Matching Items (3)
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- All Subjects: arrangement
- Creators: School of Music
Description
This creative project documents the methods and challenges of writing three clarinet choir arrangements of different musical genres, and culminates into three clarinet choir scores with an upcoming performance date. The three pieces that were arranged are “Dinah” by Sam Lewis and Joe Young, “Laud ye the Name of the Lord” from Vespers by Sergei Rachmaninoff, and “Peace” by Jeremy Zuckerman. The goal of the project was to arrange these pieces for clarinet choir without making any major changes to the form or style of the original works. Scores to the final three arrangements are included within this document, as well as a brief description of the processes involved in writing them. While the pieces were being arranged, the techniques of arranging were studied concurrently by reviewing a text on arranging, other successful clarinet choir arrangements, fixing the challenges that were presented by the pieces to be arranged. Each piece required a few drafts: after being written to near-completion, they were played by live clarinet groups and recorded to hear how they sounded. After these recording sessions, the pieces would be further edited for readability, suitability for the instrument, and overall sound and effect. Major difficulties are also covered within the following paper, including why those issues arose and what methods were used to solve them. Each of the pieces helped to explore different aspects of arranging for clarinet choir, and each piece has turned into a pleasing arrangement that may be performed by a live ensemble. This creative project greatly improved the skills of the author and serves to stoke interest in arranging and composition.
ContributorsGerman, Lindsey (Author) / Spring, Robert (Thesis director, Committee member) / Gardner, Joshua (Thesis director, Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
This project is an arrangement of three movements from Igor Stravinsky's most famous and beloved ballets for performance by classical guitar quartet. The movements arranged were "Augurs of Spring" from The Rite of Spring (1913), "Russian Dance" from Petrouchka (1911), and "Infernal Dance of All Kastchei's Subjects" from The Firebird (1910). Because the appeal of this music is largely based on the exciting rhythms and interesting harmonies, these works translate from full orchestra to guitar quite well. The arrangement process involved studying both the orchestral scores and Stravinsky's own piano reductions. The sheet music for these arrangements is accompanied by a written document which explains arrangement decisions and provides performance notes. Select movements from Stravinsky for Guitar Quartet were performed at concerts in Tempe, Glendale, Flagstaff, and Tucson throughout April 2016. The suite was performed in its entirety in the Organ Hall at the ASU School of Music on April 26th 2016 at the Guitar Ensembles Concert as well as on April 27th 2016 at Katie Sample's senior recital. A recording of the April 27th performance accompanies the sheet music and arrangement/performance notes.
ContributorsSample, Katherine Elizabeth (Author) / Koonce, Frank (Thesis director) / Lake, Brendan (Committee member) / Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
In my path through both the academic and the professional music world, I have realized that violinists traditionally operate in a very limited role when it comes to pop music. Rarely are string players integral to a song, and rarely are they allowed to indulge in creativity or improvisation. This three-track EP explores the various roles and functions that both the violin and the 21st-century violinist can have, beyond the stereotypical string pads in ballads and non-rhythmic, chordal accompaniment. The first track explores the violin providing chordal and rhythmic foundation of a song, containing only vocals and a midi bass as non-violin elements. The second track investigates the importance of production skills and strings providing the melody for a groove based up-tempo electronic drop. The final track is a more traditional yet accessible composition for piano and string quartet, inspired by the work of Ólafur Arnalds and Max Richter, potentially viable for modern dance choreography. The process of writing, recording, and producing this EP served as my first legitimate foray into the professional songwriting world. It is a testament to my battle with, and a temporary victory over, toxic perfectionism. This is an affliction that befalls creators of all trades: the crippling fear of putting out something less than perfect resulting in nothing being put out at all. Finally, I have put something out, something I am solely responsible for, that represent my original creative work. This EP seeks to set a blueprint for the capabilities of modern string playing and modern string players often neglected in the modern popular music sphere. It is the culmination of all I have learned as a musician, technically, professionally, and emotionally.
ContributorsHerbst, Felix Benjamin (Author) / McLin, Katherine (Thesis director) / Peña, Samuel (Committee member) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12