In episode 18 of Composer Quest, electroacoustic composer Ted Moore enlightens us about coding music to interact with human performers. He also shares his ideas on choosing a musical form for your piece, like sonata form (ABA) or binary form (AB). We also talk some philosophy when I bring up Ted's piece "Eyes May Be Impaired," which he based on Plato's allegory of the cave.
Tag: Music Composition
Minnesota Waterfall Disaster Music with Nick Syman
Jazz trombonist Nick Syman has challenged himself to write a large jazz ensemble piece based on the St. Anthony Falls collapse in 1869. In Episode 16 of Composer Quest, Nick talks about how using a story can help you structure an instrumental piece of music. Nick also explains how the tension and release system of Afro-Cuban rhythms can help make more compelling melodies. And finally, we talk about our experience starting and finishing our Cagetones album in one month last February, for the RPM Challenge.
Film Scoring with Hollywood-Bound Will VDC
Will Van De Crommert produces Hollywood-quality film scores in a humble basement studio at Saint John's University. We talk about composing for film, his portfolio for USC Film School, and how to produce an endorphin-releasing pop tune.
A Composition Seed with Dr. Brian Campbell
I felt like I was right back in a composition lesson with Dr. Brian Campbell, my former CSB/SJU music professor, when I interviewed him for this episode of Composer Quest. As always, he imparted plenty of wisdom, this time about writing music from a single "seed" and developing that idea. We also talk about form, writing melodies, "robot composers," and using the Japanese aesthetic of "ma" - silence.
Teaching Kids to Compose with Maia Hamann
In this episode, I talk with my girlfriend, Maia Hamann, about how she teaches her young students to compose music. She explains her strategy of breaking music down into individual elements, something all composers could benefit from. Maia also shares tips on composing for bassoon. And we get to hear about her unique experience studying Somali music.
Composition or Production Lesson Giveaway!
Have you ever wanted to learn the basics of music composition? Audio production?
In an effort to get the Composer Quest podcast heard, I'm offering a free music composition or production lesson to one random Facebook fan and one random Twitter follower.
Oblique Strategies: Another Reason Brian Eno Rules
In this video, ambient music wizard Brian Eno explains his creativity-provoking pack of cards, called Oblique Strategies.
Composing for iPhone Games with Whitaker Trebella
In this episode of Composer Quest, I chat with video game musician and coder, Whitaker Trebella. He shares his words of wisdom on writing for games, producing chiptune music, and getting composing gigs through Twitter. He also composes an on-the-spot "quickprov" using Logic Pro. Finally, we ponder what would happen if Beethoven was given a laptop. Would he be making dubstep tracks?
Melodic Analysis of “When You Wish Upon a Star”
I bet you think Jiminy Cricket's heart-melting melody is pure magic. I disagree. It's time for the cold, calculated, musical facts.
Composing Textures with Theater Sound Designer Kevin Springer
When does sound become music? That's a line blurred by Kevin Springer's sound art. He designs sound and music for plays, including Tenesse Williams' Summer and Smoke. He has also found a niche for his experimental electronic music online. We talk about how he works in this strange musical language.