Music In Progress

In 'Navigating Challenges in Music Composition,' I share two key lessons: the importance of using accessible file formats for music notation, and the value of detailed planning in composition. These insights, gleaned from recent experiences, are crucial for any composer looking to streamline their creative process and overcome technical obstacles.

A Musical Homage: Crafting My Variation for Dr. Mark Alburger’s Memorial Detailing the creation of a two-minute tribute for Dr. Mark Alburger's memorial concert, the blog explores weaving influences from Philip Glass to J.S. Bach into a concise piece, embedding personal tributes and honoring Alburger's profound musical legacy within tight compositional constraints.

Juggling the Composition Puzzle: A Week of Multitasking and Musical Reflections Amid concert preparations and studio updates, I advanced my composition, facing challenges in balancing tape and orchestra elements. Mixed feedback from a composers' forum prompted considerations for revision. Aiming for a May concert deadline, I seek a blend of thoughtfulness and provocation in my work, without alienation.

Crescendos and Cadences: My Journey Through Music and Musings Amid a bustling schedule, I've advanced my latest composition, completing the "tape" part and delving into orchestral integration, while balancing concert preparations and reflecting on feedback. This work, exploring themes from hope to societal fear, marks a significant phase in my creative journey, blending intricate emotions with musical innovation.

Celestial Inspiration: Weaving the Eclipse into Musical Composition Facing numerous setbacks including illness and travel, I drew inspiration from a transformative eclipse in Texas to craft a new orchestral variation based on my previous work, Sun & Moon. This adaptation, capturing the eclipse's awe, evolves the original movements into a vivid auditory journey, intertwining celestial events with musical creativity.

Serendipitous Moments: Unplanned Brilliance in Orchestral Composition Developing a title for my orchestral and tape composition, I’ve refined sections and transcribed vocal lines into orchestral parts. A serendipitous moment reshaped the piece, highlighting spontaneity’s value. Next steps include further orchestration, aiming for a fall debut.

Overcoming Technical Hurdles and Creative Breakthroughs Resolved technical issues in Finale allowed significant progress on my "tape" and orchestra composition. The B-section of the second part includes Gregorian chants, while the intro to the third section addresses self-serving Presidents. Submitted the tape to the 2025 San Francisco Tape Music Festival.

Reviving An Old Score: Breathing New Life into Past Compositions Returning from my travels, I updated my string quartet The Shadows of Japanese Children and other older scores, inspired by lessons from Dr. Mark Alburger's music. This project prepares for automated score sales on my website, featuring perusal scores, audio samples, and purchasing options.

Confronting Our Shadows: Crafting Tension and Menace Composing the "Confronting Our Shadows" section of my tape and orchestra piece. Using decatonic and octatonic scales, I crafted tension and anxiety through high strings and harmonics. The piece progresses with complex orchestrations, leading to a more menacing, climactic conclusion.

Balancing Creative Pursuits: Progress Amidst Commitments I dedicated several days to "Confronting Our Shadows" focusing on matching rhythms from the “tape,” compromising between accuracy and playability. Now preparing for the Aspen Composers’ Conference and composing a new solo flute piece, "Aureole: Circle of Light."

Crafting Music Out of Rhythms and Hope This past week, I progressed on my "tape" and orchestra piece, refining rhythms and introducing motifs in the "Confronting Our Shadows" section. Moving to the "Dawn of Hope" section, I crafted hopeful chord progressions to fit an Obama speech. Feedback highlighted the intended hopeful yet tense atmosphere.

Attending the 2024 Aspen Composers Conference was a mixed experience: while it offered valuable insights and networking opportunities in a more intimate setting, it fell short in terms of attendance and organization. The trip was costly, but the experience had its highlights.

Writing the "Dawn of Hope" section of a tape and orchestra composition, focusing on orchestration, melodic development, and the creation of the coda. The author reflects on the creative process, upcoming revisions, and the excitement of nearing completion.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of progress and challenges. Significant strides were made with orchestration tweaks, polishing transitions, and refining my tape and orchestra piece. However, frustrations arose as I grappled with replacing Finale, my longtime music software, now unsupported.

Final Preparations The past few weeks were spent preparing for the November 2 premiere of my “tape” and orchestra piece. I revised the score, refined parts, and addressed feedback from musicians. With printing and logistics underway, I'm finalizing the digital "tape" and testing equipment for performance.

Concert preparations are in full swing as I balance practicing, promoting, and solving last-minute personnel issues for the November 2nd concert. Collaborating with musicians to refine compositions and address notation challenges has been key. Embracing feedback ensures smoother rehearsals and an exceptional performance.

Migrating my music from Finale to Dorico proved more complicated than expected. I faced challenges with importing scores, from titling, beat groupings, to restoring microtones. Despite that, I’ve managed to save four compositions, and learned valuable lessons along the way.

Post-Concert Reflections: Overcoming personnel changes, venue issues, and last-minute adjustments, I prepared for our November 2nd concert. Despite delays and limited rehearsal time, the performance was successful, and audience feedback was positive. I’m now reflecting on the experience and looking forward to future projects.