I keep mentioning that I'm working on a new opera, but I never get a chance to mention any specifics. To catch you up: I wrote my first opera, showed it around, and nobody had the interest or resources to produce my little epic. I was just too ambitious and, even though I consider it to be one of the best things I've ever written, it will probably never be heard. Such is life.
So for my second opera, I decided to make everything as different as possible. It will be short (75 to 90 minutes, no intermission), it will be economical (four singers, an orchestra of three), and it will be portable (no set). My goal is college productions, the Cincy Fringe Festival, and/or a tour of local schools.
My manner of writing this opera is also completely different. For opera #1, I wrote a play and set it to music. It's a continuous score with recurring motifs in the tradition of Debussy. Opera #2 is a number opera – a series of individual songs connected by talking and melodrama, more like "The Magic Flute." "Postcards From Morocco" is a big structural influence as well, since it features the characters singing a series of songs to the audience. So instead of working out all the text first, I'm taking it one song at a time. Here's my process:
1. After doing all my research, I figured out what needs to be said and who needs to say it. Then I wrote out a paragraph or two in their voice, outlining what I want each character to say and what I want each song to accomplish.
2. Next, I'll write a piece of music that captures the emotion of what the character is saying.
3. Finally, I'll rephrase the paragraph into verse to fit the rhythms of the music. Often, I'll need to adjust the music a little to fit the words. It's a tailoring process.
So there's a lot of back-and forth. I've also been careful with the tone of each piece, making sure that it leads into the next piece without an abrupt jump in style. After years of composing, I've come to realize that my best energy comes at the beginning of a project. So I've decided to write this opera backwards. I wrote the introduction music first and then the finale and have been working my way backwards, song by song, with very little skipping.
I'm about two-thirds done and I have three arias and two choruses to complete. Then I can focus on the book (the talking parts), adjust the lyrics and music, and finish by writing the underscores that connect many of the songs.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Fan Mail
One of the best perks of being a published composer is getting fan mail. I absolutely love getting feedback from people who have played, conducted, or heard something I wrote. (Funny story: A friend of mine, who is an orchestra teacher, tells me that kids get confused when he says they can contact me because they think all composers are dead.) My e-mail address is readily available with only a little online searching, so I get most of my fan mail online but, occasionally, someone asks for my mailing address and writes out a letter. Some orchestra teachers have even made it an end-of-the year cross-curriculum assignment to write to the composer of a piece they enjoyed playing that year.
Such was the case when I recently received a packet of letters recently. An orchestra in the Chicago area played Westward Motion and seven of the students wrote to tell me about it in some of the most charming hand-written letters. In my favorite of the bunch, a young violist writes:
Thanks for being a composer! I love music and I hope you write another piece.
Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart breaking.
Such was the case when I recently received a packet of letters recently. An orchestra in the Chicago area played Westward Motion and seven of the students wrote to tell me about it in some of the most charming hand-written letters. In my favorite of the bunch, a young violist writes:
Thanks for being a composer! I love music and I hope you write another piece.
Do you hear that? That's the sound of my heart breaking.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
New Submission Time
I'm a little late in posting this, but about two weeks ago I sent off a packet of new music to my editor at Alfred Publishing. It's always a challenging process, but here's what leads up to my trip to the post office:
1. Write a ton of music. I write about ten pieces of music each year for student string orchestras. On top of that, I've been working on a new opera and some other minor projects, but my main focus is on string orchestra music. The goal is to produce a wide variety of music in different styles and at different ability levels, to give the selection committee as much choice as possible and to hopefully get more music selected.
2. Get organized. In mid-April I took all my newest scores and laid them out on my office floor, organized by grade level and tonality into nine categories. Sort of like this:
Usually, I have more than one piece in each category. This year I had two or sometimes three new pieces ready to fill each specific need.
3. Make some decisions. I selected what I thought was the best piece in each category and removed the others from the piles, leaving nine pieces. Then I looked again. This left me with two major-key pieces in a similar style and two Latin dances and two pieces that featured the same bowing technique. So I switched some things out and played around with the lineup. Again, the goal is to balance the portfolio as much as possible, to give the selection committee nine completely different and highly attractive options.
4. Look to the past. Finally, I decided which were the least-outstanding of the remaining pieces and replaced them with music from my back catalog – pieces that I'd previously submitted that weren't selected, but about which I still feel strongly. I tried to find two of those, but in order to maintain a good balance, I only entered one re-submission this year.
5. Pack it up. I decided on what order to present the final nine pieces, wrote out descriptions of each in a letter to my editor, burned a CD of Finale recordings, packed it all up, and mailed the letter, CD, and scores.
