Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Deep Dark Woods. responses reactions 1

I'm absolutely loving writing this new piece. It is providing me with new opportunities i haven't been able to explore before. I love the guitar, it's such a rich timbre. and every time I hear this performed I am more and more satisfied with it.
anyways,
I don't blog enough about the suggestions I get in class, so this is exactly what that is. And it works out perfectly because I was eating up every single comment/suggestion I got yesterday.

The piece is quite guitar heavy at this point, and as Dr. Ross pointed out, everything has a roll except for the cello and after considering this comment I agree. The bass is obviously doing a bass roll and the guitars are in the forefront, however the cello was just kind of floating around serving different purposes, just kind of being a loose cannon.

well I fixed this pretty well. I really like what I have, so most of the A section cello stuff is the same, however I've developed an entire new B section, and in this section, the cello and the bass have a ton more rhythmic interplay and have in a way become the counter duo to the guitars.

There are many other things I have altered/changed, but stay tuned to the next blog, for there is more to come!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The way of greatness

Last night at bitters myself and Jess Blenis had an interesting conversation I thought was really worth blogging on. It was talking about how sometimes composition can be such a chore and it's rough, and you just gotta plough through. But than on the other hand, sometimes when you get an idea all you wanna do is compose cause you're totally in love with the idea.

This discussion came about when she was asking me about my new piece. And That's how I feel about it. I wrote more music in one week than I have in 4. And that's why, that's exactly why. I am in love with the idea and always want to keep adding to it and making it better. Where as with the concert band piece, it was a astruggle to get to the computer or to the keyboard to expand on what I have.

Here's the thing... I don't feel satisfied with my first project of the three piano pieces. They were the sort of compositions that took a lot of grunt work and I'm not overly happy with the way they sound. My second composition from last term was the same way.... a lot of forced work with unsatisfied results. However the piece I entered in the arts and letters, as well as my first composition project from last semester I lived in and was very inspired by them.

So my question is;
does it take inspiration to make music that I will be personally satisfied with? and if so is there any way to seek this inspiration or come up with an inspiring idea? or would it be better to steer clear of the inspiring ideas and become the best at working with ok ideas and making them good technically? or like, approach them as practice instead of something that people will see?

perplexing

Road Block

Last week after class, I felt really insecure and unhappy with the piece I had written thus far for concert band. It was very linear and still very introductory. I really loved the theme I had and some of the development of that theme, however I felt as a whole it was unorganized and sloppy. I didn't have a plan really, I was just going with what I had and developing that as much as I could, leaving any aspect of form thus far out to dry.

I also couldn't think of anything else to add to what I have done. There are limitless possbilities of places for that piece to go, the problem is none of them satisfy me at this point. I could just not get anywhere with what I have and that was that. I was frustrated.

I than decided to leave this piece for a while. I realized that I've given it everythign I could for now, and I'm tired of the type of composing when it becomes monotinous (see next blog). I wanted excitment and passion when I compose, as lame as it may sound. So I found something that I loved. I was playing my classical guitar one night and this little dark motive came to me. I was so pumped...and please note that I had not yet given up on the concert band piece until I was sure I could really go somewhere with this new idea.

I plan on revisiting the band piece and finishing it soon. Just not in time to enter the composition (sadly). But you gotta go with what's working.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Cross Roads.

So,
I Haven't been blogging in a good long time. I never really feel like I have much to say I guess. I guess it's also possible I expect to need to have something of some significance to say in a blog, but maybe not. Either way, here is what I beleive to be significant, and just an update of what has been going on with my piece for concert band.

I stuck with the feathering out of single lines, and building and diminution. And so far that has been great. I now have the Introduction more or less complete. I always tweak it, for instance I decided to give more of a pedal tone in the tuba, to give it a darkness which I am kind of going for in this piece.

Anyways, much of the introduction has kind of gotten away from me...in a good way. It didn't quite go how I was expecting, but I am much happier with the project so far. There are a great deal of motives that developed from the supporting instruments which gives me a lot of options for the grand middle section.

And that's exactly where I stand. I have a sort of middle section beginning to take shape, but I honestly had a little fugue like idea with the beginning material planned to take the middle section. I really like both ideas, and I'm trying to incorerate them both some how, although they are both so different I am not sure that this will be entirley possible. However, whichever idea i end up going with, will need to have a more concrete feel that the introduction.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Oh The Possibilities

Composing a piece for concert band is much much more challenging to get started, and to develop ideas than I ever imagined. Mind you at this stage I have started and am well on my way, but getting it started was very strange. First off, I'm not the biggest fan of band music, or a majority of the band music I've heard. I appreciate it, but in the way I appreciate metal bands (appreciate the technical side, but can't get past the cheese). But that's the reason I chose this. I wanted to challenge myself to make something I really enjoy with minimal influences in the genre.

One of the biggest advantages, or the biggest plus sides of writing for band is the endless possibilties. With the last project I felt confined. Not only because it was for solo piano, but because I didn't compose as intuitivley as I normally do to push myself to grow and be able to do things more cognitivley. But aside from that, I was sick of thinking on a keyboard, there are so many limiting factors. With writing for band I'm in love with the different colors, and how I am able to change the harmony rather discretley by continuing with one color while adding a new color underneath with a different pitch class. The layering itself is becoming a whole new artform to me, and the way I spell chords......

Although these possibilities are a blessing, they are a curse. I say this because I am not writing in a chordal style, which creates a lot of work in working out the polyphony, but it's great pedagogically I guess.