Looking for Music Suggestions

[MarkBarbieri]

I'm putting together a slideshow for our recent trip to Monterey. It's primarily pictures of the kids playing at the beaches and climbing around tide pools. It also has pictures from a heli trip, a playground, pictures of me, my wife, my niece, and my parents.

In past trips, I've used a George Winston's piano version of Vince Guaraldi's Cast Your Fate to the Wind, Vince Guaraldi's Ginza, Young Holt Unlimited's Soulful Strut, Grieg's Morning from Peer Gynt and Saint Saens Aquarium from Carnival of the Animals, and Mannheim Steamroller's Come Home to the Sea from Fresh Aire VI.

As is obvious from my prior choices, I lean towards instrumentals, but I wouldn't rule out something with lyrics. The problem is that the lyrics often don't work well with the onscreen activities.

At this point, I'm pretty wide open. My preference is a song or pair of songs that last about 4:30, plus or minus a minute. I've had suggestions for Colby Callait's Bubbly, Andreas Vollenweider's Belladonna, abd the Beach Boy's Good Vibrations. None seem just right, so I thought I'd solicit additional suggestions here.

 

[Bstanley]

Really depends on the emotion you want to evoke.

I tend to get overly 'emotive' when I've put personal videos together - probably because they were celebrating someones life when they have passed or a seminal point in my children's lives (graduation, etc).

The first song that sprang to mind (emotion) for the kids pictures was the original 'Teach Your Children Well - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young'. (my version is 2:53 in length).

You could follow that with the Beach Boys 'When I grow Up to be a Man' to cover the pictures with the 'elders' (2:00).

'Tomorrow's Child' from Spaceship Earth can show your Disney colors while you 'emote ('Destiny' from Mission Space is actually quite good also without being so obviously Disney - and it's almost modern in style).

If you've got any Irish in ye and are looking for something upbeat ('action' pictures?) - Solas 'What's up with Win/Sonny Brogan's/Cahal's Jigs' from the album 'The Hour Before Dawn' is classic backbeat Celtic.

Next?

 

[Master Mason]

Bagpipe music really lends it's self to the Landscape of Montery.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

Disney Girls by the Beach Boys from 1971

 

[Golf4food]

"La Mer" by Claude Debussy is about the sea (duh). Some of Erik Satie's music is quite impressionistic as well - I would suggest the Gymnopodie (you hear one of them in the France video in Epcot).

Jack Johnson's music from the Curious George soundtrack is some great stuff and might fit well for family and playground scenes.

How about some classical guitar? Would go well with the history of California. Perhaps some Issac Albeniz?

 

[photo_chick]

I tend to lean toward soundtracks for my video music. Some of my favorites to pull from are Forrest Gump, Searching for Bobby Fischer and Dave. The openeing credits to The Rocketeer is a really good track if you need a slow buildup that has a payoff... I'm working with it right now for a video.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Theme from Endless Summer by the Sandals. Great surf music to go along with the theme of Monterey.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Besides two members of the band lived in Carmel and all were from California.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I'll definitely start paying more attention to movie soundtracks from now on.

In the end, I went with Dan Gibson's Beyond the Sea. I posted the slideshow here.

 

[ThurlFan]

Great pictures! Guess I'm late to the party with my suggestions (all instrumental), but you might file them away for future reference:

Since you've used Vince Guaraldi before, I'll suggest this one. I soundtracked a family sledding video with it.
Album: Oh Good Grief
Song: Red Baron

Also, the Marsalis family put out a nice Guaraldi tribute that has some nice slideshow potential.
Album: Joe Cool's Blues
Songs: Pebble Beach; Oh Good Grief; Little Red Haired Girl

Some other suggestions:
Artist: Stanley Jordan
Album: Flying Home
Song: When Julia Smiles; The Music's Gonna Change

Artist: Wynton Marsalis
Album: Wynton Marsalis (debut album)
Song: Sister Cheryl

Artist: Pat Metheny
Album: American Garage
Song: Airstream

 

[alan]

Mary Black: The fog In Monterey