Workshop #8 Young Composers & Improvisors Workshop

I chose the name “Journey of a Cloud” for my piece because it sounded like a journey, and it also sounded like a calm and peaceful cloud. When I listen to it, I imagine a small but majestic cloud, slowly drifting across a perfect, azure sky. It is about a cloud being gently blown across the sky on a warm, summer’s day. I begin my composition very softly, with the Clarinet and Violin 2 playing the melody, and with the Violin 1 and the Flute playing a soft, delicate, harmony. It builds up a little, and then bursts right into the main melody. I added to my piece by alternating my main melody between instruments, mostly between the Clarinet and Violin 2, and I wrote the harmony parts in all the other instruments. The form of my piece is very smooth and connected. There is something kind of calm and peaceful about the form of my piece. Mostly, the Clarinet and Violin 2 make up my main melody. I chose these instruments because they are what I call “solo instruments”. That means that they can be heard clearly, even when all the other instruments are playing just as loud as them. Also, they both have a very wide range and both sound good up high. If you play higher than usual, it is easier to hear you. My friend Kiyomi is playing her violin for a part I wrote just for her. While writing my piece, I learned how to orchestrate. I learned how to intertwine the instruments and the multiple melodies to create a ‘fuller’ effect. My piece is dedicated to my amazing niece, Jacklyn, because she inspired me to write Journey of a Cloud.

My piece is about a large meadow of sound that has many parts that all work together to make music. I began with a small four note melody that was stuck in my head. In my piece all the sections that are not my main melody are based on the same cords that I wrote towards the beginning. My main melody is in the clarinet because I thought it sounded best when playing the main part. While composing my piece I learned about dynamics and different textures. I am really happy with the way this piece turned out.

I think my piece changes into different sounds a lot and I can't really say that it has one specific sound. The melody sort of changes at times, but you can tell which part the chorus is at because it is using the most instruments, and it is repeated. I can never remember how I started any of my pieces, I usually just put down random notes and it starts growing into chords and the main melody. I added to my piece by listening to a certain part constantly and then seeing what is wrong with it or seeing what it needs, and then I would add or change the notes. I think the main instrument was the piano, but from having to change it and putting basically the same notes in another instrument, I think the main instrument is now the violin.

I began my composition with a chord progression. I added to my piece by copying parts of my melody and changing it a little. No one single instrument plays my melody. The dissonance and consonance are the biggest part of my piece. My piece is dedicated to my Mom and Dad. I hope you like it.

I began my composition with making four chords. Then I added to my piece a little at a time. I also added to my piece with different types of notes. The orchestration of my piece has the french horn as the main part then I added some back ground sounds and then the french horn and the Bassoon play together in the middle. My piece is dedicated to my Uncle. I learned that composing a piece is not easy.

My piece is about the transition from day to night and then to day again. I began my composition with a simple melody, and I then expanded by adding chords and sequences using my starter melody. The form of my piece is short and has a lot of chords and repetition in it. Clarinet mostly plays my main idea. When creating my piece I learned about how to properly use pizzicato. I dedicate my piece my dog Rufie.

I had a hard time coming up with a melody for my piece. After about four melodies that I didn't like, I came up with one short, two measure melody on the cello. I then started adding other melodies in other instruments. I named my piece "Won't Give Up" because it sounds like the instruments kind of die out and then come back in. I added pizzicato to make "pluck" sounds.

I began my composition by creating chords and adding a melody that sounded good with the chords. I added to my piece by listening to what I already had and adding things that sounded good. All instruments play the main idea in my song. While composing my piece I learned about the different textures of music.

I began my composition by putting some random notes through all the instruments. I made my main melody in the Clarinet because I play it and I know what can sound really good on the Clarinet. I would listen to the piece with the random notes. I would fix what I thought would need to be fixed to make it all come together and sound good. The form was having the melody in the Clarinet and having all the other instruments play along and have breaks. The instruments that play the main melody are the Clarinet and a little bit the flute. While I was composing my piece I tried to find what I'm good at and what I'm not. I also tried to find some areas that I knew I could improve upon in my piece. From there I learned where I can improve my piece.

The song I wrote, Winter was something I worked very long and hard on.This is my first composition and I am very proud of it. I gave it this title because it reminded me of walking down the street during winter. I began my composition with a slow light introduction. I added parts by making the composition lower and faster. The violin plays my main idea but i included all instruments. My piece is dedicated to Matt for teaching me how to make a composition and giving me extra help.

