SNEAK PEAK! grin emoticongrin emoticongrin emoticon Take a listen to a clip from the new a cappella album by Fifth Element. The album includes a variety of pop arrangements, four of which are my own (including this one). They are currently in the process of mastering their album; however, to bring you the level of quality they wish to bring you they are asking for a little financial help. If you are interested in donating and or are curious about how your donation will be used, please take a look at the following link. I HOPE YOU ENJOY!
So when I got this recording, not going to lie, I laid on the ground in disbelief that this was one of my songs being sung by the USC Thornton Chamber Singers under the direction of Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe… I first had the privilege of hearing this ensemble perform at the 2015 National ACDA convention in Salt Lake City. When I was told that they would be recording my piece I was completely taken back. I think I was mostly taken back by the fact that I was not a part of that university and they wanted to record it for me still. There have been many reminders throughout my life of the blessings I have had so far with music and this is one of them for sure. I am not sure if it has quite hit me yet that this is actually a song of mine, it truly is a dream come true. Thank you to Jo-Michael Scheibe as well as singers of the USC Thornton Chamber Singers for singing beautifully. Also, thank you to Sam Wulterkens and Gillian Lea for bringing this song to life. I strongly encourage everyone to #joinchoir. The possibilities that music can offer are countless, indescribable and unpredictable. The only way to truly know what they are is to #joinchoir. You are NEVER to old or young to do this. The sheet music is available through Santa Barbara Music. To read more about the score please click here.
Life is just full of wonderful and awesome surprises!!!!.. Last night I was contacted by an outstanding conductor, 聶焱庠, winner of the 2013 Busan Choral Festival & Competition. He conducts various choirs and his Taipei Youth Choir will be performing my choral work, “I Will Lift My Eyes” at the NATIONAL CONCERT HALL of Taipei 05/25/2015!!!!!!!! This choir took Gold in the Classical Mixed Voices Category of the Busan Choral Festival & Competition…. What an honor… Here is a performance of the choir.
I am excited to say that the sheet music for October Song is now available through Colla Voce!!!! 😀 If you are interested you may visit its page under my “choral works” section. Or, you may view the sheet music at this link.
Last night Oshkosh West High School Chorale, under the direction of Herb Berendsen, premiered my new piece, “The Tyger.” To my joy, the piece was fantastic and the ensemble did a great job getting into the emotion behind the composition. I can’t wait to hear them perform the piece in late November. Enjoy! 🙂 Thank you Oshkosh West!!!!!!
I am pleased to say that October Song has been premiered and that the first draft was sent in to Colla Voce. I hope to have this score out shortly. Thank you to all the performers who were involved in making this work come to life. I am really looking forward to see where this work goes to. I hope to have a full recording available for those interested in listening! For now, enjoy this 2 minute clip of October Song. 🙂
Well friends of the four that there were…. I advanced and took third! Congrats to Saunder Choi for taking first and Ed Frazier Davis on taking second! Also, congrats to Daniel Elder on second (professional). Thank you to anyone who has influenced me in my musical journey, Dr. Wickman, Mr. Wanner, Dr. Schwartzhoff, and all other composers who have taught me as well. Also thank you to the singers of the UW- Eau Claire Concert Choir for making such a beautiful recording. Last, thank to my parents , Jody and Mike Moore for being extremely supportive of my dreams.
Among the judge’s comments… “a lyrical setting of the 121st Psalm that shows great sensitivity to its textual meaning.
After reading the title of this second blog I am sure you are thinking, “Zach, that literally makes no sense at all. You need to write music down in order for it to be sung… PEOPLE CAN’T READ YOUR MIND!” And to that I say, you are absolutely right, it is important to write down your ideas, just not right away.
Too many times I see songs written by individuals that are decent, interesting and unique but are ultimately not the most memorable. In the end, there could be several reasons as to why this is, but in my opinion, the most prevalent reason is a composer’s hastiness in writing. Many composers simply do not allow their music to incubate within their mind and stand the test of time. As a result, their ideas are forgotten and lack a sense of direction, power, meaning and authority. Sure, a composer could sit down at a keyboard and by chance come up with an awesome melody or rhythmic idea, but most of the time, the melody or rhythm created only seems great at the time and is only memorable the next day because it was written down. Just like any good thought an individual has, time is taken to weigh out the pros and cons before acting upon anything. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. did not just come up with the, “I Have a Dream” speech as he was giving it and John Hancock did not just write The Declaration of Independence on the spot. These moments are memorable because time was taken to think about them.
If a composer wishes to have a worthwhile idea they should do the same as Martin Luther King Jr. or John Hancock and not act upon their initial ideas. If an idea is worth anything one should be able to recall it the next day they wake up, or even a few months later. In all honesty, I do not write down any of my ideas without sitting on them for at least a couple of weeks. If I can recall a melody, rhythm or nostalgia two weeks later, then I know my idea is a strong enough one. Basically, you want people to be humming, tapping or singing your music in the car/shower a week after hearing it. A song being stuck in one’s head is the sign of a good song. Even if one does not want that particular song stuck in their head, it’s already a step further than the thousands of other “good” songs that are rarely ever in a person’s head. Have more meaning than simply moving from chord to chord because it “sounds good” goes extremely far.
So how do you write memorable and worthwhile music? It’s easy; just don’t write down your ideas.
Before you disagree with the title of this first blog, I encourage you to read through this and then make up your mind. I am going to start this first post out with a quote that captures the essence of why I began to compose. “Greatness is anywhere someone is trying to find it.” When I began to compose I could not get the thought out of my head that, if Mozart, Bach and Beethoven all started at the same point that I was, with nothing but a writing utensil and blank staff paper, who says that I can’t write the next great Requiem. Really, other than experiences along the way in life, we all come into this world the same way and we all, for the most part, have similar opportunities that we can take to be whatever it is we want to be.
Too many times I have heard someone say, “Zach, I don’t know how you do what you do, I could never even fathom starting and finishing a composition.” I will admit, writing a composition is not the easiest thing in the world and can be daunting, but whenever an individual says this to me (or something like that) I can’t help think to myself, “do you really think that I knew what I was doing when I started?!” When I started I had a much more limited knowledge of music than people think. I wrote my first choral composition using guitar tabs, which, if you don’t know what that is, it is a number system used for guitarists to play. Long story short, I did not even know how to read or write actual musical notes when I started. All I really understood was how music should sound, which I learned through both listening to popular music on the radio and seeing what my friends and family liked as well.
With that being said, I firmly believe that if I started with basically little to no knowledge of music, anyone else can compose as well, if they do so dream. One of the only differences between those that tell me, “I could never do that”, and myself is that I decided not to turn the opportunity down before I tried it. In almost any aspect of life, if one is passionate about something and believes in themself then one should pursue that thing. The genesis of any great individual does not rely on any special talent that one is born with, but rather, their ability to believe in themself and dream of the “impossible” becoming possible. So am I really saying that anyone can compose, sure I am, as long as one has the drive and passion for it.
The next topic of this series: Common Mistakes Made by Beginning Writers
I am excited to say that the sheet music to I Will Lift My Eyes is now available. It is truly amazing to think that almost a year ago I started the process of composing this piece. 🙂 I hope you all enjoy.
