#CSPA capstone project

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Update 4/18

I had a 15 minute composition lesson with my Music Theory professor for a composition for music theory class. I had an extra 5 minutes left of my lesson so I had him listen to a part of my first movement. He said that my piece had direction/ that I had built it up well, but he was wondering why I rely so heavily on the piano. He told me I could get a lot more color from all the noodly things by using the bassoon. To which I replied that I chose many of the instruments based on the friends that I had. Piano is the most versatile instrument I have.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Update 4/2/17

Okay the best way I can approach this is to be reasonable

I can probably only get the first movement recorded in time, but will continue with this project even after scholars is done.

Music majors have an extremely busy schedule. And with juries approaching, this makes us even less available. 

I want the composition to be done, that’s what matters most. That the complete set of all four movements and stages of Grief are completed.

And when I continue with this after scholars is done, I might even add in a 5th movement in the middle, for the stage of grief “Bargaining” .

Depression has a good 4 and a half minutes of good ideas and should be all set once I get them organized and then orchestrated.

Acceptance is still barely started but I have an overwhelming 20 minutes of audio recorded loose ideas that I will have to put into Noteflight and decide what stays.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

Update 2/27/17 Kutz imparts his wisdom upon me

During my Cello lesson on 2/25, I had asked my cello professor to give my composition a listen. With his permission, I recorded his responses.

“Very cool, Amy. You write music that people will actually want to listen to,” he mused.  

I told him that I tried to create something so that music theory geeks like us can appreciate it and normal people can also appreciate it.

He concurred and said, “I like it, I’m not sure what feedback you’re looking for.. I’m really impressed with what you’ve done.”

Then he proceeded to ask if the colors on the score were there for any reason. I hadn’t explained it to him because I thought that it would have been a bit haughty for someone as humble as myself to explain something simple like this to someone I regard so highly as my professor.

I explained that the colors were there to highly the separate reoccurring themes and motifs that I but throughout the piece and that at the end where all the colors came together was where I incorporated all the themes. 

He replied “so now what I really liked was hearing you explain what you were thinking behind it and now, if you can see... like when you play Bach, Bach in his own different way was thinking these kind of things too and it’s your job to discover and evoke that.”

His final thought was to have me realize “that all composers compose out of some inner need.”

If someone who has achieved musical excellence like my Professor cannot immediately recognize what the colors mean, then I will definitely have to provide guidance or an explanation to other people too.

[amyhcpsarts-blog]

CPSA 250: College Park Arts Scholars Capstone: Solo Project, Spring 2017

Name: Amy Hao        

Email:  amyhao147@gmail.com

Advisor: Kenna

Weekly Meeting Time: Wed 5 PM

Purpose/Mission Statement:

I hope to compose my first work that is greater than a simple song or short small ensemble piece, have it be recorded and shared with the public. I will learn how to take emotion, place it into notation and have it be reproduced in such a way that the audience receives the emotion as such.

Learning Objectives: 1. I will compose a cello concerto/suite about the Stages of Grief of at least 20 minutes long, with each of the 4 movements being around 5 minutes in length. 2. I will consult my cello professor, my scholars advisor and my peers for feedback 3. I will perform and record most of the parts myself. With parts that I cannot accurately execute, I shall ask my fellow music majors to assist me.

Workshop Process: Compose whenever and where I can. When an emotion is felt, convey it through music. Briefly research orchestration. Use my studies in music theory to create the chord progression and voice leading and then my knowledge on instruments to designate which part does what effect. I’ll need all the resources I’ve listed below and the instruments that I compose for in my piece. I’ll have to practice and perform the parts that I am capable of and I will assemble my recordings in audacity and then put it on Soundcloud. I will present my project by having select parts of my piece play and have the score be projected onto the board behind me. I will explain the meaning behind my composition, why I did certain things, or other cool things I did. Perhaps then, I shall have to make a video if I have a time constraint. I’ll take pictures of my composition and I will put it my arts scholars tumblr to document it.

Resources: • A brief guide to orchestration: https://www.gamedev.net/resources/_/creative/music-and-sound/a-brief-guide-to-orchestration-r2718 • Noteflight- free online composition site • Audacity- I will record the parts here • Soundcloud- where I had uploaded my previous compositions and will upload this • Windows Movie Maker- for the presentation or if I’m not even that tech savvy, Powerpoint. • Instruments from the School of Music Inspirations: • Phillip Glass “Some Are” a minimalist composition based off of David Bowie’s pop song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtM6gXzVqs • Piano tutorial of K Will’s “Please Don’t” a Kpop song that I had listened to during my time of grief https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfH9B_uw5bU • Music of Jolin Tsai’s Different but the same, a video that never fails to make me extremely sad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7hHofDW2ts • Piano tutorial of “Lost and Forgotten” sad video game music from the browser game Epic Battle Fantasy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR7M4oA7qxA • Music History class anthology- we are currently studying the baroque period in which there is a focus on the “affection” or rather the emotions. I can borrow techniques of composers of the past to illicit more emotion. • Music Theory class- we are currently studying atonal and modern music. I can borrow techniques from the present to create more hidden meaning and depth in my composition

Project Timeline: Include dates and deadlines set by the course syllabus, as well as self-imposed benchmarks for what you would like to have done at certain points in the semester.

February 11- Finish composing “Denial” - Begin recording Piano part and cello part - Attempt recording string parts

February 18- Finish composing “Anger” - Record piano and cello for this as well. - I should be decent enough at trumpet at this point to record brass parts. - Ask friends to assist with woodwind parts/ string parts if necessary

February 26 Ask Cello Professor to listen to the composition thus far and provide feedback.

March 4 I should be good enough at snare drum at this point to record some drum rolls

March 12 Finish composing “Sadness” - Rec Piano and Cello parts.

March 16-17 Record using the school’s instrument which I do not own myself, such as large drums, and keyboard percussion - If needed, ask friends to assist with recording more parts right before Spring Break

March 21- Finish composing “Acceptance” and the whole composition.

March 22-26 Finish recording all parts.

April 9 Finish arranging and assembling all the parts - check to make sure the composition is in its fruition. - Start making (a video for) the presentation

April 23 Be complete with the presentation

April 28 ARTSFEST