From the Page to the Concert Hall
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
April 2016
Faculty Sponsor
David Biedenbender
Abstract
As a music composition student at Boise State University, one of my first projects was to take a piece that I had written for solo piano and arrange it for a chamber music group. This idea came up during my composition lesson with a guest composer, Paul Dooley. After listening to “Study in Purple,” a piece that I composed for piano solo, Paul Dooley mentioned that different aspects of the piece sounded like different instruments. The flowing melody was similar to a clarinet solo, while the low, left‐hand notes sounded like something that might be played on marimba. Because of this, Paul Dooley recommended that I translate this piece from a piano solo to a chamber music work. With the guidance of Dr. Biedenbender, Boise State’s composition instructor, I orchestrated the piece for clarinet, french horn, and marimba. I knew very little about these instruments before I started this project, so through my studies I’ve gained an understanding of these instruments, their roles in music, and the basics of orchestration. After composing the piece, I collaborated with three instrumentalists and went through the process of preparing one of my own compositions for performance. This is both a poster presentation and a performing arts presentation.
Recommended Citation
Sears, Rebecca, "From the Page to the Concert Hall" (2016). 2016 Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Conference. Paper 81.
https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/as_16/81
