Reflection & structural development
I really enjoyed finishing this piece. It was longer then any of my previous pieces, which I had to write for projects, but due to the use of more instruments, I was able to develop the given musical ideas much more easy than I assumed. It took me a little bit longer than expected in the beginning to start working on it, especially because I tried to work out a mathematical pattern of the variable metre from the beginning of the piece.
Due to the fact that I only have worked instinctively on my compositions so far, not only on the ones for the course projects, but also for several other short pieces I wrote before I started this course, I really struggled with creating a structural design (which is part of project 4). When I eventually started writing the piece, I surprisingly found it incredibly helpful to have a rough plan of where to start and finish.
I initially wanted to write this piece in the suggested order, with which I would have started with the principal section (A+B), then continued with the principal reprise (B+A) being followed by writing the Subsidairy-part (C), which is placed in the middle of the two previous sections. Nevertheless, I ended up writing the piece from the beginning to the end.
Structural design
I started with developing the idea of the first part (A) until I moved onto a little side section (B), introducing several new instruments (which reflect two characters), (to find the plot attached to this piece please follow this link: Exercise: Compositional Plan ). The principal section, including motives A+B lasts until bar 37, where the subsidairy section (C) starts in a much slower pace. Except for the Cajon, I only used several chosen instruments for this part, which have a lighter sound than the instruments that were used for the introduction-theme. In bar 64, when the tempo starts to become faster again, some of the motives from the first part (A) can be heard, resulting on a come back of the first part. Played by the Castanets, some ideas from section C are repeated and combined with some motives from section A. Bars 80 – 98 reflect the child and the mother talking, whilst the child is transformed into a demon. The last part of the piece involves several motives repeating themselves . Near the end, one instrument at a time stops playing, leaving the Cajon only, resulting in one final tone played by all the instruments, except for the Shaker, Cymbals and Tambourine.
The piece includes 125 bars and takes about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Dianas Learning Log 