Works for chamber ensembles, solo piano, and solo flute
Description
When one listens to a piece of music, one absorbs, interprets, and in some special instances, is illuminated and forever changed by a composer ' s skillful manipulation of several musical elements; elements which constitutes all music in one form or another. These musical elements include (to name a few) rhythm, tempo, meter, melody, harmony, articulation, dynamics, expression , texture, density, form, and many others. When the musical elements are manipulated successfully , the give and take, push and pull nature of tension and release that is directly at the center of all successful art (particularly in art mediums which unfold through time: music, literature, film, etc.) will communicate to the observer a sense of beauty, deeply touch one's emotions, or indelibly leave an impression upon one's 'soul' after witnessing something truly profound, novel, or inspiring. This thesis is comprised of five compositions which hopefully demonstrate such mastery for various musical ensembles : three short songs for Pierrot Ensemble, solo flute, trio (Clarinet, Cello, and pitched percussion) , solo piano, and string quartet. Consciously understood or not, it is a primary goal of every artist to communicate something of value to all who observe their creations; if this goal is to be achieve; if one wishes to successfully communicate their emotion s, ideas, vision, etc., then mastery of these musical elements (the compositional technique) will be essential.