An Eternal Appetite for Infancy
At a recent conference, Betty Todd Smith, a wonderful conference presenter said, “Children never tire of repetition. It is we adults who hate the monotony of repetition.” That sentence really struck a chord with me as a piano teacher. I am also trying to think of ways to make the repetition more interesting to the student, but perhaps I am the one that gets bored.
A few days later, my husband reminded me of this beautiful and even more life-altering quote about repetition given by G. K. Chesterton:
Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, “Do it again”; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible God says every morning, “Do it again” to the sun; and every evening, “Do it again” to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity to make all daisies appear alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never grown tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite for infancy: for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we.
I think my perspective cannot help but be different tomorrow.
[Photo by seemsartless.com]
Read MoreDistractions: From the same device for work and play
I struggle with distractions like everyone else, but as an entreprenuer and self-employed individual, distractions can mean a loss of money or the slowing of a project. I thought Seth Godin had a great explanation for my specific situation:
One reason for this confusion [being engaged with activities that feel like work, but aren't], is that we’re often using precisely the same device to do our work as we are to distract ourselves from our work. The distractions come along with the productivity. The boss (and even our honest selves) would probably freak out if we took hours of ping pong breaks while at the office, but spending the same amount of time engaged with others online is easier to rationalize.
Seth goes on to propose using separate devises for play and work, but I don’t think that will help me. I’m not by games, but rather choosing to work on urgent things rather than important things (here’s a slideshow explaining the difference). I know there are programs which lock you out of things like Facebook, email, etc. so that you can only work on one thing at a time, but I fear that’s just a crutch and fake way of developing discipline and focus! At any rate, the above paragraph just helped me identify my production enemy and might help me draw lines on the battlefield of focus.
I’d love to hear how you keep yourselves from distractions. Please share below!
Read MoreCreativity and White Walls
Anyone interested in creativity and imagination will find some very useful posts on the blog of Derek Sivers. Derek is a musician and was the founder of CDBaby which became the largest seller of independent music on the web. Since selling the company, he has begun to focus on new ventures to benefit musicians. I am particularly fond of his MusicThoughts.com website where you can find quotes especially inspiring to musicians and creatives.
Derek recently wrote a blog post called “Why Wreck a Blank Canvas?” I chuckled when I read it for several reasons, one being that I have a large white wall in my living room for which I have searched for just the right piece of artwork. After several years of searching, my wall is still blank! A more obvious, composer related reason that I love this post is that it reminds me that a blank piece of staff paper is a beautiful opportunity to daydream, imagine, and brainstorm which is my favorite part of composing. Here is part of what Derek writes:
At the last apartment I rented, everything was white on white when I arrived. White walls, counters, table, furniture, and carpet.
So I took it one step further, bought five blank canvases, and hung them around the apartment. Especially one big one, right at the entrance.
Visitors would get upset, saying, “You’ve got to put something there! You can’t just leave it blank! It needs color!”
I’d say, “Good point. Like what. What do you imagine?”
They’d say, “Y’know, like some bold splashes of dark red, but not too heavy. Something with clean lines.”
I’d say, “Hmm…. I’m not sure what you mean. Can you describe it more?”
They’d stare at the blank canvas a bit, and go into more detail about what should be on it.
Eventually I’d say, “Nah. Not going to do it.”
“Why not?!?”
“The reason I love the blank canvas is because it makes everyone day-dream. The process of imagining what should be there is much more fun than if something was already there. There have been a hundred paintings imagined onto that canvas. It’s got unlimited potential. It’d be a shame to wreck that with a bunch of paint.”
Why not do as Derek suggests and leave that paper blank just a little longer to allow more time for unencumbered creativity?
Read MoreA Musical Tribute to Abigail
Today is the birthday of Abigail Adams, wife of founding father John Adams. Ever since reading David McCullough’s book John Adams, I have been fascinated and inspired by this beautiful woman. Abigail was beautiful, witty and incredibly intelligent as evidenced by her many letters written to her husband John while he was away in Philadelphia and France.
Abigail Adams, masshist.org
One of Abigail’s biggest regrets in her life was her lack of education. Only a small number of academies in Massachusetts admitted girls during Abigail’s childhood, but her parents’ desire to protect her from the many epidemics that swept that part of the country kept her from attending. However, Abigail took much of her education into her own hands and learned to write well and think deeply because of her parents and grandmother. She once stated that her grandmother possessed a “happy method of mixing instruction and amusement together,” which makes me smile as a piano teacher!
Richard Cranch, who was to become Abigails brother-in-law also had a profound influence on Abigail’s education as he:
…put proper Bookes into my hands, who taught me to love the Poets and to distinguish their Merrits.
Abigail loved to read and would often get together with various people to discuss the books they had read.
