Progress Log

I've just started the composition process for the first time, and it is much more complex and time-consuming than I expected. Regardless, over the course of about six hours this weekend, I've put together a bit of an intro and the frenetic second movement, culminating in about a minute and a half of music. Percussion parts are more fun to write than expected.

The bulk of my time has been spent on orchestration, and I'm feeling decently satisfied with the way this is coming out. Certain motifs are beginning to add life, and I've fleshed out the transition from sundown to twilight. Composing primarily in Phrygian is presenting its fair share of curveballs, and I'm finding it difficult to find a balance between interesting, smooth, and functional chord progressions. Regardless, I'm trucking ahead with the project and hope to have finished the second movement by the end of the month.

I've since added two more sections to the previous weeks' work; the toms interlude and the low-key groove that follows it. The plan is to get some transition material to and out of these sections over fall break. I intend to write the rest of the second movement up until the "storm" breaks and we get to the mournful slow section, which the toms part takes us out of.

I'm still learning a lot about percussion parts, but I find they're coming easier than the winds parts. Next week, after the concert, I'm bringing in what I've drafted to the band to see how it sounds live, so over the weekend I've got to force myself to work on winds.

Whew. Between COVID, school, and marching band, the past month has been a whirlwind. I unfortunately haven't been able to hear what I've written live, but I've finally summed up the will to get out of the writing slump. After revising the beginning, I'm still not quite happy with it, but it's getting there. Far less square-sounding.

Nearing completion! This Thursday I'll actually be bringing individual parts for the band to read. The intro, first section, and ballad are fully complete (for now.) I'm looking to revise parts with D and company over break, and hopefully find a way to develop the last section into the bombshell I want it to be.

One thing I've been working on recently is adding in woodwind countermelodies -- I've found that while my writing sounds decent in Musescore, it actually is texturally very thin compared to other scores I've read and only ever had one or two ideas occuring at the same time. I'm waiting until Thursday to see if the new ideas I've written stand or if they make it too busy.

Sunsick is complete! After some tweaking, the parts have been finalized and passed out for the band to read. It's really exciting to hear it come to life and be the one in front of the group leading it. The band has taken to it really well, and it warms my heart. Ironically, I was expecting my work to be done from here, but I have a lot more effort to put in to get this in working condition. Conducting is exhausting! Planning is exhausting! It would be interesting to tally up all of my working hours on this project.