New Projects

To keep myself busy during the spring and summer, I now have a few projects which I will be devoting my time to.

1. My YouTube page has been horribly neglected over the last year and a half. I haven't had many new videos to post. Today, I created a video for my new recording of the performance of silence. To better utilize YouTube as a potential place for more people (and potential commissioners) to access audio of my work, I am going to start working with musicians around the country to record small works of mine to be placed on YouTube. These recordings will be given 'mini-recitals' of 3 works at a time. To help facilitate this, I am going to look for funding to help with the overall logistics and planning of the videos themselves. I think there is something positive that could come out of YouTube for me.

2. I will be contacting musicians in Indianapolis and look at hopefully starting my own small ensemble which I can use to also record my works and those of my peers at the Chicago College of Performing Arts.

For my readers, I am placing a link to the YouTube video for Silence.

Silence - YouTube Video! Click Me!!!

Handling Performances While Being Sick

This week has been a blur for me. This past Monday I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis and walking pneumonia. It was horrible. I slept from Friday afternoon through to Tuesday afternoon. Ended up missing most of my classes this week - luckily, I informed my professors of my sickness and they were gracious to excuse me. The premiere of my piece, Silence, was on Tuesday (audio from the concert below). The performance was amazing. Sadly, while I was in attendance, I wasn't in attendance. My mind was far more focused on getting better and prepping for the two finals that I had this week.

Silence - Click Me!

If you'd like to comment on the performance, you can visit the posting on Young Composers Music Forum:

YC Silence - Click Me!!

I was greatly appreciative of the wonderful musicians who rehearsed with me (and took it upon themselves to meet when I couldn't be there due to being sick). They were amazing.

Mezzo-Soprano: Meredith Godsall
Oboe: Taylor Nelson
Horn: Josh Rosen
Violoncello: Sarah Zilonis

I was also impressed with a few of the other pieces on the program by my colleagues in the composition department at the Chicago College of Performing Arts. When I get my last final done on Monday, I'll rip the audio and share their amazing works with my readers here, but here is a list of some of the other amazing pieces:

A Cadenza Prior to a Revolution - Daniel Fawcett
Devil Wings - TJ Russo
Story of the Eye for Solo Flute in 13 Parts - Daniel Souphis
4 Songs - Dominic Frigo
Nay Nava - Parisa Sabet

I hope everyone is ready for the holidays! Merry Christmas!!

Finals, Performances, and Moving

The next two weeks are going to be grueling on me. On Tuesday, I have the performance of Silence! for mezzosoprano, oboe, horn, and violoncello. Next week I have several finals to take: musicianship: aural skills, piano skills, theory. To top those off, I will also be relocating for the Spring and Summer back to Indy to work to pay off the housing costs incurred by living on campus for the Fall Semester.

Needless to say, I've not had much time to post on here. I'm sure my readers FULLY understand. I'll be sure to post the audio from the performance once I have it.

Bad Day...

Today has been a fairly bad day. I went to work this morning at 9 am, after having only gotten a few hours of sleep. I had this feeling last night that something was going to happen today - and thus, just couldn't sleep. Well, sure enough, after about an hour and a half of work. My boss asks me to gather my things and come to the conference room. There, I was terminated for not meeting the sales quota for the past two/three weeks. The impact of the termination is still fresh on me - I guess I'm sort of wrought with fear. What am I going to do now? What can I do to possibly raise the money I need to remain at school for the spring semester? How can I raise that money in less than a month?

I don't want to let this experience taint the success that I've had here the last few months career wise:

1) I've had readings of my work.
2) I've composed several new works that, I feel, are my best works to date.
3) I have a performance of one work coming up on December 6th.
4) I've finalized the contract with a publisher from Europe. This publisher will publish my work for the next 5 years - with distribution in Europe and America.

For once in my life, I am actively living as a composer - doing what I always wanted to do. I feel that these little obstacles that come up are minor at best and, hopefully, that things will work out so I can maintain the growth that I'm experiencing in my craft. Time will tell though. It's not going to be an easy time coming up. Most I can do is face it head on and persevere. The rewards in the end make this time of struggle important.

