Ten Steps to Better Composing

I just have to link to this blog entry by Brian Clark, the author of copyblogger.com.

He's concerned about writing language, but his advice says it all for composers, too!

Something for Hitchcock Fans

Music is such an abstract, can't-put-your-hands-on-it art form. I'm always finding it useful to compare music to visual arts. I recently came across this website which is a humorous attempt to explain how to be a better film director via the techniques of Alfred Hitchcock.

Or is it humorous? Many of the techniques can apply to any good art, and that means music, too. Keep the audience in mind, frame for emotion, break cliches, remember to use humor, two things at once, surprise and twist -- all are valid considerations when you sit down to compose a piece of music.

Thanks to Jeff Bays for writing this neat little web page!

Prince Shows the Way?

I've been a fan of Prince since back in 1982, when his album 1999 came out. It's no secret that pop music has suffered commercially in the last few years in the age of the digital download. But here, with Prince, we have a musician who has somehow managed to stay ahead of the curve commercially. In the July 22, 2007 New York Times there is an article by Jon Pareles called "The Once and Future Prince" which does a good job of explaining how Prince has adapted over the years to the changing realities of getting music to his audience. For instance,

Prince gravitated early to the Internet. Even in the days of dial-up, he sought to make his music available online, first as a way of ordering albums and then through digital distribution.

and

Prince's priorities are obvious. The main one is getting his music to an audience.

Whatever kind of musician you are, classical, pop, jazz, the internet has completely revolutionized your career -- whether you do something about it or not. Prince's example serves as a great object lesson, and the article is worth reading here.

Listening Like a Composer

On August 27, 2006, the New York Times published a review of Francine Prose's book, "Reading Like A Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want To Write Like Them." The review was written by Emily Barton, and makes some salient points that we as composers might heed.

The subject at hand is: How do you teach this art? There aren't too many good books out there that teach you how to be a writer (or a composer).

In her review, Barton points out that a

"difficulty faced by writing teachers is, paradoxically, the lack of interest many students show in reading."

Isn't this true amongst many composers, too? How often do we listen to something new, or do we always go back to the same standbys when we listen? Are we frequent concert goers, do we splurge on CDs by new composers, do we show an interest in composition?

Part of the problem is that reading (or "listening") can be a chore. Who wants to be force-fed something they are not interested in? In her book, Prose suggests that we need to savor the experience, and that to do so

"may require some rewiring, unhooking the connection that makes you think you have to have an opinion about the book and reconnecting the wire to whatever terminal lets you see reading as something that might move or delight you."

In other words, go out and listen to some music just for the joy of it!

When to Ignore Critics

So, lately I've been thinking about the careers of some cinematic giants. Consider Woody Allen and M. Night Shyamalan. Here are two writer/directors who produce a new movie very reguarly. You can tell that these are disciplined writers who make their creativity a priority.

Now, it is also true that sometimes the efforts of these directors are not much appreciated by the critics!

In contrast, have a look at the career of Quentin Tarantino. Since he struck it big with "Pulp Fiction" (1994), his output has been minimal. He has done some television work, sometimes as an actor, but you have a sense that he must be a blocked writer somehow. Francis Ford Coppola was never able to overcome the towering heights of "The Godfather" movies. Yet, Martin Scorsese has managed to make a very interesting movie every few years.

What's going on here?

I guess that's the danger of having some big success with a project -- "Pulp Fiction" in Tarantino's case, "The Sixth Sense" in Shyamalan's case. How do you top it? 

The answer, of course, is to keep creating. Try not to worry about what the critics will say. (And especially, try to avoid your own internal critic!) Don't worry about topping yourself; keep your discipline and keep working. After all, Woody Allen and M. Night Shyamalan and Martin Scorsese will always be able to look back on a larger body of work than, say, Tarantino. 

So I encourage you, as composers, to have a large body of work. Besides, unlike movie makers, you don't need to raise several million dollars to get your art out there!

Hierarchies Matter

Bear with me on this one.

I was chatting with Joe Ravo, a guitarist who also happens to be a computer tech wizard, and we got to talking about the start of the internet. Back in the 1960s and 70s, the US military began a project called ARPANET. One of their goals was to decentralize communications, so that in the event of war the military's communication would not be wiped out with one hit.

