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

New Work

Been extremely busy this holiday season buying gifts and working on schoolwork/finals. With grades finally in, presents all bought, and things simmering down in the days before X-mas, I decided to start a new work. The result? Unnamed for Two Pianos.

My idea behind the work was to create a sort of polytonal texture (not really polytonal though) utilizing modality and serial technique. I kind of like the way it worked. Going to have a friend of mine check the piano part to see if it's doable. Really enjoyed working on it!

Unnamed - Young Composers

Feeling REALLY good!!!

Went to see if my grades were posted on IRIS. To my surprise, they were there, here is a rundown:

Intermediate Algebra: A
Understanding Music: A
Composition II:          A
Western Civilization:   A

Cumulative GPA: 4.0 - a perfect 4.0!!!
Current Academic Standing: President's List!!!

I am so proud of myself. This means I will have to work to maintain this GPA throughout the Spring Semester and during Summer Semester (unless I decide to take a break off to prepare me for my move to a University!!)

End of Semester

Thursday was my last final and signified the end of Fall Semester. I learned a lot this past semester. Acquired a wonderful friend, who is an amazing teacher and composer herself, and have taken the next steps in moving forward in my life towards a goal that now is more attainable then ever. It's amazing, at times, to think how much things change in life. That someone can go through so much over a short period of time is just simply astounding. This semester ended on a very good note. In my World Civilization and Intermediate Algebra courses I got an A. I do not yet know what I received in Understanding Music and Composition 121. I'm fairly certain in U.M. I got an A. I can only hope, however, I got an A in Comp 121! That would make another semester with a perfect 4.0 GPA!! Thanks!

Ideas from Practicing!!!

I was practicing piano this evening while waiting for Mark to get done with his Photography class and came up with AMAZING ideas for a new work. I knew I should have brought the manuscript paper today, BUT NO... I completely left it at home. Thank GOD for my miniature staff paper notebook. I LOVE YOU!!

Arrangement

So, I worked on an arrangement of a Bach Invention today. I actually really enjoyed it - despite it being Bach! The semester is nearly over, only 2 weeks left. I'm hoping and praying that I maintain my 4.0!!! If not, 3.8 will suffice. I'll be a little disappointed BUT I think I'll survive.

Lots of Homework and an arrangement

I have a multitude of homework to get caught up on before tomorrow's long day at school! I'm working on my essay for Understanding Music, preparing for an exam in Algebra, AND I have World Civ reading to do! On top of all that, somehow I still have to begin my arrangement of a Bach Invention - needless to say, since that is only an exercise piece, it's not the top of my list!

Wonderful Thanksgiving!!

So, I had a great Thanksgiving today. Lot's of new family around! It makes me realize how happy I am now and how far I've come in the last 12 years of my adult life. Woke up this morning to a wonderful person laying next to me in bed so peacefully. Then walked to get my first cup of coffee of the day, and saw a wonderful family that I'm now a part of. Ate a wonderful meal then went to see Burlesque! Wonderful movie. Once I got home, I played Santa Claus to my nieces and nephews. This is a good life - and it's only going to get better! Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Thanksgiving

Well, I've survived the night before Thanksgiving, somewhat. My mind keeps going to my father and hoping that he's in a good place. I miss him a lot. I can't wait till Friday, when I go see my stepmother (his widow). Then I'll be with family - always a good thing.

Orchestral Work.

Someone on my forum yesterday, commented rather harshly on a work of mine stating that it was rhythmically inflexible. So in response to him, I am working on an orchestral work with the goal of presenting one chord that slowly evolves and changes every 8 bars to eventually come back at the very end. To accentuate and provide interest to the piece: I use alteration in rhythm within the percussion (triangle, timpani, glockenspiel, and slapstick). The rhythm of the sustained chord I also alter slowly every 8 bars presenting new rhythms AND accentuating the chord with a motif that changes as it goes from instrument to instrument (first winds, then violins and clarinet, then horns/viola/violoncello... etc.) So far its a very interesting piece.

Thanksgiving.... already!?

