Music Theory Freakout and How the Circle of Fifths Saved My Life

I'm currently enrolled in an AP Music Theory class at my school. My teacher has been great all year; I've learned so much more than I ever thought was possible. I loved going to class every day to learn about diminished 5ths and homophonic rhythms and such. I loved learning about the different composers (and I'm afraid to admit this) because I know little to nothing about composers. I mean, sure. There's the mainstream Bach and Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms. But who were these men? What were they really like? And why are they so damn good with music?

Over the course of this year, I've written reports on Vaughn-Williams (one of my favorites for sure--have you heard his Five Variants for Dives and Lazarus?), Listz, Holst and a few others. Learning about these composers has bridged the gap between their music and my ears. I love The Planets and the way Holst uses different themes to personify the planets. But my favorite composer of all would have to be Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. I wrote a 12 pg paper on him my sophomore year. His music is probably one of the most emotional music ever written. Tchaikovsky was referred to a few times as "unmanly" or something like that because he was so willing to bear his soul. I love it. His life was filled with tragedy--taken away from his mother at a young age, constantly being humiliated with his sexuality, never finding a lover. His only solace was in Nadezhda von Meck, a rich widow who became his lifelong friend.

Anyway. Back on topic.

My AP Music Theory teacher suddenly became "ill". I say "ill" because I'm not quite sure if that's the reason or not. None of us are quite sure. I mean, I'm sure she's sick, but we're not very happy. This AP test has cost us $87, and she has left us to fend for ourselves. Sure. We have a student teacher, but he's hardly qualified to teach high school, and this is a college class. I'm really frustrated right now. I think I'm pretty advanced when it comes to music, but I've looked at these practice tests, and I'm kind of worried. I'm not sure if I know everything that's on this test.

Well. There's nothing I can do besides study, right?

The Circle of Fifths. That lovely little circle of letters and flats and sharps. Without it, I'd be completely lost in music. I really owe my whole Music Theory grade to it. Well. That and the list of German music vocab that I cheat off of on tests.

Anyway. I'm just here. Being me. Playing and writing music.

Til next time,

-Jared

Composition: A History

My first composition was when I was just beginning piano lessons. It was in the key of D minor and was entitled "A Nightmare". Honestly, some of my earliest stuff was some of the most beautiful melodies I've ever penned.

I wrote the song up on the spot one night while my parents were out. I only used five notes the entire song: D, E, F, G & A, but I was able to write something that was both scary and melodic.

My next song was when I seriously began to think I had talent in composition. I wrote Snowflakes when I was 12. This song, in the key of Eb Major, was the stepping stone in my life that drew me closer to music. I realized that it was much more fun to write music than it was to play music.

A year into violin lessons, I took a rock ballad I had written (entitled We Used to Be) and arranged it for a string orchestra. My orchestra teacher at that time told me it was too difficult to play (which made so incredibly happy!) at the time, due to the fact that a middle school orchestra would be playing it.

But that next year, my 9th grade year, my teacher came up to me and asked me if we could sight read that song I had written. I had long since forgotten about it, and the next day, I had rearranged everything for a second time to make it more accommodating to string players. My teacher was absolutely shocked that I was able to write the score in under a day, but honestly, it was easy. Time consuming absolutely, but worth it? Totally.

The Joel P. Jensen Middle School Advanced Orchestra played We Used to Be for Strings the very last concert of the year. I cannot express how nervous I was to have an audience listen to something I had written. The performance went okay (by the way, I wrote myself a short little two measure solo, and I totally butchered it come the performance, but what can you do?) and I got a lot of very nice compliments and received a semi-standing ovation, I think.

But yeah. Composition really took off once I bought Finale Printmusic. It was such a wonderful program. I could easily write for many different instruments quickly and effectively. The computer program led to a spree of compositions--nothing too overly huge, but some of them were quite awesome.

I wrote Orchestra Concerto No. 1 my sophomore year. At that time, I only named it that because it sounded official and legit, although there was no solo instrument, as concertos usually have. We sight read it in my Chamber Orchestra and it sounded okay. Not what I expected, but we got the most out of our orchestra.

I'm currently in my Junior year and in the middle of writing a musical, Talent. If you'd like to read more about it, click this link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Talent-a-new-rock-musical-by-Jared-Peterson/126137134106980

Anyway. I have to leave for now. I'll blog more some other day.

-Jared

in the beginning

In the beginning, God said, "Let there be music." And he saw it was good.

-

Here I am, nearly 11 PM, sitting at my computer. I decided to make this blog for the single purpose of having somewhere to go to where I can write everything I've ever felt about the one thing that's ever made complete sense to me -- music.

I was ten when I first became interested in music. At that time, I had joined my church choir and I wanted to find out what all of those notes on the pages meant. I wanted to be able to become a better singer and know how to read sheet music, so I inquired my parents about taking up piano. Luckily for me, my grandparents had a piano in their basement. It was old and dusty and hadn't been used for years. Around Christmas time, I seriously began asking for piano lessons and to own that piano. And I got it.

One of my Christmas presents that year was a collection of beginning piano lesson books. I was to start piano lessons with Dorothy Williams, a woman who lived across the street with me, that week. As I took lessons, it was evident that I was learning at an alarming rate. I flew through those first books in a matter of a few months. I was eager to learn everything there was about music. It was a different and forbidden world to me, and I needed to know its secrets.

I took piano lessons for five years. At the time that I quit, I hated going to lessons. I rarely ever practiced and didn't like the songs I had to learn. I only wish now that I had taken those precious lessons more seriously; I would've been a lot better of a musician if I'd taken time to learn and understand that music.

Starting in my seventh grade year, I took up the violin. My mom bought me this beautiful, glossy red violin. I took orchestra throughout Jr. High and up until now, my Junior year of high school. I absolutely love the violin and all it is capable of doing. I'm in the Chamber Orchestra at West Jordan High School and love every minute of it.

So, there is a summary of my instrumental history. In my next post, I'll comment more on my composing history and my love for composition and music theory, but for now, I'm off.

Fight the night

---Jared