Beth Schafer Project

Excited about this because it is my first electronic piece that includes voices. So Far, So Close is an unconventional song in that there are no verses, choruses or rhymes. It is purely prose. The song asks the question, “can we find our way?” Humans today are entrenched in our camps, our particularistic worldviews, putting our personal ideologies ahead of humanity as a whole. We are so far away from harmony, and yet so close if we were to make this single shift to universalism. Expanding rights and freedoms and accepting that that our differences are what make humanity beautiful is as close as the air we breathe. 

I have had the pleasure of taking a 4-part series with Brian Eno this month through School of Song. Super organized and well put together. Brian is an interesting teacher and a multi-disciplinary artist. While not an accomplished instrumentalist, he has managed to make a lot of really compelling music. Much of his ambient music has been made in the studio with no real plan other than to experiment. It was truly validating to learn that he comes into the studio with nothing but the desire to create and then allows his experimentation to organically unfold with no judgment or expectations. When something works he chases it, when it stops inspiring him, he moves on. He “paints with sound.” As an assignment, he invited us to do more sound manipulation that composition. I created something called “A Rare Snow.” It actually came out quite good and in the style of some of Eno's ambient music. Not mixed yet, but this is where it is now.

My process for writing electronic music falls into distinct phases. Each phase is both fun and challenging in all the right ways. Some phases are artistic and some technical, engaging both left- and right- brain throughout. 

The genesis phase starts either with a sound or a musical cell of an idea looking for its sound. While mining for sounds through my myriad of libraries can sometimes be tedious, once I surrender to the process it is like wandering through many worlds with fantastic (and sometimes ridiculous) sonorities. I've wondered whose job it is to name all those sounds and what substances they have consumed to come up with said names because some of them are truly crazy.

Once landing on a sound, I tend to work horizontally - playing a line or a lick or a series of chords. From there, I often work vertically, orchestrating or harmonizing the theme, or I create another horizontal complimentary line that compliments the first one. (Sometimes it starts by just singing along with what I already have done and then going through the sound-mining process again to figure out what “instrument” should be married to the new line). Line by line the “orchestra” gets built and I alternate between working horizontally (extending the themes or morphing into new ones) and vertically (harmonizing the themes or punctuating them with the ensemble I've built). 

On my new stuff that includes vocals, often they are improvised (both lyrics and melodies) before being developed harmonically.

As the piece takes shape, many times I have thrown so much at it that I have to carve away what is unessential to find the true essence of it. The carving away process really makes me decide which elements are important and which, while fun to lay down, were ultimately extra.

Mixing is its own artform and also takes me the longest. Every minute move helps create space for everything to sit right. While a lot of the writing comes in broad brushstrokes, mixing is granular and takes a different mindset and level of concentration that, quite frankly, I have to be in the mood for. But, when I dig in and drill down, I find it incredibly gratifying when things sound “glued together" and are both “spread out” and “tucked in.” Checking mixes in the car or on different sound systems is definitely a thing. Apologies to my family for all the repetition!

Hey there. Thanks for visiting. Whether you are new to my music, or just new to THIS music, I'm delighted to welcome you into this creative space. I have been a composer for the better part of 40 years and have written in a myriad of styles. I started as a composer of 20th century orchestral music, but ended up in a career as a composer of contemporary Jewish music. I spent a lot of time honing my craft as a songwriter and performing artist and spent many years touring around the country, finally settling in Atlanta, GA. Sacred writing, whether classical or folk, still brings me immense joy. But, during those isolating days of Covid, I spent a lot of time in my studio recording music for worship and other programs that had to take place online instead of live. Through the trauma of that crazy time for musicians, I fell in love with the art of recording. 

My studio became my refuge and I had an urge to play with sound as much as I had a desire to compose. Not able to get together with other musicians caused me to turn inward and write with the tools I had in hand. Virtual and fantastical instruments posed a million possibilities. I had an infinite orchestra at my disposal. My 20-year-old self who had to offer free food in exchange for a live reading of a work in progress would have died for the technical resources I have on my desk now. (And, conversely, only now in my 50's do I understand what was happening in the analog and digital audio classes I had to take as an undergrad). I'm excited to reignite and work on my compositional chops in this new (to me) genre.

I have been inspired by so many: In no particular order Brian Eno, Carl Craig and Daft Punk, Stravinsky, Brahms, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush and Mark Knopfler. And so many more.

I don't know how exactly to characterize this music other than the general moniker “Electronica.” I know there are many sub-brands of Electronica, but I have yet to claim one for what I'm offering here. Maybe you have a better idea.

I'm looking forward to sharing the music and the story of the music with you. Feel free to drop me a line if something interests you.