Not much piano play this evening.  I squeezed about 1/2 hour in – reinforcing some of the things I talked about.  I was into skunk mode – trying to find a way to get these buggers out from under the deck.  
Ok, I have a plan he says.
First, there is a nice container of fox [...]

Continue reading " Animal House "

Only an hour on the piano last evening.  I threw some notes around and found a nice b minor like chord in a progression that I might like to use and wrote it down.  Nothing in what I am working now sounds close to the typical.  Nothing sounds close to my core musical style.  Its [...]

Continue reading " Idle "

photo credit: semprealsnuvols
Persistence is key, or obsessive-compulsive disorder.  I’m not sure which.  I must have a bit of both. The sessions are becoming more of interest as I continue this exploration of improvisation whims and flurries.  The right hand is strengthening up I must say.  For someone who never practices – such as the composers life when [...]

Continue reading " Purrsistence "

photo credit: memekode
Much introspective twisting and gripping with new improvisational ways describes my weekend and my piano sojourns.  I slowed down the introduction of the main thematic line to a crawl, and it seems to work quite nicely with background materials.  It’s becoming clearer this work is more like a series of variations than a set classical sectional [...]

Continue reading " Twisting an Orange Peel to Get Grape Juice "

A strong week becomes a weak week.  After much progress moving toward an acceptable theme, I switch tracks to improvise some more with different rhythms and styles using the same melodic materials.  Variations if you will on an exceptionally genius theme.  Remember, confidence is everything.
The original theme was somewhat melancholy, but it felt too short and contrived [...]

Continue reading " Composing Status Update #51 "

Ok, change the tempo.  Throw out the rhythm.  Suddenly, we find a way out.  Will it work?  Not sure.  Pitches are very much the same.  Toyed around a bit last evening.  Its a more playful opening.  Delays the lyricism and adds a certain contrast.  Might sound a bit too Stravinsky like if I’m not careful. [...]

Continue reading " Faster and Sweet "

Dropping the pretension of sets for another angle at the main theme of the violin work gave me another view at the materials, and I can see a way – maybe not the best way – but a way to making it work.  I think what is more interesting is the material that follow – [...]

Continue reading " Wednesday Romanza "

Hit a wall last evening with this main theme.  I don’t know if it was tiredness, or just that it’s a bad musical idea, but the harmony sounded distorted, and the melody sounded really cheap and simplistic.  After playing around with it for a considerable time, I just folded the evening.  I suppose its a [...]

Continue reading " Slowdown "