Final composition recording, kinda rough but I like it.

Solitude

Part 1/3 of working off the idea of the word "wanderlust".

I came to the piano with an image of what “wanderlust” means. I decided that the best imagery to work off is nature, things like waterfalls, meadows, and forests. I stuck to mainly the black keys which made the majority of the piece sound pentatonic (with the exception of the rare moments when I added in white keys). I wanted to capture something that was beautiful and playful so I began with a falling set of notes followed by a low sustained octave. I then improvised a melody, focusing on keeping it calm and serene; following this is a short playful passage which soon returned to the calm playing from the beginning.

This improvisation had a semblance of a form which made it nice to listen too (with a slight contrasting section to divide the similar beginning and end). It contained the atmosphere that I wanted from the beginning which is a great positive, however I think it lacked a certain amount of articulation and phrasing (some things sounded very plain when because of my lack of use of dynamics).


Wanderlust Part 1

Part 2/3 of working off the idea of the word "wanderlust".

This time I thought of taking a more playful angle at “wanderlust”. I used much less pedal in comparison to the previous attempt, but did not completely omit it (using it for a slightly different purpose). I focused on playing short staccato notes and slightly sustained bass notes (which the pedal aided in). I had actually attempted to use the middle pedal in this piece but it did not work the way I wanted so I dropped it immediately.

This version of “wanderlust” was much different than the previous. I believe that this was a massive improvement on my technique because this style of playing is something I usually  stray from because I am not confident I could keep the rhythm or flow. The downside of this performance is that sometimes I was not as articulate as I could have been, and because of this there were some interruptions of flow because of this.


Wanderlust Part 2

Part 3/3 of working off the idea of the word "wanderlust".

For this version of “wanderlust” I did use the middle pedal successfully but it was a challenge to control it the way I wanted. I went for an idea that was similar to the first rendition but I did not have as solid of a motive to develop so I ended prematurely when I got cold feet.

I felt as if this one was way too similar to the first try at “wanderlust”. There were not any cool new ideas that stuck out and perhaps this was because I was already tired of the intention. It was very nice that I had a successful run at the middle pedal but I could use improvement in the timing of my depression and release of it.


Wanderlust Part 3

My intention was to play off a picture of a mountain range.

The picture of the mountain range was very beautiful and it was covered in green grass and trees (just wonderful scenery in general). My idea was to play it somewhat visually, rolling up and down the complete range for the contours of the hills and valleys in the photograph. I originally wanted it to sound consonant and major but somehow it ended up sounding minor, so like the hills I rolled with it.

 This piece contains one of the best things, I believe, I have improvised, and this is because I clearly phrased the melody and paid a lot of attention to the sound and delivery. I also really liked a later portion because there was a clear goal in mind as I sunk in register. The rest of the improvisation was lost in translation, my ideas not sounding clear, but the moments that I mentioned earlier saved it.


Mountain Range

This is a very old composition (circa 2012) but I thought it might be nice to share.

Created on Reason.

Colossus

An arrangement for flute, oboe, Bb trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, piano, violoncello, and contrabass. This was my final project from my instrumentation and orchestration class. Sadly, due to the strike, I wasn't able to get a live recording.

La Fille aux Cheveux de Lin Arrangement for an Ensemble

This piece was performed live but I do not have the audio file at the moment. This midi of it also omits the rhythm portion since I actually like it more without.

This is written for two flutes, a Bb trumpet, vibraphone, and piano.

Convalescence

A piece for flute, Bb clarinet, Bb trumpet, vibraphone, and piano. It needs a lot of work but this version is the one that will be recorded come April. I'm crossing my fingers for the best.

Darling Machine