Contemporary work for String Quartet, Woodwinds and Percussion.

My Method of Composing and Producing

I'm sharing my method of composing and producing music recordings in case other composer-producers like me might find ideas worth exploring in their own work. I use this method for Classical, Avant-Pop or Neo-Folk Instrumental genres, not for Ambient and Soundscape pieces. Non-composers might find this explanation interesting, but having a bit of music theory background will definitely help. I consider myself a humble learner when it comes to music theory. 

I owe a debt of gratitude to British musician and educator Gareth Green, whose Music Matters online courses and free YouTube lessons have taught me so much over the past few years. Thanks to his instruction, I’ve moved from struggling to compose music by trial and error to something more enjoyable and productive. The knowledge I've gained has taken my work in new and expanding directions. As the saying goes, “Theory is not a cage — it’s a map. It doesn’t make the journey for you, but it keeps you from getting lost.” 

When I start a new piece, I begin by choosing a key, and picking a scale drawn from one of these sources:
 
1) Western Tonal / Functional Harmony - major or minor chords I II III IV V VI VII
2) Modal Harmony - Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, etc.
3) Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" 
4) Messiaen’s "Seven Modes of Limited Transposition" 

For many pieces, I also decide on a progression, one as a simple as I IV V, or something more elaborate.  

Next I create a "scales and progressions" piano track in my DAW (digital audio workstation software) and enter the chords I to VII in my chosen key. These harmonized scales serve as a basis for writing multipart harmonies and finding pivot chords for key modulations. 

At the start, I know what instruments I want to use, making adjustments along the way. I tend to write chord parts first, then melodies created through a mix of improvisation and direct input in the DAW. Sometimes I start with a melody.

I develop melodies and variations of a phrase by some combination of: a) passing it from one instrument to another, transposing it by an interval that sounds pleasing, b) reversing it, c) inverting it around the tonic (first) note of the scale. These are well-known methods. 

After completing a section, I choose another scale and maybe a new key and repeat the process until I have a draft of the entire piece. Then I export a recording and listen to it “offline”, take notes of errors and new ideas, and incorporate them back into the piece. Often this “compose / listen / compose” cycle is repeated many times. These iterative cycles include adding new ideas, polishing transitions between sections, changing the arrangement, and incorporating expressive details like accents, and articulations (staccato, sustain, portato etc.). I’m often working several different pieces at once. 

Last is mixing and mastering: balancing the loudness between instruments and adjusting elements like reverb, compression, and equalization. I tend to mix as I compose, even though many producers frown on that approach. I find mixing as I go helps me envision the completed piece and make adjustments to the choice of instruments; it self-inspires me when the piece is starting to sound good.  At the end I do a final mix, but as the saying goes, “A mix is never finished — it’s surrendered.”

In the end, this method gives me a basis for exploration and creativity and helps me stay focused. The goal is always to make a piece of music that feels expressive, cohesive, and emotionally resonant.

Suite for Chamber Ensemble 2024

Suite For Chamber Ensemble 2024

Thank you  for visiting my world, I'm happy to share! Listening is free, commenting is priceless.

I 've been composing electronic music for more than 23 years but only started this new project 3 years ago, when the band in which I played bass splited.

 A large amount of the music I love was recorded in the 70's. Among these revered groups , Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Ange or King Crimson stand out. Over the years, I've also been very fond of many diverse bands and songwriters (The Doors; The Beatles; Bowie; Neil Young; Deep Purple; Led Zep; Patti Smith; U2; The Police; Massive Attack; Chemical Brothers; Killing Joke; Marillion; Morphine; Nirvana; The Young Gods; Dominique A; Noir Désir, Conil, Aurora ...). 
More related to my own synth music production, one could find influences from Vangelis, Jarre, Björk, Oldfield, Numan, Kraftwerk, Schultze and other pioneers. Finally, I should mention the great soundtrack composers such as Ennio Morricone, Wendy Carlos or Hans Zimmer.
Above all those great musicians stands the beloved statue of Ludwig van Beethoven, the visionary, the prodigy, the most sensitive man.

My desire is to be a tiny part of the admirable family of human composers and musicians in order to explore the infinity of musical combinations that our mind offers... To achieve this goal, I will continue to mix my own set of diverse influences in my own imperfect human way, without surrendering to any type of AI composer. My approach questions the astonishing way in which skills, sensitivity, aesthetic and personal history provide the fuel and oxygen for our creativity, while chance, curiosity and current feelings provide the spark. What matters the most is the process, not the result, the “product”. 
I often start my new pieces with a vague idea of the genre and mood I want to explore. Then, by playing with one of my synths, I let the sound impose its nature and call for other sounds it wants to play with.  My role as a composer is like that of a sailor acting on his rudder and his sails. I am neither the wind nor the sea and I have no map, but my instinct should allow me to avoid the reefs and I will eventually land somewhere, most likely a strange and unexpected place.
My pieces will always reflect the result of hundreds of micro-choices I made, consciously or unconsciously, that's what makes it fun, right?
Feel free to comment or criticize my plethoric prod because reading your feedbacks is the only reward I expect.

Bandcamp: https://loyajirga.bandcamp.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/0bohy1SDB37BBZLksRM9GY

I'm just a self-taught musician and piano player who tries to express his mind and thoughts through the black and white keys.

