NEW ALBUM!! Rafe took tracks released in 2022 and compiled them into a new album called Confessions of a Deadbeat Give them a listen at www.CubeTunes.com!
During 2022, Rafe released a new song every few weeks. Be sure to check them out at www.CubeTunes.com!
Check out the music video for the song "Dance Like A Ninja" directed by Rafe Lyford.
Check out the music video for the song "Give Me Knucks" directed by Charlie Krueger and Rafe Lyford.
Check out the music video for the song "Looking At Me" directed by Charlie Krueger and Rafe Lyford.
Rafe Lyford has been involved with the arts from a young age. Raised in Des Moines, Iowa, he always had music and images going through his head with a desire to convey and express them. Whether it be recordings or the radio, music of various styles was played frequently in his household growing up. After receiving his first "ghetto blaster", he was an avid listener to the radio, which planted his twisted fascination with pop music and it's culture.
His first instrument was the piano, however, lessons didn't last long. He quickly became frustrated because they focused on learning etudes and reading music rather than playing the music that was playing in his mind. He began playing trombone at the age of 10 and played in various jazz bands throughout high school where he was finally able to play his own music through improvisation.
It was during this time that he discovered the Miles Davis tune "So What" and became forever hooked on jazz. He also became enchanted with the sound of the blues, namely the Chicago electric style that stemmed from the Mississippi Delta and musicians such as Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Howlin' Wolf, a personal favorite.
He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University majoring in performance with a jazz emphasis. It was at Lawrence that Rafe fully realized his interest in composing and arranging. This led him to the University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music where he completed graduate work towards a master's degree in jazz studies and contemporary media with an emphasis in composing and arranging. Both institutions allowed him opportunities to perform and study with many fine musicians.
Rafe has studied with Ken Schaphorst, Fred Sturm, Nick Keelan, and Mark Kellogg. He has performed with Marlena Shaw, John Medeski, New York Voices, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Moore by Four, Charlie Haden, Sam Palafian, Benny Golson, and Kenny Werner.
He performed regularly with a group comprised of musicians found on the CD's Kind of Intrinsic and Misplaced Appliances called the Things Quartet. Although this group has since been disbanded, he has continued to maintain his interest in composing and arranging by exploring genres outside of the jazz realm, such as electronica, soundtracks, and film scores.
Since the advent of multi-media in the early '90's, Rafe has been interested in the relationship between music, visual arts, and technology. He originally moved to the Twin Cities, Minnesota in 1997 to pursue studies in graphics and soon landed a job as a web designer. Since then, Rafe has been working with the web in various capacities from web designer to web developer to webmaster for several large financial companies.
Rafe currently resides in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his two children, Adi and Katy, and wife, Julie. He is currently Vice President of Cloud Application Operations for a bank.
The first recording project for Flying Cube, Rafe Lyford's Kind of Intrinsic, was released at the end of 2001. It is comprised of all original instrumental jazz tunes that are also published through Flying Cube Productions. The musicians on the recording were Rafe Lyford, trombone; Max Wendt, saxophones; Scott Van Domelen, saxophones; Matt Netter, upright bass; Jim Guckenberg, drums & percussion; and Bret Lobben, percussion.
The music on the CD is available as sheet music. The recording is available for purchase online. It may also be listened to at CubeTunes.com.
2003 saw the release of the CD Misplaced Appliances by the Things Quartet in conjunction with Favorite Nose Productions. This group was comprised of a subgroup from the musicians that played on Kind of Intrinsic: Rafe Lyford, trombone; Max Wendt, saxophones; Matt Netter, upright bass; Tom Lewis, upright bass; and Jim Guckenberg, drums. Again, all of the music on the CD are original instrumental jazz tunes, but this time by both Rafe and Max.
Rafe's tunes are available as sheet music. The recording is available for purchase online. It may also be listened to at CubeTunes.com.
In 2005, Rafe released a CD called Evil Twin Cometh. Produced entirely in Rafe's home project studio by himself, it is comprised of all original electronica music. The looping, repetitious nature of the music make it well suited for background and soundtrack music.
The recording is available for purchase online. It may also be listened to at CubeTunes.com.
Also in 2005, Flying Cube Productions launched it's own online radio station called CubeTunes.com. It allows you to stream to your computer and listen to all of the music mentioned here with preset playlists. Channels are available to listen to music from specific styles. You can also listen to a Variety channels that has a little of everything.
