Yagan Kiely

What’s good music to give to someone that has never listened to ‘classical’ music before? Obviously, Wagner, Schönberg, Boulez, Monteverdi et al are not instantly enjoyable pieces to those completely un-learned with ‘classical’ music. I would think you’d start with pieces they already know (Beethoven’s 5th, 1812 etc.) but are what are other good ones? I would think they would need to be very melodic and quite simple, and indeed, short. Presenting someone with the whole of the extremely recognisable Beethoven’s 9th final mvt would simply be too overwhelming. I’ve noticed people have a close connection to voice and chorus. We are naturally social, so that may be why.

A more controversial option may be to adopt pseudo-classical music. I don’t mean in the Andre Rieu way, I mean, fore example, John Williams which clearly does have strong classical ties. This, I dare to say, is undoubtedly an inroad, but is it setting a bad example.*

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*Don’t get me wrong, I frequently listen to soundtracks, but they are (especially john williams in Star Wars, Indiana Jones etc.) almost like pop songs in their instant gratification/no enduring interest.

This post is about what instruments I use and how I use them with regard to creates processes (predominately composition).

Starting fat a similar topic to one from my previous post: I believe technology is an asset that can be employed as an aid, althoughI have still yet for find a good enough reason to use technology within my compositions. Much of my setup involves extensive use of technology – MacBook Pro, iPod, iPad, iPhone and an A3 printer/scanner – but I do still use more traditional items such as a small notepad, blank manuscript and what comes out of the printer.

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I thought this place could do with a random splash of colour. These were the nearest colourful items I had.

Pierre Schaeffer

So these were the three circumstances that compelled me to experiment in music: I was involved in music; I was working with turntables (then with tape-recorders); I was horrified by modern 12-tone music. I said to myself, ‘Maybe I can find something different… maybe salvation, liberation, is possible.’ Seeing that no-one knew what to do anymore with DoReMi, maybe we had to look outside that… Unfortunately it took me forty years to conclude that nothing is possible outside DoReMi… In other words, I wasted my life.