Music 366: Day 1

Music 366 Project


Day 1

What ensemble am I writing for?

I keep asking myself this question. The template file I used for Day 58 is titled "String Quartet, 12 8 time", but I know that it's going to be "performed" by a general MIDI instrument. The American Composer's Forum has a list of tips for submitting work. One of the tips is not to submitt MIDI realizations of orchestral works. I believe it is accompanied by the statement that if one would do that the selection committee may "questions your values."

So where does this leave me? Am I thinking too much? Part of me would love to record a string quartet doing this. But the reality is that I'm not at a music school any longer where I have ready access to string players. Another part of me says "deal with the problems of the instrument--the General MIDI Instrument." When you write for a pipe organ you go in knowing that you can't really control the attack with the keyboard. Dynamics tend to be tiered and achieved by pulling out or in the stops. You have control of the swell as well, but that will be for all the choirs within the swell.

The purpose of the Music 366 project is to generate ideas. For right now I'm writing for MIDI. If things I write can also be transcribed for acoustic instruments, great.

First of Music 366

Here's the first of the Music 366 Project. Day 58. Give a listen!

I would have laughed...

If someone had told me in high school that the most consistent performance experience I would have in my life would be singing, I would have laughed. But in truth that is probably what I have done the most of. I had choir rehearsal tonight. Today had been one of those muddled gray/blue kind of days. It's such a cliche but just to focus on singing alone just re-centers my mind. (The religious part of me would say my soul.)

I need to get to publishing the "micro-tunes" I've written. I have over 50 of them now. Given everything else in my life I feel pretty good about this. The Music366 project may take over a year to write. Such is life.

It's been a while...

I haven't been blogging much on this blog. But that doesn't mean I haven't been composing. I've mainly been experimenting with what I'm calling "micro-tunes". These are extremely short compositions (like under 30 seconds). I'm starting to put together a project I'm calling "Music366" where I'm going to write a small composition each day for one year. (This coming year is a leap year--hence the 366.)

I have just over 40 compositions done so far, but I want to wait until I have 60 or 90 before I start publishing them to a website.

Quiz

According to this I'm 85% Bach. I think that number is inflated, but I'd be happy just to have 1% Bach.


You scored as J.S. Bach.

J.S. Bach 85%
Haydn 65%
Tchaikovsky 65%
Beethoven 60%
Handel 60%
Schubert 60%
Hector Berlioz 55%
Chopin 45%
Wagner 45%
Schumann 45%
Brahms 45%
Mozart 40%
Liszt 30%


Take the quiz yourself.

Words of wisdom

I think the following can be applied to music as well as literature:

“If you only read the great writers, you’ll be in trouble,” [Albee] said. “Read junk. It’s enormously encouraging to tell yourself, ‘I can do better than that.’ ”

--Edward Albee

from 'Virtue Is Not Its Own Reward' and Other Lessons for a Life in Art
By KATHRYN SHATTUCK
The New York Times
Published: April 24, 2007