I have been writing music in one way or another since I was in high school. From basic songwriting to drumline cadences to complex prog rock arrangements for percussion ensemble, I always feel drawn to composing for the musical groups I experience. College for me began with jazz bass and percussion, but I soon switched to string education. Despite my relatively limited experience (we had no orchestra in my home town at the time), I entered the classroom in 2007 with the help of a great mentor director in Alicia Walls and a newfound passion for the compositional possibilities of string music.
That said, my first attempts at writing orchestra pieces were not great. However, my failures accelerated my understanding of what it means to teach string players. I learned quickly what is and isn’t idiomatic for young orchestras. Through the lens of composition, I came to discover that bow placement, distribution, and tone are some of the most important things we teach. Additionally, by composing and creating the different voices in an ensemble, I focused more and more on articulations and balance between the sections when rehearsing my groups. To me, those last two concepts, more than anything else we teach, play the biggest role in helping a young orchestra accurately hear each other and stay together.
As I wrote, I got better as a teacher. As I got better as a teacher, I wrote more effective pieces. This cycle of growth has continued to this day and I owe a lot to the synergy of these two major parts of my life.
A formally-trained composer (which I am not) is sometimes frustrated when it comes to writing within the constraints of educational music. For example, while it is indeed a noble thing to do “proper” voice leading in D Major, in reality that often means facing the dreaded C# on the viola G string. If you’re writing for a Grade 1 ensemble, that is a no-go. With my drumline experience, I am inclined to write incredibly syncopated interactions between the sections, but such choices could instantly transform a Grade 2 into a Grade 4.
There is also the balancing act of determining and applying varying levels of difficulty within a piece. A good example from my work is the sequel to Water on Mars, called The Galaxies Beyond (Tempo Press). Many times, students are not exposed to odd meter until they are already doing a Grade 4, and by that point are bombarded by the inclusion of many other advanced techniques. I wanted to make Galaxies an introduction of sorts to 5/8 time, while still limiting the note ranges and physical challenges to a Grade 2-2.5. I put a lot of time and energy into ensuring the rhythms remained blocked and that everything is introduced step-by-step, so as not to overwhelm the player, while also maintaining compositional integrity. The result is not without its difficulties, but is completely approachable by most middle school varsity and high school non-varsity groups.
Another example of reconciling age-related difficulty level with evolving musical complexity is illustrated in my new piece coming out in a few months via Randall Standridge Music. Similarly to Galaxies, I set out to teach Grade 2 students a concept usually reserved for more advanced ensembles. What emerged is an introduction to the key of A Major, focusing primarily on the notes within the lower octave of the A Major scale, complete with hi3’s, basic cello extensions, and half position on the G string for the basses. We Rise (By Lifting Others) will look like any other 3/4 time Grade 2 piece in your library, but instead of limiting the player to one or two sharps/flats, you get a great teaching opportunity to apply that scale you always teach, but rarely use.
While I’m currently wrapping up my fourth commission, and nearing 30 published pieces, one of my favorite activities is writing for the UIL Sight-Reading Competition. Composing a meaningful piece of music that can be played by a middle school orchestra in 7 minutes is truly a unique challenge. But this is what I love most about composing for string education: my own personal professional challenge that is running parallel to the separate formal challenge I wish to convey to the students through the composition. If you've played a sight-reading piece of mine, I hope you enjoyed it, and that your students had a genuine musical experience, as opposed to something that feels like an exercise. I recently teamed up with Kari Zamora, Aaron Fryklund, and RBC Publications’ Tyler Arcari to create six leveled packets of sight-reading practice called Texas Prep. I am thrilled with the way they turned out.
In the end, the grade-level limitations of writing for young musicians are part of a fun “puzzle” for me. While I have definitely enjoyed the rare moments in my career when I was able to compose with no limits, the restrictions that are necessary for publishing a piece for middle or high school orchestra bring out a creativity in me otherwise hidden. Plus, the process continues to help me slowly reveal to myself the great mystery of teaching string orchestra at the highest level.
Good skill at UIL, Everyone!
