like it should be a heartfelt moment in a Broadway show just before the eruption.

[@druganovam]

I didn’t expected that Ben Levin’s piece would be so heart-touching. I literally cried💔 and I really loved it

[@PabloEmanuel96]

Man the second made me cry The soprano sang it incredibly and the acting with the tea was compelling And the poem was just beautiful

[@NotJonJost]

8Bit: Britten folk-song deconstruct. Nolte: Sarcastic epic film score. Levin: DISARMING SINCERITY. Neely: Ives!!! Bruce: Joanna Newsom writes an opera. Just damn lovely to hear how each composer gave each harp-lied a real sense of dramatic movement in different ways.

[@SukoSeiti]

Ben's song was just breathtaking.

[@BraindeadCRY]

Ben being unable to sit still because he's so excited by that pedal buzz from the harp in Adams piece is incredibly relatable. I've jumped up and laughed like a maniac in front of my PC screen on many an occasion.

[@dziwic]

I love how the soprano makes the her best acting it all out. The last one especially, but the face at Adam Neely's end was precious too.

[@flavianomanfis]

Oh that moment she leaves behind the teacup that she just prepared... so moving

[@maximo.7240]

I saw this on Adam Neely's story and I literally bolted upstairs to my computer to watch this. Hooray!!!!

[@mikerupsch7918]

Thank you, thank you Ben Levin, for “Lydia, Oh Lydia”. It brought me to tears for the loss of my dear mother. Thank you for your sweet and tender rendering of the text.

[@mrkiddguy]

God the players are SO GOOD, incredible. The subtlety in their performances OH!

[@johannesbrahms1655]

Ben's piece actually made me tear up.

[@spacelevator]

10:23 - leaving a time stamp for Ben’s piece so I can find it quickly when I need to cry again

[@spacelevator]

It worked

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@spacelevator It always works, yes.

[@TedMackey]

8 bit music theory’s piece and how it’s written reminds me a lot of Britten’s vocal writing, it has that dream-like quality reminiscent of Turn of the Screw (not to mention the nautical theme of Peter Grimes 😅) [snap, David - I posted this before I got to the commentary section]

[@craigstephenson7676]

I would have totally made someone go through the ordeal of writing a soprano and harp piece to the lyrics of What’s my Age Again by blink-182

[@Cyssane]

I love this idea way too much, lol!

[@whatdoyousuppose]

is it a coincidence my cat started meowing wildly when listening to “Moving to California” 😹❤️🎶

[@Richard_Jones]

Absolutely not. Even I started meowing whilst listening to "Moving To California."

[@tfpp1]

I like how the Lydia and the cat song were kinda like music videos, with the singer "acting" more. I especially appreciated how she was simply making her tea while singing Lydia.

[@qwertyTRiG]

She made two cups of tea and took only one. That was a very nice touch.

[@arthinox3317]

Ben Levin's composition is unironically one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard

[@hrlarson]

These videos always brings me to tears. Like Aimee said, it’s like little plays. The human touch. Nothing like it.

[@FullOvellas]

It gave me the chills when the non diatonic chord hit in Ben's piece, he is just so great at evoking emotion.

[@matheustiengo3687]

Ok imma need that ben levin piece on spotify or something ASAP

[@SRJecastillo]

"Music makes you feel feelings. Lyrics make you think thoughts. Songs make you feel thoughts" Levin does it once again. And it also makes it sound like a commercial slogan.

[@Liskafm352]

I think the quote is originally by Yip Harburg

[@beigecosmiclatte5969]

oh, man. I love this. I LOVE THE MEOW.

[@whatdoyousuppose]

this is INCREDIBLE! I’m a soprano and really want to sing this little song cycle you’ve all created! ❤️

[@luanocarroll9021]

27:35-27:54, I love this clip with all my heart

[@DBruce]

not as much as me :-) Ben later emailed me and said we'd probably both just be sitting on the boat feeling sad for how much we miss our wives :-)

[@wiesorix]

Wow, another amazing one in the series. As always, the musicians are great and yet again a surprising concept. Some thoughts on the pieces: 3:12 The most surprising one to me: I've heard the wellerman so many times as a shanty that it was impossible to imagine it as anything else, but 8-bit really pulled it off. I love how the music represents elements in the story, reminds me of Shubert's lieder. 10:23 To me, this piece is such an upgrade to the poem. When Aimee read it, I was not a big fan, but Ben's take completely changed my mind. The contemplative mood works really well with the lyrics. 15:17 Oh yeah, the grotesque text became a great piece feeling like a heroic epos... something medieval with slaying dragons and stuff. I prefer the original ending, with the little pause before the last chord, very dramatic, perfect ending for the piece. 20:54 Again turning silly lyrics into a great song, nice textures, but I'm mostly blown away by the soprano. In the beginning I was like, "this is not really pianissimo"... boy was I wrong. 25:36 And of course a great final piece by the master, with the most interesting harp part in my opinion. I also love the long repeated notes at the start of the vocal part, gives me a real uninterested cat vibe. And of course, the most important thing: none of the restrictions were obvious in the pieces. Thank you all for making my day!

