Piano Composition Studies

Course Description

Summary

This is a two credit composition workshop for students who want to practice their notated composing, and who have previously taken “Composing for Instruments” or another course requiring notational skills. This is a project class, with new pieces due every week. Students will gain fluency in the composing/notating process and confront some theory concepts along the way, by notating short pieces for piano, piano four-hands or two pianos, following specific prompts. We will also include some improvising in the compositions. There will be weekly or bi-weekly composing assignments, some decided upon by the instructor, some determined by the group. Assignments could range from “Write a one-page two-part invention”, “Write a one page Ragtime”, “Write a short twelve-tone piece”, “Write a piece in a Rock piano idiom”, to “Write a short piece in which the pianist needs to talk as well as play”. All pieces will be read by the instructor or by members of the piano faculty.