1. T.J. Bergquist
04/08/12
1st
Musical Composing
As a child, I always enjoyed listening to music, and fantasized about having a musical
career. Now that I am older, this passion has augmented, and has shaped the majority of my
future goals and aspirations. For my senior project, I composed a musical piece for my senior
project.
From the very beginning of studying for this project, I ended up discovering a great deal
that helped me in my creation process. When I began researching how to compose a musical
piece, my research paper reflected my intent on making my composition a choral piece. At the
time, I spent many hours looking up specifics on topics such as vocal part assigning, vocal part
arrangement, and ways to incorporate dynamics. As my idea for the piece shifted to instrumental
composition, the principles from my research ironically helped prepare me more for instrumental
writing. First of all, by studying dynamics, I began to notice a variety ways to change my piece's
musical pull to give it more depth. Though I intended to utilize dynamics vocally, it transferred
very nicely to the instrumental music creation process. Additionally, through study of reading
music, I ended up becoming considerably more comfortable with actually writing my music out.
Though my research was not directly related to my senior project, it ultimately made my musical
piece a much better final product.
After a great deal of contemplation on what my song would be like and research on
2. different musical styles and techniques, I began creating a piano piece that I named "Winter's
Lament." After deciding on creating a piano piece, finding more room for growth in becoming a
better piano player with my project, my original idea of creating an uplifting vocal piece evolved
into a more somber instrumental work. By using personal experience and inspiration from some
of my favorite musical artists, "Winter's Lament" essentially became the first piano piece I have
written. After simply discovering a few chords on my Wulitzer piano at home, what my project
is a piece that I initially wrote more for myself than for my project.
Last winter, I had begun to listen to more somber music, finding a certain level of
sincerity and simplicity that I observed less often in more upbeat pieces. Though I am by no
means an excellent piano player, I started to try different chords on the piano to come up with a
strong solemn sound. This mainly stemmed from an appreciation I have for artists that
communicate positive life messages from negative personal experience. As a musician, I
constantly search for artists that write music with honesty. For that reason, I decided that I
should pursue creating sincere music as well.
This process began as entirely informal, as I casually tried a variety of different chord
combinations over the course of two weeks. After I tested a number of chords, I eventually
settled with a progression in the key of d minor. When I wrote the song, I intended to add words
to the piano part and put it onto Finale, my music writing software. I wanted to do this at first so
that I could have Mrs. Wallace, Creekview's chorus teacher and my facilitator, review the piece
and later teach it to one of Creekview's choirs. However, as I began layering the song with
different riffs and chord changes, I started to think the song would sound better without words.
With multiple alternating melodies in the song, I felt that more power would be established from
a purely instrumental piece. After constructing the few main chords in an attempt to create a
3. simple progression, I started to find ways to have melody come in and out of the song so that it
would add, not take away from the piece. By making attempts to make the song more complex
at parts for musical movement, my talents at playing piano were really pushed. This created an
interesting barrier between what I could write and what I could play. For this reason, before I
obtained Finale, the process of writing "Winter's Lament" was chained by my ability to play the
piano.
Due to my reliance on my piano for my first steps in writing my song, after I received
music writing software, the writing process changed a surprising amount. After I got Finale in
the mail, I started to transfer my song from what I had strictly remembered. Despite having
taken chorus for two years and having played multiple instruments, designating time signatures,
key signatures, and determining rhythms for writing my song down was incredibly tedious. At
one point while writing my music down, I had to constantly go back and forth between different
time signatures to get the precise speed I wanted the song to be played in. However, though I
experienced setbacks with writing the music on Finale, I was able to make the music much more
interesting now that I did not have to rely on my ability as a piano player. With this leeway, I
ended up writing a variety of melodic parts for the piece differently. This emphasized how much
my piano skill limited my creativity with writing the song. However, all factors aside, I
eventually finished writing the song on Finale, keeping the ending chords the same as I had
created them on the piano.
Creating this piece was proved very challenging to both my patience and musical ability.
Though I did the majority of the project on my own and drew from personal experience, my
facilitator, Mrs. Wallace, aided me tremendously. Though there were very few times I talked
about the piece with her, while I was in All State tryouts, practicing for honor's chorus, and
4. singing in class, my ability to comprehend music met new heights after spending time with her.
Though I have a relatively natural feel for music, technically speaking I am very new to musical
concepts. With helping me identify incorrect pitch changes by ear and helping me develop my
ability to sight read, my project was made remarkably easier. The irony I find in this is that it
was the indirectness of her aiding me throughout my writing process that, in consummation,
helped more than direct attention could have. Not only was she incredibly patient, but
additionally an immense help in making my instrumental piece.
Through all of the obstacles in my senior project, I truly have learned a great deal. This
of course applies in a very direct way, being the first professionally formatted piece I have ever
created. Writing "Winter's Lament" has strongly helped me become a better musician, and has
also confirmed my desire to pursue music as an actual career. In result of my passion for the
subject matter I selected for my project, I realized something more personal as well. Through
most of my school career, I have had few classes or subject matter that I have felt any particular
animation towards. Through writing music I realized that, whether the occupations associated
with this career path are profitable or not, I deeply enjoy music. For this reason, I have every
intention of pursuing music in the future.
After months of creating my musical piece, I developed not only a better ear for music,
but became better at constructing and arranging music as well. Through in depth research, I
ascertained how to manipulate sound rises and falls in music to add emotional value to my piece.
In concurrence with me not having the proper software to create the piece at the outset, I
discerned a variety of methods to explore music and its conception. With the help of Mrs.
Wallace, not only did the piece become presentable, but also well founded on previous musical
experience. By exploring my love for music, I realized that it is more than worth it to take risks,
5. because leaving your comfort zone can mean discovering something you truly enjoy. I hope that
all of you find facets in your lives that capture your attention, and that you embrace new ideas.
They can change your life in a very real and sincere way. Thank you for your time. Do you
have any questions?