[@e.j.leonard2379]

Good thoughts. You think good

[@WouterDmusic]

Unreal, every 5 composer project I see I get emotional. Is it because the composers are musical geniuses that surprise me everytime or the absolute amazingly positive feedback all the artists give to each other. It's quiet wholesome and beautiful to watch!

[@Gio_Panda]

I wasn't ready to hear Ben Levin talk about his lost doggy. That gentle soul hit me too hard.

[@gitsurfer27]

That was incredible, these are always so engaging. Maybe next time you could do "5 composers 1 beatbox acapella choir" With a trio of beatbox musicians and a full choir to really explore the depths of the human voice - the most complex instrument of them all.

[@julianbuitragom]

Is this Médulla?

[@sigmaclass]

Oh that poem. It hit me in a totally unexpected way. Thank you so, so much.

[@sigmaclass]

I cried 3 times during that performance. Absolutely inspired.

[@qwertyTRiG]

@@sigmaclass The staging and acting (make two cups of tea, and then take only one) helped too.

[@ericistired9767]

Ben's song brought me to tears; such a heartfelt choice of melody for the lyric.

[@be3ho7nm]

So much creativity in all of them on all levels: when composing, when performing, even when creating tasks.

[@iancallen7418]

My eyes actually welled up with tears during Ben's "Lydia" song. Wow.

[@alvarezblanco]

Comment might get buried along. Every time these 5 composers videos come out they make me shed some tears of joy (this time also chuckles) and remind me why I love music so much. Thanks to everyone involved for this moment of cherish.

[@stellarsoular]

This absolutely made my morning! Art song is so very dear to my heart. Would that I could add all of these to my rep. But alas I am stuck being a jealous mezzo. :’) Some comments: 8-bit’s was a WONDERFUL example (maybe even a textbook example) of word-painting. He did such a great job conveying the story through the notes alone. Ben’s was gorgeous! It brought me to tears. He did justice to the beautiful text, the emotion and passion and tenderness were clearly evident. Aimee’s was so funny to me. It was absolutely not the tone I expected it to be, given the text, but the grand ballad-y approach was pleasantly surprising and I think it worked super well! (And the harp gliss gave me shivers.) Adam’s was so fun. (As we all know, limitations breed creativity.) I love the way he writes for harp, that trembling texture was so exciting and the crescendo was amazing. But David’s was by far my favorite. I love how cat-like it is- the harp sounds like a kitten running around and the long drawn out vocal lines were perfectly meow-y. He used the pentatonic scales to such great effect. And the ending- the ending was PERFECT. Don’t know how else to put it, it was just so right. Awesome job everyone!!!

[@ViewtifulSam]

I startled my own cats with my laughter when David had Mary meow.

[@deadSalesman_GD]

I definitely cried because of Ben’s composition

[@weslieberman4009]

My jaw physically dropped when this video appeared on my feed. This is the greatest series!

[@orirune3079]

IMO the Last Days of Pompeii and the cat one really take the cake here!

[@fearitselfpinball8912]

So validating to see 8-bit Music on here. I’m in total agreement with David-his content is very high-level, insightful and binge-worthy (via video game music). He totally belongs here. Nice job to everyone.

[@wanderingrandomer]

I live for this series. It makes me very happy to see another one pop up.

[@CarlosLalonde]

This is amazing, David! Thanks for making these!!

[@AynenMakino]

All of these are SO GOOD!!

[@VinceKrosh]

Your versions of this format is the most interesting! Thanks everyone who took part in it!

[@dabeamer42]

That soprano was soooo good. Bringing all these texts to life.

[@picas256]

Always so inspiring! Thank you Mr. David for this incredible work!

[@AlambradasMusic]

YAY, I was so excited for another one of these! what a dream team of composers and performers ❤️

[@eduardoalvarez404]

This is my favorite series on YT, always AMAZING! Thank you Bruce!

[@jguerramusic]

Wonderful! I loved this episode so much!

[@LuisCaballero]

Love the most your piece @David Bruce, great work of everyone 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@dleov4645]

Love this series! Never disappoints.

[@TheTalenAndersen]

Love this so much! My favorite 5 composers project thus far!

[@fmontpetit]

Those collabs videos are the best. Yours are always especially interesting and surprising. Thank you!

[@carlhausman8157]

Every time one of these comes out, I binge all the previous ones. Always so inspiring for my own compositions!

[@FinchAshwood]

It's always amazing to see how many angles you can take on an ensemble and style. Everyone here is so different and it's so inspirational for my own music

[@GuacJohnson]

It's hard to put into words how special these types of videos are to me, so many amazing artists coming together with such outstanding performers and being able to hear their thoughts just feels like a priceless experience: thank you so much David and all who contributed!!

[@paullegloan1502]

I love this series. Always so moving, so creative, so generous. Thank you guys for making this.