Sectional Development

Blog (22.10.17): After finalising my main ostinato idea and a few alternate melodic ideas, I can start to see two clear sections of different melodic material and now working on how this can develop.

Working in Soundtrap made me consider dynamics quite quickly in playback to get the different effects I was aiming for. As dynamics are very easy to manipulate and you are constantly listening as composing in Soundtrap, I found myself considering these a lot quicker than if I was doing hand notation, almost as a closer example of "interplay between process and product" (Butler, 2014, p.3)

Using the idea of phasing I can quite easily play around with how my ostinato might sound being "phased" in Soundtrap. Considering the static nature of minimalism and how this piece is evolving I am hoping to use phasing to build intensity and interest utlising dynamics and instrumental layers in what is evolving as static harmony.

Great example of Steve Reich using phasing for Piano "Piano Phase" (1989) & my first play around with phasing a main melody idea.

4. Phasing Movie.mp4

Now with my two sections I want to make some more detailed changes and want to see how my rhythmic ostinatos can work in notation and moved over to composing through Sibelius. First however because Soundtrap can export straight into Noteflight I tested this feature... the triplet ostinato needed a little bit more notation assistance as you can see!

Final Soundtrap before exporting into notation...

And how it exported into Noteflight - not the easiest to read!

Soundtrap final.mp4

I used what I could in an XML file and imported everything to continue working in Sibelius. Although it feels like I'm composing my first two sections again, it has actually been a really good exercise composing using sounds that I might want and then going into notation, with a reality check on what instruments and tone colours can work again using different notation methods, not just midi keyboard.

Still don't have an ending yet! First thoughts however are to have the end reflect a mirror of how it started and gradually have the ostinato fade away, just need to work out what happens between the last section and the ending.

Butler, M. (2014). Playing with Something That Runs: Technology, Improvisation, and Composition in DJ and Laptop Performance. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 22 October 2017, from http://www.oxfordscholarship.com.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195393613.001.0001/acprof-9780195393613-chapter-1.

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