Reflections on Composing and some News
It’s mid-April and I have a few weeks before some scheduled rehearsals for a recording with the jazz orchestra (PRO) Paul Read Orchestra. And I am ‘jumped’. What an ideal situation to have some time to write new music for top flight players to play and record…..and yet. Work has been much slower than I expected. Fellow composers know what I’m talking about. I’ve written a good number of compositions in my life, but the process always seems to be slower than expected….WHY? I mentioned the slowness of it all to my pal and wonderful composer, Mike Malone, and he said the slowest one is always the one we are working on. I’m writing a piece at the moment that is unusual in a few aspects. It has two themes….complexity isn’t always a good thing, but this one just came out that way. Actually I think it is a long and well developed introduction to a shorter, more lyrical theme. Another friend found theme one angular and theme two lyrical. Sounds good to me. But then I seem to have so much material to develop and for many reasons, I want to feature drums in the course of things…not just 8’s with the band, or a chorus, or even an open (break the form) way. Anyway, I wrestle with this and bare my soul with the hope in writing about it I might find some clarity and focus. (This is helping, believe it or not).
At any rate, PRO’s first recording, supported by the Canada Council for the Arts with support for composing coming from the Toronto Arts Council, has been both a challenge and reward. At the moment, one more than the other.
The Paul Read Orchestra is booked to appear next at the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival on Canada Day, July 1 at Nathan Philips Square in one of the free noontime concert series. Hope you’ll put it on your calendar.
‘mout