Find everything related to my fantasy album, inspired by the Lord of the Rings!

Do You Hear the Waves Breaking in the West?

Posted on by Christina Diggles

I write this from a beautiful old house in Virginia, several days after posting my video. I am relaxed and drowsy, and nothing seems more attractive than drifting to sleep to the music of the crickets and frogs outside. Is it wise to leave the window open and breath the cool air when I’m still recovering from an allergy attack and ensuing sinus infection? When my voice is recovering from having been so silent that I could very literally hum nothing but silence? Wellllll… Fresh air is healthy, right?

Now, how did I get here? I’ve learned a few things that will help me in the future (as long as I come back to my own blog post to reference them):

  1. The first day back from a performance trip can be overwhelming. I can enjoy some extra coziness and focused work by planning a work day at the library.
  2. I should not sing on a damaged voice… really… My current solution is to begin including daily gentle vocal warmups into my routine as I rehabilitate my voice.
  3. I had a brilliant thought, but it has fled… so perhaps my third point should be that sleep is important? If you are reading this and need sleep, please go to bed. I will finish things up right now and sleep in solidarity with you.😅

Can’t See Fruit? Don’t Worry! Summer Will Bring Growth!

Posted on by Christina Diggles

These past few months I’ve been “spinning my wheels.” With my Dad recovering from two minor leg surgeries to protect him from further problems with blood clots, my family’s group hasn’t been traveling. I’ve been sitting at home. Helping my parents clean and declutter. Practicing violin and viola for multiple sessions almost every day. Studying alto clef. (😱) Trying to get my exercise routine back. Fitting in Library work days since this last animation project was too intense for my PC. Reading as I wait for my files to render. Waiting for Dad to be up and about enough that we can finish recording our Twentieth Anniversary album. Wondering why I can’t seem to cross a technique bridge with my vibrato. Working, trying, but feeling like I’m in the same place I was at the beginning of the month. Do you ever feel like that?

Maybe it’s time to make a list of the things you have accomplished! Here’s mine:

  • Three boxes of items to sell or donate
  • A (mostly) organized sewing shelf
  • A picked up bedroom (other than my desk)
  • The first movement of Elgar’s Serenade for Strings ready for my next lesson [on the viola!]
  • Most of the instrumental recording finished for our new CD
  • A dog watched for a week
  • Elderflower lemonade made
  • Beets, carrots, turnips, beans, Nasturtium flowers, beans, and a few melons in the ground and sprouting
  • Music learned for a wedding I’m playing at this afternoon
  • A new lyric video finished

That sounds a whole lot better, doesn’t it? And even if I don’t see the improvement I’d like in some areas yet, I know they will pay off in the future! So don’t lose heart – keep up those healthy habits, and keep pursuing those skills and dreams!

But before you run off, I’d love if you stopped by my new lyric video to like and comment (and maybe even subscribe if you’d like monthly releases!)

The second to last track of my CD is out! I guess I need to work on some new content…

Make the Hands Dance – The Challenge of Animating Musicians

Posted on by Christina Diggles

For almost as long as I’ve been a musician, I’ve noticed the sometimes quirky, sometimes laughable loops of hand and finger motion that you tend to see in cartoon players. Whether it’s a ukulele being put through the same three chords no matter what is played, or a flute with fingers hopping wildly, it seemed to be an easy way out.

While it certainly is easier, I have much more sympathy for the choice now. 😂 Ganneldor’s hands are about as accurate as they can be with a limited palate of hand positions, and no official concept of how his harp is tuned. It was a process, full of listening, rewinding, and adjusting. Calengil was much easier, having only to look adorable and engaged with the music.

Then came the map… but perhaps its best to let you watch that for yourself. 😉

Riding the Plains of Rohan

Posted on by Christina Diggles

This is the second video I’ve finished on the road, and I absolutely love how the animation came out! Between the lovely harp by Paige Marcelle from the CD cover (from which I carefully removed Ganneldor and colored in the gaps) the new comissioned hair by the.red.butterfly (on Instagram) for the animation, and the other licenced art I used, recolored, and carefully pieced together, this has been a wonderful trip through Rohan!

All that mobile editing and transfering between devices needed a stable cloud service (and file requesting for the comission work!). I was so excited to see that PCloud, who I’ve used for years with my business, offered me an affiliate status last night! So if you need some extra cloud storage, you can pick that up and support my work all in one! My favorite thing is that they offer a lifetime option instead of having one more monthly subscription.

A few other ways to support my work are to leave a tip or download the mp3s!

An Elvish Lullaby

Posted on by Christina Diggles

Sometimes we make goals and they fall by the wayside… sometimes we get oh so close and have to remind ourselves that we have made progress… and sometimes we succeed! Here’s to seven months of lyric videos! 🤩 I’ve enjoyed the process of learning to bring what is in my mind to life. This is my favorite animation so far, even though there were times I was nervous about the results.

Notes from the YouTube Description:

Here in the US, we have just passed a holiday taking time to be grateful for all the blessings in our lives. It is a fitting month to release this song which, more than any other, has required the help of a community. Thank you to @totalspiffage for permission to use your tune to “Mir Dalen Somniar” for this expanded Quenya edition. No melody I could have written would have been so captivating and well-fit to the piece. Thank you to Röandil for your translation of the original lyrics, and to Luisa Rother for translating all I wished to portray into the second verse, this song would not exist without you. Lastly thank you to Orondil for your input and corrections on pronunciation as I recorded the track. It truly feels as though I am among the elves when I am with the Vinyë Lambengolmor. Lastly thank you to the friends and strangers who again stepped up to aid my sanity when the animation went awry, gave tips and advice when I was uncertain of the artistic direction to take, and simply lent eyeballs so I could see the video with fresh eyes. 💖

And so we come to the seventh song in Ganneldor’s story: On many a quiet night, the air scented with flowers, Ganneldor played the harp and sang this old Noldo lullaby with his wife Liraewenel. For they had at last become a family of three. 2923 Third Age

*Linguistic note: þ was originally pronounced like “th” in English. However, during the time of Feanor it began morphing to the “s” sound, to Feanor’s great displeasure. Due to my own story taking place in the third age, it made sense that Liraewenel, and thus Ganneldor, would use the more modern pronunciation. (Please don’t smite me, Youtube Feanorians!)

Look up the “Shibboleth of Feanor” to learn more!