Community Music Center
Composition Workshop
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This
hands-on class explores general composition methods through a series of weekly,
short exercises. In each class we discuss specific techniques and
share/critique student work. Knowledge of music notation is not required, but
notated assignments (in any manner) are welcome. More importantly, you
should be able to provide a recorded version of your assignments as an .mp3
audio file for each class meeting. Any level of music theory knowledge
(or none) is ok, and students are encouraged to compose at whatever level
they feel comfortable. The
goal of this class is to develop compositional skills by studying a variety
of established techniques through listening and writing exercises. Class
meetings will be a mixture of reviewing student work and discussing specific
techniques. Students are expected to record and/or notate (via .mp3s &
.pdfs, or links) assignments prior to each class meeting. I will post these
on our class website unless you ask that I not. In
most cases your compositions will be short (i.e. 1-3
minutes in length) exercises that ask you to limit your focus to one or two
specific techniques. Because of this, your "exercises" may not feel
like "real" music–you may need to exclude (or set aside) ideas that
you think "sound good" for the sake of accurately featuring the
assigned technique(s). While this may feel challenging, down the road it
could help you develop more discipline and productivity if ever you hit a
writer's block within your creative process. Ideally,
to make the class function efficiently, you will email me your assignment by
Wednesday evening (the night before class). This will give me time to
download/evaluate it before our Thursday night meeting. I will then be able
to play your assignment in class. |
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Week |
Topic & Class Materials (subject to change
as the class evolves) |
Assignment Due/ Student
Examples |
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1: June 27 |
Overview:
compositional process; outlining and breaking down a composition into
component |
*** |
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2: July 11 |
Imitation (as flattery)
and derivation Chopin:
E Minor Prelude / Radiohead: Exit Music for a Movie (modeling the
melody) Field:
Nocturne No. 8 / Chopin: Eb Nocturne (modeling the
melodic leap and general texture) Armstrong:
What a Wonderful World
/ Mozart: Ah, Vous
Dirais-Je, Maman Beethoven:
Symphony No. 7, 2nd movement / JK: Beethoven 7th/5th
symphonies mashup |
Diagramming and annotating an existing
composition |
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3: July 18 |
Emphasizing/highlighting
a single method or idea Gyorgy Ligeti: Musica Ricercata
I
(using mostly one note; focusing on rhythm, dynamics
and density) JK:5ths
(focusing on the interval of a 5th) (audio) (score) Bartok:
Mikrokosmos No. 129, Alternating
3rds
(focusing on 3rds) Debussy:
Pour Les Quartes (focusing on 4ths) |
Imitating/modeling another piece |
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4: July 25 |
Motif: variations
and development Beethoven:
Symphony No. 5, 1st movement Rollins:
Tenor Madness Beethoven:
Symphony No. 7, 2nd movement Howard:
Fly Me To The
Moon (In Other Words) |
Feature a single focus, method
or idea |
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5: Aug 1 |
Rhythm only:
motif/density/dynamics |
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6: Aug 8 |
Melody and text JK:
melodic version instrumental
version SS: Romney Quotes |
Rhythmic/percussive piece organized around
a motif, varied density and conscious dynamics |
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7:
Aug 15 |
Form and contrast Beethoven: rondo from Op. 13, 2nd movement Deathwish: Tailgate (utilizing the
slow-fast-slow... technique) |
A melody based on a text (poem, etc.) |
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8: Aug 22 |
Modern ideas (time permitting) |
Short composition in a specific form
utilizing contrast *** Pianist discusses Ligeti
Piece |
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