Welcome.
Over the next number of weeks I will be giving descriptions of the compositions that you see here on this website. People have asked me "What were you thinking when you wrote this piece or that piece?" Or, "Why band and not orchestra or better yet, why band and orchestra?" Fair questions. Many times we hear compositions and wonder, "What was that composer thinking?" I know I do.
Before I start that process let me tell you what tools I use. Of course, before the advent of technology we had good old pencil and paper. Now with all the newer technologies we have the use of computers and software that make the process easier. I, myself, use all of it. I use pencil and paper to jot down melodies and harmonies that I would like to use as well as various motifs and countermelodies that are important to the composition. This also gives me a general outline of how the musical work will develop. I then move to a notation program to score the ideas and further develop them, being able to listen to how the piece actually will sound. (I use a quality set of sampled sounds. I can't afford a full orchestra!) After that I listen, rewrite, and listen some more. The completion of the piece can take quite a bit of time. I then take the piece and mix it down to create the examples you hear on this site.
In my next post I will start with the orchestral compositions that are on my album Clouds of Dreams, as this is my newest project. The opening measures of these works can be heard on the CD Baby site. Just click the album on this page.