In closing, I want to wish my readers a very Happy Thanksgiving! Despite the setbacks I've had the last three months, I'm still grateful for all that I've experienced and all the positive things that have happened. I'm also grateful for my step-mother, Barbara Woodruff, she has stood strong by me and has aided me as best she can in this trying time. And I'm grateful for all the wonderful people in my life. Thank you all, I wouldn't be in Chicago right now if not for all your pushing. I promise I will try to make this work and will do my best to make everyone proud. I love you all.

Video of my Reading!!!

As promised to my readers, this is a reading of my Fanfare for Brass Quintet. The group is the Gaudete Brass. While the work was not chosen for their program, they provided this awesome reading which was recorded! Thanks!! I hope my readers enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiAR4EoGTio

Seeking Donations to Help Pay Remaining Balance!

After talking with several people and discussing my situation with Student Accounts, I have set up a WePay Donations page to help raise money to help pay the remaining balance. I'm not comfortable asking for assistance from people -particularly monetary assistance. I was brought up to work hard and earn what I want in life. This is something, I feel, I have exhibited up to this point. So, I'm just going to try this and see if it works.

To Help Pay Jason's Remaining Balance Fund

Reading of two of my works

I have been having an amazing time up here in Chicago despite the stress in dealing with financing. So far, I have had two of my works read in our composition seminar: Falling Ash for solo flute and Fanfare for brass quintet.

Falling Ash started as a piece with very little programmatic inflections. I named it falling ash out randomly. As I got into composing the work, however, the title seemed to direct the overall flow and development of the ideas. In that vein, the work focuses on 1 lone ash ember as it descends to the ground. Rising up and falling down. Zooming in to see the intricacies of movement every now and then. The reading of the work was good. The opening was a bit too airy - not what I wanted. The tempo marking I indicated asked for Rubato and the flautist was able to provide that, somewhat. All in all, a good reading.

The Fanfare for Brass Quintet was one of the most difficult pieces I've written. I had the initial idea, which opens the piece in the Horn, sketched weeks before. The final version was the result of about 9 previous attempts at writing for the ensemble. The work itself looks at two contrasting ideas and superimposes them on top of each other towards the middle of the work. The reading went well. The only issue they had was my use of the tuba descending on triplet sixteenths AND a few notational errors in the score - mainly beaming issues.

All in all, I really enjoyed hearing both of these works being read by live instruments. I think I learned a lot from the experience!

Hope my readers are having a good morning!

New Composition in the works

Working on a new composition. I've been thinking a lot on mortality and similar topics. The result of that pontificating is a poem which explores the three scenes of a person's life. Yes, I know, I have been so into portraying scenes in my music of late. The three scenes are: 1) Youthful rebellion, 2) Middle Age realization of mortality, and 3) Twilight and the waiting for the inevitable. Interspersed between these scenes is a refrain of silence and a saying about one's observation on time. I think it's going to be a pretty interesting work. Musically, I am working with very limited material for this: a 6 note scale and just two ideas pulled from it. It's going to be interesting to see if I can pull an interesting work out of this - hopefully, I can do it.

Also, I have great news! I am getting published!!! I am still pouring over the contract and making sure everything is to my liking - but I am excited none-the-less. Now to see if I can come up with a way to pay for my schooling, lol.

Hope everyone is staying warm! Have a great day!

Time Constraints, Funding Issues, and Composition!

The past few months have been exceptionally busy for me. So this will be a much longer post than normal to make up for the absence!

My time of late has become extremely limited. I have been working in the call center at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, going to school full time, and trying to arrange time to complete homework and compositions! I like keeping busy but time is just so precious AND I have to have time to relax to regroup my bearings a bit. I love it though!

I still haven't got the funding issue taken care of. My family urged me to live on campus instead of off campus - and that has really cost me. So, since I'm unable to pay the 1200/month payment on my remaining balance to the school - I won't be able to register for spring classes. I've been searching for various grants and scholarships to assist in helping me pay off the housing. Sadly, with this economy most of these options are swamped with applications! I'm debating, and perhaps my readers can offer insight, about perhaps trying to raise money through my friends via FB and my other social network sites. I've heard of people doing this before - any thoughts?

Finally, I have been very active in my composition pursuits. I have composed a new work for string quartet, a piece for solo flute, a miniature for brass quintet, AND am now working on a song for mezzo-soprano with oboe and horn accompaniment! I've learned a lot so far in my studies up here. Hopefully, I can get things situated financially to remain in class without any interruptions!

