Welcome to my blog

I have created this site in order to provide performers, listeners and composers with a description of a composer's experiences with the creative process. The posts will provide discussions of the inspirations, challenges, and successes of a composer from the inception of the piece to the culmination in performance. I will provide a link to where you can see and hear the works in progress. Comments and questions are always welcomed. They will not posted unless you grant me permission.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Neverland for Woodwind Quintet Movement 5 and 6

Movement V is the "Capture of the Children by Hook". The pirate theme that was introduced in movement 4 is now fully developed and appears in the Horn from measure 1 to measure 12 and then in canon between the oboe and Horn beginning at measure 13. A countermelody is introduced by the clarinet at measure 13 as well. As the intensity builds dynamically, the countermelody takes on more weight becoming offset with syncopation at measure 26. The fortissimo section at measure 38 uses an augmented version of the pirate melody simultaneously with the regular version, leading to the climax at the end.

Movement 6 " Peter to the Rescue" begins with the flute picking up the "tick-tock" from the poetry. Most of this movement is constructed from diminished 7th chords, both melodically and harmonically. Variation is achieved by varying the type of diminished 7th chord from fully diminished to half diminished. The subito allegro section at measure 9 represents the battle between Peter and Hook. The listener can hear a vague outline of the "Children's March" theme that was first heard in movement 4, transformed from a major triad to a diminished triad, alternating with fragments of Hook's theme as the children and the pirates do battle. The movement ends with the crocodile slinking away after he has swallowed Hook.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Neverland_WW5_blog.html

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Middle School Band Composition

I'd like to let my readers know about an opportunity that might be of interest. I would like to arrange my orchestra and narrator composition Melting Pot Overture for middle school band. This overture was written for the York Junior Symphony and premiered at the Eastern Regional MENC Conference. It is divided into three sections, each based upon different poetry with a common theme, “the unity of people on earth”. The work uses folk songs from different ethnic origins in combination with each other to create a composition reflective of the title. A slow introduction leads into a spirited allegro after the narrator speaks the ending of Emma Lazarus’ poem “The New Colossus”, which appears on the pedestal of the statue of Liberty. This is followed by a slow section where the composer’s poem, “I’m From America”, is spoken over the music. The final section is also a spirited allegro where the composer’s poem, “We Are One”, is spoken among a set of variations on a Quapaw Indian Song.

If this idea interests you, I have established a Performance Commissioning Consortium where interested groups commit to paying a $35 participation fee upon receipt of a pdf copy of the music. The participating groups have the right to a local premiere for one year following the receipt of the composition and inclusion of the group name in the dedication. In addition, this participation fee will be refunded upon receipt of a program and recording of the performance.
 
For more information about this project, please visit http://www.cooppress.net/page9/index.html Deadline for inclusion is May 1, 2014.
 


Thanks for considering this project.
 


Sy Brandon, Arizona Centennial Composer and American Prize Semi-finalist


Sunday, March 23, 2014

Neverland for Woodwind Quintet Movement 4

The 4th movement is "The Mermaid Lagoon and the Rescue of Tiger Lily". As the title suggests, there are two parts to this movement. 

The first section depicts the beauty and mystique of the Mermaid Lagoon. On can think of the clarinet and flute noodling as ripples on the lagoon. The more sustained melody that appears in the Horn and then the oboe and then the Horn and oboe together might be thought of as representing mermaids gracefully swimming.

All this gentleness is interrupted by the arrival of Smee and his crew with Tiger Lily in captivity. The pentatonic melody in the clarinet and the ostinato in the bassoon represent Tiger Lily. The bassoon part that begins at m. 24 is the theme I use for the pirates and Hook. At m. 29, the oboe and clarinet play a theme that I develop later in the composition in the Children's March movement. The music speeds up and becomes more contrapuntal as the children rescue Tiger Lily from the pirates grasp.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Neverland_WW5_blog.html

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Friday, March 14, 2014

Neverland for Woodwind Quintet Movements 2 and 3

These two short movements adapted very well for the woodwind quintet. Movement 2 is Tinkerbell and is a light 6/8 dance with lots of trills to represented her fluttering of wings. The form is ABAB with a short coda. The 9/8 at measure 24 provides a break in the regular rhythm and in the phrasing.

Movement 3 is Flying to Neverland. It is also in 6/8 but at a much faster tempo than movement 2. The melodic material is very chromatic as well as outlining an augmented triad. The harmony uses all four triadic structures however the augmented triad dominates. I like the augmented triad for this movement because it is restless. But unlike a diminished triad, this triad wants to expand outward rather than inward, making it perfect for flying to a different world. There is a lot of counterpoint to represented Peter as the leader teaching the Darling children to fly. Contrary motion is frequently used that adds to the chaos of children learning to fly.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Neverland_WW5_blog.html.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Neverland for Woodwind Quintet Movement 1

I began work on re-scoring my duet version of "Neverland: the Story of Peter Pan in Poetry and Music" for Woodwind Quintet and narrator earlier than planned because I will be on the road for two weeks during April and the seven quintets that expressed interest thus far in this project was enough to get me started. The quintets that are part of the consortium are:
  • Sound Gallery
  • Scirocco Winds
  • San Luis Obispo Woodwind Quintet
  • Quintaero Woodwind Quintet
  • Emerald Wind Quintet
  • Black Marigold Wind Quintet
  • Air City Woodwind Quintet
If any other woodwind quintets want to join the consortium for $25 where the group would become part of the dedication, receive a pdf file of score and parts, and have local premiere rights until April 2015, please contact me at cooppress@cooppress.net or visit http://www.cooppress.net/page9/page385/index.html. There is a narrator part that reads poetry before each movement.

It is a luxury for a composer to be writing for five diverse instruments instead of just two. I can easily expand the harmony, add more counterpoint, and have more timbral choices than when writing for two instruments. All these are incorporated into the first movement. I was also able to link the sections together better because I had more instruments to work out breathing and rests. Another change between the duet version and quintet version is the introduction of some triplet figures that add variety to the rhythm.

Beginning with this blog post, I am able to export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also started using Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Neverland_WW5_blog.html.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Pinocchio Portraits for Brass Quintet

I am pleased that thirteen brass quintets have agreed to take part in the Pinocchio Portraits for Brass Quintet Commissioning Consortium.  They are:
Beacon Hill Brass - Victoria, BC Canada
Burnished Brass Quintet -Easton/Cambridge, MD
Columbus Brass (Columbus (GA) State University Faculty Brass Quintet)
El Paso Brass - El Paso, TX
I-49 Brass Quintet - Shreveport, LA
Loudoun Brass Quintet - Sterling, VA
Pyramid Brass - Western North Carolina
Saint Louis Brass - Saint Louis, MO
Synergy Brass Quintet - West Roxbury, MA
Spark Brass - Lancaster, PA
Trenton Brass Quintet Plus One - Trenton, NJ
Trillium Brass Quintet - Toronto, CA
Western Brass Quintet - Faculty Ensemble at Western Michigan University

If any other brass quintets want to join the consortium for $25 where the group would become part of the dedication, receive a pdf file of score and parts, and have local premiere rights until March 2015, please contact me at cooppress@cooppress.net. There is a narrator part that introduces each movement.

I use flip pdf technology for the musical examples that go along with my posts. It uses Flash Player that most browsers come with. You will be hearing an mp3 of sampled sounds playing the music and you will see the score at the same time. You will need to turn the pages by clicking on the arrows at the appropriate time and you can use the zoom in feature to see more detail on larger scores. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Pinocchio_Brass_blog.html.
As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B