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.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Movie Music - Movement 2

This is the second movement of a 3-part flexible instrumentation composition at a high school level. It is being composed through a commissioning consortium where each participant pays a small fee that is partially refundable and receives score and parts, local premiere rights and an inclusion in the dedication. For more information about the consortium, please visit http://www.cooppress.net/page9/page395/index.html 

The composition is being created so that there would be a Part A, B, and C and each part would be available for C, Bb, Eb, F, bass clef, and alto clef instruments so that the piece would be playable by a wide variety of trios from standard to unusual. There are three movements planned: Theme Music, Love Song, and Chase Scene.

I am creating the piece using a three trumpet instrumentation. My reasoning is that I wanted three instruments with a narrow range and endurance challenges. I figure if the composition works for this combination, it would work in any combination. Just to test this out, I created a flute, clarinet and alto saxophone version from the trumpet version and it transferred well just by putting the flute up an octave.

The second movement is called Love Music. I guess because I am a tuba player who rarely gets an interesting part in orchestra, I am sensitive to giving each part something of interest. Because of this, my music emphasizes counterpoint and that can make in more challenging for younger musicians to perform because it requires independent counting. At the same time, it teaches musicians to become more secure in their own counting and to listen to other parts to see how their part fits into the whole. These are necessary skills for any musician to develop.

This movement is no exception to my style that emphasizes independence. The use of 6/8 and 9/8 meters are not as familiar as 4/4 and 3/4 but should be in the grasp of high school musicians. My rhythm patterns within these meters have slight variants of the usual rhythmic patterns by incorporating dotted notes, rests on the strong beats, and faster notes on strong beats, all of which creates rhythmic interest.

The form of the movement is ABACBA. The B section is the most intense with rich harmonies. slightly faster tempo, and louder dynamics. The A sections are slightly more melancholy as love has its ups and downs. The C section is the most chromatic, perhaps suggesting doubt in the relationship. However this conflict is resolved at the end when the piece ends on a pure major triad.

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 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/Movie_Music_blog.html

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Movie Music - Movement 1

This is the first movement of a 3-part flexible instrumentation composition at a high school level. It is being composed through a commissioning consortium where each participant pays a small fee that is partially refundable and receives score and parts, local premiere rights and an inclusion in the dedication. For more information about the consortium, please visit http://www.cooppress.net/page9/page395/index.html 

The composition is being created so that there would be a Part A, B, and C and each part would be available for C, Bb, Eb, F, bass clef, and alto clef instruments so that the piece would be playable by a wide variety of trios from standard to unusual. There are three movements planned: Theme Music, Love Song, and Chase Scene.

I am creating the piece using a three trumpet instrumentation. My reasoning is that I wanted three instruments with a narrow range and endurance challenges. I figure if the composition works for this combination, it would work in any combination. Just to test this out, I created a flute, clarinet and alto saxophone version from the trumpet version and it transferred well just by putting the flute up an octave.

The first movement is called Theme Music. While composing this, I had no particular movie plot in mind. I just wanted something that would be heroic with contrasting sections of lyricism. I also wanted it to build in tension to a climax. Measures 1-5 states the heroic idea before transitioning to a slightly mellower section that uses imitation. At measure 12 and 13, a rhythmic ostinato is introduced. This motive gradually takes over as the composition progresses. Measures 14-23 develops the fanfare idea as well as the more lyrical contrapuntal section. Measure 24 introduces the most lyrical section of the movement, however tension is kept by the use of the rhythmic ostinato. Measure 45 begins the recapitulation therefore creating an ABA form. Tempo changes are used in the closing section to add excitement. The harmonic language is a mixture of triads, quartal and quintal harmony.

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 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/Movie_Music_blog.html

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B

Monday, August 11, 2014

My composition "Bantu" selected as a winner

I am pleased that my 2014 composition "Bantu" has been selected as one of five winners in the Third Annual Sul Ross State University Wind Ensemble Composition Competition. There were over 80 entries from 30 states and 15 countries. The composition will be premiered on October 9 by the Sul Ross State University Wind Ensemble in Alpine, Texas and after the concert, one of the five compositions will be selected as the grand prize winner. 

I don't enter a lot of competitions these days for several reasons. One is that many of them have an age limit or stipulate that the composer should be in the early stages of his or her career. Secondly, many competitions are looking for works that are in a more modern style. I prefer to write in a style where melody and tonality are still important. This does not mean my music is a throwback. I just achieve my modernity in other ways. Lastly, many competitions want works written that have never been performed. Most often that means that one needs to compose a piece specifically for the competition and I rarely have time for that.


With the Sul Ross competition, I felt that my style was a good match for their requirements and decided to compose a piece specifically for the competition. I am pleased that my time and effort was rewarded and I am looking forward to my visit to work with the wind ensemble and to hear the premiere.


Dr. B

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Chorale Preludes in Modern Settings Movement 7

This is the 7th and final movement of a 15-20 minute composition for a four-part flute ensemble at an intermediate (early high school) level. The piece is called "Chorale Preludes in Modern Settings" that would have five to eight short movements where each movement would be based on a hymn or hymns and would use the hymn in a creative manner, rather than just a chorale-like setting. The music would still be mostly tonal and lyrical. Each Chorale Prelude can be performed individually and the composition short work equally as well in a church or concert setting.

The required instrumentation is at least 3 flutes plus a 4th flute, alto flute, and/or bass flute as these three instruments mostly play the same line. There is also an optional piccolo part that mostly doubles the first flute an octave higher in spots.

I have always been musically attracted to the carols Angels We Have Heard on High and Ding Dong Merrily On High because both carols contrast syllabic (one note per syllable) text settings with melismatic (many notes per syllable) text settings. I though it would be fun to combine these two carols in different ways.

The first thing I wish to discuss is the underlying rhythmic pulse. Both carols are in 4/4 time, however instead of 4 equal beats with each beat divided into two, I use melodic accompaniment figures that suggest grouping the 8 eighth notes into 3+3+2 pattern. The musician just counts normally, but the effect is this syncopation/hemiola that permeates most of the composition. You can examine the first two measures to get a clear understanding of this concept.

Measures 3-22 present Angels We Have Heard on High with each phrase interrupted by this rhythmic ostinato. At measures 23-30, instead of repeating the melismatic section of Angels, I switch to the melismatic part of Ding Dong. Measure 31 uses the rhythmic ostinato before going into Ding Dong Merrily on High. At measures 42-57, I alternate my original melismatic passage in two-part counterpoint that is derived from Ding Dong with the actual melismatic section of Ding Dong. Measures 58 to the end alternates phrases from both carols all with the rhythmic ostinato underpinning. This all leads to an exciting, triumphal conclusion.

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 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/Chorale_Preludes_blog.html

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B