I just realized that this week is Thanksgiving! I can't believe it. This year has literally flown by. I want to give a list of the things I'm thankful for this year:

1. My health
2. My family
3. My music
4. My friends
5. That I'm back in school
6. That the world is still here

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving week! Eat lots of food and enjoy the season.

Finalizing Persuasive Essay and Presentation

Working today on my persuasive essay and presentation on UFO's for my English Class. My presentation is Tuesday! I'm hoping to get my paper completely finished so that way, I will be completely finished with class and just have to attend the next three days! I can not believe the semester is almost over - it has been an amazingly fast semester. I love all my teachers and hope to stay in contact with a few of them! Now, to work on that project!!

Just a few thoughts.

Today started off like any other for me. Good class this morning. As it progressed though, I began to think back on the events of the past year: loss of my father, going back to school, and yearning for finding my mother who has been missing for almost a decade now. I realized how much I have been through the past eleven months and how much I've been through over the past 30 years. I also look at where I'm at now and think: will I ever get somewhere with my life? Is all I have to deal with ever going to end? I know now, as opposed to ten years ago, that I really do hold my own life in my hands. These two hands that have experienced a lot of the bad the world has to offer. These events have greatly impacted me over the years - they've made me stronger and now, finally, more motivated and determined than I ever have been. I know somewhere Dad is looking down on me, and I want him to know - honestly, that I am doing all I can in my life to make him proud and show him the son that he never got to see. I hope that Mother is somewhere safe and I pray that she thinks of me as I think of her. I love you both, and I know that regardless of what went on between the two of you - that you both loved me and my brother more than we will ever know. As the holiday's are upon me now, I plan on spending them with my family. My nephew, Jacob, is in my life now. My stepmother is in my life now. My Uncle, who is battling so much with his illnesses, is still in my life. And my new family member, Mark, is in my life as well. I am grateful for all of them - I don't think they will ever realize how much. Thank you all for making this year better for me. I love you all and Happy Thanksgiving!

Long Week

It's been a long week this week and next week, with Thanksgiving, looks like its going to be a lot longer. Didn't get much composition done this week. I added a tentative ending to the piano quartet but I'm now wondering if perhaps I should add a 4th movement - choices, choices, choices. Have a presentation to make for Comp 121 either today or Monday. I think I'm going to shoot for Monday, so that I can polish my paper up and strengthen my outline for the topic. I wonder if I can find someone to come in dressed like an Alien?

Work and Published!!!

Two things for today:

1. I'm aiming to get a substantial dent in this final movement of my Piano Quartet and am going to go back and work on the final draft of the first and second movements (considerably beef up the piano part, work out the string parts, etc.) The third movement so far is turning out really good - I'm very happy with what I have so far!

2, I have a poem published online now!!! Here is the link: Thanksgiving Poem! Also, you can view my contributor page here: Jason A Woodruff !!!!

Exercise Time!

I've been making sketches for the finale of my Piano Quartet - and going back to revise the first two movements. As a side project, I am going to be arranging several of the Bach Two Part Inventions for Piano to String Quartet. I have a few ideas in relation to some of them. It will be a good exercise, I think. I might also write a series of Two Part Inventions myself - just to strengthen my contrapuntal ability some. Always room to improve.

Viola getting fixed!!!

Taking my viola to Nina's today to get the bridge fixed on it. I've started working on a tentative schedule for me. It's always good to organize one's time - especially when your pulled in multiple directions. I'm going to shoot for at least an hour of practice each day! I need to start organizing it as well so I have at least an hour a day of composition time. Sometimes, I get so busy with schoolwork that I don't do anything else.. and then on Wednesdays, I'll sit and play around all day till Ghost Hunters comes on.... procrastination is my worst enemy! In other news today, I still have an A in Algebra!!! Got my grade today, it's at 94%! I was so worried, especially after that last exam.

Smoking Cessation Day 1

I have decided to try again to quit smoking! To help in this regard, I will post my progress here in my blog. To help me quit, I have generic Nicorette purchased from Wal-Mart. I chose the 4 mg gum since I smoke more than a pack a day. So, far - in the first two hours, I've had a slight craving for a cigarette. Not sure if this is working, or if it will work, but I will try it.