# Daycleier - "Living Composition" project



## daycleier

Hey.

I plan to compose a full musical concert piece, but will share it with you immediately, from first clips. Until it's ready. And I will update it every two weeks. Check it out if you're interested ...

www.daycleier.com

Daycleier


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## daycleier

The next step is ready with the piece. I will talk a little about how the first impulse to create this came to me.

You can listen and read here:
http://www.daycleier.com/index.php/2014/07/09/and-the-piece-will-be-called/

All comments welcome


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## PetrB

I listened to a few moments of this first track. Sounds like your intent is to write a 'concept album' of a series of new-age / pop / filmic pieces which then form some sort of overall narrative.

I'm very old school, so you can take the following for what it is worth, assess it based on merit, or write it off as another generations' value set.

I do not at all believe in showing works in progress, even on a somewhat closed circuit forum (which this is, but is not, if you look at the visitor numbers.)

There are several valid reasons for this:
.....Any comments, good or bad, can directly or subtly influence your own thoughts and intentions while you are working, continue to work on the piece.
.....Until the work is finished, including any changes or revisions made along the way, you are showing an incomplete, possibly 'flawed' work.
.....(The most I would think to allow myself -- or expect from others -- is to only expose the penultimate version of a piece, as a final check prior calling it done or thinking it may need but only a few more small revisions.)

My aesthetic is, also, to not include the general public in on 'the process.'

I also believe that to remain forever tacit on your intent is best; in the light of the actual finished work, your intent might not have been met while the work still ends up with a completely valid life of its own.

When one announces intent, tells the story of a piece of music which is without text in words, reveals all the personal info about what inspired it, the process, etc. it all robs the listener of _the opportunity to have their own personal interactions and experience with the work (Antithetical, I believe, to the purpose of making a piece for listeners.)_ It also puts _you the composer, i.e. your ego in the forefront, and that diverts the listener's full attention from the music itself._

*The worst and most counterproductive of the in-process reveals, or full explanations along with a presentation of the finished piece, is that by giving all that out you not only robbed the listener of their personal interaction with your work, but you have eliminated any chance to find out how listeners react to the work on its own!* Taking that into consideration, do you want people who will never meet you to read your private diary / journal(s), i.e. "look at me all about me," or, if it came down to an either or choice, would you prefer them to "meet and hear the piece?"

_But of course it is good to show your work to colleagues and mentors along the way_, even the pros and some very well-established classical composers check their work with colleagues before it ever gets submitted or turned over to the performers, but that was not online, with hundreds to thousands of ears set to it.

I advocate your finishing the entire work, checking -- in private -- with a few colleagues and friends whose opinions you value and trust, and withholding any and all of the rest until the work is complete and ready for presentation.

Best regards.


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## Vasks

I understand the excitement of wanting share your progress, but I'm totally with PetrB on this one. Share only your final product.

I guess that makes me "old school" as well.


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## daycleier

I thank you for a very thorough answer. It really feels that you put your heart into it.

I generally absolutely agree on most of what you said and my previous work has been done just like that. But with this piece I'm trying to accomplish something different. Interestingly I haven't explained my intentions around this a little unorthodox method of composing, so I guess here is a perfect chance to do that.

Most music pieces are written just like you said, where the content is left for the listeners to interpret. But this project has a different intention- for me it is not about creating a music piece, but telling a story. Music is just one tool to accomplish that. And sharing the process and my personal journey is also as important. Like lyrics in vocal music tell people the hint of what emotion the music carries, my story will be that hint for my piece. But it's only a hint, the main interpretation will still be done by the people who observe the story in it's whole.

Secondly, I want to concentrate more on the process of creation rather than the end goal of getting my work out "in the perfect from". And sharing the work piece by piece allows me to do exactly that. For me it has always been an issue to "get it right" before releasing anything. But with this approach I can focus on the part I enjoy the most, which is creating and not to be too attached to the final form.

I hope it clarifies my intentions and what this project is about. If you have any comments or ideas, they are of course very welcome.

Having said all that, your points raised some interesting thoughts in me and I will definitely review my approach to see whether I can incorporate some ideas in another way without compromising my goals.

Thanks again really for the feedback!


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## PetrB

daycleier said:


> I thank you for a very thorough answer. It really feels that you put your heart into it.
> 
> I generally absolutely agree on most of what you said and my previous work has been done just like that. But with this piece I'm trying to accomplish something different. Interestingly I haven't explained my intentions around this a little unorthodox method of composing, so I guess here is a perfect chance to do that.
> 
> Most music pieces are written just like you said, where the content is left for the listeners to interpret. But this project has a different intention- for me it is not about creating a music piece, but telling a story. Music is just one tool to accomplish that.


I am soooo old school that one of my mottos re: content and history of a piece, first said by a piano teacher I worked with about speculations on what Chopin felt / was going through when he wrote ______.

"I don't care if he had a toothache when he wrote it."

Seriously, to me, if the music does not carry its own story, it is weak. I feel the same about vocal music and opera in general, i.e. if the music is not enough to tell me the general emotional tenor of 'what is going on,' the best lyrics, the best libretto will not save it from being a lesser work.

I'm afraid too many younger artists are now keen on 'sharing everything,' and the fact is, most of what they think is so important and interesting about themselves, their emotional take on things that have happened to them, etc. is not in any way unique to other artists or the rest of mankind.

Please think many times before you follow through with all the sharing


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