On Harmonic Analysis in Music Notation
The following is an excerpt from my book Harmonic Processions. The traditional music‑notation system, as it has been handed down for centuries, was created with performers in mind, and in …
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Essays and Articles
Studying the Score
It never ceases to amuse me that in preparation for an orchestra rehearsal I have to study my own music. Someone might ask whether it’s B-flat or B-natural, whether the …
A Soft Persistence: Composing for Symphony Orchestra
When I began to work on the recent orchestral commission from the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, as usual, I began composing by outlining a logical structure and detailed description of the …
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Dissonance in Music
I spent the last few months examining dissonance in music. I cataloged hundreds of harmonies that express bliss, anger, frustration, pain, or indifference. I drew countless diagrams and made a …
AI Music
Right now, artificial intelligence in the field of music is in its infancy, but one day soon, I’m sure, it will catch up. When it reaches the capability to compose …
Provenance
When you hear the words “migration” or “immigration,” what thoughts come to your mind? Is it of adventure, exploration, and discovery, or is it of danger, political conflict, and refuge? …
Rapturous Amazement
What is the purpose of life? In my view, the purpose of life is to enter a state of rapturous amazement. If we take the time to look around, we …
How Long Did It Take You?
I truly dislike it when people ask, “So, how long did it take you to paint this?”. How should I answer this question? Should I count the time before I …
Serenity
This new sleek meditation app will help me find more serenity in my life. The speaker’s voice is so soothing, I can already feel myself floating gently as I am …
Things I Wish I Knew
On the occasion of the release of the 3rd Endless Immersion album, I am reminded of the video I created for the first one. My hair might be different now …