berty38 18

@berty38 

Boston Area US   Jan 2022

star-bear.bandcamp.com  

Artist Bio

Influences:   The Smashing Pumpkins, The Cure, Radiohead, Taylor Swift, Lorde, The Beatles, Olivia Rodrigo, St. Vincent.

The musical hobby project of Boston-area professor Bert Huang. I made a lot of music when I was younger, and I took a long break as I focused on my day job. But music is one of my greatest passions, so when I learned about FAWM last year, I put it in my calendar for this year.

My "gear": Epiphone SG, a really cheap Fender Strat, an Epiphone Dove, a Martin DX1, and an Akai Miniplay for MIDI. A Blue podcast microphone. I'm using GarageBand for recording and software synths and amps.

FAWM 2022: My first FAWM was a wonderful experience with 18 songs each with demos.

Check out my Bandcamp for an album of songs I wrote over a decade ago around college age. I re-recorded my favorites from that era to get myself back into making music this past summer. https://star-bear.bandcamp.com/album/retellings

He/him/his

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  • @wolfkier Mar 2022

    if there was just one more GIMME15 would you play again? asking for a friend.

  • @wolfkier Mar 2022

    They are indeed fun and I'm glad you're joining in, during 50/90 over the summer we hope to do the entire greek alphabet of #tit4tat. So please watch out for those and join in there too!
    Note there's also a different kind of (older) corpse model. Each player does a minute and only hears the last 10 seconds of the player prior. They are fun too: Here's an example:
    https://fawm.org/songs/132061/

  • @wrenarcher  Mar 2022

    Hi Bert. Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to my song and for the thoughtful comment, especially as so many of us are existing the building. : )

    I've listened to all of your songs from this year and I have to tell you I'm really impressed. I especially like the acoustic guitar songs that have more of a folky vibe to them. The production and mix is just amazing. And hey!... congratulations on not only doing 14 but blowing past it. And as a FAWMling!

    That's awesome. Thanks again for the comment. Hope to see you around next year.

  • @katestantonsings  Mar 2022

    Hey Bert! Would you want to join in this collab? https://fawm.org/forums/topic/12954/

  • @gm7  Mar 2022

    As far as i know..
    Yes the website will reset....so all old comments etc. will be deleted. But your account will not change so just keep your login data and you will be able to access the FAWM2023 site in mid Jan. 2023 when it becomes active, "It's alive It's alive" lol

  • @sunnymae  Mar 2022

    Hey Berty
    Thanks so much for your very keen insights on Timeless time. I really appreciate you're taking the time to listen. Wolf added so much magic to the mix which highlighted its mystical qualities which seemed, as you said, to extend beyond the ending of the song!

  • @timfatchen  Mar 2022

    Hi Berty, I was going to resist replying but it's bedtime so I am after all. Thanks for listening to piano meditation and your comment. You said "..I’ll find rhythms I would have a hard time doing if I planned them out. The way the melody floats on top of the arpeggios with some slight syncopation might be an example of this..." but i hate to say it, the rhythms are already planned out (or a bar or so ahead anyway!) As far as thinking these things through, I am thinking harmonically and rhythmically as I go, also volume/attack/expression, if you can call it thinking (!) but using the harmony to lead the melody, and when the melody goes into interesting places, the harmony shifts to accommodate. The syncopation segments arise because that sort of syncopation is characteristic of a lot of my more "serious" music, and it comes in useful when inventiveness flags a little!

  • @scruffyblues Mar 2022

    Thanks for all the lovely comments!

  • @nadine Mar 2022

    Thanks a lot for your heartfelt comment on "She's Contemplating". This has been my first experiment in singer-songwriting. My comfort zone is the production and arrangement of full band heavy melancholic rock (and some years ago electro), so maybe this is a sign that I should try more stuff outside my comfort zone. I still feel like I dropped in every chord I just learned in that 6 months xD Until @wacha I did not know that murder ballads are a genre, so I'm happy that she'll record this one with a way better performance in some months.

  • @bethdesombre  Mar 2022

    Well, I didn't put out my first CD until tenure (possibly not even until I'd made full professor), so I understand keeping pieces of your life separate. Welcome (back) to Boston -- it's a great area for folk-ish music, either playing OR listening.

  • @bethdesombre  Mar 2022

    Wait! You're in my region! AND you're a professor too? (Me as well.) I'm amazed we haven't crossed paths before. We might have to remedy that.

  • @katestantonsings  Mar 2022

    Thank you for your kind comments about my music, Bert!! It’s so nice to meet you. I’ve watchlisted you for next year. I hope you have a lovely spring! Keep writing and playing :)

  • @kenmattsson  Feb 2022

    Welcome to FAWM! I'm in Arlington, so not far away.

  • @tuesdaygray Feb 2022

    Thanks so much for your kind words!

  • @jsini  Feb 2022

    Thank you for your thoughtful comment!

  • @apolez3  Jan 2022

    Bonjour, Happy FAWMing 2022!!

  • @guatecoop  Jan 2022

    We're glad that you're here! I hope that you have a great FAWM experience.

  • @nedgreenough  Jan 2022

    Welcome to FAWM!!

  • @tseaver  Jan 2022

    Welcome, and happy FAWMing!