Hope all my readers have been having an amazing couple of months. I promise to start blogging more! I miss sharing and venting my thoughts and frustrations.

Chicago!

First, I just want to say that Chicago is..... ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I love this city and am starting to really be able to maneuver around this area without any problems!

Second, I have had an amazing week of orientation at CCPA! My teachers are amazing and the school is so 'serious' about music study! I think I'll do well here. I registered for my classes today:

Musicianship I ABC (Aural, Sight Singing, and Written Theory)
Elements of Conducting
Composition Seminar
Composition Lessons with Dr. Choi
Music History I

Third, I also now work for the Chicago Symphony's Priority Seating department! I started on Monday!!!

That's just a bit of the excitement of my week this week. It's been amazing here! LOVE IT!

Indianapolis Family Time

In Indianapolis with my family for one last week before move-in day this Saturday! Going to see my Grandma tomorrow! So excited!

Got an email today from the head of the composition department at Roosevelt. I will be studying with Dr. Choi! I was hoping to get Dr. Garrop but I'm not going to complain. Dr Choi seems like a very knowledgeable woman! Really stoked about the start of the school year!!! <3

Last Night In Central Illinois!

Tonight is my last night as a resident of Central Illinois! Tomorrow morning at 11 AM I will be heading to Indianapolis, IN to spend time with my family one last time before my move up to Chicago. The past 3 years in the area here have really been life changing ones for me. I went from being freshly separated from an 8 year relationship and working a job which I hated to being back in school in pursuit of my own dreams with the new found ability to make my own decisions. It's moments like these where I'm reminded of those cheesy 1980 films that showcased a child coming up in poverty, experiencing life in their twenties, and then making a decision to do 'something' with their life. You all know the films. I guess I'm sort of like that - the world feels now in my grasp.

Now to just work harder than I ever worked in my life and seek to make my goals and dreams a true reality.

Better Today...

So I woke up this morning and stepped outside. Was an absolutely breathtaking morning! It got me thinking though... no matter how much drama can occur in a day, there is always another day. And today has been a lot better actually.

Threatened Dreams....

Today has been one of those days!

To start, my laptop was the poor recipient of a spilled cup of water! I usually have a glass of water or cup of coffee to the right of my laptop on the desk. As I was trying to swat a fly, my hand grazed the cup of water and knocked it right on top of the laptop! The laptop works but the monitor does not.

Second, I learned today that my appeal for an increase in Pell Grant was denied. The result is that I now have about a week and a half to come up with $7,944 in remaining tuition/room and board costs for my college. This has greatly depressed me today. I've worked very hard the past year in trying to achieve my goals and now am faced with the prospects of my pursuance of my career goals being in jeopardy due to financial reasons. I have applied for private loans over the past month - only to be told that each of the 7 different cosigners I have used were ineligible! I have also applied for several scholarships - sadly, I wont know of any of them until after school starts. I have also gotten a job interview at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in their tele-sales department! I don't think I'll make a whole lot of money though due to my obligations at Roosevelt. The good news is... that my tuition itself is pretty much paid for! The 7944 due is from the combined cost of housing and the mandatory health insurance.

Third, I realized today that I am going to be stressed over leaving my partner of 2 years for, at least, the next year. He is going to be attending the esthetics program at the Midwest College of Cosmetology at Lincoln College in Bloomington-Normal. His costs are fine for the first semester and short for the second semester. I have come to greatly appreciate his company over the past 2 years. He has pushed me to pursue my own goals and aspirations in ways that no one before him has been able to do. His support to me is something I greatly appreciate and is something that I feel has pushed me to seek the best for myself in pursuance of my dreams.

I have faced a lot of disappointment in my life. My mother disappeared years ago and, as the years go by, is constantly on my mind. My father passed away, as many of my readers may know, back in April of 2010 in a shed fire. The closest relative on my mother's side, my Uncle, has been battling cancer for the past few years. It's not been an easy life that I lead and music has always given me the strength to overlook the many obstacles I have faced with some amount of strength. I hope, and pray, that I can overcome this latest obstacle and rise above to achieve that which I know I am capable of achieving. This career path I am now pursuing, I feel, is the path of my destiny. The path I was meant to do. I don't know what the future holds for me - I do know though, that with my patience, resilience, and intellect that I can go to my first placement test a week from Monday and know that I will be able to finish out my year without any interruption! I've worked very hard, and I know that I will have to work even harder to finish this chapter in my life.

