My process II: Composing
Compostion can go in many directions tonal or atonal, theoretical structured or abstract improvisational, meditatve or angular, acoustic or electronic. The early 21st century and late 20th century has a variety of musical flavors. This is exciting time, composers should be compelled to compose the music they have been waiting to hear. I follow 4 rules when I'm composing.
I'm free to put anything on the paper.
Don't force a theoretical plan at the stake of losing musically.
Never criticize or judge the work while composing.
If I'm getting frustrated or tired, step away until I'll called back to the peice.
I put the music in front my ideas of who I am as a Composer.
I conpose in pen! when I started composing I wrote in pencil. I would erase my “mistakes” then I realized on a trip to Chicago in 2008. After Composing in pen how glad I was to have all the information. Ink is permanent and some of the best ideas, were previously scraped crossed out turned out to be useful . Backing my frist 3 rules.
The So, I've written a sketch at this point I'm excited about what the possibilities are and I plunge in. Emotions run wild for me when I'm composing, my only goal when starting is enjoying the process.
Although, I have a sketch there are many times where's there's something missing. The sketch is reminding what I'm looking for. When I was composing Dark night Variations piano trio no 1 (2008) . My sketch was of the piano figure in the beginning of the last movement. I worked on other pieces mean while, and about a month later I composed the frist movement. A week later I knew what I had to do with the whole peice and finished it over a weekend. Rushing the process never helped.
Another example with C-19 for 10 musicians (2020) I'm currently working on this I have 12 movements complete but haven't composed from the only 4 sketches. When I started I had very little idea what I was doing. Then, I composed the one of the movement and had idea of a fromal plan. I wasn't concerned about if the movements tied together but had an idea of how I wanted them to feel. Now, I understand why they work together. I needed to have more music composed.
Keep a open mind while listening to music and composing. Reminding oneself that “My music doesn’t have to fit in or sound radically different from other composers. “ The possibilities are endless.