Now I wait. The selection committee meets sometime in June and I usually hear from them by late July, around my birthday. It's always a tense time, knowing that I've done my best and put a lot of work into the submissions, but realizing that there are a lot of factors that go into their final decision. I'm sure the folks at Alfred go through the same process, but with hundreds of submitted scores from dozens of composers, whereas I started the process with only about 20 pieces.
Until then, I can look forward to the roll-out of last year's selections. They're already available for sale at jwpepper.com and the recordings should be released soon!
1. Write a ton of music. I write about ten pieces of music each year for student string orchestras. On top of that, I've been working on a new opera and some other minor projects, but my main focus is on string orchestra music. The goal is to produce a wide variety of music in different styles and at different ability levels, to give the selection committee as much choice as possible and to hopefully get more music selected.
2. Get organized. In mid-April I took all my newest scores and laid them out on my office floor, organized by grade level and tonality into nine categories. Sort of like this:
Major Key/Beginner Minor Key/Beginner Novelty/Beginner
Major Key/Intermediate Minor Key/Intermediate Novelty/Intermediate
Major Key/Advanced Minor Key/Advanced Novelty/Advanced
Usually, I have more than one piece in each category. This year I had two or sometimes three new pieces ready to fill each specific need.
3. Make some decisions. I selected what I thought was the best piece in each category and removed the others from the piles, leaving nine pieces. Then I looked again. This left me with two major-key pieces in a similar style and two Latin dances and two pieces that featured the same bowing technique. So I switched some things out and played around with the lineup. Again, the goal is to balance the portfolio as much as possible, to give the selection committee nine completely different and highly attractive options.
4. Look to the past. Finally, I decided which were the least-outstanding of the remaining pieces and replaced them with music from my back catalog – pieces that I'd previously submitted that weren't selected, but about which I still feel strongly. I tried to find two of those, but in order to maintain a good balance, I only entered one re-submission this year.
5. Pack it up. I decided on what order to present the final nine pieces, wrote out descriptions of each in a letter to my editor, burned a CD of Finale recordings, packed it all up, and mailed the letter, CD, and scores.
Now I wait. The selection committee meets sometime in June and I usually hear from them by late July, around my birthday. It's always a tense time, knowing that I've done my best and put a lot of work into the submissions, but realizing that there are a lot of factors that go into their final decision. I'm sure the folks at Alfred go through the same process, but with hundreds of submitted scores from dozens of composers, whereas I started the process with only about 20 pieces.
Until then, I can look forward to the roll-out of last year's selections. They're already available for sale at jwpepper.com and the recordings should be released soon!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Saga of the Broken Arm: One Year Later
Today is one year since the bike accident where I shattered my right shoulder, so I thought it would be a good time to give another update on my condition.
Things are going well! I finished physical therapy back in October. Actually, that's not true. My insurance stopped paying for physical therapy in September and I kept paying on my own through October, then I continued my exercises at the local rec center, which is way cheaper. So I never technically "graduated" from physical therapy, but I haven't stopped my exercises. I take time to stretch it out twice a day and when I go to the rec center to run, I also use their weights and machines for my shoulder.
I can now reach over my head, behind my back, and lift over ten pounds without a problem. I can pick up my three-year-old and nearly-one-year-old nieces, lug a bag of groceries, and sleep in a bed (though a pillow propping up my right arm still helps). The right arm still isn't as good as the left, but I'd guess that I now have 95% mobility.
After the accident, I went from regular activity and exercise to zero movement so, as you can imagine, I gained quite a bit of weight. As my mobility has improved and the pain has died down, I've been able to get back to a regular exercise routine and lose the weight again.
I was off Percoset pretty quickly and moved over to plain Advil, but by Thanksgiving, I didn't need that anymore either. I can drive a car, get dressed, run, and do yoga (I'm back to twice a week). I haven't tried swimming yet, but I have conducted a few concerts in the past year and, though I was exhausted and achy by the end, they all went well.
One thing I haven't tried and probably won't again: get back on a bike.
Things are going well! I finished physical therapy back in October. Actually, that's not true. My insurance stopped paying for physical therapy in September and I kept paying on my own through October, then I continued my exercises at the local rec center, which is way cheaper. So I never technically "graduated" from physical therapy, but I haven't stopped my exercises. I take time to stretch it out twice a day and when I go to the rec center to run, I also use their weights and machines for my shoulder.
