Mark's Music School Diary.

So far things are good but exhausting. First music history test coming up on Thursday which is a big push. For Monday I need to have charts for my original tunes cleaned up for combo, a 16 bar composition in the style of Claude Debussy ready to turn in for 20th Century Techniques and b ready to speak on an article for Jazz History. Also, a bunch for biology :mad: and some other practicing.
 
Also, this was some of my homework this weekend. I haven't had any composition classes since I've been at this school so I really enjoyed having to write something for my "20th-century techniques" class. This was supposed to be just 16 bars of stuff that we learned from analyzing Claude Debussy's "The Sunken Cathedral". I like the use of open 4ths and 5ths and I ended up also extending that theme to 5 bar phrases with the "bridge" being 4 bars but including a "3 over 2" kind of rhythmic idea between the right and left hands. The clip is just an output of the notation software as a MIDI file turned into a WAV:



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I have to say that presenting my piece to the class was one of my favorite experiences since I’ve been at school. I wish I had the time to study composition now :(
 
Mark Wein said:
I have to say that presenting my piece to the class was one of my favorite experiences since I’ve been at school. I wish I had the time to study composition now :(
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Just knock out a quick term-paper on "Unresolved suspensions as non-cadential strategies of composition in Debussy, Joni Mitchell and 'Shoegaze'" to cheer yourself up?
 
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In today’s guitar combo class. One area that I’ve always been terrible at is as a sight reader when it comes to reading syncopated and dense music in real time. This semester is the first time where I feel somewhat competent in this area. I’m actually having to read more in my performing classes which also helps but I just think that it’s fine ally just starting to sink in. In our lesson today my teacher made the comment that no matter how much time you spend practicing note reading, improvement happens on its own schedule and usually just from having to do it regularly in a performance context.
 
Just checking in. Mid terms are coming up. I had an academic advising session yesterday where they informed me that even though it shows that I am conquering the GE requirements I will come up two units short and will need to take another science class next semester. yay.

My small group combo just lost it's trumpet player so it is now a trio which is actually cool for me but means that I have a little extra work to do. We are playing at least two of my original tunes so far. So is the guitar trio.

Big band has a concert on Saturday night. Hope we don't suck.

I thought I was bombing the Jazz History class but apparently, I got 105% on the test and I'm getting 100% overall so far.

I have tests in Music History 351c and 20th-century techniques next week. Just trying to keep all of the balls in the air at this point.
 
Mark Wein said:
Just checking in. Mid terms are coming up. I had an academic advising session yesterday where they informed me that even though it shows that I am conquering the GE requirements I will come up two units short and will need to take another science class next semester. yay.

My small group combo just lost it's trumpet player so it is now a trio which is actually cool for me but means that I have a little extra work to do. We are playing at least two of my original tunes so far. So is the guitar trio.

Big band has a concert on Saturday night. Hope we don't suck.

I thought I was bombing the Jazz History class but apparently, I got 105% on the test and I'm getting 100% overall so far.

I have tests in Music History 351c and 20th-century techniques next week. Just trying to keep all of the balls in the air at this point.
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You said balls
 
jelloman said:
Will it involve Adam Neeley in any way?
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I don't even know who that is.

The guest soloist for Saturday night's concert discussed 12/8 claves and using them in place of feeling 16th and 8th note subdivisions when playing jazz.
 
Mark Wein said:
I don't even know who that is.

The guest soloist for Saturday night's concert discussed 12/8 claves and using them in place of feeling 16th and 8th note subdivisions when playing jazz.
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Really? I thought you did..he's a NYC jazz bassist with a YouTube channel dedicated to advanced music theory and vlogs...he deals a lot with complex rhythms and odd time signatures...I see stuff like that in his videos quite often...
 
jelloman said:
Really? I thought you did..he's a NYC jazz bassist with a YouTube channel dedicated to advanced music theory and vlogs...he deals a lot with complex rhythms and odd time signatures...I see stuff like that in his videos quite often...
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I think I’ve heard his name but I’m not familiar with him. Or at least wasn’t until now.
 
Got my first midterm back:

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I missed one question because I misidentified Eb major pentatonic as C minor. Same notes, but I wasn’t paying attention to pitch centricity or tonal emphasis in the melody. Stupid mistake.
 
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