Looking Back

I want to look back at something I posted a few weeks ago about Paul Westin's blog and what I learned from it.

I was thinking back on it the other day and there is one thing that is sticking with me about his experience that I really loved. About halfway through his entries, he made the point that he wasn't doing this project to get a good grade. That's what other classes are for. WISE gives us the opportunity to do what we want to do and get a grade based on what we've done.

This point made me realize that I'm doing this because I love music and I want Ithaca High School to have a point of unity among the student body, as well as the teachers. This isn't about me and what I can do for myself. It's about me, and what I can do for my school. This has really changed my perspective on the project, and I hope to begin reaping the benefits of my change of mentality.

Embellishments and NCTs

I have recently been studying the use of non-chord tones (NCTs) in music. I learned that there are really just three major types of NCTs.

First, and NCT is a note that is played within a chord, but is not typically a part of that chord. For example, the occurrence of an F in a C Major chord (C E G) is considered an NCT because it is not a part of the chord.

The first type of NCT is called a passing tone. A passing tone is simply a note between two other notes, moving one step at a time. I will give examples of all of these at my presentation to clarify.

The second type of NCT is called a neighbor tone. A neighbor tone is a note right next to the note in the chord, but rather than continuing on up the scale as in the case of a passing tone, the note "returns to sender" and goes back to the original note.

Finally, the third type of NCT is a suspension. Suspensions are the epitome of music because they create the tension and release. A suspension occurs with dissonance on the downbeat of a note, followed by the resolution to a note in the chord.

If your confused…good. I'll explain more. Please ask questions!

Verse 1 (better)

With my new developments concerning the verse, I had to schedule an emergency meeting with Ms. Zaryski to try and work out some of the kinks while it was still fresh in my mind.
The following are the notes I took from our meeting regarding the phrasing and form:

• strong words get strong beat (beats 1 and 3)
• write first verse with melody, then go back and write the other verses to fit that melody
• journey from whole school and end with graduates (last verse should be special message to graduates)
• "heart lies here with Ithaca" OR "heart lies with your Ithaca"
• change "you" and "your" to "we" and "our"

Using these notes, I'm going to go back to the drawing board and make some modifications and hopefully write more lyrics. 

I'm starting to get excited!

Verse 1 (kindda...)

Today has been a very strange day. When I was getting ready for school, I started singing a song. I had never heard the song before and I didn't know from where it had come. After I noticed this, I realized I was singing the IHS Alma Mater...but not the existing one. I was singing the one that I'm writing. The only problem was, I hadn't written it yet. So don't ask me how it happened, because I really don't know, but this is what I came up with.

As you walk through the valley of Cayuga
you may stumble and fall
but fear not for your heart lies with
your Ithaca will bold you tall

I know the third and fourth lines don't line up, but I like the sound of them, so my next task is to try and make them flow together.

Deciding on Form

April 8-Ms. Zaryski and I talked briefly after 5th period today about what form this Alma Mater should follow. We discussed several different options:

• AABA Coda (very much like a pop song where "A" is a verse and "B" is the chorus. of course, in a pop song, it's AABBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBB)
• AA (just 2 verses with the same melody)
• AA Coda (2 verses, but with a small "tag" on the end)
• ABAB Coda (verse, chorus, different verse, chorus, with a tag)

We decided that ABAB Coda was the best way to go because most students probably won't know the verses very well, but I want the chorus to be something that everybody knows and is willing to sing raucously and fervently. 

(That's right. Two vocab words in one sentence.)

Principles of 4-Part Chorale Writing

April 5-I'm about to take more of your time as you read through something that you don't understand, but here it is anyway. These are just the very basics of four-part writing.

• Do not double the third
• No parallel 5ths or octaves between soprano and bass
• You MAY omit the 5th at a cadence if needed
• Avoid leaps in the tenor an alto parts (a leap is a jump of a 4th or larger interval)
• Do not write too high or too low for any part (G-C alto and bass, C-G soprano and tenor)

These rules were set in place by Johann Sebastian Bach over the course of his lifetime from 1685-1750. This is known as the Common Practice Period, and the rules created in that time are still kept in traditional composition.

Are you bored yet? Good.

Mentor Meeting-Lyrics

April 3-Ms. Zaryski and I met today concerning the process of writing lyrics. This has obviously been the most difficult part for me so far, so it was good to bounce ideas off of someone else.

As a choir teacher, Ms. Zaryski has arranged many songs for choir-which includes composing original lyrics. She described how lyrics typically take the form of the lyricists personality; this is why her lyrics are typically goofy.

She suggested carrying around a notepad and simply writing down words that I liked the sound of, then I could go back later and just speak the words until a rhythm appeared and I could start to piece things together.

So far, I have words such as:
opportunity
red and gold
dreams
carry on
journey
forth

This has given me a good starting point to work with, so hopefully something will come of it!

My Deepest Apologies

Ok, it's time to 'fess up, even though I'm sure you can already see that it has been a while since I last posted. This has been eating away at my conscience and I sincerely apologize. These past 2 weeks have been insanely busy with rehearsals for the musical "Legally Blonde" (come see it April 4, 5, 6!). With rehearsals every night from 6-10, I've hardly had time to even think about blogging. Thankfully, with everything coming to an end this week, I should start posting with regularity. Again, I apologize for my tardiness.

While I've been gone from the blogosphere, I have been taking notes in a paper journal on my big discoveries and disappointments regarding my project, so these next few posts will describe those accomplishments and failures. I will also include the date on which they were discovered.