Contemporary Classical Composer Sabrina Pena Young Official Music Site, Filmmaker, Speaker, Writer: Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2

Contemporary Classical Composer Sabrina Pena Young Official Music Site, Filmmaker, Speaker, Writer: Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2: Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2 After the incredibly positive feedback that I had from Music Secrets: How to Write an Ope...

Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 2

After the incredibly positive feedback that I had from Music Secrets: How to Write an Opera, Part 1, I thought I would talk a little bit about the composition angle of writing, at least how I do it in regards to vocal music. Here's a quick primer for anyone learning some of the basics of writing vocal music for opera, musicals, classical music, etc.

1. The Sketch
I have had several great teachers in my life - Dr. Clare Shore, Hilton Jones, Dr. Kristine Burns,Paul Reller, Dr. Frederick Kaufman, Dr. Orlando Garcia, Chuck Owen, etc. My composition prof (and USF SYCOM guru) Paul Reller helped me develop the composition technique that I have had for years.

Download the Libertaria: The Virtual Opera Soundtrack at iTunes

When I have the time to go through the entire composition process (because sometimes I have to skip a step or two for deadlines), I will start out with pencil, paper, and a piano (or keyboard, in my case). This may not fit your music style, but this is how I start it. For an opera, I may already have the song playing in my head. For Libertaria, for example, the song "Metal Ink" essentially ended up just like I heard it in my head. I sketch the melody down or the motif. I'm a percussionist, so I often think in terms of mood, rhythm, and timbre, and less in harmonic structure. I improvise off of this melody or motif, inverting it, making slight changes, making it darker or more mysterious, making it lighter sounding or cheerier, depending on the overall emotions needed for the song....

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A Composer's Brief Guide to Percussion Mallets

When composing for percussion, it is important to know the difference between a variety of mallets. Although in most cases the percussionist will choose the proper mallets for the passage, sometimes as a composer, you want a particular sound. It is always good to research a mallet before indicating it in your score. Consult a percussion catalogue for a more in-depth look at the hundreds of mallets available. 1. YARN MALLETS They come in every dynamic range from supersoft baseball-sized to forte. They are the multi-purpose mallet, used for toms, suspended cymbal rolls, marimba, xylophone, woodblock, and pretty much anytime a percussionist doesn't have time to pick up another mallet. 2. CORD MALLETS These are harder than the yarn mallets. More effective on xylophone and vibes, these mallets can also be used for a variety of percussion instruments. 3. BRASS MALLETS These are for use on the glockenspiel/bells and the occasional brake drum. They produce a more "tinny" kind of ...

Music Secrets: The Music School Survival Guide

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Percussion 101: How to Play Hand Crash Cymbols

Young Girl Plays Cymbals The hand cymbals (or crash cymbals ) are extremely versatile percussion instruments . The hand cymbals are used in the military, drum and bugle corps , the orchestra, and wind ensembles. Proper percussion hand cymbal technique takes many years of practice and hard work, as well as stamina and upper body strength. The most common use of the hand cymbals is in the drum line, whether in a high school band or a professional drum and bugle corps. Two cymbals are held by straps to the cymbal player's hands. In marching band and drum and bugle corps, the cymbal player often will loop their own hand in the strap, then grab the strap. Protect Your Hands Tape, strap pads, and gloves are often used to protect the cymbal player's hands from blisters and the slow grinding away of skin during a lengthy band show. In the orchestra setting, where the crash cymbal is often reserved for music accents and shorter music passages, the percussion player does...

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