Moving in a few days...

It's really hitting me how close I am to the start of school AND how close it is till I live this part of Illinois for a few years (or more.) I've really gotten used to the area and love the scenery, people, and attractions it has to offer. It's been a very welcome moment in my life to live here... now on to the next chapter!

A quiet day...

Been taking a bit of a break today from focusing on school-related stuff. Worked a little bit this morning on a piano piece. Nothing too substantial, just fun. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Just a bit of a vent...

So I am currently working on locating financing for the remaining $8,000 still owed to Roosevelt. I have tried every possible cosigner that I can think of and, so far, not a single one has been approved. I received another notice today from Sallie Mae that I am eligible for a private student loan BUT.. I need a creditworthy cosigner!! It's an annoying process that really makes one wonder WHY there isn't more aide available to students who need it, like myself! At any rate, I've applied for a lot of scholarship over the past two days - hopefully one of them pays off with some help! I have also applied at a few places near my school/apartment. Ah... the joys of moving to a big city!

Some good news:

Evidently, I am coming in as a sophomore into the music composition program! wOOT!

Orientation :D

I had my new student orientation at Roosevelt this past Monday! It was amazing! I got to see my new apartment as well - it overlooks Lake Michigan!!!! I feel so good about this period in my life now - I think good things are in store for me!!

Reflections

Did a little bit of genealogical research last night and then listened to some of my compositions. Quite surprising listening back to them and seeing how much I've changed over the years. Makes me look forward and contemplate how I will change in the near and distant future. Ah... reflections.

2 Weeks to Go!

I am really starting to get psyched up about the start of my semester at CCPA! I feel it's going to be an amazing time - I'm so privileged to get the opportunity to study in Chicago!! All my preparations are pretty much done, I think I have a few more things to get (clothes!) though. I've started work on a new set of preludes similar to my Inclinations. The first two are finished - I have ideas for the third BUT, iono, just feel like taking my time in writing them.

Long Summer...

Sorry for not posting in a few months. Summer has been very hectic so far for me. I have been in Indiana the past few months spending time with family, doing further research on my family tree, and preparing for my move to Chicago on August 20. Sooo... where to begin, lol.

Family Tree: I have made a lot of surprising discoveries on my father's side of the family. My grandfather, who passed away in 1970, lived in New Jersey before moving to the region in the 1950s. The New Jersey Woodruffs of which he belonged were descended from a Thomas Ogden Woodruff and Hannah Markwith. Thomas Ogden's mother was Elizabeth Ogden. The Ogdens, from my understanding, were a very influential family on the East Coast. In fact, Elizabeth's aunt married a man by the name of John Edison. John Edison was the Great Grandfather of Thomas Alva Edison! I, at first, wasn't even aware of this connection until I came -by chance- upon an obituary for my Great Grand Uncle. Shortly after commenting on the obit, I received a message from his daughter! I was amazed! In one of the correspondences, she relayed that family stories stated we were cousins of the Edisons! Sure enough, a little research verified it! I have really learned a lot about myself and my family from this research.

Music: It's been pretty hectic to write as much as I wish I could. I've been working, slowly, on several small projects just to keep my creative juices flowing. Nothing too substantial though.

Chicago: I have a lot of stuff prepared for my move up to the Windy City. So far, I have purchased everything I'll need to make my little dorm apartment home! I've looked into working part time in between my courses. I will give it a try - hopefully, I can manage it. I move up on August 20 and then begin a week of placement testing! To prepare, I am studying to brush up on the basic stuff. Hopefully, I can place into the appropriate theory courses, etc. I'm really psyched about this opportunity!

I'll try to post at least once a week. I do apologize deeply for being a bit busy to give updates!

How should I spend the summer?

Summer break will start on Friday, so what better time than now to start thinking about what I want to do this year. I know I want to spend time with my family in Indianapolis, visit Chicago a few times to get acclimated to the city more, and work on music. What other things sound interesting? Perhaps visit the Trail of Tears in Southern Illinois? A Museum?

