Hello everybody! I've been absolutely swamped with homework and events through college, but I at last have some real free time! Since it's been a couple months since my last blog post, I suppose I should fill in what's been going on. First and foremost, I finished my commission for the Hutchinson School District! Since this was my first real commission, I cannot express how exited I am to have completed it. I received my paycheck for it, but the money really isn't the real gain here; it's the finished composition and the knowledge that it will be heard by hundreds of people over the next couple years. The school district loved the final product! The piece I composed was a piano solo in three movements entitled "Memories." I will embed it into my next blog post shortly, but for now, here is the link: MEMORIES
I would advise listening to it with good speakers or headphones and in Hi-Def quality, since there seem to be some strange digital disturbances here and there that only show up on crappy speakers and/or in low quality, for whatever reason. It's really quite strange. But anyway, the recordings turned out great overall! My composition professor here at Concordia College, Dr. Steven Makela, helped me record the piece on an extremely nice Steinway Grand. I really cannot express in words how happy I am to have completed this project; "Memories" has taken on an extremely special role for me, since it is connected to the city of Hutchinson, Minnesota, an extremely special place for me. The piece is meant to evoke various images of youth and growing up, and I'm sure the memories brought out will be different from listener to listener!
Movement 1 is entitled "Childhood" and was written last summer (2009). It is by far the simplest of the three parts musically speaking; the harmony is relatively basic and predictable, the structure is very much straight forward and comfortable, and for the most part it is driven by an elegant bass melody. For me, it brings up memories of my earlier youth, a (relatively) innocent time that I only wish I could go back to. Movement 2, "Maturity," is about the memories of growing out of this stage into adolescence and the accompanying feelings. This part shifts between modes and styles, containing sections of smooth complacency and sections of unrest. The form is much more sporadic than the first movement, and the harmonies are much more developed. This section was written during the 2009-2010 school year. Lastly, Movement 3 is named "Departure" and was written this past summer (2010) to conclude the project. It is the most experimental and also the longest of the three sections, containing mixed meter, fluctuating key signatures and a well-developed structure. It is also much more peaceful overall than the first two movements, despite many dark undertones. For me, it evokes the feelings of leaving home for the first time and the reality of slowly growing up. I put a lot of effort into making subtle musical connections between the three movements; various major themes from each section will show up here and there in the other sections, integrated into the framework.
Other than this, not much has happened in my life as a musician. I've started my Sophomore year at Concordia College in Moorhead, and as always, the composing is my favorite part of any week. It's what helps me get through the stress of writing papers and studying for tests; it's like a video game for me, which is such a privilege. This coming weekend, I am drumming for a wedding reception in a small jazz band with friends of mine here at college. Since jazz is far from being a strength or passion of mine, this will be a welcome challenge! Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to know, and thank you so much for reading! I really need to keep posting more often! XD
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