Digging In Deeper...

I am pleased with the progress I'm making on my composition thus far. Just this past weekend when adding other details to my piece to present on Monday, I found myself completely braindead, for lack of a better term! I read Kate's blog entry for this week and felt the same thing about having so many ideas, but then sitting in front of the computer screen listening over and over again, feeling as though you actually didn't have those good ideas because you can't write. I don't know why this is, but it's an interesting concept. I suppose maybe it's because we're thinking outside the box a little, and notating different sounds or effects that take some extra thinking as to the most effective way to go about doing that. I find it funny though, that ideas have come to me when I haven't been in "composition mode", so to speak, and then it's a mad dash to the computer or the piano!

Once again this week, I received a lot of encouraging comments about "Shipwreck." The sudden tempo change from the quarter note = 60, to 120 or 130 was received well, and I want this to be a very direct change. I am firstly illustrating the colour of the picture in the slow section - the white background, the desolate, almost eerie atmosphere, to the second section, which represents the rough water and the unsteady ship. I was possibly weary that I had too much going on at one time here, but I've thought about it more, and I like what I've come up with. Each line has its own melodic line, but they work together and create atmosphere I was aiming for. I don't remember who made this comment, but someone commented on the spatial element of the piece, and said it worked well.

I think one of the things I'm "stressing" about is the instruction in the piece...the piano introduction for example. Dr. Ross - thank you for your interpretation, which I like far better than my idea. Constantly brushing the lower strings of the piano, creating a wash of deep colour works far better than single strokes, one after the other. The sound is a little more permanent this way - I will make that change.

The piano accompaniment is very chordal, so I was given the suggestion to experiment with that and make it a little more interesting. I actually plan to have these chords rolled, so maybe I can work with that element...maybe rolling up and then down, to foreshadow the roughness of the water? Maybe???

I'm still finding it hard to decide on the ending of the piece. I need to finish the middle section, but I'm trying to think ahead...I really don't know if I want the piece to end abruptly, similar to the second section, or if it should represent something similar to an ABA form, where the tempo changes again for the 3rd part. I'm leaning more towards this option, but I'd love to hear your opinions as to what you think...

That's all for now! Happy composing, everyone!
-Jenn