Piano Sonata and family news

Continuing work on my piano sonata while doing some in depth studying this weekend for my finals next week. The piano sonata has been slowly churning, lol. I'm just now at about 100 bars - going slow due to the fact that I've been extremely busy with classes.

On the family front, my Uncle's cancer has come out of remission at Stage 3! So, I'm going to make sure I spend extra time with him when I go to Indy on the 23rd. He's been very close to me over the years, and in many ways has filled the place of my parents when they couldn't be there for me. So, yeah, he's been a very important part of my life.

Genealogical Findings

Over spring break I went to good old southern Indiana to search the local cemeteries for ancestors. To my surprise, I discovered about 10 graves belonging to the Meurer family. The graves were pretty easy to find and I was able to snap photos of all of them. One place I wish I had stopped was Fountain County's Mount Hope Cemetery. I discovered, while doing searches for my great great grandfather William H Hopper, his tombstone at the cemetery along with his wife Mary J Linville. He has been a very hard person to track down since he went by William later in life and Harrison (or Harris) early in life. In the 1920 census, I located him in Covington, IN. along with his son Walter J. Hopper (who is listed on the 1900 census along with my Great Grandfather S W Hopper, thus connecting the two.) It's been a fascinating, yet extremely difficult task of reconstructing the family history. Now if only I could find out where my great great great grandfather, Philipp A. Meurer, was born at in Germany and WHEN he arrived in America.

On the musical front, I have also been toiling away on a new piano sonata. I have the first movement nearly finished - just working diligently on the development section. The work is a bit different than my regular works. I'm really trying to apply the sonata-allegro format in a different way than I've normally done. Will keep you updated!

Genealogy... Planning for School... and a possible new work in the works!!

It has been an extremely hectic last month! I've been working to raise up the other $500 for my housing deposit (have about 1/2 of it saved and am working on the last half now)! I'm SO looking forward to my time at Roosevelt CCPA. I think it will be an experience of a lifetime! Aside from that, I have been plunging head long into finding out more about my family history. So far, I have discovered 2 Jewish lines in my family that hitherto have been hidden in time! The first is on my mothers side and the second is on my father's side! So exciting. Today, I devoted time to my Hopper roots (my mother's maiden name is Hopper). I discovered that my GGG Grandfather Elijah H Hopper lived in Hopkinsville, KY. He was a wealthy merchant. During the Civil War, I found documentation of transactions made between him and both the Union and Confederate Armies for medical supplies! Fascinating history, really. I also discovered in the Christian County, KY marriage records a STARTLING find: A brother or cousin of Elijah, named Jeremiah Hopper, married a Zachariah Duncan in 1811!!!! Yes, that's right, it's a gay marriage! I viewed the actual document and was just aghast at the news! Musically, I've been pretty much in a dry spell. I think it's probably due to all that has gone on the past few months. I'm going to hopefully begin work on a series of piano miniatures that I've been gestating for a while now. I'll keep you guys (and gals) abreast of any new works!

Dad - 1 year later

Tonight is the evening before the 1 year anniversary of the death of my father. To commemorate the anniversary, I will be spending the weekend with my family in Indianapolis. It's amazing to look back at the past year and see how much things have changed in my life. 1 year ago today, I only *dreamed* of getting back in school. Today, I am not only back in school but in the fall will be transferring to a very good music conservatory to study with an amazing teacher. 1 year ago today, my life lacked clear direction. I dreamed of various projects and complained about how I would do them. Today, my life has a clear direction and I am now working on those projects that I complained about a year ago. I think a lot of the changes this past year have been largely due to the rammifications of my father's death. When I heard the news that morning, it clicked something in my brain and made me realize that life is too short AND one must make the most of it. I decided that morning to go back to school AND today, I am grateful for that decision. Dad, thank you for giving me the impetus to do good in my life. I promise I will not let you, nor I, down. I know you are smiling down upon me. I will always love and remember you!

Genealogy...

When I'm not in class, writing music, or studying, I like to delve into genealogical research. For the past few years, I've been painstakingly piecing together the history of my family. My mother's side was fairly pieced together from my grandmothers work years ago - but there were lots of gaps AND lots of assumptions made based on oral family history. My father's side was largely unknown - all we knew was his dad, my grandfather, was from New Jersey! Doing the research today, I realized that I've done a lot of research and the results are amazing. I think that might make a good book one day!

