Arranging As Painting
Of all forms of musical writing, a cappella might be the closest to painting in sound. But don’t take my word for it.
Composition
Trashing Yesterday’s Work
Trashing yesterday’s work is part of the gig.
What Was Hard/What Is Hard
Being creative is always hard. But what makes it hard can change over time.
Never Gets Old
At what point in the career of a composer does it get old to hear your music performed?
PDQ
An appreciation of Peter Schickele.
More Unison
Ask yourself what the melody really needs.
Quantum Sufficit
Don’t stop till you get enough, but also…stop.
Big & Little
Often it’s the diction that matters as much as the content.
Always Simpler/Essential Complexity
The longer I write, the simpler I try to be.
Correcting What You Hear
The process of transferring what you hear to paper is not always reliable.