Mad Scientist Rag by Ron O'Dell Video
This rag was composed in 2001 by Ron O'Dell, also known as "Keeper1st" on YouTube. I love this rag and think it is somewhat of a masterpiece. I haven't played any of Ron's other rags and haven't heard that many; however, as soon as I heard the Mad Scientist Rag I immediately recognized it was great and realized it offered a myriad of creative possibilities for me and my Steinway.
For example, I add octaves in several places in the B section and play some things 8va higher or lower as I often do in other rags. I have made these techniques somewhat of my "trademark", since I feel it makes the best use of the piano and creates an "orchestral" rather than merely a "piano" sound. I even add a sequence of 16th notes in the LH in the last four measures of the second statement of the A section. (Sorry Ron, but it was just calling out for it.)
Ron sent me a pdf of his rag recently, and I thought it would be the perfect piece to upload on Halloween!
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Keeper1st: Brilliant job! Thanks so much, Cory!
Keeper1st: Yeah, I pretty much stopped making MIDI files in 1994 (well they weren't in standard MIDI format until about '95 anyway). I made only a few after then other than of my own compositions. I did convert a few more from the Amiga DMCS format to MIDI, but never got round to doing final clean-up and posting them. Maybe someday... There are many many more that I made but never converted. Will I ever be able to hook up and remember how to use the Amiga and home-made MIDI adapter to convert them?
Keeper1st: How about imagining the internet, but no world-wide web? For most people, the terms are interchangeable, but I've been on the internet for about 24 years, yet the web only came onto the scene about 15 or 16 years ago. It's a different world, indeed.
Keeper1st: In most cases, including this one, I come up with a title first, so my rags often fit their titles more than most.
Coltranized: Intense, and very enjoyable!
JupiterIV: May I please have a copy of the score (you wouldn't happen to use Finale, would you)?
BachScholar: I never realized they were different.
MussoGorski: Very cool piece, and performance to match!
kdocki: Definitely good rag time.
Geronimo1913: I love it! I always enjoy watching and listening to your videos. :D I espcially enoyed the little captions you added. Very humorous.
OhNoItsGojira: Wow... Just brilliant.
AhaBach4Life: Nice sound. Please tell me that the piano is a Steinway!
illidnarg: A great RAG!!---I've never heard this piece before----thanks for posting this piece---really enjoyed it----GREAT PERFORMENCE !!!
MissLink: hehehe, you did an awesome job Cory! (this is Celia one of your students)
BachScholar: Thanks Celia!
PrismLightwave: At about 2:08, ("Slowly, the creature rises"), there's some buzzing sound. What caused that sound, and was that sound supposed to be there? Just wondering.
BachScholar: That is an audio problem I haven't been able to figure out yet. It's sporadic. Sometimes I record something and the buzzing will occur for much longer. I have no idea what it is--mic, mic chord, etc?
PrismLightwave: I'm not sure, hence I asked the question. Well, what we know now is that it didn't have anything do with that creature rising...
Belamus: this sounds like a really fun piece. any suggestions on how to get hold of the music?
BachScholar: Send Keeper1st a message and maybe he will send you a pdf. Thanks for viewing!
InsterNameHere: Amazing, beautifully composed and covered. Fantastic. Just one little thing, it has like, a hebrewish tone. Very catchy, very well done.
BachScholar: That "Hebrewish" thing comes from the minor key I think. I thought the same thing. Have you ever noticed pretty much all Jewish music is in minor keys?
InsterNameHere: You know, now that you've mentioned it. You're right. By the way, thanks to you. I am now getting piano lesson because your piano playing is really influencing me. Just saying :D
Neatod: play some Chopin waltz!
NoGee06: God I really, really, really love this piece. The descriptions of the different sections add some real flavor.
Author: BachScholar; Uploaded: Oct 31, 2009; Duration: 3:43; Views: 1754
Tags: ron odell keeper1st tom brier scott joplin ragtime piano stride honky tonk halloween frankenstein monsters nightmares ronnie o'sullivan ron skinner ronnie corbett ronald joyce ronnie barker ronaldo ronan keating ronnie wood ronnie scotts ronaldinho
