Having just finished writing a piece for a Percussion ensemble, I've been thinking a lot about the relationship between what I imagine and what I write down. When writing for piano, my current process is something along the lines of 1) have an idea, 2) write down sketches, 3) go to piano for feedback, 4) if necessary, make adjustments.
Right now, there is a LOT of 4) in my process, because I think there's a disconnect between what I envision and what I realize. This is to be expected, considering my composing experience is quite little. I imagine that, as I gain more experience, the two will become closer, and the feedback loop between them more efficient.
Coming back to the percussion piece, I realized as I was putting the final touches on it this evening that I really have no idea how it's going to sound. I mean, sure, I know what the instruments sound like, and I've organized them in a way that I think will be effective, but because I've had to rely almost solely on my imagination, I feel quite disconnected from what I've produced. Will those fast repeated figures groove the way I thought they would? Will that swell be as effective as I want it to be? These questions will only be answered when I finally hear the piece performed. Then I'll get my feedback. Until then, I'm having to trust that I've done something evocative. If not, I'll learn something (many things), which is great. If it IS effective, I'll learn that many of my aural presumptions were correct, and they'll go in the box of compositional tools, and that's also an exciting thought.
In general, I think it's healthy to try and write away from the medium for which one is writing, BECAUSE it places us in the uncomfortable position of having to rely exclusively on our imagination. The great thing about playing an instrument is I can go and check if what I've written jives with what I want to hear. I don't ascribe to completely eliminating the instrument as a composing tool, but, in my limited experience, sitting down with a pencil and a sheet of staff paper is far more liberating than sitting down at a piano.
Here's an interesting article on orchestrating. It's kind of related, but I think it's great, so that's a good enough reason for me to share it.
http://www.filmmusicmag.com/?p=2393
Another thoughtful and reflective post, Joe, well done!
ReplyDeleteRe: the relationship between what you imagine and what you end up composing, I would suggest that a disparity between the two is fairly normal, even for experienced composers, and there is nothing inherently wrong with it. I would also guess that for some composers there is very little disparity between the two, which of course is also fine, but you have to allow the music to surprise you as you compose; you have to be open to possibilities that arise during the composition process, things that you did not imagine beforehand, which is why I don't see the disparity as necessarily problematic at all.
Even though I don't know anything about composing, I find this kind of thing really fascinating. I like hearing about the creative process, of any kind.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the next post!
Hey, thanks for reading and enjoying. It took me a second to clue into who you were! My hope is that my discussions on composition are, for the most part, relatable to everyone, not just fellow composers or theorists.
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