Post by emilykate on Jan 25, 2010 6:15:24 GMT -5
This piece "Unexpected Smile" (for the somewhat unusual ensemble of 'cello, trombone, flute and glockenspiel) I composed especially for the publication in which it first appeared: Dissent, the annual publication of the Monash Student Association Women's Department.
Originally, it was a duet for 'cello and violin; jokes shared at one of the fortnightly Women's Music Groups (a friendly gathering where music by or depicting women is played, discussed, and female artists promoted) prompted drastic change in the ensemble with the addition of trombone; however, the aims of the piece remained the same. I composed "Unexpected Smile" on a computer program called Sibelius5 and submitted it to Dissent as a PDF file.
Perhaps it seems strange to write a piece of music for a publication, knowing full well that the majority of people who see/read it will probably never hear it, never play it, and may not be fully literate in reading music notation and/or never understand what its title means.
In part, that was my point.
The piece was primarily written to raise questions: who is smiling? why are they smiling? what are they smiling at? what sort of smile? when is a smile "unexpected" - or expected? what results from the smile? what is the smile's significance? what does this say in a women's publication? how to make sense of it all?
The secondary reason for my writing this piece was to give a statement: that tolerance, friendliness, acceptance, reaching out, being prepared to give a smile to someone who wouldn't expect you'd ever smile to them is, in itself, a very positive and powerful thing. I composed this piece - both hyperthetical narrative and autiobiographical harmony - with this as both statement and metaphor.
I hope this forum... will see many more conversations started through the medium of music; will affirm that women can be wonderful, great coposers (not that I think I have made that mark yet!) in a way which was doubted in times of composers such as Mozart and his sister, Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart; will inspire many of you to compose and to share your compositions with this community...
I also hope to see more women from Monash University have a go at composing some music for Dissent. If you're interested in writing a piece of music (or poetry, opinion piece, short story, review... or submitting illustrations... or art in other mediums...) for Dissent, email one of the 2010 co-Women's Officers Erica.Chan@adm.monash.edu.au or Emilykate.Cowan@adm.monash.edu.au with questions or submissions.
For those who did play or have heard my piece - and also to those who didn't - I hope that you enjoyed it and, after the first twenty bars, felt that it moved to a more 'uplifting', more 'empowering' harmony. I may be studying music, but when it comes to composition I know I am an amateur - criticism, constructive or otherwise, is welcome!
Originally, it was a duet for 'cello and violin; jokes shared at one of the fortnightly Women's Music Groups (a friendly gathering where music by or depicting women is played, discussed, and female artists promoted) prompted drastic change in the ensemble with the addition of trombone; however, the aims of the piece remained the same. I composed "Unexpected Smile" on a computer program called Sibelius5 and submitted it to Dissent as a PDF file.
Perhaps it seems strange to write a piece of music for a publication, knowing full well that the majority of people who see/read it will probably never hear it, never play it, and may not be fully literate in reading music notation and/or never understand what its title means.
In part, that was my point.
The piece was primarily written to raise questions: who is smiling? why are they smiling? what are they smiling at? what sort of smile? when is a smile "unexpected" - or expected? what results from the smile? what is the smile's significance? what does this say in a women's publication? how to make sense of it all?
The secondary reason for my writing this piece was to give a statement: that tolerance, friendliness, acceptance, reaching out, being prepared to give a smile to someone who wouldn't expect you'd ever smile to them is, in itself, a very positive and powerful thing. I composed this piece - both hyperthetical narrative and autiobiographical harmony - with this as both statement and metaphor.
I hope this forum... will see many more conversations started through the medium of music; will affirm that women can be wonderful, great coposers (not that I think I have made that mark yet!) in a way which was doubted in times of composers such as Mozart and his sister, Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart; will inspire many of you to compose and to share your compositions with this community...
I also hope to see more women from Monash University have a go at composing some music for Dissent. If you're interested in writing a piece of music (or poetry, opinion piece, short story, review... or submitting illustrations... or art in other mediums...) for Dissent, email one of the 2010 co-Women's Officers Erica.Chan@adm.monash.edu.au or Emilykate.Cowan@adm.monash.edu.au with questions or submissions.
For those who did play or have heard my piece - and also to those who didn't - I hope that you enjoyed it and, after the first twenty bars, felt that it moved to a more 'uplifting', more 'empowering' harmony. I may be studying music, but when it comes to composition I know I am an amateur - criticism, constructive or otherwise, is welcome!
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