Finding inspiration when composing can seem tricky. Most of us will have techniques that expedite the creative process, especially when a deadline looms and there is no time to waste. One very helpful technique I have stumbled upon is the archaic musical device known as mensuration canon. Also known as prolation canon or canon by […]
Category: Compositional Methods
CARL VINE – THE ENCHANTED LOOM
On Thursday the 30th of August, I had the pleasure of attending the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra performing the world premiere of Carl Vine’s 8th Symphony, The Enchanted Loom. As well as playing Vine’s latest musical offering, the MSO also performed Holst’s The Planets Suite. Vine is the current composer in residence for the MSO and his […]
AUSTRALIAN MADE
An exciting event that the Flinders Quartet hold annually is the Composer Development Program, a concert dedicated to playing the works of upcoming Australian composers. The concert featured the work of five Australian composers, all of which were written specifically for the event. The pieces were then workshopped with the quartet and composer Stuart Greenbaum […]
AUDIO VISUAL
The very act of composing music requires an artist to notate their ideas so that others can perform it. Whilst this statement is a generalisation, it is safe to say that the majority of the time notation is the foremost way for composers to communicate their ideas. A pitfall that I believe can be an […]
MIDI VS MUSIC
When composing music, the majority of us will either use MIDI sequences or musical notation to convey our ideas and the question must be asked; which is more effective? Is traditional notation here to stay or will MIDI programming become a new standard of notation. I believe the answer to this question is essentially both. […]
CONNECT FOUR – COMPOSING FOR STRING QUARTET
Connect Four. I loved that game as a kid. My first day back at school and I didn’t play connect four, instead, I had a meeting with Dr Christine McCombe, a composer and mentor at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. A work of Christine’s that I am fond of is Epic – performed by the […]
FAIRY TALES CAN COME TRUE
It can happen to you, if you’re young at heart… Thanks, Frank 🙂 Big news today guys, I have been accepted into The University of Melbourne, studying a graduate diploma in composition! To say that this fairy tale has come true is an understatement and now, my life-long dream of studying composition at one of […]
PIANO SUITE IV HAS A SCORE!
The recent addition of another movement to the Suite for Piano and Orchestra has been met with a fantastic reception and to celebrate, I have converted the MIDI to score using Sibelius. I have made this score for two reasons; the first is that I need to start converting my catalogue into playable pieces and […]
DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB
We may not all be like Hans Zimmer or Junkie XL and have the liberty to compose full-time as a career. Being employed full-time as a composer may be the dream but without patience and persistence, dreams remain a figment of our imagination and rarely come to fruition. I am fortunate enough to be paid […]
NATIONAL TREASURES
I had the pleasure of attending an incredible live performance at the Melbourne Recital Centre of National Treasures, an event that included a stunning mix of large, medium and small instrument ensembles from China. The show was part of the Chinese New Year Concert 2018: Treasures of a Nation, an inspiring and dazzling display of […]