Do you have a favourite piece, or pieces, of music? Most people tend to. What about a favourite recording of said piece? It will most likely feature a specific group or ensemble, a particular arrangement, or your favourite conductor. One example of mine is In The Hall of the Mountain Read more…
As the new year draws in, I have a habit of reviewing the one that’s just gone by – compositionally, at least – and drawing up my wish list for the year ahead. Here goes: Composing This year, I’ve paid particular attention to experimenting with my compositional voice and exploring Read more…
Whilst doing my undergraduate degree, I took a module where I had to write a ‘contemporary’ piece that drew on a ‘contemporary’ compositional style, such as minimalism or serialism. In the end I chose both – a duet for two instruments (though only one performer!), with each using a different Read more…
It’s been a while! September and October have been busy months full of lots of deadlines, teaching and excitement. Technically, it’s not been quite as long as it seems. For the whole of September, I didn’t update here but instead updated my Creative Pact blog. The aim of the Creative Read more…
The National Curriculum refers to four areas of musicality that should be taught: performance, composition, appraisal and listening. These four are supposed to be taught in equal portions, as part of a balanced musical diet as it were. However, as we advance through our musical careers, it becomes all too Read more…
