Dan - Beginner Composing Portfolio
Dan has completed their Introducing Composing Portfolio.
Task 1: Interpret
For this task, Dan has chosen Opening Ceremony as their stimuli.
| Audio file of completed piece | The completed piece |
| An early draft | Supporting Evidence |
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Step 1: Choose your stimulus Why did you choose this stimulus? “It was the kind of music I have played” What do you want to communicate through your piece? “Joy and anticipation” Step 2: Explore the idea How could you develop this idea in your piece? “Repetition, re-orchestration” What challenges might this idea present when creating you piece? “Might be limited and sound tacky” Step 3: Turn the idea into music What musical elements could you use in your piece? How will they work together? “Fanfares, syncopation, wind instruments” How will you organise and structure your musical ideas? Using the AB structure in the brief gives a good form Step 4: Appraise your music How did your ideas change between the draft and final versions of your piece? I fleshed out my ideas, the fanfare style became more important What do you think worked well in your finished piece? And less well? Sounds upbeat, but might be a but repetitive and limited |
Task 2: Borrow
For this task, Dan has chosen Melodic Contour.
| Audio file of completed piece | The completed piece |
| An early draft | Supporting Evidence |
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Step 1: Choose your stimulus What do you notice about the stimulus? “It was abstract but worked with an interplay of scale and arpeggio” What ideas does this give you for your piece? “Contrasts between ??” Step 2: Explore the idea How could you use the stimulus in your piece? “As a tune for horn like a Mozart Rondo” Where in your piece might you use it? “As the main motive” Step 3: Turn the idea into music What other musical elements could you in your piece? How will they work together? “Simple harmony, elaborate on the themes” How will you organise and structure your ideas? “Around a dialogue between piano and horn”
Step 4: Appraise your music How did your ideas change between the draft and final versions of your piece? “Ideas more or less remained the same” What do you think worked well in your finished piece? And less well? “A chance of it becoming a bit dull” |
Task 3: Inspire
For this task, Dan has chosen Decoration and Organising music into sections (AB and ABA forms) from the Creative Toolkit to include in their piece.
| Audio file of completed piece | The completed piece |
| An early draft | Supporting Evidence |
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Step 1: Choose your idea Why did you choose this idea? What inspired you? “Inspired by the monodies in the Monteverdi Vespers” What do you want to communicate through your piece? “Elevate worship through song” Step 2: Explore your idea How could you develop this idea in your piece? “Use all the various elements of monody” What challenges might this idea present in your piece? “Not being very good at writing it” Step 3: Turn the idea into music What (other) musical elements could you use in your piece? How will they work together? “The interplay between the recit and arioso will give a B section in the piece” How will you organise and structure your ideas? “Around the words” Step 4: Appraise your music How did your ideas change between the draft and final versions of your piece? “I felt my way as I wrote. Ideas were very loose” What do you think worked well in your finished piece? And less well? “Some melodies worked, and there was some effective repetition. Less well was the cadence handling.” |