Thoughts and Decisions

Beginning the thought process for moving to a new city is a difficult task. I don't feel that overwhelmed, to be honest. I used to live in Chicago for a year - granted, that was 10 years ago. My choices now are whether to live on campus or off campus, whether to get a part time job or perhaps apply for work study, and what equipment am I going to need to get to ensure that I do my best at the university. The on campus/off campus decision is a hard one - largely because it's like weighing to evils. Off campus housing in Chicago can be cheaper BUT it can also be more costly when bills and food costs weigh in. On campus housing in Chicago can be pricier BUT it can less costly considering your not paying for utilities! Transportation isn't an issue as the school requires students to have a CTA pass - so that is at least one factor that is alleviated. I'm kind of bent on the job issue. A music major degree, I've always known, requires a LOT of work. Rehearsals, practicing, composition time, study time, etc. can eat away at any amount of free time that I might have available to me to work a part time job. Work study, however, appears to be the best fix for that as the school would work around MY schedule! Finally, I'm going to need to get a new macbook or mac pc to make sure that my computer and software are in synch. Ah, so much to think about. It's exciting!

Accepted!

I am very pleased to announce that I have been accepted to the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University! I plan on accepting close to the end of April AFTER I get up the $1,000 tuition/housing deposit! I was so excited to receive the news and am extremely thankful that I have been given the chance to pursue my career goals at such a fantastic institution AND a great city! Thank you to everyone who has supported and encouraged me to apply! <3

A Friends Work

It's not my habit on here to share many works by my peers on Young Composers Music Forum, but this work I felt deserved a little plug. The work is by Justin Tokke.

Piano Sonata No. 1: Movs. 2, 3

The work is a wonderful compendium of various styles BUT it doesn't quite show upon first listening, which I find to be a wonderful thing that draws me into a work. The playfulness of the 3rd movement got stuck in my head while waiting for World Religions today.

Sofia Gubaidulina - A new role model!

I've been becoming increasingly more aware of the work of Sofia Gubaidulina. I was perusing YouTube to hear famous violist, Yuri Bashmet, and came across a viola concerto by Sofie Gubaidulina. Instantly, upon hearing, I was mesmerized. The work was in a basic ritornello form but was amazing in scope and intensity. After spending months listening to nothing but Gubaidulina, I have gained an amazing respect for this modern composer! If only I could study with her!

Here is her Piano Concerto:

Lisztian Gems

I was perusing the vast amount of videos on YouTube and came across this amazing gem by Liszt. I knew Liszt had experimented with quasi-atonality and other things, but this work really took my breath away. I think I might arrange this some day for strings - it'd be gorgeous!

A Beautiful Tuesday

I have a bit of free time today. I think I might be able to get some more work done on 'Story of the First Butterflies'. I may also make some amending to Imprintations. I received a lot of VERY positive feedback on the work. Lots of recordings to pour over! I didn't really expect that much response on the work - especially considering most of my other works seem to fall on deaf ears/eyes. Needless to say, I'm greatly enjoying the attention it's receiving!

New Solo Viola Work

Was talking to a friend of mine who is taking pre-college courses at Julliard and he wanted to know 'when' I would write a piece for him to play. He's a young man, I think only 13 or so, but is an amazing prodigy at music. On top of playing viola, he is also a wonderfully talented young composer! Needless to say, I was taken aback at him asking me for a piece - I hadn't even heard him play! So, in talking with him, I tailored a short viola piece of about 135 bars. I focused on exploring one of my favorite intervals: the minor second. The work's form is in abridged sonata-allegro AND is one which I purposefully work with climactic points. The work is viewable on Young Composers, link provided below. Enjoy! Once he gets the piece practiced he promised he would play it at his next recital!

Imprintations for Solo Viola

Beautiful Day and a Wonderful Discussion

First, I want to say that I am going to be making a more conscientious attempt to keep regular with my blog postings. I was kind of discouraged in myself yesterday when I saw that I hadn't posted in well over a month! Shame on me! Second, today was such a beautiful day. The birds were out, spiders were starting to make their nests, and the temperature was a nice fifty five degrees! I loved it. Third, I LOVED having the windows open!!!

