I'm in that antsy first stage of composing where nothing's written down yet and I'm still improvising at the keyboard in hopes of finding the next worthwhile hook to develop. This phase can be as short as a day, but in extreme cases, I've been stuck here for weeks at a time. My next project will be something for string quartet, since Dr. Wingate and I both agreed that my portfolio is just a wee bit brass-heavy right now.
I'm enjoying Modal Counterpoint more now that we're doing practical hands-on application stuff rather than lectures. Pedagogy of Music Theory is the most interesting; he keeps the class enthralled by using pointed comments to corral us towards the crux of his lectures. This approach keeps me thinking throughout the class, and is much better than the "me-talk, you-write" approach found in so many other classes today. Sadly, History of Music Theory is my least favourite class. I enjoy the readings, and I can understand why some people find the field fascinating, but honestly, history has never really attracted me. In the hours spent memorizing which monk wrote each treatise, I would prefer to be learning practical composition techniques. That's one of the complaints I have about Music Composition programs in general. From my limited perspective, I think people try too hard to train us as practicing theorists who can compose, rather than composers who know a little theory. Yes, a theory background is definitely a good safety net to have, but maybe if I had more composition classes, I'd be a better composer and not have need of the safety net!
tagged as
teaching
|
permalink
| 0 comments
|
|
Previous Post: Untitled Post |
Next Post: Untitled Post |
You are currently viewing a single post from the annals of URI! Zone history. The entire URI! Zone is © 1996 - 2023 by Brian Uri!. Please see the About page for further information.