Composition Lessons
“Composer.”
Composition is creating music.
You have great ideas, but don’t know how to use them.
You probably just had thoughts of a classical composer from the Common Practice Era, just from reading the word. A lot of people believe that composing music is an impossible task that only child prodigies can accomplish, when in fact, that’s definitely not the case.
I’m here to tell you that anyone can write music if they want to. There’s tons of different ways to compose, as well. Some compose on paper, some compose into a Digital Audio Workstation, some compose in notation software, some write their music in paragraph form, some use graphic notation, some record it directly… the list goes on and on.
There are tricks of the trade that professional composers use to help them in the process of writing music. Of course, everyone has a different methodology, but in my time studying with Dr. James David at Colorado State University, I have picked up a few things, and I am eager to pass these teachings on to you.
Group Composition Online!
This was a class I taught wherein kids from all over Colorado worked together to write a single melody.
Publications:
2023 Thesis: Three Embedded Choral Improvisation Etudes
Looking forward to writing more someday soon!
Some of my own works.
This is a choral piece I wrote dedicated to my then late father. I miss my Dad, but his suffering ceased, and writing this piece helped me to process this. The text comes from Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass.
Vocal Music
Fresh piece I wrote to explore embedded improvisation for non-jazz singers. Three ways: Melodic, Rhythmic, Syllabic. Looking forward to someday recording this one!
I wrote a set of three songs based on the poetry of Samuel Beckett. Beckett’s mostly known for his plays, but his poetry is equally fascinating. Roundelay, something there, and thither are the three poems.
Instrumental Music
This is the beginning of a Wind Trio for Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon. It hasn’t been recorded yet but the synth sounds are not bad.
Writing for instrumental music is a unique thrill as it allows the message to be conveyed purely by the music itself. I often get more work writing vocal music, so it is a rare delight to have the time or demand for writing instrumental music.
I have a lot of experience writing instrumental music for young players. I think knowing how to be creative within the limited options of writing for children’s skill levels has made me a better composer overall.
I also work with the DAW Ableton to make electronic music, which I consider an instrument of its own.
This one was written for one of the 2023 MSOE Bands. It features embedded improvisation, a relatively newer trend and technique in composition.
This was an interesting one. My composition professor at UC Santa Cruz, Larry Polansky, challenged me to take an existing choral piece and write a new derivative piece for a new instrumentation. I chose string quartet.