Hey Newgrounds! Happy...4/21? After the April Fools prank this year and the subsequent Dankmen contest, I imagine some of us are a bit less high today than yesterday. Pretty amazing to see the hundreds of Dankmen art submissions in the last 2-3 weeks.

I just posted my regular update on YouTube, but before I get to that I have a quick announcement that is more Newgrounds-specific. I had the opportunity recently to interview David Orr (of Castle Crashers fame) for my studio blog, and if you follow me here I think you'd probably enjoy it. David is a great musician but as you'll see in this interview he also has some interesting things to say about sound design and music education. There's a lot here. It's well worth checking out if you're an artist/creator of any stripe. Here's a link to the full interview:

Symphony in a Sound: an interview with David Orr

And now here's my video update.

Personal Life

In March, I moved into a new apartment. It was overdue. I needed a place that was more affordable. I lucked out and found a spot close to downtown (about 10 minutes), with some roommates who I like and trust.

Video Game Music

I composed more music than usual recently, participating as a composer in two game jams.

A game jam is an event where programmers compete to create the best game possible in a very short time span (like a weekend). They can work alone or in teams. I worked with teams in Mini Jam #102 and Ludum Dare #50.

Sam Levreault's Master's Recital

In early April, I flew to Massachusetts to perform with flutist Samantha Levreault. Sam is pursuing her master's at UMass Amherst, and a master's recital was one of the requirements for graduation. This one was unusual, though.

Back in 2020, Sam commissioned me to write a flute sonata. I worked on it from home when the pandemic hit. The result was Club Sonata, a huge piece in four movements. This was a big project for both of us. It was difficult, jazz- and dance-inspired music that pushed our abilities. When it was done, we commissioned an artist (Janina Putzker) to help produce a score that was colorful and beautiful. Then we premiered it on this master's recital.

I can't convey how satisfying this was. I'm very proud of this music. It was a privilege to perform it with Sam (on my birthday, no less). And it went well. A recording of the show can be seen at bentibbetts.net/slmasters. The score for the flute sonata is available to subscribers.

New Content in March and April 2022

There's a bunch more stuff I didn't get into above, including interviews, a behind-the-scenes video about my composing process, and classical performances at the First U.U. of Austin. Here's a full rundown of the new content these past two months, in the order it was released.

"The Joy of Composing": a behind-the-scenes video about creating new music, inspired by Bob Ross. - www.bentibbetts.net/joyofcomposing

New in the Audio Store: Grassy Fields for clarinet and marimba; and Man's Best Friend for solo piano. - www.bentibbetts.net/audiostore

Performances at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin: music by Schumann, Copland, McDowell, Grieg, Chaminade, and Debussy - www.bentibbetts.net/uu

Video Game Music for Mini Jam #102: "The Bot That Refused To Die" - www.bentibbetts.net/minijam102

"Music And Joy": an interview with singer/songwriter Nick Dauphinais - www.bentibbetts.net/musicandjoy

"Symphony in a Sound": an interview with composer/sound designer David Orr - www.bentibbetts.net/symphonyinasound

Samantha Levreault's Master's Recital: a performance at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the premiere of "Club Sonata" - www.bentibbetts.net/slmasters

And that about does it! If you're subscribed to this channel on Newgrounds, I appreciate your interest and I invite you to keep in touch. Feel free to write back in a comment or direct message letting me know how you're doing. Until next time, take care.

Ben