Here are the highlights from the above replay: Part 1 — Simple Harmonization 0:00: Essentials of chords — Blocked, Broken/Arpeggiated, Inverted, Embellished Arpeggiations, and Embellished Blocks 6:55: How (nearly) all tonal melodies embellish the tonic chord, with “If I Listen With My Heart” as a specific example (audio on YouTube) 10:50: The “quick and dirty” method […] The post Hymn Arrangement Study Party, Part 2: Workshop Replay (10/05/21) appeared first on Joseph Sowa.
Here are the highlights from the above replay: 0:00: Welcome, Introductions, and Reviewing Ryan Murphy’s arrangement of “If I Listen With My Heart.” See — Sally DeFord’s Original Version PDF Ryan Murphy’s Arrangement PDF Tabernacle Choir recording (YouTube) 11:20: How DeFord makes her melody easy to remember using Rhythmic Motives 20:00: Introduction to “Melodic Voices” […] The post Hymn Arrangement Study Party, Part 1: Workshop Replay (9/28/21) appeared first on Joseph Sowa.
In the above replay, we discuss: How Artistic Voice is bigger than “style” or “technique” The four parts of an Artistic Voice — “The Chorale of the Empowered Composer” Stories (the “Soprano”) Process (the “Alto”) Technique (the “Tenor”) Relationships (the “Bass”) The typical reasons composers do NOT own their voice, but rather hide . . […] The post Own Your Voice: Workshop Replay (8/31/21) appeared first on Joseph Sowa.
At the start of the year, I began working in earnest on the flute and harp piece I wrote for Luke Blackburn’s EcoMusic concert. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer happening this week, but that postponement does allow for a special opportunity! See below for more details. During the idea-gathering phase, besides reading […] The post One Way Writing for Harp is Different Than Writing for Piano appeared first on Joseph Sowa.
I watched the 2017 version of Beauty and the Beast recently with some friends of mine. Being the music nerd I am, the film got me thinking about its theme song. The more I studied it, the more my admiration for it grew. Alan Menken’s music is straightforwardly diatonic and repetitive, but that simplicity disguises […] The post How Alan Menken Channels Chopin and Brahms in “Beauty and the Beast” appeared first on Joseph Sowa.