Not quite stuck, just kinda missing something

My composition is coming along pretty good so far. I had it played in class Friday past and it went o.k. Dr. Scott Godin was there and he gave me a few ideas for improving the overall look of the work. I incorperate a large crash section in the early middle of the piece where the piano, clarinet, and trombone play really loudly on material that is meant to create a lot of tension. This is followed by a soft melody in the xaphoon as it is first introduced to the piece. Dr. Godin recomended not using standard notation for the last part of the crash, instead giving dynamic markings and letting the pianst play whatever notes they wanted as long as it was in an ascending pattern. I like this idea, it would probably add more tension, which is what I am looking for, and at the same time cover the requirement of having limited alletorism (as set by the class guidelines for this project).
I've also got to go back and fix some of the notation to make it easier to read. The final suggestion was to make use of the two hands of the piano playing at the same time. This is something I've been told before and have yet to incorperate, but I'm going to do that now before the next time I present it.

As far as I'm concerned I like what I have written but theres something missing from it. That one little elusive thing that I just can't put my finger on that seems to be holding this piece back. In trying to figure out what it was I went back and looked at some of my previous compositions and I realised that Rise of the Xaphoon does not make use of any melodic space what soever. I think thats the problem and I'm going to experiment with the material to see if I can remold it into something I'm truely happy with.

Cheers!
NB

A lesson with Larysa Kuzmenko

Yesterday I got the chance to have a lesson with Composer Larysa Kuzmenko. We spent the time working on my piece "Rise of the Xaphoon" and we re-visited her comment on phrase structure. My piece currently has a lot of ideas, each one comes in breifly and then goes away just as quick. There's no real solid themes to latch on to which is what gives the piece it's manic feel. I think this is what I had been missing, it's the reason why I'm not enjoying the work as much as I could. I have a lot of antecedent phrase's but it never gets responded to. She suggested the idea of picking a couple ideas in the piece that I want to make the focus, and then incorperate the idea of imitation to expand on the ideas and the develope them later in the piece. Also, Larysa told me that if I use fragments of the opening motifs later in the piece it will give the listen a sense of familiarity and make it easier for them to listen to how the piece works as a whole.

The idea of unity in my piece is just what I'm looking for. It was deffinitely a great lesson!

NB

Rise of the Xaphoon

My latest composition is coming along quite nicely. While it still lacks any realisation I did at least manage to come up with a title for it. The idea for "Rise of the Xaphoon" comes from the way the Xaphoon emerges after a chaotic crash in the beginning of the piece. Friday past myself and a few colleagues played my piece in class and I got a lot of feedback. The way the xaphoon comes out of the clash works quite well. The following recomendations were made: 1) Try expanding the upper and lower range of the piano to the extreems, and use 2 two hands together more often. 2) Explore the idea of using a preapared piano. 3) The trombone can go a lot lower then what I've got written.
We are required to include an alletoric element I wrote a section where the clarinet and xaphoon are improsing, but after I heard it acutally being played in class I deiced that I'm going to remove that part of the piece as it's to much freedom given and not enough control.
Because the NewFound Music Festival happened this week composer in residence Larysa Kuzmenko was also present in class and she recommended I try and outline a clearer phrase structure to get more an antecdent/consequent feel to my music.

I'm still kinda frustrated with the piece and am not really sure why. I'm sure I'll figure it out, it's just gonna take time.

NB

Composing For High School Concert Band

Continuing along with the NewFound Music Festival on Thursday I also attended Scott Godin's Prestentation "Composing For High School Concert Band." He talked about his experience working with a teacher colleague of his to write a contemporary work for their high school band. His challenge was to create a work that would serve as both a piece of music that he could be proud of and that was a pedagogical tool. To do this he met with the students and discussed different ideas that he could incorperate into the piece. He then wrote a 3 movement work, with each movement based on the works of a different composer. One of the things that Dr. Godin's colleague noticed after the work had been completed was that the students who had been involved in the colabrative process were much more advanced in the musical ability after they had participated and performeed the piece. Part of this is believed to be because the students were much more engaged in the work and so focused a lot more on listening to each other as ensem.

In C

This Thursday past I got the chance to play Terry Riley's "In C" as part of the NewFound Music Festival that happened at Memorial. The piece is unlike anything I have ever played before, it has 53 cells of music that each performer plays at their own discretion. Throughout the entire time a keyboard instrument (piano/marimba/xylophone, etc.) plays octave C's in eigth notes. The performers play repete a box as much as they want, but may not go back to a box once they move on to the next one. The performers are allowed to stop and take breaks whenever they choose and what makes the piece really cool is that when you do there are two things to be heard. If you just listen to the music as a whole and not focus on anything in particular it sounds like a band warming up, just kinda noisy. But if you listen for the individual lines you can here how the cells of music are interacting and it sounds awesome!

NB

1st Post: What to to? What to do?

That time of year has rolled around once again, composition course has began and is running full swing. For the first project this term we have to write for 4/5 instruments and again tonality is not allowed, at least this time it's not a total system shock :) I'm writing my composition for Clarinet, Trombone, Piano, Saxophone/Xaphoon. A Xaphoon for the record kinda looks like a recorder only with a sax reed, and has a distinct sound. I've got about a minute and half written so far and I'm not sure where to go next. I had my piece played in class and the feedback was that I was teetering on the edge of tonality but still within the guidelines of the project. Also my piece was described as being quite manic with a very thick texture. Unlike many of my colleauges I do not have an ispiration for this piece, all I know is that I wanted it to include the Xaphoon.

I'm trying to find an inspiration for this piece, and I know I'll come up with something eventually. (You would think the xaphoon alone would be enough, but sadly no.) I do know that I like the manic feel of my piece, and while I don't intend to have the entire thing like that the section will remain a part of my work.

NB

Final Blog (for now)

I've been thinking for a while now on writing a blog on what goes through my head when I compose. I thought it could be a neat way of helping myself see what I do and what I could improve on, as well as sharing with others an insight into my way of doing things. After we played my final piece at the composition concert I recieved a lot of feedback regarding how 'fun' my piece and it left thinking, why?
Then it hit me, no matter what I write I always strive for something that at the end of the day I can honestly say 'that's my music, and I like it.' In composing based on the 12 bar blues cliche I wanted mess around with some of the typical elements of the idiom and make it my own. Like instead of sharing solos the clarinet and trumpet have a section where they are competing for who's the feature. Also, I used a plunger mute at one point and had Heidi open it slowing creating a "waa' sound. I only did it cause I thought it'd sound cool, and luckily that's the way it was received (it's hard not to smile when in the middle of playing your own piece you hear positive laughter).

For anyone who is ever thinking of taking this course with Dr. Ross I highly reccomend it (and no, this isn't an attempt at earning browny points, though if it works, then i'll roll with it).
But honestly I found this course teaches you to take an idea or set of guidelines that you may not be pleased with (such as writing atonaly) and finding a way to write something that both satisfies them and yourself. That to me was what I got the most out of in this class.

I've already started thinking of some ideas for my next composition, I've kinda got myself hooked on it now, who knows what will develope over the holidays and into the new year when my next course in composition begins.

If this blogging is required for that course then stay tuned for future updates!
Neil