I’m not one for free writes, but i did find this article quite interesting. I didn’t know the creation of umbrella started with a percussion loop. I also found out that Rihanna (and most professional singers for the matter) either don’t write their own music or have co-writers that write most of their songs. Anyway, i found it interesting that Rihanna was actually not towards the top of the list for who Christopher “Tricky” Stewart (writer) wanted to sing “umbrella”. It was a stroke of luck that gave Rihanna the chance to sing an award winning song. Unfortunately, no one remembers the songwriter, even though none of that would have happened if it weren’t for him.
Project #1
A song that I have been listening to recently that I find quite exceptional is Michael Torke’s saxophone concerto, movement three. The reason I like this piece is because I find it cool how when the soloist is playing, sometimes, they will jump between octaves, so it sounds somewhat like a duet because it flows and there’s hardly any space in the phrases. Another thing I like about it is that it doesn’t change time signature, this makes it easier to accompany without getting lost, so it could be played in my band, which I like.
A song I don’t particularly enjoy is liturgical dances by David R. Holsinger. Some of the themes have no consistent pattern, so it is hard to sight read or play when you don’t have it in your muscle memory. Also, for a good bit of the song there is no clear and consistent melody and personally I don’t feel like the composer pulled off the chorale vibe he was going for very well. Finally, there are so many places where it is easy to get lost when either reading along in a part or when playing.
The Journey Begins
Thanks for joining me!
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
bean soup of the eastern continent 