timwheelermusic.com

Back in 2009 I went through a pretty tough time with life. I was getting beaten up pretty bad in life. I call that period of my life my dark tunnel. I couldn't write about it while I was in the tunnel. But I wanted to write about it afterwards, which was rather strange because I wrote about darkness and sadness while I was feeling happy and things were going much better. During that period I always had this feeling that every tear that I cried released an ounce of pain. And so this song is the outcome. This is still probably one of my favorite songs to date. This song is in demo form, recorded at my studio Oct./Nov. 2013. That's Carol Brunson on vocals - kicking it!!

I originally wrote this song in 1997 for my brother's wedding.  It is intended as a wedding song.  This song came to me "complete and whole" as I say.  I was in my home teaching studio (piano) and the power went out due to a summer thunderstorm.  When it did not return, I sent the student home.  While sitting there in the dark (seriously and literally), knowing that my brother's wedding was shortly up and coming, I sat at the piano.  The music, as heard here, came complete and whole.  I then went upstairs to my kitchen to eat and wait for the return of power.  While eating lunch the lyrics came complete and whole.  Now, songs don't normally come to me this way.  They are usually a much more lengthy process.  I call this version the demo version, even though it is fully mixed and mastered.  Technically, this is not the "finished" version.  I am playing piano and produced the track, with Adam Cole singing.  The track was recorded, mixed, and mastered at DoubleSharp Music Recording Studio in 2005. (1997)

I wrote this piece for a movie soundtrack in early winter 2010.  It originally had vocals throughout the entire piece.  The movie producer asked that we can the lead vocals on the verses, but she still wanted to use the song in the movie.  Since it sounded odd without vocals I told her I would see what I could do.  I suggested I would try to add a piano part where the verses and bridge were and see how it sounded.  I am proud of this piano solo.  It came out much better than I could have imagined.  My muse was working overtime on this song! (2010)

I wrote the words and music for this song.  The band I was in at the time, Page One, recorded this.  I was with this band 1985 - 1991.  We did all original material, most of which was my music.  We were a progressive fusion type band.  This particular song I wrote because I love America very much and am very patriotic.  People from all different continents come to this great country to fulfill their dreams and live in freedom and prosperity.  This is not the greatest recording or mix (recorded and mixed long ago in someone else's studio), but it is the best recording I have of this song - so it will have to do! (circa 1986)

This was one of my earlier "experiments".  I wrote this on a pc using Cakewalk.  I then imported it into what was then my new mac G5 with pro tools.  I STILL like it.  As it says:  it's a Rock Thing! (1994)

This was the final piece and my favorite.  I LOVE this one!  In the film there was a period of "investigation".  Well, I am highly inspired by the TV show 'CSI: Miami'.  There is always a scene in each episode when the lab techs are working their magic and the musical backdrop is always kickin'!  For me, this piece captures that essence quite well. (2012)

A film director entered a competition called "48 Hour Film Project".  The directors were given their assignment (film subject or theme) Fri. 8 PM and had to turn in the final completed film Sun. 8 PM, 48 hrs. later.  The film had to be 5 minutes in length.   I agreed to take on the project ahead of time.  I had 24 hrs. (Fri to Sat) to write 3 pieces approximately 1 minute in length each.  I composed the music sight unseen (i.e. never seeing the film).  The director gave me his ideas for the film and where he wanted music with a general feel for what he needed.  This was one of the pieces. "The killer is behind the door" is what I was told.  This is my least favorite piece; quite cliché-ish.  I call it Killer Suspense.  Composed June 2012.

This is the second piece for the '48 Hour Film Project'.  I was told "the main character of the film wakes up in the morning and finds herself in an odd 'movie within a movie' scenario that becomes more and more strange/bizarre as it goes along, with a comedic overview".  Thus - Quarky Comedy.  I think I was able to capture that feeling.  I kind of like this piece. (2012)

I was asked to write a piece to be used as a theme song for the main character of a short film.  The movie is a parody of the TV show "Shaft"(remember the TV show Shaft from the 70's?).  The theme song is 'Danny Boy' written a la the Shaft Theme song .  The film director wanted a "white" song with an R & B funk beat underneath it.  He originally wanted to use Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, then we thought about Scott Joplin's The Entertainer.  I suggested Danny Boy and he loved the idea! (2012)

I heard a record label was looking for some material for a specific project. So I wrote a couple pieces, called them, was invited to the office of the label owner, and played two pieces for her. She liked one of them, we signed a contract, and every time a CD was purchased, I made royalties. Very cool! The project has since been "shelved". Last I heard it was going to be re-released in Europe. The piece you hear here was originally written with three sections and for solo piano only. It was adapted and arranged to fit their specific needs for the album project. (1993)

I studied composition formally with a  great teacher, Susan Tepping.  I studied 18th century counterpoint.  What you hear here is the culmination of 3 1/2 years of hard work.  I used a Protestant hymn written in 1641 by a german composer.  The original melody is in tact in the opening "Theme" of my composition.  I reharmonized the hymn.  Following the Theme are 7 different variations of the theme.  I decided to end the composition a little different by writing a fugue.  It is a 3 voice fugue written in tradional 18th c. style. (circa 2005)