photo credit: hall.chris25

Tonights composerly session was spent reviewing what I had accomplished these last few days and looking again in my chest of notes for anything else.  I also upgraded some software and plugins,and generally tuned up things a bit for the eventual decision on when to compostrate this work.

Beginning, I just let the piano roll its MIDI while I walked around looking at some of my artwork and collectives which are there to inspire me into this work.   What grabs me is that the musical objects that I am designing or have available all reference the work as a whole.  If you listen to any small piece, you hear the whole work.  It’s way beyond the simplistic motive.  I think it’s possible – just like a painting can be taken in full.  It can be overwhelming.  Gave me some confidence and for the first time a feeling of obsessiveness that I am finally on a correct path with this.

Looking through additional files tonight…digging up things I thought I noticed earlier, but came to me that perhaps it might prove useful and not reinvent.  Found one small fragment.  Just a reminder.  During this romp I came across a whole set of files I had made for cells and other materials on this long road to the smaller set I have now.  I had no memory of doing it but it was very elaborately edited and notated.  Arrows and cross related notations.  Someday, I’ll have to go back and decipher it.  I was taken aback at how much pre-compositional work I had done over the last 8 years to get where we are today.

Software upgrades – mostly catching up on some plugins and testing import/export facilities.  Still undecided on scoring software.  Leaning to Finale because of midi issues and features.  Sibelius does look great in 6.1.

Noticed that some of the secondary materials that I have available lend themselves very nicely to the gesture and contours of the main materials I have and can prove useful for some light contrast when integrated.  I need to explore this tomorrow night.

Understand closely Ravels notions of a long composition time, and the germination of work-  that sometimes you need to start and stop – leaving it aside and come back to it.  Certainly I’ve done that enough, but what I am accepting is that it is OK to do.  And waiting or thinking about your work is just as valuable as working on it day to day.  Life breaths into it this way.  I see shapes and places a bit more clearer every day.  It molds itself and will let itself be known on its own terms.