One of my favorite one-word descriptions of Abigail is one which John assigned to her early in their courtship: “Saucy.” Abigail’s wit and and self-confidence earned her the title and I love that her spirit was indomitable!
American Portraits, halleonard.com
So perhaps it’s no surprise that Abigail was the inspiration for my American Portraits book. When I’m playing, “Letters from Abigail,” I envision Abigail seated at a small desk on the ground level of her house. The windows are open with the white curtains gently blowing in the wind and her children’s voices are heard outside in the distance. Abigail sits quietly, writing a letter to her husband John who has been gone for almost a year. She writes slowly, then lifts her head and glances outside of the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of her husband walking down the road toward her.
Listen to Letters from Abigail
I am currently reading Abigail Adams by Woody Holton and thoroughly enjoying this new take on her life. I would highly recommend this book for anyone interested in her life.
Happy Birthday Abigail!
Read MoreInterview with Mona Rejino-Part 2
This is Part 2 of our interview with composer Mona Rejino. Read Part 1 here.
6. When you arrange a popular piece, do you use sheet music and re-score it, or do you listen to it and transcribe it?
Both are essential for me. I usually start with the piano/vocal/guitar (PVG) version of the piece I’m transferring to solo piano. But I also spend a lot of time listening to the original recording (thank goodness for iTunes!), which gives me a continual sense of the genuineness of the piece. It is so important to retain the original flavor and intent of the music, even if you are arranging it for an elementary student. An interesting teacher accompaniment on the early levels can help in this endeavor.
As a young student I remember loving to play the latest pop tunes. Many times
the versions you would find at the music store were really difficult and unpianistic.
I think that remains true today. In most instances there is no reason why a
student should not be able to play their favorite pop song. If an arranger retains
the essence of the music, but with careful editing keeps just the essential notes
and rhythms, they have done their job. Arranging is a challenging pursuit, but one
I enjoy very much.
7. How do you choose titles for your pieces? Does the title or the music come first?
Most of the time the music comes first, then I try to find an appropriate
descriptive title. Finding just the right title is often my nemesis. I sometimes
play my compositions for family members and piano students and solicit their
thoughts on what images the music creates for them. The editors and co-authors
I work with have also been helpful in selecting titles. Our daughter is a wonderful
artist, so I remember playing through a piece for her as she sketched what
came to mind. She suggested the title “Carnival Rag” for a ragtime piece found
in “Portraits in Style”, and sure enough, it was the perfect title! I wrote a sonatina
a couple of years ago and sent in a rather bland title for it. Jennifer Linn, my
editor, said the music was reminiscent of an “Americana” style, so we settled
on “American Sonatina.”
8. How do you get your music out of your head and onto the paper?
I have played by ear my whole life, and this has always been helpful in the
composing process. I play on the keyboard the essence of the piece I have in
mind. Then believe it or not, I start by sketching it out on a yellow legal pad. I’m
sure this is quite an unorthodox way to go about getting the music on to paper,
but it works for me. I put in the time signature and key signature then draw
several horizontal lines across the page. Basically right hand notes are written
above the line and left hand notes are below it. I jot down the letter names and
notate whether the notes are going up or down by their placement on the page.
Chords are notated in a box, and I write in just the basic rhythms. This becomes
my working rough draft, and it can be changed over and over as needed. Once
I have at least 90% of the piece sketched out to my liking, I transfer it to staff
paper.
9. Do you write your music by hand? Do you use a computer program? Which one do you use?
I am sorry to say that computers and I don’t usually get along too well. They are
essential to our daily life, but I use them only as necessary and as they fit my
comfort level. When I send hand written manuscripts in to the publisher, they are
very neat. I use good manuscript paper, sharp pencils and a ruler. I look forward
to the day when I have the time and patience to learn a computer program. My
friends and colleagues speak highly of Sibelius as a user-friendly program, so
that will probably be the one I tackle. In judging local and regional composition
contests, I find that most students use computer programs with ease, and that is
great!
10. Does your personality show through in your compositions? What style of music do you like to compose best?
There is not any one style that I prefer over others, but I do have a special
love for jazz and blues as well as romantic style music. Writing for piano gives
endless possibilities in the Impressionistic realm, also.
There is no doubt that your personality will come across through your
compositions. Think about it…you begin with a blank page, and eventually share
your soul with everyone who plays and hears your musical creation. Whatever
mood you create will be shared with those who come in contact with your works.
We often think of Haydn’s music as being cheerful, and some of Beethoven and
Debussy’s music illustrates humor. But all of these composers also wrote some
darker, more dramatic music as well. Each of us is a kaleidoscope of moods,
and the art of writing music gives each of these moods a voice to be shared with
others.
11. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Does the music you listen to affect your compositions in any way?
