Master Research

Creating lyrics, based on colors and patterns

I had a chat with Helen about trends and anomalies during my composition process. Very often I start a composition with chords that come to me when I play the piano.  Above that, mostly wild improvising and searching results in the melody that has been waiting for the given chords. At the very end I’ve determined what message should be behind the music and have squeezed the words on the already existing melody with a lot of effort. 

With the latest songs I’ve written, I’ve turned it around. The words flowed from somewhere and I started composing with a clear idea of what my song wanted to say. The songs were finished faster and the compositions were more cohesive. 

In the actual case, I have already found melodic motifs to my painting and I’m asking myself: how do lyrics arise from a picture? What does it stimulate in me? Where are the connections between what I see and what I think? Maybe the first step should be to collect associations and then start improvising?

Helen has given me an exercise: collecting associations over 3 minutes that come to my mind when I look at my picture. This is what came out of it:

Fluffy

Interrupted

Unclear

Many things happen in parallel

against each other – with each other

Heaven on earth

Veiled

Warm

Open/wide

Upside down

Soil

Continuous

Where am I going? Why do I put the focus on the background? I am overlooking the main element -> Framed

What does improvisation mean to me?

I’ve been thinking more about what improvisation actually means to me. It suddenly took on a new meaning in terms of „finding melodies“. I never really saw improvisation as separate from the jazz context. Always based on the changes of a jazz standard and with an academic approach, through which I got to know improvisation a few years ago.

There’s a pressure behind it to sing the right notes. And that singing right notes is not enough. It should be advanced and unprecedented at best. At least that’s the impression I got from my bachelor studies. I ignored the fact that I also improvise whenever I sing my own melodies over my favorite songs. That humming previously unsung melodies is also improvisation or varying an already existing melody. 

I think this is very much about renewing my approach to improvisation and taking away some of the dusty, unhealthy beliefs that I’ve collected and left untouched over the years…

Impro lesson with Susanne Schneider

I now come to the second creative step on the way to my own composition. I have sung several improvisations to my picture. At the beginning there was no particular procedure, I simply let my intuition run free, let colors and patterns work. One improvisation became longer than the other, one more rhythmic, the other searching for words. 

Then I asked myself whether it would be possible to create a repeatability within the improvisation. For example, through an improvisation that is oriented from the left side of the picture to the right. Or one that chooses a certain section of the picture as the main motif.

I noticed that I bypassed or „sang around“ the main pictorial motif – the door – each time. Somehow this part seemed too concrete to me to weave it into the Impro. Perhaps I would get other ideas if I changed the instrument? If the door were my main point of reference, would I play an improvisation on the piano?

I brought my drawing and ideas to the lesson with Susanne Schneider and recorded two nice improvisations there. 

In fact, a pretty musical motif emerged through a combination of „singing from left to right“ and focusing on a particular painted pattern to which I aligned pitch and movement of my singing.

Susanne gave me some important impressions along the way. I should not want too much at once –  better take my first idea and develop it in some directions. To be convinced and formulate the idea with all expressiveness. Represent the idea and have the clear intention to give meaning to my cause.

Saying an unconditional YES to my own ideas. Feeling „grown up enough“ to support my idea, as well as my singing and musical ability.

I think I’ve underestimated how much inner empowerment it takes to improvise….

Melissa McCracken – Painting Music

During my research on the internet, I became aware of an artist who has a long list of songs on her website, which she has interptretted in picture form. Her trademark is a certain spatula technique. I really enjoyed browsing through her „song list“ – there are many inspiring works of art there.

Take a look at her work:

https://www.melissasmccracken.com/song-list

I heard you singing

Unlike my previous visual analysis, this time I chose to use a single drawing. Perhaps because it seemed obvious as a re-entry into my work and not too overwhelming. But certainly my song selection also contributed. Jacob Collier’s music has accompanied me for several years and fascinates me anew with each album. His way of playing with music and instrumentation radiates a lightness and passion that infects me every time. His collaboration with the great singer Becca Stevens produced the song „i heard you singing“. This one already put me in flowing, almost meditative states because of its lullaby character. Harmonically it regularly leaves its lulling regularity – but the swaying 5/8 beat still forms the driving, chiming element.

In the painting process, it was initially mainly colors to capture the basic, warm mood. The swaying, lulling feeling comes here vorallem in the background to the fore. The cobination of different shades of orange and blue-violet seemed to me here the right contrast.

The uniform, interlocking patterns, which float like waves across the sky, give me the sense of rhythm again, in which I lose myself again and again while listening. 

The focus is on a radiant entrance (or exit?) or door. I may have been guided here by an interpretation of the closing section of the song, which adds a new energy and intensity to the entire piece.

