Oh hello nighttime

A composer never sleeps.

Especially one that doesn't know how to use sibelius...

hmmm

So I'm currently halfway finished all three of my pieces.

My goal is to try and finished at least one before my head hits the pillow tonight.

Just one!

please?

okay bye!

-robbie b the busy bee

late night composition writing

Wow! 

It is currently quarter to 1.

So in about 6 hours I will be getting up for school. 

Hmmmmm

Getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep seems very unlikely tonight then...

I can't help it though! I find I'm in my composing prime when my house is completely quiet besides me banging away on my midi controller. I like the eerie atmosphere of the night because all of this atonal business is half spooky!

So yesterday evening I spent trying to get sibelius working. It was quite tedious because I tried taking the poor musician's way out and 'borrowing' it from the internet. I'll buy it some day I swear! Anyway, after much frustration of getting it working, I realized that I have no means of printing it off. aka, no printer. So it looks like I'll be spending more money after all some time this week! That's karma, baby.

I also played squash for the first time last night. It was intense! 

I almost finished up my first piece today but once I entered it in sibelius I never really liked the flow of it. It lacked a middle section to tie two of my ideas together. I was also arranging it for violin, but I'm thinking of changing it to cello. I'm pretty sure I'm getting way too intense with the first project when I can just let things slide. But once I get something written and I'm not satisfied with it, I can't even listen to it again until it's changed. Once I get this piece finished though it shouldn't be too bad. I already have the second variation mapped out in my head. I'm just hoping to get this one shaped up for tomorrow!

Anyhow, back to work I go!

I think I'll get a coffee in the morning.

-robbie bobbie b

This is a blog

Well I think it's about time that I jump on this whole blogging band wagon before I get too far into the semester!

Last week we compiled 12-16 chord progressions varying in harmonic tension, played them in class and received feedback. I was quite pleased with my progression, consisting of 14 chords. There were some chords that puzzled different people that I found quite interesting. It was great to get different reactions and views. Chords 3 and 12 both seemed to be up for questioning of whether or not they fell precisely in place tension-wise. My climax, however, was recognized at 9 as I had planned. My first chord was probably my favorite, which was described as having a sense of inequality. 

As for this week, we were sent to work on our first character piece. Initially I began cramming too many ideas into my piece at once, because I would think of an idea and add it to the composition. But after playing it numerous times and getting some feedback from people, I've decided to break it down and concentrate on a couple of key ideas for the first one.

So far my first character piece consists of ambience contrasting with very noted excerpts. It's probably the most free time piece I will be composing out of the three. I have yet to decide on the difference in dynamics or if I will just leave it pretty soft and eerie. I don't want to describe too much more of it here though until I play it in class in order for everyone to get their own perception on it. 

I think the hardest part for me in writing atonal music is I find it so easy to get trapped into writing in a key signature. I'll start to write atonally but end up improvising and writing a completely tonal section. It's interesting to say the least, but I'm getting the hang out it. 

I'm hoping to be finished the piece by some time tonight, however with with my sibelius temporally not working I think I will be aiming for a monday performance.

But back to work I go!

Bye for now!

-robbie b

This is a test!