Monday, December 20, 2010

Symphony No. 1, Movement 1

Finished the first movement of my Symphony no. 1 last night.  Still tweaking formatting and trying to figure out how to divide it up so I can post it to MySpace and Facebook so y'all can listen to it!  I'll keep you in the loop, as we all now how technically savvy I am.

I should have it loaded by 2012.

More as the drama unfolds,

Jef

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Big Boy Symphony

So I'm known as an "educational" composer. Means I write good music for student musicians and that it's pedagogically sound. I'm cool with that, as I'm good at it.

But, sometimes a composer has to write what he/she WANTS to write. A piece that will build craft while giving satisfaction to the innate need to create.  I've just started such a piece, my first symphony. OK, I've written three symphonies already, but this is the first one written in what I would guess some historian a hundred years from now will term "his mature style," meaning that it's written for professional level performance.  And it's totally different than what I usually write.

It's fun writing for yourself every now and then, but don't worry, I won't let all this atonality and aleatory go to my head.  I'll be writing a grade 1 string orchestra piece before you know it....

Stay warm out there! It's -10 here in KC with this nasty arctic wind!

Jef

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Kickin' the Bells

School concert tonight! Whoo-hoo!

Always fun to create new music with my students. Tonight's concert will feature two brand-new works written especially for their respective ensembles: VGM (Violas Get Melody) was written for our elementary honors strings, aka "Extreme Strings," while "Kickin' the Bells" (my take on the ubiquitous Ukrainian Bell Carol) will be premiered by our Chamber Orchestra.

Lots of other great music happening as well, with all four high school orchestras joining the Extreme Strings tonight.

So, I guess I better go get ready so I can head back up to school for the fun!

More later,

Jef

Thursday, December 2, 2010

New Composer Weight Loss Secret Revealed:

Food poisoning!

Yeah, gross, I know.  After I got back from Iowa last Sunday I ate some wonderful leftovers that turned out to be not-so-wonderful.  Ended up with 24 hours of sheer torture.  Never want to do that again!

Even my Critters knew I was in trouble: the dog and cat never left my side the entire time I was home sick. Cool kids!

But I had to get back to school this week, as we have District Honors Orchestra (of which I'm in charge), a guest clinician (my good friend Brian Cole from Moorhead, MN, who's doing the honors orchestra gig), and a concert next Tuesday! Not a great time to miss much school!

Which doesn't leave much time for composing. But that's alright. I'm putting the finishing touches on the Franklin Middle School commission, so it'll be ready right around the holidays, and my slate is pretty open right now.  Anybody need a new piece?

I'm thinking "Concerto GROSS-oh: in E Coli No. 2" would be appropriate!

Try harder to be a little bit better,

Jef