Feel free to listen to a few of my short compositions. There are 8 Nocturnes for piano in the MP3 jukebox.
My own musical education consisted of playing classical piano, together with a good deal of academic study of music and its history, fueled by a great love of most of our western musical heritage. It wasn't until much later that I began to explore improvisation and composition. In composition I found a deep creative delight. Playing great music in the established repertoire is, of course, fabulous; but even a very humble offering in the field of composition is so exciting - this is something new, never heard before, and totally one's own, not an interpretation of someone else's creation. I am inclined to agree with the composer John Cage, who said:
"It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than listen to one, better to listen to one than to misuse it as a means of distraction or entertainment."
"It is better to make a piece of music than to perform one, better to perform one than listen to one, better to listen to one than to misuse it as a means of distraction or entertainment."
The pieces I have enjoyed composing the most, and which others seem to find enjoyable, are short lyrical piano pieces in a romantic style. I make no claim to radical originality - I enjoy myself at the piano and let others make their own judgements. I hope you like these samples - just click on the mp3 jukebox button above. If you like what you hear remember to revisit the site occasionally, as I will be putting more pieces into the jukebox.
I always encourage my students to do some composing, and have developed several methods of approach to facilitate this. The attempt to compose has great educational value, whatever one may think of the first results. After all, when learning a language as a youngster not only do we read stories, but from very early on we write our own short stories. Reading and writing are complementary skills in the mastery of a language. The same could be said of the language of music.
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