Likewise, with the present-day internet, we like to think there is a lot of decentralization. But is it so? Google's way of codifying the internet gives priority to web sites that attract a lot of attention. For instance, Google recognize's that more people are likely to search for Wendy's, the fast food chain, rather than my friend Wendy. Google understands the importance of forming data into a hierarchy. If Google gets taken out, that's going to affect the internet a lot more than my friend Wendy's web site disappearing.

Joe and I talked about the nature of things being broken up but returning to their natural order -- another example is AT&T. In the early 1980s the company was broken up into smaller pieces. Here today in 2007 it is back together, stronger than ever.


(Joe Ravo recommended the book Linked for more on this subject.)

Well, for whatever reason, this reminded me of tonality. In the 20th Century, there was an attempt to decentralize tonality. From now on, music would not be organized into a hierarchy of key and chord progressions. But something there is about human nature and the nature of music, the way we listen, that drives us back to organizing music into a hierarchy of, if not key exactly, related notes and motifs.

Recycle vs. Repurpose

I am not a big fan of revising your music. Once you've got things set, and once the music has been performed, it's time to let it go and move on to your next piece. The way I look at it is this: That piece of music is a snapshot of who you were at the time you composed it.

If there are obvious errors or oversights in your score, yes, by all means correct them.

But to the question at hand: what about using your own material in fresh, different ways? More and more I learn this is a tried and true technique, and you should definitely consider it.

For instance, my Three Songs of Carl Sandburg was recently performed again, and a request came up to rescore it for soprano and marimba. Well, why not? I've come to learn that many very big names in composition reorganize their music to fit the bill, whatever that might be. Something you wrote as a movie theme might become the basis for a symphony, etc.

This is especially useful during any time you feel "stuck" and don't know what to write. Repurpose your older music for a new venue, and continue to keep writing every day. This will help you keep your discipline and may even lead to some fresh, new inspiration.

Announcing Richard Russell Concerts Blog

I've been thinking about this for several days. Lately, I've been posting more and more of my own concert announcments and news here on this blog, which is supposed to be about your composition career, and ways to be creative. I don't want folks who come here reguarly to read about such matters to give up on this blog.

Yet, at the same time, I want my loyal listeners to have an avenue of keeping up-to-date with my performances. And suddenly, the solution hit me: Why not have two blogs?

So, I'm please to announce Richard Russell Concerts and News.

Please do me a favor and subscribe to this blog by putting in your email in the box on the lower right of this page. You'll continue to get my insights on Creativity and Composition via email, sponsored by Google's excellent Feedburner. They (and I) won't spam you. (And while your at it, subscribe to the Concerts blog, too!)

Thanks to all.

Being Honest in Music

Here's a good way to get someone's undivided attention. Ask, "Can I be honest with you?" People will stop whatever they're doing and have a listen to what you want to say.

The same is true in music, too. When you compose, are you being honest? Are you putting "you" in the music, or are you putting on airs? Are you the real thing, or are you wearing the emperor's new clothes?

Sometimes I start writing a piece and I have to abandon it. There's more than one reason this might happen, but chief amongst them is that I feel the music is not communicating honestly.

The shame of it is that I hear many audiences being impressed with dishonest, unlistenable music. I guess you can fool a lot of people a lot of the time. But do yourself a favor: don't fool yourself. Always let your music be an honest expression of yourself.

Announcing the NYCC's First Composition Competition

For composers in the New York area, have a look at the attached competition! The deadline is September 17, 2007.

June 5, 2007 NYCC Concert

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity for my Three Songs of Carl Sandburg to be performed again, sung again by soprano Sofia Dimitrova. The concert was presented at Saint Peter's Church in midtown Manhattan, under the auspices of the New York Composers Circle.

Here are several pics (click to enlarge) from the evening. First, there's Sofia chatting with her mother and grandmother before the concert (with me chiming in on the right.)

Then I am addressing the audience before the performance, saying a word or two about the piece. Followed by Sofia singing (and the tip of my head visible at the piano).

Last, the reception after the concert, with 2004 Pulitzer Prize Winner Paul Moravec in the red shirt on the right. His Vita Brevis was performed by soprano Tiffany DuMouchelle with Julie McBride on piano.

It was a terrific concert; many thanks to all for their support at the concert!

Three Songs of Carl Sandburg

There's an old saying that good luck is when opportunity meets preparation. It SO MUCH pays to be plugged in and always ready.

