Sound Poetry: 'From Memoriam'

Always check your sound settings. The poem is entirely my work. The music is the work of Kenji Yamamoto and is copyright of Nintendo. Where the two are used together, both me and Kenji must be acknowledged. Any 'for-profit' usage of the poem require my permission. You only need to ask me for the poem, the music is up to you, provided it adheres to Nintendo's guidelines, provided they have any. Private-home viewing and any 'non-profit' usage is acceptable. After all, this music is easily found here on YouTube.

There's a story being the development of this video. I had done the original 'From Memoriam' poem, but I wanted some music to go with it. I tried using one of my piano pieces but it was incongruous. So I went looking in my Music Library. I tried some of my other compositions and some LOTR music and other various pieces with no success. Then I looked into the Super Smash Bros. Brawl Soundtrack. I listened to some possible themes: Stickerbrush Symphony, Snowman, World Map, Forest of Hope, Brewster's Roost and Mute City, all to no avail. Then I played Opening/Menu and I knew I had found exactly what I needed. It had the right mood. What's more, I soon discovered that it already sounded remarkable like what the poem would sound like if sung, albeit with a tempo I wouln't have expected. Seeing the potential, I made a modified 'From Memoriam' into Sound Poetry: 'From Memoriam' with the new poem being an extremely close match to the music. To sing this piece, listen to the music and pretend the whistle-like sound and the choir voices in the middle are voices. It worked for me in synchronising the poem with the music. I chopped out the monologue at the beginning because it didn't sound harmonious.

Since I have not composed the piece, I don't know what instruments and sound effects were used. Since Kenji Yamamoto is not available for comment at the moment, you'll have to try to work it out for yourself, if you want to.

I would like Kenji Yamamoto to see this eventually as I know that it is extremely unlikely to get a match like this, when they were composed by two different people. That poem even sounds like something the Chozo or another race might have said once.

If you have any queries or requests, you can contact me at james.t_123@hotmail.com. That applies for both poetry and music. However, since I don't know Kenji's address and even if I did I wouldn't give it without his permission, try other avenues if you have any requests for him. This is my debut poem on YouTube.

This is part of the Sound Poetry Series, where I take a pre-existing piece of appropriate mainstream music and put it to a poem, effectively making a piece of music also serve as a song. The category tself means to things: Sound, as in hearing and sound as in logical.

I would very much like comments and ratings here. Could it be better and if so, how? Is it to incongruous? Simple praise is also great. Even bad comments I don't mind, it'll help me improve, though I don't like reading them as much, naturally. So, please comment if you have anything to say.

You can see written versions for both the original 'From Memoriam' and Sound Poetry:'From Memoriam' at JFWR FreeForums, in the poetry section.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• The
• Alleged
• Legend
• Kenji
• Yamamoto
• Sound
• Poetry
• Game
• Music
• Metroid
• Prime
• From
• Memoriam
• Nintendo
• War

[JanaRulz]

very very good:)

[TheAllegedLegend]

Thanks!

[TheAllegedLegend]

Thanks. I'm not responsible for the music though- that's by Kenji Yamamoto, who had the advantage of professional equipment and more time- all of my piece started life as midis. The software I use means its hard for me to work on something in multiple sessions. Eventually I hope to create music like this myself, but I'll need to spend more time on my works for that.

I am, hoever, fully responsible for the words- I had to fit them in with the music as if they were meant to be together.

[splatrick123]

excellent, this was really good, very meaningful words, I'm going to try and do my own one of these, but i'm gonna hand draw my own backgrounds an right my own music, and try and tell a story with it all like you have :)

[mamamialove]

This one has very fascinating music. all the words are very moving.