I can now reach over my head, behind my back, and lift over ten pounds without a problem. I can pick up my three-year-old and nearly-one-year-old nieces, lug a bag of groceries, and sleep in a bed (though a pillow propping up my right arm still helps). The right arm still isn't as good as the left, but I'd guess that I now have 95% mobility.
After the accident, I went from regular activity and exercise to zero movement so, as you can imagine, I gained quite a bit of weight. As my mobility has improved and the pain has died down, I've been able to get back to a regular exercise routine and lose the weight again.
I was off Percoset pretty quickly and moved over to plain Advil, but by Thanksgiving, I didn't need that anymore either. I can drive a car, get dressed, run, and do yoga (I'm back to twice a week). I haven't tried swimming yet, but I have conducted a few concerts in the past year and, though I was exhausted and achy by the end, they all went well.
One thing I haven't tried and probably won't again: get back on a bike.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Doug Spata's iPod - 2011
I thought I'd keep up the tradition and make another playlist of what I've been listening to recently. If you've read my other playlist posts, you'll remember that I use my iPod mostly when I'm running, so I tend not to have songs with slow tempos or songs that change tempos.
I used to set it to shuffle and take my bike out to the park, but I haven't done that since my accident. I'm still recovering, but I've decided to stay closer to the ground at slower speeds and take up running instead of biking. Anyhoo, here's what I've been listening to:
1. Tell 'Em, Sleigh Bells.
My new favorite band. It's just two people making all that noise and their album is a brief, searing, 32 minutes of awesome. I like a lot of their songs, but this one is my favorite. In fact, I appropriated their use of a power drill as a musical instrument in one of my new pieces, to be published and recorded by Alfred Publishing in the Fall.
10. Answer To Yourself, The Soft Pack
I used to set it to shuffle and take my bike out to the park, but I haven't done that since my accident. I'm still recovering, but I've decided to stay closer to the ground at slower speeds and take up running instead of biking. Anyhoo, here's what I've been listening to:
1. Tell 'Em, Sleigh Bells.
My new favorite band. It's just two people making all that noise and their album is a brief, searing, 32 minutes of awesome. I like a lot of their songs, but this one is my favorite. In fact, I appropriated their use of a power drill as a musical instrument in one of my new pieces, to be published and recorded by Alfred Publishing in the Fall.
2. Boy, Ra Ra Riot.
I love the propulsive bassline and the 'cello/violin duet in this one. That might be a viola, though – it's hard to tell. This video was made at the 2010 Bumbershoot Arts Festival in Seattle. I've been to Bumbershoot twice and highly recommend it. Just get in a line and be surprised at what you see.
3. Oh No, Marina and the Diamonds
If you like Florence + The Machine you'll likely enjoy Marina and the Diamonds. Marina looks like a former Disney pop star but her lyrics are sharp as razors and her voice has a surprising urgency. I was torn between including this song and the frank, confessional "I Am Not a Robot," but "Oh No" has video. But it's not a great video. I don't think the comic book style and Marina's glossy look match up well at all with the tough, introspective lyrics.
4. I Don't Mind It, Screaming Females
An aptly-named band! Lead singer Marissa Paternoster has a great voice and it blends well with her distorted guitar riffs and the fantastic thumping bassline in this song. This is a great song to run to.
5. Crash Years, The New Pornographers
Yet another strong female singer, this time backed by a more elaborate, colorful ensemble. And a great whistling interlude. I also enjoy this video, which is an homage to the opening of the 1964 French film "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg."
6. When the Child Awakes, Mount Righteous
This large group consists of a tuba, marching percussion, and one guitar. And everyone sings. All their songs sound like campfire sing-alongs and have wonderful melodies. I love the earnest enthusiasm that goes into their music. And that little “whooooooop!” after each chorus.7. Seperate, The Thermals
A great bass line, cutting guitar, and hand claps. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah – lacerating lyrics in one of the best angry breakup songs of the year. “Separate we are finally whole.” Ouch! It stings!
8. Rocket, Goldfrapp
Guilty pleasure time. I tried hard to hate this song, but it’s so ridiculously catchy that I just gave in. This song could have come straight off an Olivia Newton-John album from 1981. Just enjoy those soft synths and let the awesome wash over you.
9. Heads Will Roll, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
This song has a great attitude and swagger. And a weird video. The werewolf in red shoes dancing on a light-up floor is an obvious reference to Thriller-era Michael Jackson, and then it gets gruesome. The video actually reminds me of one I posted last year for Passion Pit's "Little Secrets."
10. Answer To Yourself, The Soft Pack
This song is like a self-help book set to music, giving empowering advice to a great tune and roaring guitars. It's nice to be reassured every once in a while.
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