There is a great community here. I really enjoy listening to your music. I'm also happy when someone listens to mine :)

Musician/Composer/Sound Designer/Producer
Owner/Operator of Sound Source Fundamentals

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science."
-Albert Einstein

I started my musical journey at the age of five, initially composing music with tablature taught by my father. Beginning with the penny whistle and violin, I played in our family band, busking on the streets of Bath.

Our travels across the country inspired compositions like "Road to Wareham." Music became my sanctuary, especially after being diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. In college, under mentors such as Dr. Rick Birley, Dr. Richard Hall, and Dr. Julie Trevett, I honed my skills in composition, theory, and piano, transitioning to formal music notation using Sibelius.

Today, I compose for film, video games, and theatre. My music, influenced by my diverse experiences, aims to evoke emotion and tell stories.

Thank you to my followers and listeners for your support. I hope you continue to enjoy and share in my musical journey.

Please no offers for more followers, listeners or other advertising. I don't pay for advertising!

Please help support ALL types of new Classical music by following this page.  The greater the following the more exposure reposts of new music in the genre receive including any reposts of yours. There are very few if any pages  dedicated to reposting new classical music.  So please support the cause by following.

Once you FOLLOW this page, you can send a message of a track you would like to be added to this moderated Classical Music Repost.  This can be either your own work or a track of another composer you'd like reposted.  Upon acceptance, your track will be reposted.  Feel free to send additional tracks in the future too, but space sending them out by a few days or more.  Thank you  so much.

I am a composer and producer of instrumental music in several genres, including ambient soundscapes, electronica, orchestral and chamber music.  

Musical influences include John Coltrane, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Tangerine Dream, Robert Prince, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Heinrich Ignaz, Franz von Biber.

My Method of Composing and Producing
------------------------------------------
I'm sharing my method of composing and producing music recordings in case other composer-producers like me might find ideas worth exploring in their own work. I use this method for Classical, Avant-Pop or Neo-Folk Instrumental genres, not for Ambient and Soundscape pieces. Non-composers might find this explanation interesting, but having a bit of music theory background will definitely help. I consider myself a humble learner when it comes to music theory. 

I owe a debt of gratitude to British musician and educator Gareth Green, whose Music Matters online courses and free YouTube lessons have taught me so much over the past few years. Thanks to his instruction, I’ve moved from struggling to compose music by trial and error to something more enjoyable and productive. The knowledge I've gained has taken my work in new and expanding directions. As the saying goes, “Theory is not a cage — it’s a map. It doesn’t make the journey for you, but it keeps you from getting lost.” 

When I start a new piece, I begin by choosing a key, and picking a scale drawn from one of these sources:
 
1) Western Tonal / Functional Harmony - major or minor chords I II III IV V VI VII
2) Modal Harmony - Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, etc.
3) Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" 
4) Messiaen’s "Seven Modes of Limited Transposition" 

For many pieces, I also decide on a progression, one as a simple as I IV V, or something more elaborate.  

Next I create a "scales and progressions" piano track in my DAW (digital audio workstation software) and enter the chords I to VII in my chosen key. These harmonized scales serve as a basis for writing multipart harmonies and finding pivot chords for key modulations. 

At the start, I know what instruments I want to use, making adjustments along the way. I tend to write chord parts first, then melodies created through a mix of improvisation and direct input in the DAW. Sometimes I start with a melody.

I develop melodies and variations of a phrase by some combination of: a) passing it from one instrument to another, transposing it by an interval that sounds pleasing, b) reversing it, c) inverting it around the tonic (first) note of the scale. These are well-known methods. 

After completing a section, I choose another scale and maybe a new key and repeat the process until I have a draft of the entire piece. Then I export a recording and listen to it “offline”, take notes of errors and new ideas, and incorporate them back into the piece. Often this “compose / listen / compose” cycle is repeated many times. These iterative cycles include adding new ideas, polishing transitions between sections, changing the arrangement, and incorporating expressive details like accents, and articulations (staccato, sustain, portato etc.). I’m often working several different pieces at once. 

Last is mixing and mastering: balancing the loudness between instruments and adjusting elements like reverb, compression, and equalization. I tend to mix as I compose, even though many producers frown on that approach. I find mixing as I go helps me envision the completed piece and make adjustments to the choice of instruments; it self-inspires me when the piece is starting to sound good.  At the end I do a final mix, but as the saying goes, “A mix is never finished — it’s surrendered.”

In the end, this method gives me a basis for exploration and creativity and helps me stay focused. The goal is always to make a piece of music that feels expressive, cohesive, and emotionally resonant.

I teach in US higher education (in a STEM field) & am a hobbyist composer writing in a few different styles. I recommend headphones. All of my music is released under a Creative Commons Attribution/Noncommercial license.

My bandcamp page is getting out of date again, but some older albums there can be downloaded for free or for a name-your-own price donation.

If anyone wants to try performing any of this stuff on real instruments please send a message and I can provide scores. Not sure how playable some of it is for human musicians though.

Unsolicited messages asking me to listen to your latest song will lead to you being blocked unless if I know you well and we've interacted a lot.

My music is written without the use of AI.

Hope you enjoy and thanks for visiting!

I would be genuinely happy if my music could evoke your profound feelings.  Please use headphones if possible. 

I sincerely appreciate your interest and time.

Suite For Chamber Ensemble 2024

Jim Lynch