One of the most fulfilling experiences available to composers is the opportunity to collaborate with designers of new musical instruments, composing new music to practically test their characteristics and to help develop the instruments and repertoire further. The processes involved with research and development are as beneficial to the composer as they are to the […]
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During a recent conversation with colleagues, chatting about compositional process, it dawned on me that as creators we all have very unique and personal ways of working. Whilst finding a comfortable and productive creative method is a great benefit, it is perhaps all too easy to slip into continually using the same approach and potentially […]
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Following on from my previous blog post about using music technology to develop compositional skills and provide performance, I wanted to take a look at the situation from a slightly different angle. Composers with instrumentalist friends, or who can find or form ensembles to work with, can get works played, even if just to hear […]
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In Part 1, I mentioned some of the ways a composer can get their music heard. In this article, I want to highlight the 11 Golden Rules of submitting your work to performers, either through a Call for Scores or as an unsolicited approach. My ensemble, rarescale, has an open Call for Scores, and I […]
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Why I wonder do some musicians feel it is necessary to impose their own identity on the work of the great masters? Last week the Croatian born pianist and composer Dejan Lazić presented to the Proms audience the results of his six years of work translating the violin concerto by Brahms into a piano concerto. […]
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This is the first We Are OCA post to be authored by OCA’s new music tutor Duncan Druce. In addition to his work as a composer and arranger, Duncan is known as a violinist and viola player, specialising mainly in the baroque and classical periods. He is also a regular contributor to Gramophone magazine. Great […]
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Does a composer write his or her best music at a time of joy, tragedy or tranquillity? There are persuasive cases to be made for all three. Indeed we should probably add a fourth option i.e. none of the above as there are plenty of composers who seemed able to turn out wonderful music on […]
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