真実の詩

I've tried my hand at composing a few times in the past. The earliest attempt I can remember was when I was in elementary. The piece was for piano, and it had the most sentimental title ever: "The Swan" or something like that; I can't find it anymore, so I don't know if that's the title for sure, nor do I remember what it sounds like.

My second attempts were made in junior high. My friends and I created what would be a short-lived "band". We only got as far as creating a 10-second melody and some lyrics. I vaguely remember the lyrics going something like this: "Summer laughter.. Hold me in your arms tonight..."

My third attempt occurred when I was in high school. I had signed up for a class called "Electronic Music". Looking back, it was one of the funnest classes I have every taken, and I regret having only taken only one class of it. Thankfully, the program we used allowed us to burn a copy of our work to keep for memories. I'm listening to some of it right now. It still makes my cheeks turn red from embarrassment when I listen to them. But it's interesting to hear what I kind of music I made back then. For my final project in the class, I made a sort-of pop ballad for piano. Everything was done with keyboards, so that's why the percussion sounds rather unauthentic. -__-'

"Shinjitsu's High School, Teenage-Angst-Filled Pop-Ballad"

My fourth attempt(s) were made four years later, during these past months in my music theory class. Unlike in high school, the compositions had to be notated, note-for-note, not simply recorded improvisations (I don't have any sheet music for my works in high school; we never had to make any). This takes care of a lot of timing issues, since I'm made to figure out the exact type of note to use at each instant, but it's much more time consuming. I suppose this is the "correct" way of composing, and that one day, the goal is to not use the keyboard at all, and just write the music straight from my head. But I'm still far from achieving that kind of head-and-keyboard independence, though I'm working at it.

The piece I composed for this class took me an excruciatingly long time, and no less than a dozen pages of scribbled-on and crossed-out manuscript paper. In the end, it only lasts for about two and a half minutes. I wanted to create something that was more complex than a ABAB pop tune, and so I ended up with something like a 20th/21th century waltz. I still think it sounds a little weird; I think I tried to over do the complexity of some parts that but not others, so some parts sound rushed. But it IS my first "real" composition, so please be sympathetic. orz... (I don't have a recording of it.. only sheet music.. I might make a recording once I can actually play it well enough )

Recently, I've been "commissioned" to write some music for a good friend of mine here on Opera for her personal fiction. I had experimented with different styles to write in. Since I've been listening to lots 20th-century classical music for the past while, I kept wanting to do something more dissonant and orchestral. But decided it would be best to resort back to a "popular" style, although it still had to be done in pencil-and-paper, since I can't hook up a keyboard to my computer. And unfortunately, I don't have the cool electronic effects real pop has.. -__-||

Anyway, I'm still working on it, but hopefully, it will be done soon! I don't think I will ever pursue a profession as a composer. It's takes me much much much too long to settle for something I semi-like. But it's a fun hobby to do once in a while, I suppose.