"Apostle"-  

"Feel It"  

An Epic Rock Opera Expressing the Journey and Mission of an Ordained Minister Who Sees Himself as an Apostle of God and Encounters Acquaintances Which Make Him Reflect and Question His Faith.

"Apostle" -The Opera

 © 2011, 1980, 1970 Copyright

Erd´ebahn Multimedia and Jahn Kefa

Story, Music & Lyrics and Original Production by Jahn Kefa

(open invitation to)  Frank Doyle for Musical Arrangements and Production

(open invtation to) Mark Clements for Musical Interpretations

"Feel It"

  Kev meets several fellow mentors and shares philosophies

[ The people all meet at some boulders by  the water, which they sit upon and sing their ideas to each other.  The characters are Kev whose voice is altered to be low and electronic sounding;  A strong looking woman who has a Gospel sound to her voice which she belts out quite loud; 

There is another man singing Alto;  and another woman who sings the blues.

The Production demo for this musical piece took shape during the development of a digital recording project for a Final Grade and a Core Competency Qualification Application at Berkshire Community College of Pittsfield Massachusetts.

It is a composition intended to be included in a Stage Demonstration for a "Rock Opera" that Jahn Kefa has been keeping the coals warm for about thirty years.

[ The song opens up with a slow tribal beat with an electronic drum sound.  It has a mysterious tone to it and the leading voice is electronically low and creepy but sincere and heartfelt ]

Jahn Kefa not only recorded this song at the college's Music MIDI Lab which utilizes the recording software SONAR - by Cakewalk; he also prepared a multimedia presentation to accompany this music.

Using HTML computer scripting language code to create this Web-Based page,

Finale' music tablature scoring program, to demonstrate the song as sheet music for the singers and musicians contributing to this recording.

Google SketchUp 3-D rendering program for stage set & design,

Google images, to visually describe the scene design and how it should appear on a stage.

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Jahn Kefa networked with the director of the music department,

Ellen Shanahan to

secure recommended student singers for this production.

His main point to interest the participants is that all he can offer them is experience in performance and studio recording, and it would look great on a resume.

After trying out a handful of applicants, all became unavailable for the project.

Further steps Jahn had taken, were to meet with Bob DeLuca and Drew Hicks of the Academic Technologies Department, to arrange a "behind the scenes"  video recording of the production; displayed

here on this page; yet despite their willingness, they also became unavailable.

Jahn finally networked directly with students to secure several musicians to join the project and eventually a core group of students formed for this project.

Chad Tarves on Electric Guitar,

William Demick on Tenor Saxophone and Chorus Vocals

Becky Greene on Chorus Vocals and Video Camera Operator and Editor.

Jahn Kefa on Lead and Chorus Vocals and all Synthesizers, Percussion, and Audio Engineering.

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Some of the challenges which were met with perseverance upon learning these new technologies were digital editing obstacles; and also locating analog to digital headphone and microphone amplifier equipment for use with the live musicians.

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The digital hurdles were editing the drum set of twelve percussion instruments beat by beat, step by step.

Adjusting the dynamics of each instrument's voice so they didn't drown each other out;

overloading the computer with musical information, losing connection with MIDI controlled instruments and crashing the computer numerous times.

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I would especially like to thank my Instructor Lloyd Joe Rose for his special attention he gave to me with all of my deep technical questions and concerted efforts to integrate these state of the art methods into my very being.

I would also like to thank the Director and head of the music and theatre departments; Ellen Shanahan for her unconditional love for helping students like me find direction in achieving our career goals.

Song Lyrics to "Feel It"

Kev: 

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

_________________________

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

_________________________

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

_______________________

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

(Backing Vocal: I hear it, I know it; I feel it, I Know it)

(Backing Vocal: I hear it, I know it; I feel it, I owe it)

________________________

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

(Backing Vocal: I hear it, I know it; I feel it, I owe it)

(Backing Vocal: I hear it,-------------------------------------)

 Woman Gospel:

I'm on FIRE !

The passion rages through my soul.

I'm Re-WIRED!

I feel like breaking out through this sto-oh-oh-ohne!  (stone)

Male Alto:

I lay my burdens down by my side,

there's no more weight on my shoulders;

my pathway is opened wide,

I've rolled away all the boulders.

Woman Gospel:

I'm INSPIRED !

The Love rushes through my veins.

Reaching so much HIGHER !

Nothing stands in my way-ay-ay!  (way)

Blues Woman:

I Can't explain it,

I feel so protected;

I cannot blame it,

my life's been so corrected.

