#cpsa capstone project

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Update 3/16

After mapping out my first movement in an attempt to try to get the second movement together, I’ve begun typing up notes and analysis for my first movement in order to help me explain and present my piece at Artsfest. 

I used three motifs/themes in the first movement and I’m going to also use three motifs in the second one. These motifs tend to be puns, something symbolic or something that just sounds good. My pun motifs, which I am very proud of, include the notes “DEAD” and a series of notes that range from scale degrees 7 up to the minor 3, which in solfege syllables is “ti” (7) up to “me” (3) and spells “time.” 

~

Today is the Thursday before spring break and all of my classes have been canceled. I still have my rehearsal with my chamber group, and I’m going to ask them to play some parts for me. I’m also going to get my other friends to record some parts for me.

~

I’m currently trying to upload recordings of my composition process to my Tumblr but it doesn’t seem to be compatible. (tumblr’s asking for a link, but my recording is an mp4) Thus I’m writing text.

A way to help you brainstorm is to just play freely for 15 minutes. It’s okay and even good to make accidents. In fact, most of my accidents lead to really cool ideas. I listen to these recordings and use my aural dictation skills to figure out what notes I was playing. 

Overall this is a pretty time consuming process, but I enjoy it and am very determined to get it completed. I’m looking forward to a productive Spring Break!

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Mvmt 2 completed?!

https://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/3d0370b60378674e263ee9c07d4d51e139aaa03e It's pretty much done. Feedback is greatly appreciated! So, how did I do on being angry? Could be angrier indeed... Symbolic things worth noting. look at the motifs. some of them are from the first movement.I gave them all namesred is "dead"- pitches DEAD of course.blue is "resolute"- symbolizes the desire to improve ochre/mustard is "time"- scale degrees ti to me in some important key.magenta is " memory"- symbolizes remembering back to a time before the griefpurple is "no"- every time you see it, it's the character saying "no" symbolizes denial. Green is when something about one of the motifs is off, perhaps the character is lying to themselves (The person that caused me grief is an oboe player, thus the oboe in this piece does more green than the other instruments) cello solo is basically you/ the protagonist/ the thought process e.g measures 100-107 the protagonist starts remembering the past (memory motif) and so the oboe is messing up your resolution.Throughout the piece, you want to be in D minor. The oboe is playing your resolution in the parallel major, making you feel like it's okay. But it's not okay. It's all weird and stuff. I feel like there's a better word than motif for the longer melodic lines. "Themes" perhaps? If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, anything else constructive, please talk to me I'm super glad to talk about my composition!

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Progress Update 3/21

So I was originally supposed to be done composing today but....

Mvmt 1: Denial.

I got my snare drum today so I recorded the percussion and rhythm parts.

It was much harder than I thought it would be staying on track because my piano part wasn’t steady. 

I don’t have any cymbals so I used a cheap 1$ triangle I bought for fun at Target and honestly it sounds pretty good.

I recorded the measly two chords I wrote for guitar. 

Mvmt 2: Anger and Patience

I finally put down all my ideas that I had. Bad news though, I had to delete a lot because all my ideas spanned about 8 minutes and I had to trim down unnecessary repetition. It felt like a lowkey waste of key having to delete my hard work. At least this caused me to feel the emotions that I intended to convey in this mvmt! 

I can’t think of passion sounding melodies like the one I had in the first mvmt. Only cliche ones that are closely based on the chord progression.

I’m proud of how I weaved the two pun motifs in. It sounds pretty badass where it’s more thick in texture. It’ll sound even awesomer once I add a drum part.

Mvmt 3. 

It sounds beautiful and really full (in the orchestration sense) so far. But it’s only 8 measures. I’ve got ideas, but I’m still thinking about them.

Mvmt 4:

I’ve started putting down my ideas. I’ve only got 4 measures in print though. Eh it’s a start.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Update 2/17

On the night of 2/16, I showed the score of the first movement of my piece “Denial and Guilt” to my friend who is a computer science and music performance double major. I pointed out certain themes, motifs and other significant things as we went and listened to the first movement of my piece. We had a discussion that centered on the music theory as we interacted with the score.

