Yours portly uploads a bunch of content to YouTube. Most of those videos only get a handful of views.
A couple of weeks ago, I looked at “sleeper hits,” the videos that did better than I thought they would (which, to be honest, is every video). Today, I’m looking at videos that did as poorly as expected. In doing so, I’m hoping you, dear reader, can help give these little compositions the love they deserve.
Pickup my newest release: Math: And Other Delights now! Use promo code math to take an additional 20% off all purchases on Bandcamp! Code expires at 11:59 PM UTC on Sunday, 8 September 2024.
Ah, yes, Bandcamp Friday has returned, which means I hope you will consider pitching in a few bucks to buy my music—or my second book! After a long hiatus over the summer months, this celebration of indie musicians is back.
The first Friday of a bunch of months in 2024 will feature this pro-indie music observance, a day on which Bandcamp waives its usual 15% commission on sales. Today (Friday, 6 September 2024) is one of those days.
In other words, when you buy my music, almost 100% of it goes to me, instead of almost 85%.
Naturally, yours portly has a brand new release, and one of my longest to date: Math: And Other Delights is available now on Bandcamp, Apple Music, YouTube/YouTube Music, Amazon Music, etc., etc.—pretty much anywhere and everywhere digital streaming is available (except for Spotify).
Math: And Other Delights is a collection of mathematically- and historically-themed pieces that explore various mathematical concepts, from “π” to “Pythagoras.” Travel through the circle of fifths and fourths; examine “Prime Numbers“; experience “π” musically; scry mathematical mysticism with “Pythagoras“; and chill with some melodies based on seventh and ninth intervals with “Chill Extensions.”
Too many numbers? Enjoy a “Promenade” or a little “Impromptu and Waltz in E major.” Get excited to explore with “Onward!” Or relive the last moments of the legendary ice man, “Ötzi.”
Currently, my entire discography of twenty-one releases is $53.64, a savings of 50%, which is not bad for twenty-one releases. That’s about $2.55 per release—not too shabby! To purchase the full discography, click on any release, and you’ll see the option to purchase all of them.
Also, use promo code math to take an additional 20% off any purchase through the weekend (expires after 11:59 PM UTC on 8 September 2024).
Thank you for your support—and rock on!
—TPP
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Yours portly is teaching World History this year, and it has been so fun talking about prehistoric humans. Particularly, I find Ötzi, a Chalcolithic Age European who died roughly 5000 years ago in the Austro-Italian Alps, fascinating. Two German hikers discovered his mummified remains in the ice in 1991, providing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about the lifestyle and diet of people in prehistoric Europe.
Ötzi has captured my imagination so much, I composed a lengthy piece depicting his icy trudge through the Alps, and his tragic last hours (an arrow pierced his back, likely killing him). Upon his death, snow began to fall, preserving Ötzi’s remains in ice for millennia.
I began composing a slow, morose tuba piece, which is only twenty-five measures long on paper and in my composition software:
The slow 6/8 section captures a gloomy-but-whimsical feeling, as one might feel on a frosty trudge through the high mountains. The 5/8 section speeds up considerably, depicting what may have been Ötzi’s hasty, violent retreat from his attackers.
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Good morning, faithful readers,
Yours portly is taking today off from SubscribeStar and the main blog here. All is well, I’m just behind on blogging with school prep this past week.
I’m ready for the first day of school, and working registration on Thursday and Friday has gotten me even more excited for the school year. Seeing the new sixth and seventh graders coming in (my school runs 6th-12th grades), all cute and nervous and excited, really reminded me of why I do what I do.
As I wrote earlier this week, I’m also looking forward to teaching World History for the first time since the 2011-2012 school year. I can’t wait to talk about Ötzi the Ice Man! After the first quiz in World History, we’re going to watch this video, which recreates the doomed Ötzi’s least meal:
For now, though, I’m going to rest up and take care of some mundane chores around the house. This last week has me beat—and I didn’t even teach any classes!
Happy Saturday!
—TPP
The Portly Politico 