Another Imperfect Cadence

It’s been one of those weeks where my to-do list is like a hundred and one things long! Okay, I’m exaggerating, but, seriously, where does the time go? Yesterday, the closest I could get to my piano was my steering wheel. Between having my dad change the oil on my car and other shop repairs back in Cambridge (where I’ve lived most of my life), I spent the better part of the day tending to my car. As Mr. T.G., the J.H.S.S. librarian, used to say, “Once you get a vehicle, you’ll never stop fixing it.” So true!! And hence, the four days of silence on my blog. But, hey, silence is arguably music. Just listen to John Cage’s 4’33”; I always love seeing people perform that =)

So, in terms of the audio clip I was attempting to upload the last time, I have successfully made the video on Windows Movie Maker; however, my blog, for some odd reason, can’t support the uploading of such a large file, I’m assuming. That being said, I was told it is better to create a YouTube account and upload my videos there. Hopefully, I’ll have better luck! I should inform you that I grew up in the era where the USB was just replacing floppy disks, cell phones were on the rise, and computers seemed just to be entering the classroom (I may be wrong about this one, but are a lot of high school students now using laptops in the classroom; if so, it wasn’t the case back when I was in high school). But, anyway, go fact check me, please!

So the truth be told, I’m actually composing quite a few new compositions right now . . . not just one! It’s always difficult when you have so much inspiration and you want to give all of the songs your undivided attention. I have this tendency to write in minor keys. Josh Groban has a similar tendency. Maybe I’m a melancholic, do you think? You all recall the four humours, right? I just found this description of the “Melancholy, or Black Bile” humour on the website in parentheses: “Melancholics used to be identified by their pale, sallow looks, their lack of appetite and tendency to withdraw from society” (http://www.passionsandtempers.com/v1/page.php?l=en&p=humours).  Describes me perfectly, doesn’t it ;) And isn’t it true that PhD students live in caves while preparing for comps? That’ll be me soon =)

Going back to the many compositions I have begun at this point in time, I think I would like to continue with a song I’ve begun in the key of d minor, which for those of you who are not familiar with the technicalities of music, means the relative minor of F major (a key with one flat – b flat). Okay, maybe I’m getting too technical here. But you can still appreciate music without knowing all of these technicalities, can you not? So, this song is about betrayal. It’s about figurative loss . . . loss that seems like a death, but isn’t. It’s about unspoken words . . . silence, essentially, and the suffering that takes place within. I don’t know quite where the song is headed, but I’m happy to be exploring a lower vocal range as a lot of the songs I’ve written are in a higher range which comes as no surprise since I’m a soprano.

Aside: Okay, just so you know, this blog entry's title "imperfect cadence" is my way of expressing the lack of closure (due to technical glitches) in both this blog entry and my last. I didn't have much more luck with YouTube, but will certainly look further into it. The video is 1.42 GB and, generally, YouTube videos can be a maximum of 2 GB. I just don't understand =( Please bear with me as I figure out why the uploading of media and audio files is giving me such difficulties!

Music Sample!!

Spoke too soon!! I followed all of the tips to a "T" and thought it was working, but no =( How disappointing! Oh well, I will figure it out. Give me some time.

Hallelujah!! I found out how to upload a an audio file with "video" to my blog thanks to: http://www.consumingexperience.com/2007/06/blogger-how-to-upload-mp3-files-to-play.html

Step #18 -- so true!!

SORRY: The blog is being difficult (or maybe I'm the one making it difficult =) I have to look more into how to upload media files, but any advice is gladly welcome. I will upload the file as soon as I know how. Don't be afraid to post comments!!

This was my first choral piece, "Ode to Jacob Hespeler," which I wrote for my grade 12 music class. This track was recorded at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School where I went to high school and is performed by myself on piano and the Jacob Hespeler Concert Choir of 2005-2006. The cover picture was taken at Wonderland where, as I mentioned in my last blog post, it was performed live.

I will admit that I do have perfect pitch, so the music critic I am, I can hear some of those high notes that aren't quite in tune!! But, nevertheless, I think it's a pretty good recording for an amateur choir.

Enjoy!

My Music with a Side of . . .

So, when my mother said she'd take me out for lunch today and to "dress up" I had no idea I was going to the newly-opened (that's a compound adjective, right?) Milestones in Cambridge, Ontario where my brother and his family were there waiting for me to celebrate the completion of my Master's degree (which officially took place on August 31st although I will actually convocate on October 22nd). The table was decorated with grad 2011 confetti and there were grad balloons and a little sparkly sign (I'm obsessed with sparkles!!) that read: "Congrats Grad." The food there was beyond delectable. To start, we had two appetizers: the "Baked Goat Cheese and Slow-Roasted Garlic Flatbread Plate" and also the "Bocconcini Garlic Bread." For our main meal, my mom and I shared both the "Grilled Mediterranean Chicken" and the "Butternut Squash Ravioli." You can see a complete description of these dishes here: http://www.milestonesrestaurants.com/lunch.php Five stars for everything!! And I also have enough leftovers for lunch and dinner tomorrow =)

While this doesn't have anything to do with music or composing, let's just say that this blog will be primarily devoted to music, but will have some leeway in terms of its content. Tangents are always good aren't they? Kind of like footnotes, I suppose . . . haha.

