UNIT 9 Title

 

1. Instrumentation/Performing Forces

1. I want to go for a Celtic sound, so I will probably be choosing a fiddle or a flute for the focal point of the instruments, and then having some simple percussion behind it.

2. Meter

1. I will probably just have it in 4/4 time, but I might explore a different meter since that is the one that I usually choose.

3. Key Signature

1. I do not know yet, but G (Ionian), D (Ionian), A (Dorian) , E (Dorian), are common for Celtic music. Ionian, Dorian Aeolian and Mixolydian modes are also popular. (Riverdance in A major)

4. Tempo

1. Not sure of specifics, but Celtic music has a faster tempo

5. Dynamics

1. Starting piano, and then reaching a forte point farther into the song.

6. Song Form

1. Ternary form

7. Numbers of Measures

1. 31 measures

8. Chord Progressions

1. Probably a major scale circle progression.

9. Cadences

1. A deceptive cadence at the end of the B section, and then an authentic cadence at the end of the second A section

10. Texture(s)

1. Monophonic to polyphonic to monophonic (not sure if the drum parts I have planned would count as homophonic)

11. Title

1. Irishish (hopefully)

Step 3

• Answer the following questions regarding your compositional proposal

1. What is it you hope to accomplish?

I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the composition process, as well as understand the amount of work that it takes to create a playable and nice sounding piece of music. 

1. Does this project relate to any of your Benchmark Goals?

It connects to my benchmark goal of learning more about music theory, and I definitely have done that, as well as having fun doing it, which was another one of my goals. 

1. What concepts will need additional research or review?

I was attempting to write a piece of music in the style of Irish and Celtic music, I was unsuccessful fully I feel, just because of the midi-file limitations in Finale, but I did need to research what keys Irish music is generally written in and what instruments are common in Irish music. 

1. How will you sequence this process? What will you do first, second, third, etc.?

I will decide on a key, the instruments and a basic outline for my piece, then create my percussion line(s), my main melody line, and my secondary melody line. 

1. How will you know it is a success?

I will know it is a success when it is both complete, and I am happy enough with how it sounds not to want to throw it out. 

Step 2

• Answer the following reflective questions

1. Describe the skills/knowledge you needed to complete this assignment that you learned/refined as a result of taking this class.

I needed a better understanding of almost everything (besides the basics, like what notes are and how they work and all that) in order to complete this assignment. I had very little background with textures and song forms, I do not recall learning about textures at all prior to this class, and what information I possessed about song forms. 

1. Describe the resource/information that was most helpful to completing this composition.

I would say the notes that I had on textures was the most helpful, I didn't need the notes for anything else, but I was having trouble remembering which textures were which, so my notes were very helpful. I also found this website of common instruments in Irish music and which keys Irish music is commonly written in and those were very helpful as well. 

1. How close was your final product in relation to your initial proposal? If things changed, why/how?

Things did change quite a bit from my proposal to my final product. For one thing, I did not end up following a strict chord progression, because my piece did not have strictly accompanist parts that would have those chords in them. I still tried to create deceptive and authentic cadences at two points in the song; at the end of the B section and the end of the entire piece (except for the weird little flourish I put on it). I also had to break down the instruments that I was using based on how their midi-file sounded when I played it. I had originally wanted a fiddle to be part of the piece but the midi-file was a bit too squeaky and I felt that that would take away from the music that I was trying to create. 

1. Comment on your time management for this project.

My time management for this piece fell apart a little bit because of RENT and AP exams, but was overall not terrible. 

1. What was the greatest benefit of your learning experience for this composition?

The greatest benefit of this learning experience was realizing how much time it actually takes to create a piece of music, and to not get discouraged if it is taking longer than expected because not everyone is Mozart (the procrastinator's idol). 

1. What was the greatest challenge of your learning experience for this composition?

The greatest challenge was being annoyed at how long it was taking me to find a melody, I probably tried four different thing before picking the one that worked for me. I know that that number is probably nothing in terms of actual composing, but for such a short piece it was a lot. 

1. Were there any aspects of your outcome that were surprising or unexpected?

I didn't expect to use three drums in my music, I thinking only one, but I wanted to add all of them in with different tempos. 

1. How would you approach the compositional process differently if you had another opportunity to learn in this manner?

I would try to experiment with meter and key changes more; I wasn't very creative in that area this time around, and I would like to add more variety. 

1. Describe the kind of composition you would pursue if given another opportunity to do so.

I would like to continue to try and create something authentically Irish or Celtic, and I think that it would be interesting to set it to words. 

 

Step 3

• Complete the following Composition Rubric to administer a self assessment

 

Step 4

• Pair and Share your composition 

1.  Who was your partner?

Anna was my partner

2.  Describe their composition. Any surprises or take aways?

It was a lot darker than I had expected; I wasn't expecting the meter or key change in the B section. 

3.  What feedback/response did you receive about your composition?

Anna likes how she can imagine me dancing to it, because I do Irish dance.