Dan Schmidt
@dfan.bsky.social
Co-creator of Ultima Underworld, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, et al. Lead singer & songwriter of Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer-Incentives. These days I mostly play the piano and Go.
There is more music in the pipe, although it's an open question when and if it ever gets out of the pipe and into the world. Comments like yours are motivational!
November 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
There is more music in the pipe, although it's an open question when and if it ever gets out of the pipe and into the world. Comments like yours are motivational!
Yeah, as a listener I hate feeling like the writer came up with a great first line and then had to tread water for the second (I have totally been guilty of this myself of course). Often I'll rewrite a first line so that it can naturally come second instead.
November 23, 2025 at 2:19 AM
Yeah, as a listener I hate feeling like the writer came up with a great first line and then had to tread water for the second (I have totally been guilty of this myself of course). Often I'll rewrite a first line so that it can naturally come second instead.
This was lovely, thank you. I've enjoyed his work but didn't know anything about the man.
November 20, 2025 at 7:59 PM
This was lovely, thank you. I've enjoyed his work but didn't know anything about the man.
...so I wanted to note for any historians out there that we were actively thinking about just about all of these things (maybe some more obviously than others).
November 20, 2025 at 2:36 AM
...so I wanted to note for any historians out there that we were actively thinking about just about all of these things (maybe some more obviously than others).
Yes, which I appreciate! I made the comment because often works that are seminal to a genre actually did many of those genre-defining things by accident to some degree, and then succeeding works used those elements more intentionally...
November 20, 2025 at 2:35 AM
Yes, which I appreciate! I made the comment because often works that are seminal to a genre actually did many of those genre-defining things by accident to some degree, and then succeeding works used those elements more intentionally...
I don't mind you excluding Ultima Underworld, but as a historical data point, I'd say that every one of your bullet points was explicitly on our minds as we made it (maybe not the linear structure but I may be misinterpreting what you mean by it; embodiment/physicality we did what we could).
November 20, 2025 at 2:08 AM
I don't mind you excluding Ultima Underworld, but as a historical data point, I'd say that every one of your bullet points was explicitly on our minds as we made it (maybe not the linear structure but I may be misinterpreting what you mean by it; embodiment/physicality we did what we could).
17 years is how long I stayed at Harmonix! I’m glad I moved on eventually and I bet you’ll be too.
November 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM
17 years is how long I stayed at Harmonix! I’m glad I moved on eventually and I bet you’ll be too.
It totally depends on the pulse of the surrounding measures, but in the absence of any context, #1.
November 5, 2025 at 9:11 PM
It totally depends on the pulse of the surrounding measures, but in the absence of any context, #1.
I can't believe there hasn't been a single mention of Drums and Wires.
November 1, 2025 at 9:56 PM
I can't believe there hasn't been a single mention of Drums and Wires.
Did you guys know there's another "Tapeworm of Love"?? Of all the titles to be a duplicate. I swear I had no idea when I wrote mine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHrF...
Tapeworm Of Love
YouTube video by Brute Force - Topic
www.youtube.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Did you guys know there's another "Tapeworm of Love"?? Of all the titles to be a duplicate. I swear I had no idea when I wrote mine. www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHrF...
If we did I've suppressed the memory.
October 29, 2025 at 3:44 PM
If we did I've suppressed the memory.
Looking forward to the Schulhoff selection, there are some bangers!
October 29, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Looking forward to the Schulhoff selection, there are some bangers!
but of course if Clara was actually playing the Db in front of Robert, that’s hard to argue with. Anyway, there’s probably a dissertation on this note somewhere, I’d love to read it!
October 29, 2025 at 1:52 AM
but of course if Clara was actually playing the Db in front of Robert, that’s hard to argue with. Anyway, there’s probably a dissertation on this note somewhere, I’d love to read it!
Yes, totally! I ran out of space to add that. In the meantime, I was wondering about the Henle note that the autograph Db was explicit. One reason for an unnecessary flat there could be that it’s a courtesy accidental, but another could be that it’s a typoed (or misinterpreted) natural…
October 29, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Yes, totally! I ran out of space to add that. In the meantime, I was wondering about the Henle note that the autograph Db was explicit. One reason for an unnecessary flat there could be that it’s a courtesy accidental, but another could be that it’s a typoed (or misinterpreted) natural…
More info: I spot-checked around 10 recordings on YouTube, many by world-class pianists, and every one of them played D natural (even when the score video had the Db version!).
October 29, 2025 at 1:12 AM
More info: I spot-checked around 10 recordings on YouTube, many by world-class pianists, and every one of them played D natural (even when the score video had the Db version!).
Henle notes are at www.henle.de/en/Papillons... (click Comments). Looks like all their sources are pre-Clara (she was 13 when it was first published). Explicit Db in autograph, D natural in first edition. Her edition appears to be 50 years later (but maybe IMSLP is missing something intermediate)!
Papillons op. 2 | HN105 | HN 105
www.henle.de
October 29, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Henle notes are at www.henle.de/en/Papillons... (click Comments). Looks like all their sources are pre-Clara (she was 13 when it was first published). Explicit Db in autograph, D natural in first edition. Her edition appears to be 50 years later (but maybe IMSLP is missing something intermediate)!
The first one that comes to mind is The Fiery Furnaces, BLUEBERRY BOAT.
October 28, 2025 at 3:24 PM
The first one that comes to mind is The Fiery Furnaces, BLUEBERRY BOAT.
The musical form is bananas too!
October 23, 2025 at 2:34 AM
The musical form is bananas too!