Despite this strong musical movement, I felt the need for a static symbol. I find it gives all that is happening around it even more movement and life and leaves room for interpretation to the viewer.

Merry crisis

The last few months have been dominated by online classes and the day-to-day concerns that come with living in lockdown. I fell into a pretty deep motivational hole and often asked myself what I wanted to take away from my master’s studies. What topics I would like to deal with in the second half of my studies and what outcome I hope to achieve in the end. As before, it is primarily the work on my compositions that I spend the most time on and for which I also have the most ambition.

My Master Research project was originally supposed to focus on the music of Esperanza Spalding, and her music continues to be a kind of compositional compass for me. 

Due to the current stressful external circumstances, the complex structures of her music seemed too informative at times and I kept escaping into simpler things while listening to music. Having to think less about music was somehow more bearable for me during this time where making music together itself was rare. 

We had an hour of current jazz with Maarten Hogenhuis in college, and his reports about turning to simpler structures in everyday music listening actually reassured and confirmed me. 

Listening to harmonically complex, deeper, innovative, modern world and jazz music is an important part of my compositional progress and keeps me thinking outside the box. But sometimes I also see the danger of „wanting to sound too much like“ or a cerebral approach to one’s own ideas. I have also noticed that my demands for my own compositions have grown in a way that has rather inhibited creative processes.

Also, the sudden obligation to deal with a specific branch of music gave me the feeling of limiting myself. My first meeting with my new research coach, Helen Svoboda, was an important input in this regard and confirmed my decision to broaden the focus of my work somewhat. While I originally wanted to focus on a single artist, I realized how much the creative process of visualizing, sparked creativity and musical inspiration. In addition, the creation of music videos has now occupied me for some time in various music projects. 

This self-experiment now provides to interpret and analyze certain songs of different artists through the form of visualization. The visualization as an intermediate element represents the first step of the process towards the own composition. 

This leads me to the question, which forms of visualization I find and consider for my research:

The second creative step consists in the „improvisation of the painted“, which should form the basis for the later composition. Further thoughts about this working process will follow…

Final Proposal and feedback – perceptions

Writing the Final Proposal and the feedback that came out of it, gave my work a clearer direction. The idea of analyzing the music of Esperanza Spalding by using a different artistic medium seems reasonable to me in view of my objective („get-into-a-creative-flow-system“). In essence, my work should consist of the visualization of what is heard and the resulting transformation into improvisation and subsequent setting of the visual to music. 

Sounds complicated? 

I’m certainly getting closer to my final research question in upcoming posts.

Master Recordings „Hidden Path“

After only two rehearsals and trying out different sheets and versions of the song, a final version slowly crystallized, which we recorded as part of the master recording at Saal Wyck. This resulted in two takes, which partly surprised me in a positive way and on the other hand gave information about where the song needs further revision. 

Important learnings and note to self: 

Provide more clarity in the distribution of tasks in the band context. What sound do I want to create?

Create more „time“ in my compositions. Give the different parts more space to take an effect and myself more space to breathe. 

You can get a little insight into the recordings here:

Lesson with Nadine Nix

While preparing for the master recordings, I had a very eye-opening lesson with Nadine Nix. She suggested a deeper engagement with my topic of tension and release regarding the use of dynamics. The idea that an arc of tension does not have to remain continuous in order to create tension, nor does it necessarily require resolution, was an important insight. 

By abruptly interrupting the crescendo part and building tension again, I feel a new depth and unpredictability in the final sequence of my piece. The incorporation of the C part happens more rigorously now, but gives more musical freedom in the band context and also allows me as a singer a moment of breathing and grounding myself again.

Oblique Strategies by Brian Eno

A friend introduced me to Brian Eno – a British musician, music producer, music theorist and visual artist. He is considered an innovator in many areas of music. When looking for compositional impetus or alternative methods on the path to creative flow, Eno’s very inspiring and sometimes exhilarating site with Oblique Strategies can make a contribution. Whether it’s a creative, motivational or musical impasse, the little food for thought provide input and somehow had a de-stressing effect on me….

Maybe a visit to his site will have a similar impact on you?

http://stoney.sb.org/eno/oblique.html

Tension and Release

The art of building an arc of suspense.

Tension and release are one of the main reasons that listeners feel like the music tells a story. It keeps the music moving forward. Tension do not have to be stressful or an anxiety that would be nice to get rid of, it can challenge the ear or have a stimulating function. Musical tension is a sense of unrest, instability, excitement or anticipation, an impression that more is coming and a curiosity for what’s next. In modern music history a very striking and impressive example of tension and its resolution is the song “ A Day in the Life“ by the Beatles.

