Thursday, December 10, 2009

My Newest Obsession (or, Where I've Been Lately)


I am addicted to Sibelius.

No, not the composer - though there's some good oboe there - but rather, the computer program.

I started using it a couple of days ago to arrange some piano accompaniment for a vocal score I have (long story), with some help from an audio recording, and I am totally HOOKED.

I've neglected my blog for it. I've neglected my books for it. I've neglected some of my happy Christmas projects for it (this is the latest I've gone without sending Christmas cards). I can't get enough of it! Who knew arranging music could be so completely mesmerizing? I could play with it for hours. It's my World of Warcraft.

Let's try this harmony - no, actually, that first one was better. Triplets or dotteds? Oboe or flute? Ooh, we can transpose the whole score from E flat to E...Maybe I should throw in a whole new alto line...Ew, thank goodness for instant playback, that accidental's definitely in the wrong place! How I love rubby intervals that resolve...

Imagine how lost to the world I would be if I could actually compose?!

So alas, there's a powerful force behind this blog neglect. My music projects are like bright candles for this little moth. I'm even arranging some carol duets for my son and me to play on violin and oboe - two beginners, lotsa laughs.

I suppose there are worse vices out there... :)

5 comments:

Hinzi said...

Resistance is futile! If you write music like you write blogs, you could be the next famous composer of this century.

BTW, for the composer Sibelius, go beyond his popular 2nd Symphony and Finlandia; there is so much really great stuff out there. Listen to Symphony #6.

Kim said...

Sounds like fun...is it a free program or do you have to pay? Good to hear from you. :)

T. said...

Hinzi - I will check out that Symphony! Thanks for the tip!

Kim - it's SOOOOOO much fun. I bought the student version of the software - and not even the latest, which came out just this month. The professional version was both too expensive AND too full of bells and whistles that I have neither the talent nor the training to use. The student one, for ages "three through high school" or something like that, is just my speed! :)

T. said...

Oh, and thanks for such a lovely compliment, Hinzi. That's so kind. I WISH I had some innate composing ability - like my daugher, and my husband - but alas, my brain lacks those connections, I think, and I'm not even sure more rigorous training would help. It's a word-writing brain, I guess, not a music-writing one.

Elaine Fine said...

There is no more all-consuming a vice! Welcome to my world!