August 26, 2019

Weed, walk, work

August 6 , 2019

NINE-TWOS
David Dovetails Domenico: Dynamic Deliberations. Downhearted Douceur. Despite Despondency: DETERMINED DASH. (August 26, 2019: program note for piano composition written as a tribute to composer David Macbride [1952-2018]; Domenico is Domenico Scarlatti [1685-1757])

August 22, 2019

More often than hoped, works in progress don’t progress. Stay calm.

Composers are content providers; yet provisions can be rough. User unfriendly?

August 19-20, 2019

REASONS FOR HAVING WRITTEN THINGS

It came out.

Didn’t hear it when playing or listening to things by others; thus had to supply it.

The hands fell there, went from there.

The atmosphere of the day yielded something; impulse can’t be further clarified.

Thought about people—wonderful performers, other composers, wonderful non-musicians—and writing something made otherwise silent or poorly-worded sentiments appear more fully expressed.

Someone asked.

A striking phrase in some else’s music takes hold; you re-shape it, and in so doing it gets out of control and lo(!) behold(!) a new piece has formed.

Pen was attracted to paper.

It couldn’t be helped.

Failed to quit.

August 19, 2019

‘Finished’ barely exists in composers’ vocabularies.

August 18, 2019

Why would you actually want to find what you’re looking for? Keep things provisional. Keep looking.

August 2-14, 2019

MORE FOURS
String fiber, porous boundaries. (August 14, 2019)
Composer resigns, music flows? ( August 13, 2019 )
Work safe, compose dangerously. ( August 7, 2019 )
Aged cheddar; aged composer. ( August 6, 2019 )
As though we know. ( August 2, 2019 )

August 2, 1019

Can there be TOO MUCH professional sheen to your scores? Can a piece be TOO well-crafted? When are mistakes advantages, rough edges more human and touching, and foibles welcome?