Quite unexpectedly, an opportunity has come up for me to have another piece of my music performed. It's very short notice: Sofia Dimitrova will be singing my Three Songs of Carl Sandburg on Tuesday, June at 8pm. Click on the flier for a larger image of all the details. A reception will follow: I'd love to say hello to you afterwards!

Another Premiere

Here is a flier advertising the next concert which will have my music on it -- the World Premiere of Two Rilke Songs. (Click image for larger detail.) In fact, I am still finishing the final draft of one of the two songs as this is being posted, so this will be a very fresh piece of music! Many thanks to soprano Sofia Dimitrova and her sister, Stanichka, for their help in getting this piece written.

By the way, this will be a Brooklyn premiere for me; to my knowledge, I have not had my music performed in Brooklyn. Hope to see you there!

Ask a Different Question

I've touched upon this in my audio podcast in the past, but this morning I was composing and reached a bit of a problem. I wondered whether the chord I had was harmonically "correct" or "the best chord" to use.

But I quickly changed the question to "what kind of texture do I want here?" And that helped immensely.

Sometimes, when you get stuck, try asking a different question. Do I want more rhythm? More color? Do I want a thicker texture or a lighter one? Am I building toward something or am I coming back down?

Asking a different question gives you a fresh perspective on your piece. Try it now and then.

Three States of Water Premiere

Here's a pic of Mary Barto, director of the Mannes College Extension Flute Ensemble, introducing my Three States of Water last night. Several flutists shared responsibilities on this piece, including Aki Kasuga, Marie Jensen, and Arlene Weintraub (pictured here). Performing in the other movements were George Kimmel, David Abacassis, and Eun Sun Lee.

Interested in reviewing the music? Have a look here.

Many thanks to all who came out to hear this concert of fine flute music!

Three States of Water to premiere

Three States of Water, a piece for three flutes, will be premiered at Mannes College of Music, 150 West 85th Street, on Tuesday, May 15 at 8pm. The concert is being presented by the Mannes College Extension Division Flute Ensemble, under the direction of Mary Barto. Aki Kasuga will be featured in this performance. The concert is free and open to the public.

Another Reading Performance

Under the auspices of the New York Composers Circle, a late draft of my new piece was given a reading last night. This art song is based on the Rilke poem "Ich bin, du Angstlicher." The superb performers were soprano Sofia Dimitrova and violinist Stanichka Dimitrova. (Yes, they are sisters.) In this pic, Victor Frost is obscured but is indeed playing the piano. Look for an October 2007 premiere of the completed version of this piece. (Click image for larger size.)

Thought for the Day

I know a musician from Iran who came to study music in New York. He was very interested in classical music of (what we call) the Western world. And he said something once I'll never forget: "Western music is the only music concerned with harmony." (Thanks, Hafez!)

I thought about this as I was reading about the Chinese composer Huang Ruo. In the article, he said,

"In China, we never talk about ‘in tune’ or ‘out of tune.’ I think it’s a very Western thing.”

Just some things to think about.

Tim Gunn on Theory

Years and years ago I worked at Parsons School of Design in New York, where I got to know Tim Gunn. Tim Gunn has gone on to become quite famous from the television show "Project Runway." So when there was a large feature article about him in the New York Times yesterday, I read with interest.

He recently left Parsons to accept a position with Liz Claiborne. Of this move, and the changes from academia to the business world, he said,

“I’ve been living in a rarefied bubble, really, for a total of 29 years. Because we were dealing with theory, we could write our own scenarios, where nothing ever fails and nothing is ever lost in the shipping process. It’s a very different universe.”

Aha! Theory! Theory can really get in the way, can't it? For creativity to work, you've got to get your feet wet, get a little rough-and-tumble, mix it up (and all those other cliches). Theory is safe and know-able. With creativity, you've got to be willing to get a little messy and see what happens. Every once in a while something will "get lost in the shipping process", but always be willing to look beyond the "rarefied bubble" of theory.

Stella Trio plays Amelia Asleep

The New York Composers Circle presented an informal reading of works by NYCC composers on March 29, 2007. A piece I wrote, "Amelia Asleep" (from my forthcoming Three Dog Suite) was played by the Stella Trio. Although this was only a reading, the musicians were superb. Here's a pic of Jannina Barefield, violin, Monica Chung, piano, and Laura Metcalf, cello, performing the piece. (Click image for larger size.)