El Sistema

I finally watched this documentary about Venezuela's music education program. The most famous graduate of El Sistema is Gustavo Dudamel - our new director of the LA Phil. Watching the dedication and hours of practice, I just wonder how far our music students in Claremont would go if we could devote the time and energy and money for comprehensive music education....

Contemplating Stravinsky

I am a Stravinsky fan. But how exactly did he put all those wonderful melodies, harmonies and rhythms together, not to mention the wonderful timbres? This morning I found this website from the San Francisco Symphony with Michael Tilson Thomas which distills a demonstration talk and gives bits of useful information about The Rite of Spring.

Tonal Landscape

Even though I haven't had time to sit down and actually compose music for several weeks, I have been mulling over the third movement (Fire Fall) of my string quartet. Most vexing right now is what tonal landscape I want to use. I want E to be the tonal center, so I have thought about using some sort of Phrygian mode. I like the lowered second. This morning I am listening to Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms for tonal ideas.