From 2007-2008, Rafe recorded a series of pop songs that he wrote about various topics from a tribute to S.U.V.'s to a commentary about workplace meetings to bad air day alerts. He even sings a song with his children! Going for a simple and bare-bones approach, the songs are recordings of Rafe's singing and piano playing. Titles include Ode to the S.U.V., Comedy of Meetings, Bad Air Day, Running Around the Wall, Give Me Knucks, Just Because, and many others.
These recordings may be heard at CubeTunes.com.
In 2009, Rafe started development of CubeTunesClub.com with the purpose of providing a place where he could quickly and easily put new music online and get it out to the world soon after it's done rather than waiting for a CD release. Upon registering, fans are allowed access to a comprehensive list of Rafe's music including the ability to listen to each tune, download tracks, read lyrics, view personel, instruments, and other information. After several years of working late nights and weekends, was launched in early 2012.
In 2010-2011, Rafe composed music for a weekly online hunting show called Midwest Whitetail. Some of the music was never used, so Rafe packaged it up and created the Soundtrack Series. There are currently five titles: Life In Dusty Springs, Vol. 1, Streets of Briteway Beach, Vol. 1, Hot Nights In Cold Iron, Vol. 1, Sounds of Efar, Vol. 1, and Autumn Countryside, Vol. 1.
These recordings may be listened to at CubeTunes.com.
In 2021, Rafe decided that it was time to redo his websites at FlyingCube.com and CubeTunes.com. As part of the redesign, they became mobile friendly with a fluid or responsive layout. They also were converted from multi-page websites to single, scrollable pages.
In 2022, Rafe released a series of tunes in the rock genre that he had written over the years. During the pandemic, he finally had time to record them. He released a new song in 2022 every 2-3 weeks. He also made several videos for them. These tunes may be heard at CubeTunes.com.
| Shopping Cart | Price | Item |
|---|---|---|
| $2.00 | Vacant Soul, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $2.00 | Dance Like A Ninja, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $2.00 | Everybody's Shipping, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $2.00 | Give Me Knucks, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $2.00 | I'm Riding Shotgun, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $2.00 | Looking At Me, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request. | |
| $2.00 | My Juicy Lucy, Lead sheet in C concert. (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $12.00 |
Baru Brigade Stomp, Sheet music, 5 parts + score: AS, TS, Tbn, Bass, Drums Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 2 on Misplaced Appliances. |
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| $10.00 | Business Reply Mail, Sheet music, 4 parts + score: TS, Tbn, Bass, Drums
Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 8 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $6.00 | By the Case, Sheet music, 3 parts: TS, Tbn, Bass (Other keys available upon request.) Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 2 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $12.00 | Chill Pill , Sheet music, 5 parts + score: AS, TS, Tbn, Bass, Drums Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 4 on Misplaced Appliances. |
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| $10.00 | Innocence of Autumn, Sheet music, 4 parts + score: SS, Tbn, Bass, Drums Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 7 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $12.00 | Joteve, Sheet music, 5 parts + score: AS, TS, Tbn, Bass, Drums Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 4 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $4.00 | Julie Dancing Eyes, Sheet music, 2 parts: Tbn & Bass (Other keys available upon request.) Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 10 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $2.00 | Kind of Intrinsic, Sheet music, 1 part, lead sheet: Tbn (Other keys available upon request.) | |
| $12.00 |
Mogul, Go to track 1 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $12.00 |
Qué Pasa, Bossa?, Sheet music, 5 parts + score: AS, TS, Tbn, Bass, Drums Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 6 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $4.00 |
Twilight in Blue, Sheet music, 3 parts: TS, Tbn (Other keys available upon request.) Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 9 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
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| $2.00 |
Weekend with Othello, Sheet music, score: TS, Tbn, Bass, Drums all read from score (Other keys available upon request.) Listen to this track at www.cubetunes.com! Go to track 3 on Kind of Intrinsic. |
| Shopping Cart | Price | Item |
|---|---|---|
| $13.50 |
Rafe Lyford's Kind of Intrinsic, FCP5737, Compact disc Listen to the entire CD at www.cubetunes.com! |
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| $13.50 |
Things Quartet Misplaced Appliances, FNFC0104, Compact disc Listen to the entire CD at www.cubetunes.com! |