In terms of my music, I promised to speak more about it in this blog, and, of course, in blogs to come. Where to begin (a favorite statement of one of my former fellow M.A. students)? I've been writing for . . . gosh, I just realized I never kept track!! To give you an estimate, I think I've been composing music since I was in sixth or seventh grade. I actually wrote a graduation song for Jacob Hespeler Secondary School (where I completed high school) which was performed at Wonderland and a theme song for Wilfrid Laurier University (where I completed my undergraduate studies) for a second year composition course. More or less, I have not publicly performed a lot of my compositions other than at small venues like Starbucks, local senior's homes, the Cambridge Memorial Hospital, and a benefit concert for Haiti I spearheaded at Laurier in addition to slightly larger venues such as the Wine and Roses hosted by the Argus Resdience.

To date, I have dozens of new compositions that I would like to eventually record. I think it would also be neat to choreograph certain pieces for a ballet group or even other dance genres. As well, I would love to make more music videos as I have only one thus far: "Ecotistical." This song is a tribute to the naturalist Catherine Parr Traill and was also a major project for my Ecocriticism class.

As far as music that I like and listen to . . . I am very open-minded that way and enjoy practically all genres to some degree. I recently discovered Alessi's Ark on YouTube and have to say that I am a big fan!! She's definitely an original, but her music might also classify as "poppy folk" =) Demi Levato has also released a new CD entitled "Unbroken" just a few days back and I listened to some of her tracks on YouTube as well and found that "For the Love of a Daughter" and "Skyscraper" are two of my favorites. Gavin DeGraw's "Not Over You" is another song that really appeals to me. Some of the YouTube comments for this video (particularly about what the girl watering the plant is wearing and how uncommon or unrealistic her attire is) totally cracked me up!! Levato and DeGraw both fit more into the mainstream pop category.

And last but not least, I am a huge fan of a little girl I recently discovered named Jackie Evancho. She's an eleven years old opera singer with the voice of an angel. Two of the songs on her latest CD "Dream with Me" that I can't get enough of are "Angel" and "Lover's Lyrics." She didn't write any of the songs on this CD, but certainly gives them a charming spin!!

Alright, well I think I've rambled long enough for today. After hitting the mall, the movies, and Milestones this weekend, I already feel guilty about the time I've spent away from studies, so I am going to now work extra hard and extra late to make up for that "lost" time (although "lost" really isn't the right word because I had such great times)!!

ttyl

Exposition

Hi all you music junkies out there!

My name is Lacey and I am a composer for voice, keyboard, and violin. I am a first year PhD student in English at the University of Waterloo and composing is one of the things I love to do in my so-called “spare” time (of which any graduate student knows in fact ceases to exist =). I received my A.R.C.T. (Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Music) Piano Performer’s diploma in the summer of 2006 and have in the meantime, unfortunately, neglected my aspirations to work towards my Grade 10 RCM violin certificate. I also have a minor in music (and in French) from Wilfrid Laurier University where I completed my undergraduate studies over a year ago now. Although I'd love to someday write a full-blown symphony or concerto, I primarily write for piano and voice. Composing has the same effect on me that some say yoga classes have on them: it’s profoundly calming and cathartic.

For someone who isn’t extremely tech-savvy, I am happy to be beginning this blog for a class. Otherwise, the realm of cyberspace would be forever foreign and daunting. Thanks, Professor A.M.!! And really, now I know how simple and fun blogging can be =)

So, now a little bit about my music . . . I once had a music teacher at UW describe it as “poppy folk,” meaning a combination of pop and folk music. I think that’s a pretty awesome definition, but really where and how do you begin defining new music? Of course, it’s difficult, especially when you’re no longer conforming to classical models of composition.

A few days back, a catchy tune entered into my head. Despite my demanding studies, I took a break to entertain this melody and sure enough a song has come of it, or at least the beginning. Some of the lyrics have also come to me. The way I write is rather strange . . . I tend to compose the words and accompaniment simultaneously. Talk about word painting ;) But it all usually begins with some kind of emotion, arising, of course, from some sort of experience. More on this later, however, as my books are calling my name and I have yet to eat breakfast!!

So long =)

P.S. I tried inserting a picture using the image icon, but was unsuccessful. The browse button seems to be broken as I do not see any files to upload. Any assistance is gladly welcome!!