Lastly in today's installment, I got into a wonderful discussion on Young Composers Music Forum regarding imitation of older composers work. By imitating another composers, one member posited, a young composer can learn how to write music AND do so after the initial learning phase. I argue, however, that no one can 'truly' imitate the work of another. While you may be able to imitate some aspects of the work, you are not able to imitate others. Namely, you cannot imitate how the composer wrote the work, the reasons why the composer chose one form and structure as opposed to another in terms of development, the reason why the composer focused on certain material instead of other material, and finally you can't imitate the composers frame of mind while writing the work. So, the idea that one can fully imitate a musical style of a composer from the past is virtually impossible.


Just my two cents.

You can read the discussion here.

Waiting patiently...

So, I have been waiting patiently for my letter of acceptance or rejection. I applied at Roosevelt's CCPA in Chicago. It's my #1 choice. It's been a very nerve wracking experience. Hopefully, it's good news!

Update on things

I have been extremely busy with school this past few weeks and have severely neglected my readers here on the blog. I've had a little bit of time to compose and have begun work, as I think I may have already mentioned, on a work inspired by a Native American myth I received as a handout in my World Religions course. I will not post this just yet - as I want to make it a surprise to everyone on its completion! The work, though, is amazing to say the least and I have labored intensely on it - in fact, I've probably spent more time on this work then any other large scale piece in the past few years!
I do have something I can share with my readers here. Two of my videos on YouTube have achieved important milestones for me! About a year ago, I composed a set of three bridal processionals for a friend. He was going to propose to one of my dearest friends - and asked me to pen the processionals for that day. Sadly, the relationship didn't even last 6 more months! So, I posted the three processionals on YouTube where they have been receiving ample views! One of them is up to 3,000 + views and the other has broken 1125 views. I consider this a milestone largely because there are MANY classical works on YouTube that have received far less than 1000 views - with a large majority under 500. That two of my works have received so many views is something I'm extremely happy with.
So, to celebrate this milestone I have uploaded 3 new videos to YouTube and plan to create and upload more of my work to the site. One of my works, for two pianos, is currently being rehearsed and will be recorded for YouTube. I already made the video for it - and now someone wants to play it! I'm so excited. As a treat for those who read this blog - and especially for those who view it regularly and have put up with my ramblings - I am including a link to my YouTube Channel and links to all three of the new videos! Happy Valentines Day!!!!

My YouTube Channel
Fire and Ice
Solemn Dance
Unnamed for Two Pianos

Juggling School and Composition

Been extremely busy with schoolwork BUT I have had a little bit of time (mainly weekends) to start a new composition. This work is inspired by a myth I read in my current World Religions class. The story is a Native American myth centered around the First Butterflies. I've become rather enamored with the text. The story relates how the Great Spirit created the Earth and how he wished humanity would love his creation. He came to realize, in the myth, that the mountains he created were cold and therefore he worried that humanity would not love them. To fix this, he created stones of all colors and placed some within/on the mountains. After sometime, he realized that the stones themselves weren't doing the job - then he transformed them into butterflies so that they could lead man up to the mountains. Beautiful story! The work takes this story and attempts to transform it into music - obviously. The opening is what I have completed so far. I'm rather impressed at this work of mine, not only has it been painstaking to gestate and write BUT it has also been something I have been taking great attention to the minute details of it.


The work can be viewed in process here: Story of the First Butterflies

Extremely busy... again!

School started a week ago and I have been EXTREMELY busy this semester. I haven't posted a post here in almost a month - largely due to going to Indianapolis to see family during the Christmas holiday and school starting up last week. Haven't really had much time to do composition sadly. I partook in a wonderful discussion on Young Composers Music Forum regarding the organization of the various 'periods' of music in a timeline. Fascinating hearing how younger composers and musicians feel on this topic. I never really had a problem with the common timeline (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, etc.) I always felt that grouping composers in any manner is difficult due to overlaps existent in each epoch. Certainly, there are some rather Classical moments in Handel and some rather Baroque moments in Beethoven. Bach, and his sons, at times had rather Romantic moments as well! Beethoven's Grosses Fugue, to use a unique example, is strikingly modern in content and scope - truly a work centuries before it's time! Ah, thank God I'm not a musical historian. :P