I listen to many different types of music, and I do believe that what you listen to
has an impact on your creativity. There is nothing more rewarding than hearing
a beautiful classical recording, and we listen to a lot of classical music at our
house. I also love jazz, so there is plenty of that in the mix. Our family members
often take turns playing our ipods through a stereo system, so I hear types of
music I wouldn’t normally listen to, and that is really helpful to me as a composer.
These run the gamut from Broadway tunes and old standards to rock and rap!
Thank you, Mona for being willing to answer our questions and for being our featured composer! Sharing your personal experiences will help us as we seek to help our students be successful wherever their musical interests lie.
Read MoreInterview with Mona Rejino-Part 1
Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for our featured composer, Mona Rejino, to answer. Such wonderful, thoughtful inquiries were submitted and I was able to group many of them together based on their subjects, making it easier for Mona to answer more of your questions. I want to thank Mona for taking the time to answer these questions so carefully. I have already thought of new composing activities to use with my students because of her answers.
This is Part 1 of the interview. Look for Part 2 on Wednesday.
1. What sparked your interest to compose? How did you develop your skill as a composer? Did you have a mentor or study a textbook?
In the beginning my interest in composing was really need based. In the early stages of writing the Hal Leonard Student Piano Library method books, we
were short a few pieces on the earliest level. One day I decided to see if I could write something that would be suitable for the task at hand. I sent in a few compositions, and to my great surprise, several were accepted. This gave me the confidence to continue writing.
For me, composing involves a lot of trial and error. I don’t use a textbook,
although the required compositions I did many years ago as a music major have
given me a foundation to build on. I don’t have just a single mentor. However
there is no doubt that playing and teaching quality compositions from the great
classical composers to the great present day pedagogical composers has a
significant impact on my work. I study the wisdom and creativity of composers I
admire, and try to emulate them with my own musical voice.
2. Where and how do you come up with new ideas for your pieces? Do you ever get melodic or rhythmic ideas for your compositions from your piano practice?
Ideas come from myriad places. Years ago I was headed to a piano teacher
conference in Dallas in rush hour traffic. I imagine you have had that terrible fear
of being late, when you knew there was nothing you could do about it! As I sat
through one stop light after another this little musical motif kept running through
my head. By the time I finally reached the conference, I had basically worked
out the A section of a piece that came to be named “Scavenger Hunt.” The idea
for “Mountain Splendor” appeared during a lovely morning hike our family took
in Oregon on summer vacation. I’ll always remember the incredible stillness
and beauty we encountered on that hike. As we climbed higher and the views
became more breathtaking, a melody over a chord progression kept running
through my head. We stopped to rest for a bit, and I asked my husband if he
happened to have a pencil and paper in his backpack. Lo and behold, he did!
So I began sketching out the basis of “Mountain Splendor” at the place in which
it was inspired. I have learned that you never know when an idea will manifest
itself, so always be prepared!
I think we all get wonderful ideas from the pieces we are practicing at any given
time. Often when my students bring in an idea for a composition we realize that
it has some relation to a piece they have just learned, whether it is melodic,
rhythmic or harmonic. This is true throughout history. One example is the way in
which Chopin and Mendelssohn’s works were influenced by Bach’s music.
3. Do you have a daily time you devote to composing? When you don’t feel like composing, do you still compose or do you wait until you are inspired?
I currently teach over 40 students and my daily schedule varies, so I am not
able to devote time to composition every single day. For me composing tends
to come in waves. I had an idea for an elementary level book this summer, so I
spent a couple of months writing and refining those pieces to turn in. The first few
pieces I wrote for this book came very easily. The last couple of pieces took a lot
more thought and time to produce. You may have had a similar experience when
working on projects. Waiting for inspiration is a great way to work, but deadlines
help add fuel to our inspirations!
4. What musical form do you use most often in your compositions?
I tend to gravitate toward ternary (ABA) form, although I have used other forms
as well. It is always fun to come up with a contrasting theme that complements
your first theme and fleshes out the composition. There is such a “roundness’ to
ternary form; it feels like starting at home plate, running the bases then winding
up at home again. It’s also a joy to add interesting introductions and codas to
your compositions, which feels like putting your signature brand on them.
5. How do you get a B section after you get the A section? How do you come up with a B section that is a good match/fit to an A section?
I think the word “contrast” is what helps me have a starting point in creating B
sections that complement the A sections. There are so many ways to create
contrast: shifting the harmonic focus from major to minor, changing the mood
from smooth and lyrical to detached and spunky, moving the melody from right
hand to left hand, creating more or less motion in the melodic line, etc. An
exercise in writing a theme and variations is always a great way to explore the
many possibilities you have at your disposal. Composing is much like writing.
Each section or paragraph is important in its own way, but you must never
lose sight of the overall effect someone will experience when playing your
composition or reading your essay as a whole.
Stay tuned for Part 2 on Wednesday.
Read More
Follow Us!