interest in composition. Nikhil wrote “Ultionem Titanus” af- ter studying Greek and Ro- man gods in his Latin class. He imagined the titans sitting in a dark room with a red glow planning to conquer the world, and then composed the piece “Ultionem Titanus” (translated as “Revenge of the Titans”). He enjoyed other songs he has played in the key of B minor and felt this key matched the
ominous mood of his piece. Listening to Beethoven and Chopin inspired Sahill Deenadayalu who commented, “One day I want to compose one of those, or compose a very nice song that I can play and say, ‘It’s mine!’”
Madison Douglas, a senior at Interlochen Arts Academy, began her work as a singer/songwriter at age 12 after be- ing inspired by John Lennon. The political inspiration she drew from Lennon is still present in her writing. “I wanted to give a voice to people who wouldn’t be heard otherwise,” said Douglas. Her song “Chasing Rainbows” (for guitar and voice) uses the analogy of weather to address social issues, lives of friends, and overcoming self-doubt. Douglas cites a multitude of teachers who were encouraging, including her junior high teacher, Ms. Warne, who provided her with her first opportunity to perform her own song in the seventh grade.
Joshua Birdsong, a second-year senior at Interlochen Arts Academy, was inspired by singers such as Frank Sinatra and Michael Bublé when he composed his song for guitar and voice, entitled “Nothing Compares.” He began writing mu- sic in fifth grade, and it became a serious interest shortly thereafter. He stated that his lessons gave him the skills to write music, but his inspiration and motivation came from within.
Understanding the Process
Many of the students involved with the Honors Composition Concert describe their process as beginning with improvisation. For example, eight-year-old Nicholas Simon from Bloomfield Township was inspired by Paganini’s “Caprice No. 9” when he composed his violin solo “Ca- price No. 1.” When asked how he composed his piece, he said, “It all started by improvising. When I got bored, I wrote pieces in the car.”
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The Deenadayalus begin the composing process by sitting at the piano and creating 10 to 20 musical ideas. They then pick the motives they think will work best to convey the idea of their pieces. Many of the composers began composing with single instruments and progressed to larger ensembles. Tyler Bouque, a freshman from Troy, Michigan, began his com- posing career writing piano pieces. Subsequently, he began writing for ensembles at the suggestion of his middle school band director, Mr. Havrilla. His piece for the Honors Com- position Concert, “March to the Sea” for wind band, was written after playing from a book of solos on the piano. He heard two notes together in a piano piece, played them to- gether, and then played them with different rhythms. “March to the Sea” then grew out of this basic idea in two days.
Composing the Future
To varying degrees, all of the young composers envision a future blueprint for composing. Because many of these young composers started small and worked their way into larger compositions, they have already established future goals for composition. For example, Simon’s next composi- tion will be a piece for string quartet. The Deenadayalus plan to write a song each year, and Nikhil plans to compose more for fun. These plans include more complex pieces and pieces from various genres.
Some of the high school students are envisioning their lives and careers in songwriting. Their futures often include en- rolling in a collegiate songwriting program with the goal of writing music as professionals. Other students envision larg- er projects. Bouque’s next compositional goal is creating an orchestral piece. In order to reach that goal, he is currently working on a violin and piano piece. This will be followed by a chamber music piece. He is considering a career as a film score composer because of his interest in symbolic and visual music. Douglas hopes to study songwriting in college. In addition, she hopes that songwriting can provide stronger platforms for charity work and advocating feminism. Bird- song, who is interested in all facets of the music industry, plans to be a songwriter or study contemporary production in college as a way to develop as an artist and songwriter for others.
Sharing Their Work
The experience of creating and sharing compositions pro- duced varying emotions among the participants. Simon described the concert as “exciting.” When asked if he was nervous, he responded, “No. Unless I’m not ready to play it.” Bouque described the energy it takes to put together a composition like his piece for wind band. “It takes a lot of time and effort. Sometimes it’s upsetting. Making it sound right on the page.”
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