Bella is a 7th grader at LREI: The Wild Willows is a composition about a brewing storm. I decided to make the piece end on a minor key, because you get the feeling that the piece is not done, when sometimes, storms are like that, they just abruptly stop. I began my composition by composing the main melody on piano, since I fool around with my own melodies on piano when I practice. I then transferred my piece to Noteflight in the piano staff, then distributed the piano parts to all the other instruments. I had mainly composed my whole piece on piano, so adding to it was not that hard. I thought it would be a cool idea to change the key of the main melody, because you can still follow the story, but it adds a new twist. I changed some of the parts of the melody to pizzicato because I love the short plucking sound the cello and violin can play in pizzicato. The form of my piece is an A B A B C D B A form. In the middle, I thought it would be nice to add some newer melodies in, so I added the C and D melodies. The last melodies, returning to the B melody, and then the A melody are the melodies in a different key, and I wanted to wrap up the song by returning to the main melody. My main melody transfers to and from all the different instruments playing in the song to give my piece more life. Throughout my piece I learned that I really do love composing as a hobby, as I wrote my piece completely out of school. My piece is dedicated to my mom because she supported me 100 percent of the way, and gave me great feedback. My piece is also dedicated to my piano teacher who helps me explore melodies, and really shows me what music is all about.

Izzy is a 7th Grader at LREI: I'm not so sure what my piece is about. I feel like I wrote what emotions came to me through music. I began my piece through the piano; I play around a lot. When I'm not working on making bass lines over famous jazz songs, or practicing chord changes, I doodle. At least, I doodle in music (not literally on the piano, that would be bad).. I play little harmonies that I think will sound great on the piano. Sometimes it sounds great, most times, the complete opposite. But you have to keep playing around until you get a melody. But isn't that how all musicians write fantastic music? They don't just sit around thinking of a perfect sonata in their head, they have to be able to play around with it, wait a while to grab ideas, and then write again. My piece is defined by the piano. The piano is the main instrument of my piece, hence the fact that I wrote the song on it. Although, in my piece, the piano isn't always the main character. The piano in some cases becomes more broad and hidden in the background, letting other instruments have characters of their own. In my head, the piece is quite strange. It changes time signature in multiple measures, the wind instruments support the piano, (not the other way around), and it was created from different tiny snippets of melodies clumped into one large piece. My piece is dedicated to Matt McLean. He has taught me so much in the last couple of years. Although I'm not able to be a part of his regular classes anymore, he still lets me compose in my own time, and have it performed.

I began with some chords on the piano. Then I added a melody on the violin and french horn. Then i simply built off that. I named my piece that because it sounds kind of apocalyptic.

I began my composition by making dissonances and consonances to see if notes worked well together. I continued to add to it by adding more dissonances and consonances and a melody that fit with my chords. The clarinet plays a lot of my main idea. My piece is dedicated to Matt for helping me make my piece. I learned more about homophony, polyphony, and monophony.

I started out my piece by repeating the main melody but in different octaves. It was very helpful to use the piano as a guide for my piece as I went on. Once I finished my piece I took out the piano and let the flute become my main melody. By listening to my piece several times i decided to add back round chord chords and pulled my piece together.

My piece is mostly about making transitions, just like the title. It's sort of about changing, while still staying in the same place or key. I began my composition with three or four chords. Then I incorporated a melody, with consonances that matched the chords, and dissonances that didn't. My piece has a few different sections. There's an introduction, a main idea, a middle section, and then it goes back to my main idea, which is now a little bit different than the original one. My main idea, (main part of the piece,) is mostly performed by the clarinet and the violin.

Julia is a 7th grader at LREI: My piece is about the danger of climbing up a rope ladder. I started it by writing many different melodies that would intertwine. I developed it by blending them together and making them lead to the climax of my piece. The form of my piece is ABCDABE. In this piece, I used a flute, clarinet, French horn, bassoon, violin, and cello. My melodic instrument (the one playing the melody or main idea) changes throughout the piece, but usually is with the flute or clarinet.

My piece was meant to be very dark, and light at the same time. In composing the piece i tried to have one melody and change it up a lot of times. My piece isn't specifically about anything, but it is about a feeling were you are happy and sad at the same time. My piece is played by the flute the clarinet the violin and the french horn.

I named my piece "The Battle of Five Armies" because it is almost as if the five sections of my piece are battling for control. I began my composition by trying to think of a good melody. I actually abandoned my first idea. I continued by just making a good couple next notes and building off of that. The form of my piece is A-B-C-D-A. I like using all kinds of styles from fast to slow, rough to smooth. The french horn plays my main idea.