Which parameters create tension?
– Repetition
– Dissonance
– Key changes
– Dynamics
– Restriction
– Syncopation
– Odd meter
– Pedalpoint
– Hybridchords
– Harmonic progression
– Chromatic movements
– Unconventional instrumentation
– Uncommon form
– Little catchy melody
– Fermata/pause
– …

The release-moment of a song can be a turning point in the beginning end of a form, simply the start of a refrain or a recurring theme. 

I often recognized in Esperanzas music, that she finds highly effective ways to build up a releasing moment on a musicial level like on a energetic level as well.

Just to name a few songs: “To Tide Us Over” (from 12 Little Spells), “One” (from Emily’s D+Evolution), “Wild Is The Wind” (from Chamber Music Society).

Furthermore I came across the live recording of her studio project “Exposure” and listened to the Song “Heaven in Pennies”. The energetic arc of suspension remained formative in my memory and i started to analyse it in an unusual way: patterns and colors emerged in front of my inner eye during the listening process, so I started to paint it down. While the verse seems more „wavy“ to me, opening up a natural, warm, earthy (and grounded) color spectrum, the chorus looks for a striking and expressive color scheme. Just as the music wants to be loud, I chose the most garish and prominent color to mirror the musical energy level. The lines and patterns happen partly in unison with the rhythmic movements of the music, but on the other hand I did less thinking here, and let myself drift more creatively.

In the following video you can watch the result:

I have noticed many times now how much other arts inspire me for my own art. A quiet room in the museum, the act of drawing or a dance. That is why I chose this form of analysis. Taking this further could mean composing my own song in turn on the resulting video animation.

Inspired by “Heaven in Pennies” i wrote a song, that makes it it’s mission to create a suspenseful A-Part, leading into a semi-releasing B-Part. Both parts have a preparing function for the releasing C-Part, starting approx. at 60% of the form progression. 

This part is characterized by the focus of the ninth over a major7 chord. I find this timbre to be very wide and open, but at the same time having a strong leading function and shows itself with an urge of musical repetition.

The instrumentation has not been decided yet, but I would like to add synthesizer or hammond organ to a classical quartet instrumentation, as well as a trombone to support a fuller bass frequency.. 

The following links show 3 creational states of Spaldings “Heaven in Pennies” from her live recording project “EXPOSURE”:

1.) from minute 18:10 on there’s a little insight into the moment when Spalding brings her idea to the musicians for the first time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1LVT3gdDBo

2.) great live version of “Heaven in Pennies” from the Exposure recording session: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=966ZswEDkyw

3.) finished album version of “Heaven in Pennies”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfhaXIIFFSA

What is it about?

In search of my inner sounds.

This blog is meant to reflect my work, which is part of my master studies at the Maastricht Conservatory.
I have been involved in writing music for a few years now and I consider the music of Esperanza Spalding a very important source of inspiration and motivation. It is magical to me, how she moves through the sound-worlds of the most diverse musical styles and always bring it together in an own unique sound.Her latest work „12 little spells“ also included an interesting album concept:

„FIRST, AN IDEA STRUCK: 12 LITTLE SPELLS… I WANTED TO RELEASE ONE MORE SONG-EY ALBUM/TOUR PROJECT TO TIDE US OVER BEFORE I DISAPPEAR INTO THE BELLY OF DEVELOPING THE NEXT FULL THING*… THEN, ALL THE SUDDEN, THIS 12 LITTLE SPELLS IDEA JUST STARTED TAKING SHAPE IN MY IMAGINATION ALL QUICK-LIKE… AND MADE VARIOUS PARTS OF MY BODY TINGLE: HANDS, LEGS, SOLAR-PLEXUS, EARS, FEET, ARMS… (NO I DON’T USE DRUGS)… THIS TINGLING HAD A KIND OF HEALING SENSATION, AND I WONDERED: CAN I HARNESS THESE 12 LITTLE SENSATION-REVELATIONS INTO SOUNDS, WORDS, IMAGERY, AND PERFORMANCE THAT ACTIVATES THIS HEALING, TINGLING EFFECT IN OTHERS? ”

(from http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/#new-page-1)

So I thought about taking a more conceptual approach to my composing, that helps me finding new ways to the music that is within me, but that cannot yet be put into notes. Based on the compositions and musical concepts of Esperanza Spalding, I want to work out a collection of special features and tools that fascinate me about her music and music in general. I want to try to transfer these worked out aspects to a superordinate concept, that leads to new compositional freedom and „open-earness“. You could describe it as the creation of a „get-into-a-flow-system“.

This blog is meant to be a virtual place of inspiration, a kind of logbook in which I document the important steps of my way to (or away from?) this compositional flow-system.It’s there to sort my thoughts, to record results and it can also contain musical impressions, lyric excerpts and inspirations that might be of interest to some visitors of this site as well…