Bradley University Compose the Semester

Compose 20 seconds of music for the following instruments: snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, and temple blocks.

  Compose 20 seconds of music for a non-traditional, found instrument (for example: chair, stapler, rock, computer keys, etc.)

  Compose 20 seconds of music for solo tenor saxophone.

  Compose 20 seconds of music for solo cello.

Compose a piano accompaniment to go with your melody for the second stanza of Emily Dickinson’s The Bustle in a House .

Compose a piano accompaniment to go with your melody for the first stanza of Emily Dickinson’s The Bustle in a House.

Compose a melody for voice that uses the following text from the second and final stanza of Emily Dickinson’s  The Bustle in a House. This melody should relate or compliment the melody used in yesterday’s prompt for the first stanza of this poem. The Sweeping up the Heart And putting Love away We shall not want to use again Until Eternity–

Compose a melody for voice that uses the following text from the first stanza of Emily Dickinson’s The Bustle in a House.       The Bustle in a House      The Morning after Death      Is solemnest of industries       Enacted upon Earth–

  Compose 20 seconds of music for solo violin.

 No prompts will be posted this week. Enjoy your spring break!

Compose 12 additional measures of music for SATB choir to add on to yesterday’s composition. This section will use the two words from the last two prompts. This portion will comprise your “C” section and be the ending of a composition. Post all three sections in your response today.

Compose 12 additional measures of music for SATB choir to add on to yesterday’s composition. This section will also use only one word for the text, and this word should relate to yesterday’s lyric. This portion will comprise your “B” section of a composition. Thanks to Andy for inspiring today's post!

Compose 12 measures of music for SATB choir that uses only one word for the text. This portion will comprise your “A” section of a composition. Thanks to Andy for inspiring today's post!

Compose a 20 second duet for tuba and piccolo. Thanks to Andy for submitting today's prompt.

Today we will work on the third and final exposition of our invention. Begin by stating the original subject in the new key in the same voice from exposition 1. This happens exactly as the last cadence occurs, so there is no loss of musical momentum. Next, add a two measure sequence. Following this, add approximately four measures that stand on the dominant chord (ponte). At the end of these four measures, add the chordal 7th to make the V chord strong. This will lead to a final chord progression with free counterpoint based off of the motivic ideas in your subject. Consider the following chord progression for the last seven measures: I; PD (ii or IV); V; vi (tonic substitute); ii6; V; I.See the attached diagram for more information about inventions. Consult your theory textbook or a colleague if you need more information about inventions. Thanks to both Carlos and Xavier for suggesting this project. For today’s post, please post your entire invention.

Today we will work on the second exposition of our invention. We are in the new key that you modulated to yesterday. Begin by stating the original subject in the new key in the opposite voice from exposition 1. This happens exactly as the last cadence occurs, so there is no loss of musical momentum. The other voice rests during this time. Next, transfer the subject to the other voice, transpose by an octave, and create counterpoint to work with this statement. Continue this second exposition by writing a sequence that uses motivic elements from your subject. The length of this should be a model, copy, and half copy. The goal of this sequence is to modulate. If your original subject was in a major key you are headed to vi, and if your subject was in a minor key you are headed to v. After the sequence add two to three measures in the new key based off of motivic elements presented in your subject. End with a strong cadence in the new key. See the attached diagram for more details on the ...

Continue the exposition by writing a sequence that uses motivic elements from your subject. The length of this should be a model, copy, and half copy. The attached diagram features a descending 5ths sequence for chords. The goal of this sequence is to modulate. If your subject was in a major key you are headed to V, and if your subject was in a minor key you are headed to III. After the sequence add two to three measures in the new key based off of motivic elements presented in your subject. End with a strong cadence in the new key. This is all we’ll do for today. Consult your theory textbook or a colleague if you need more information about inventions. Thanks to both Carlos and Xavier for suggesting this project.

We will begin writing an invention for solo piano. See the attached diagram for the suggested formal parts of an invention. Begin by writing a two measure subject with one measure outlining the tonic chord and one measure outlining a dominant chord. Move this subject to the other hand by transposing it at the octave and creating a counterpoint to work with it in the voice that you began with. Next, return the subject to the original hand and transfer the counterpoint to the second voice.  This is all we’ll do for today. Consult your theory textbook or a colleague if you need more information about inventions. Thanks to both Carlos and Xavier for suggesting this project.

Compose 20 seconds of music that includes at least two modal mixture chords. Consult your theory textbook or a colleague if you need more information about these chords. Thanks to our distinguished composer, Seth, for inspiring today's prompt.