My Lives as a Composer - A Purveyor of Untrammeled Unoriginality...
Among my pursuits as a musician, I have occasionally written music for piano or violin, some of which has been recorded, mostly in Europe. Composition is listed, on my list of priorities, at the lowest position, for a reason I have discussed in previous blogs; specifically, that I have never felt comfortable while composing, and have done it, especially during the middle and latter phases of my experiences with music, very few times.
One exception, however:
I have a grand daughter who is playing 'cello and has fallen in love with the instrument. Her discoveries connected with the instrument, as a high school student, have led her into an increasing curiosity about the great composers of the past three centuries, and prompted her to ask me some months ago "Papa, could you kindly write something for me in the style of Bach?"
Which I did, after asking her to listen to the first Bach Suite for unaccompanied 'cello.
So she did learn the piece I wrote for her under the guidance of her 'cello teacher, whom I had contacted to inform her about my writing the music.
About two months later I received another request to write something for her in the style of Mozart, which I did, using the rhythm of the primary theme of the "D" major Rondo by the Master.
Followed by Chapter three; namely, "Would you kindly write a piece for me in the style of Chopin?"
And so I plied her 'cello with the atmosphere of a Nocturne. which seemingly pleased my favorite young 'cellist.
And now, I am faced with yet another task of proving that I have finally found my niche as a composer:
A few days ago, I received an E mail from -
you guessed it.
"Hi Papa! When you have time, could you write something for me in the style of Tchaikovsky?"
At least some recognition has been given me, even though it falls neatly into the category embedded in the title of this blog...
One exception, however:
I have a grand daughter who is playing 'cello and has fallen in love with the instrument. Her discoveries connected with the instrument, as a high school student, have led her into an increasing curiosity about the great composers of the past three centuries, and prompted her to ask me some months ago "Papa, could you kindly write something for me in the style of Bach?"
Which I did, after asking her to listen to the first Bach Suite for unaccompanied 'cello.
So she did learn the piece I wrote for her under the guidance of her 'cello teacher, whom I had contacted to inform her about my writing the music.
About two months later I received another request to write something for her in the style of Mozart, which I did, using the rhythm of the primary theme of the "D" major Rondo by the Master.
Followed by Chapter three; namely, "Would you kindly write a piece for me in the style of Chopin?"
And so I plied her 'cello with the atmosphere of a Nocturne. which seemingly pleased my favorite young 'cellist.
And now, I am faced with yet another task of proving that I have finally found my niche as a composer:
A few days ago, I received an E mail from -
you guessed it.
"Hi Papa! When you have time, could you write something for me in the style of Tchaikovsky?"
At least some recognition has been given me, even though it falls neatly into the category embedded in the title of this blog...
1 Comments:
This is at once compelling and adorable. (Incidentally I joined you in the Grandfathers' Club this past October. Somehow I anticipate similar visual art requests from my granddaughter in the years to come...) -grin-
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