His reaction to my piece was mostly positive, as he enjoyed the stories I told through the music and the way I composed it but felt like the transitions were a bit sudden.

He replied: "I really liked it, I don't know if it's the software, but some of the transitions between some of the ideas seemed a little bit sudden"

Specifically, he pointed out that “some of the ritardandos sounded a bit abrupt or a little bit out of place at least.”

He really liked “the sections themselves” and the interplay between them, referring to each as a “vignette” or “story” as “each one of those things told a story to me or a part of a story” 

His one comment that provoked the most though in me was 

“by all accounts technically on how you made this it should be a theme and variations but it doesnt sound like a theme and variations at all because of the way you changed each part so that i really liked”

~~

On the morning on 2/17 I messaged him to elaborate what he meant by his thought provoking comment. His response was quite logical and is as follows:

But I guess what I'm trying to say is - the theme and variations method of composing usually pulls in a bunch of different melodies that are connected by a similar theme which can easily lead to the "variations" sounding like repeats of the theme itself and also causing the music to sound boring.

However, through the way you composed, in addition to reusing and changing the theme in terms of rhythm, and perhaps added new accompaniment, I think the most important part was that you changed the CONTEXT of the melody

Sure, you used the same melody again, but often when you did, the meaning of that melody would change instead of just repeating the statement - for example you replay a main statement near the end, but in (eventually false?) major whereas we've heard it in minor before. Hearing it major changes what it means and also makes it so it's harder to realize it's a repeat as well, leaving the listen a chance to discover this "secret" in the piece which I like.

Frankly, I am quite glad that someone noticed the strategies I had incorporated.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Sheets from during winter break

These are sheets from earlier on in the composition process. I had attempted to write out all the parts on a few grand staffs by hand, with a color designated to each instrument I would use, but I shortly got tired of the first/main grand staff of cello (red) and piano (black)

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Update 2/16

So far, I’ve presented my composition to two of my friends.

One of which is a business major and the other a fellow Music Education and Music performance major.

On Monday 2/13, I went through the score and pointed out my motifs (the notes DEAD etc) to the business major, who knew I was saying something ingenious, but didn’t really seem to grasp how clever the layering of motifs to make them fit together in a coherent way was. He simply bobbed his head along with the music and said “I like it, I think your composition is good."  

~~ After he left I decided to purchase premium Noteflight membership to make the process of composition easier.

On Tuesday 2/14, the fellow music major listened to me in the practice room as I was composing newer fragments and ideas to the 2nd mvmt, “Anger” and remarked that it felt like a sad kind of anger.

His exact words were:

"It sounds like sad, yearning anger; the kind of anger one feels when they can't reach the fullest of their potential, or when they aren't satisfied with a friend's comforting words."

"Oh gosh the second [fragment] makes me feel like my life is spiraling uncontrollably into an abyss. The beginning part especially. It feels overwhelming. Then I picture myself crying from all the expectations that people have for me. I try to accomplish tasks to live up to said expectations, but to no avail. This angers me because I know, in their eyes, I'm a disappointment."

~

So far, I seem to be accomplishing the goal of making the work a piece for all to enjoy such that even those who do not understand can appreciate.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

NAME: Amy Hao        

ADVISOR: Kenna

MEETING DATE & TIME: Wednesday 5 Pm

In 3-4 sentences, please describe what was discussed during your meeting. 

Kenna provided ideas for more sources to look at including readings about the specific emotions, more compositions that actually focus on emotion.

We discussed ways to present my final project including how I should focus on a single streamed video that could possibly loop. We talked about the contents of my project such as the motifs that I would use, and how that relates to my major.  We also talked about making the whole thing more in-depth and meaningful.

 In 3-4 sentences, please explain what the next steps you will take with your project will be. 

I’m going to go and record the crucial parts- the piano and the cello, to provide a ‘skeleton’ for my project. I’m going to see what that sounds like and add or edit parts as needed. Then I will send this draft to Kenna and my cello Professor and see what feedback I get and move on from there

  Please use the space below to indicate any further questions, concerns, or confusions that were NOT addressed during the meeting.

 I might need some help technologically with getting the presentation together.

 If someone could teach me how to make one of those split screened video in which I am playing a different instrument in each screen,  that would be awesome.