Blog

Posted on

How Composing for Choir is Different (for me)

michael-maasen-unsplash-manuscript
When I compose for choir, I know that there are going to be *lyrics*. This is the one key difference that means my compositional process is different from usual. Lyrics are the words of the choral composition that need to be set to melody, rhythm, and harmonies. These musical structures support the emotional expression of the words. Those lyrics are the priority when considering the overall meaning of the music. They are, usually, either *as important* or *more so* than the associated musical sounds. How I use the lyrics within other musical structures is always something I’m thinking about during the process.

Continue readingHow Composing for Choir is Different (for me)

Posted on

Are You Up for a Challenge? 30 Days of Music Morning Pages

Handwritten Music Manuscript
I'm on to the next stage of my DYCP project. Up until a few weeks ago I was learning new tools and techniques, and now I'm supposed to be composing. Which, in theory, sounds like a lovely thing, doesn't it? To have 3 months to just write whatever I want? Living the dream. But omg do I like to make things more difficult than they need to be and suddenly I'm feeling all this pressure to produce something awesome. We creatives do like to beat ourselves up unnecessarily, don't we.

Continue readingAre You Up for a Challenge? 30 Days of Music Morning Pages

Posted on

Big Announcement – I got Arts Council funding to Develop My Creative Practice (DYCP)

Developing Your Creative Practice, Supported by Arts Council England
HUGE NEWS! I got funded. I'm now supported as an artist by Arts Council England. How bleeping exciting! I'm going to take a decent chunk of the next 7 months to both learn some new computer music toys and tools, go deeper into the capabilities of some of the tools I already have but haven't …

Continue reading "Big Announcement – I got Arts Council funding to Develop My Creative Practice (DYCP)"

Posted on

A Composer’s View of The Temp Track – Is it a ‘Necessary Evil’?

computer music - I Aboud - Unsplash
Also known as the 'temp score', temporary music track or 'scratch track', the temp track is used by editors in TV and film. By using pre-existing music in roughly the right tempo and tone, it's much easier to cut the picture and show it to the director and anyone else who has input on the project. But here's the problem...

Continue readingA Composer's View of The Temp Track - Is it a 'Necessary Evil'?

Posted on

Why I Love Orchestral Bowed Strings and Use Them All The Time (with LOADS of Musical Examples)

Strings Are Awesome - josep molina secall black violin on underwater for unsplash
I LOVE ORCHESTRAL STRINGS. They are my fave section of the classical orchestra (followed closely by the brass and horns). They're just SO VERSATILE - there are so many different techniques and tone colours you can make with string instruments, which means that their emotional range (I would argue) is enormous. This makes them, without …

Continue reading "Why I Love Orchestral Bowed Strings and Use Them All The Time (with LOADS of Musical Examples)"

Back to top