It leads me,

It bleeds me;

It stumbles me,

It teaches me.

It's a MYSTERY!

(Instrumental)

Bongos,

Tenor Saxophone,

Electric Guitar

Woman Gospel:

I'm on FIRE !

The passion rages through my soul.

I'm Re-WIRED!

I feel like breaking out through this sto-oh-oh-ohne!  (stone)

Blues Woman:

I Can't explain it,

I feel so protected;

I cannot blame it,

my life's been so corrected.

It leads me,

It bleeds me;

It stumbles me,

It teaches me.

It's a MYSTERY!

All three (Woman Gospel, Male Alto, Blues Woman)

I feel like I am part of a bigger picture lodged deep inside of me, fastened like a fixture.

I am one piece of the Universe,

One Song,

the Whole Song.

I am one twinkling in the eye of the "Big Life"

One Life,

the WHOLE LIFE !

Kev: 

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

I can only hear it, but I cannot see it;

I can only feel it, but I cannot touch it !

(Instrumental Ending)

Requirements for the Final Project for the class MUS-132 Introduction to Digital Recording Technology:

Minimum Length - One Minute

Project must contain:

at least 2 Audio tracks, 2 Soft Synths w/MIDI tracks,

Equalization, Compression, Delay, Reverb, FX buss, Mix automation.

All tracks must be routed to the Master Buss. All tracks, synths, and FX must be functional.

Mastering and export to a Cakewalk Bundle file, a 16 bit/44.1 WAV file, and also to MP3.

Optional: groove clips, step sequencing, video

Due Date: May 17, 2011

Length - 7 Minutes 15 Seconds

27 Total tracks

6 Live Audio Tracks

11 Audio Tracks linked to 10 MIDI synthesizer tracks

Effects directly on tracks: Reverb, Arpeggiator, Groove Clips, Punch-in recording, Split tracks, Import and Insert MIDI/Audio, V-Vocal Pitch adjustment and Formant adjustments.

Effects on an Effects Buss linked to the Master Buss

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Audio is Mastered

Versions exported to:

Cakewalk Bundle,

.WAV file both 16 Bit/ 44.1, and 32 Bit

.MP3 file

Video/Audio file,

HTML Web Page - Multimedia file

Jahn also communicated with the department Head to request assistance to help explain to Instructor Joe Rose and the rest of the Students of the "Introduction to Digital Recording" class; about the elements, qualities and rewards of achieving a Core Competency grade with this course of study.

This project meets all the requirements for the final project grade and for the additional requirements to be eligible for both the technical and awareness of the arts level Core Competencies.

Although I have completed two Core Competencies, one in Communications and one in Technological Literacy; and actually submitted two portfolios for consideration toward Technological Literacy,  I notice that because of  my change of  Major from "Computer Information Systems Certificate" to a "Liberal Arts Degree", I have not received any credit so far for these.

Also, although this current project portfolio contains all the elements required to receive awards for both "Technological Literacy" and "Awareness of the Arts",  I can only receive one Competency Award per Project.

Since the "Liberal Arts Major" appears to recognize a Core Competency for "Awareness of the Arts" and not for "Technological Literacy",  I will apply this project portfolio to the "Awareness of the Arts Award"

Core Competency Categories/Awards

Core Competency Awards assist a Student to enhance and embellish his or her College Portfolio to exhibit to institutions of higher education and future career prospects; expertise in their Major course of study including a collaboration of related fields and mediums to produce an overall package, demonstrating complete knowledge of

all elements that a marketable product may consist of.

Students have the opportunity to achieve a core competency credit in "Awareness of the Arts" and/or "Technological Literacy" in this course mainly by completing exceptionally well-done assignments/projects, along with additional "above the required elements" mediums. Specifically, credit is awarded on the basis of the following:

Awareness of the Arts

To demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the arts, such as literature, the visual and performing arts, and or aesthetics.

Portfolio Items: (All Items must be graded "C" or better.)

Assessment according to discipline: for example, evidence of involvement in the Arts through performance, artistic production, criticism, or project.

Technological Literacy

If the student notates his or her assignments

(or related projects) with the use of music notation software, or if the student uses other applicable electronic music processing equipment and or software, for projects or assignments, credit is awarded on the basis of the following:

To use current technologies as a tool to extend abilities and to acquire flexibility to be able to use developing technologies.

To be able to gather, analyze, evaluate, and integrate information electronically.

Portfolio Items: (All items must be graded "C" or better.) Technological competency includes the use of e-mail, word processing, and online research.