ComposerCraft, an organization that gives young composers and opportunity to work with professional musicians has collaborated with Metropolis for the Multiphonics Concert! Six fresh and young composers have created a new piece of music inspired by Vivaldi for bassoon! Robin McClellan is the director of ComposerCraft, an intensive for young composers at the Kaufman Music Center in NYC. I’ve had the opportunity to talk to him as well as the six young artists.
Robin McClellan
Could you talk about the past history of collaboration with Metropolis?
One feature of ComposerCraft is our series of guest composers, conductors and performers who visit class each year. We’ve had some great people including Aaron Jay Kernis, Melissa Hughes, Kenji Bunch, Laura Kaminsky, Derek Bermel, and many others. I invited Andrew Cyr as one of our very first guests during ComposerCraft’s inaugural year, in the fall of 2011. Andrew invited us to be part of Metropolis’ Youth Works program, and we were thrilled. Each spring we have been part of Metropolis’ Youth Works concert. The first one in spring 2012 was at LPR, and we also appeared with Metropolis at Symphony Space as part of their Music of Now Marathon. As part of each collaboration, Brad Balliett visits our class (ComposerCraft meets, seminar-style, for two hours each Wednesday evening) to discuss the project with the composers, to bring other guests from Metropolis, and generally to prepare the composers for their work with the ensemble. The value of these visits can’t be overstated.
Why is this special?
It is very unusual for middle-school-aged composers to write for professional musicians for public concerts, and to receive wonderful support throughout the process as they go. I started composing around their age, and if I had had something like this, I can only imagine how it might have influenced where I went as a composer. That said, what’s most special about it to me is that they are still “just kids” in the sense that they are not trying to make careers as composers. Perhaps some of them will later, but others will become doctors, or professional jugglers, or who knows what. Yes, they are composing with total seriousness and dedication, making the music the best it can be. But for now, they are composing without the distractions of ambition or the kinds of pressures that face older composers who are trying to ‘make a career of it.’ And yet here they are, involved in professional music-making. I find that combination incredibly refreshing and exciting.
About The Composers
Yusei Hata:
How old are you?
I am 13 years and 10 months old
What inspires you to compose?
The possible sounds, silence, and tones that can exist.
Who are you listening to the most these days?
John Cage. 4:33 is my favorite these days.
In up to three sentences, describe your compositional and creative process, and what is it was like to compose based on Vivaldi?
I had to find out what was “Vivaldily” about Vivaldi’s work. After that, I incorporated the Vivaldiness and my originality in the piece I wrote. It was like a cat finding out how to be a true iguana.
Misha Swersey:
How old are you?
I am 13 years old
What inspires you to compose?
I just think about music all the time, whether it’s classical or rock 'n’ roll. Usually a melody comes into my mind, which then turns into an idea that I write down.
Who are you listening to the most these days?
Сlassical music and classic rock.
In up to three sentences, describe your compositional and creative process, and what is it was like to compose based on Vivaldi?
I had to study a lot about Vivaldi’s composing style–the rhythms, dynamics and timbre - whatever makes a certain composer unique. Phantoms, which is my movement, is typically slower and has triplet rhythms. I also added in a few extra things–There is a big climax in the middle of a piece where the bassoon does a big powerful solo, and then the piece transitions into a famous rock song, which should be easily recognizable to many listeners.
Graydon Hanson
How old are you?
I am 12 years old
What inspires you to compose?
I like the idea of taking all the stuff in my head and making it accessible to other people.
Who are you listening to the most these days?
I’m listening to a lot of film music these days. I really like Hans Zimmer’s work along with Alexandre Desplat and Danny Elfman.
In up to three sentences, describe your compositional and creative process, and what is it was like to compose based on Vivaldi?
It is very interesting to take something that Vivaldi did and turn it into something that is new, but also based off of something. Usually, I either come up with a theme in my head or on the piano and I put it into Noteflight. I then put in countermelodies or build in other instruments and I make what I think would sound interesting. I then flesh it out and add other instruments to include flourishes. I don’t really compose on the computer, I just make my ideas readable.
Austin Celestin:
How old are you?
I am 13 years old.
What inspires you to compose?
Just listening to other people perform, and seeing other people’s pieces being played inspires me to compose.
Who are you listening to the most these days?
I mostly listen to electronic music: Dubstep, Trance, Techno, that kind of stuff.
In up to three sentences, describe your compositional and creative process, and what is it was like to compose based on Vivaldi?
Usually when I start a piece, I would usually be inspired by reading books, writing reports, doing research, or even listneing to other people’s music. The I would have a general idea of what I want to do, and I would start sketching a piece. After several attempts, I would start a draft, and first I would edit for dynamics, articulatios, markings, and parts. Since most of my music is kind of based off of some classical composer’s structure (BACH) writing for Vivaldi wasn’t all that hard. All I really had to do was change the form of my piece, but that was it. I generally enjoyed it, and though it wasn’t that new of an experience for me, it was fun.
Sara Stebbins
How old are you?
I’m 13 years old.
What inspires you to compose?
I’m usually inspired by stories or characters.
Who are you listening to the most these days?
I listen to a lot of Japanese pop music, specifically a girl group called μ’s (pronounced like “Muse”).
Daniel Ma
How old are you?
I am 14.
What inspires you to compose?
I am inspired by my current mood and the current melody that goes through my brain.
Who are you listening to most these days?
I am mostly listening to a lot of Bach fugues.
In up to three sentences, describe your compositional and creative process, and what is it was like to compose based on Vivaldi?
Composing based on Vivaldi gave me a form to compose by instead of composing randomly. I just did my usual things besides that. That basically means I write the melody and write each line below that in some order, depending on what I want to do.
post by: Sequoia Sellinger