Sculpting and Moulding

The composition process for Trackings No. 2 has been quite different than most other pieces of mine.  This is due to the fact that I am starting with sketches of a "failed" piece and revising and expanding it by adding piano.  By no means am I merely adding the piano and redistributing the principle and accompanimental materials.  Actually, I have been adding layers creating at times more intricate counterpoint.  I have also been adding measures where appropriate for phrasing or other purposes and cutting measures for sections that do not work or fit the scope of the movement.

In Trackings No. 2 my goal is to compose a series of short movements.  Each movement no longer than two minutes.  This is a challenge for me as each movement will have a beginning and an end.  There is little room for development in a piece like this.  I am more accustomed to writing music that develops of time creating a journey.  I can see this type of piece as an analog to an author writing short stories rather than full-length novels.

In addition to the short movement format the other challenge, mentioned earlier, is starting with an older sketch.  There are times in which I feel as if I am sculpting a piece rather than composing it.  A sculptor starts with a lump of clay or a block of stone and reshapes it into the form of his or her vision.  In my case the sketches for Birches is my lump of clay.

I like this analogy.  It goes to show that there are many cross relations between the arts.  What makes this instance a little more interesting is that Trackings No. 2 is a collaborative work with photographer Micheal Vickers, yet another facet in the cross-relation between the arts.