February 20th

After my presentation, there were several suggestions about my orchestration:
1. My use of string is atypical, since they are usually highlighted rather than a sustained pad. Making different use of them is not necessarily bad, but as the piece continues, it would be to my benefit to make full use of their capabilities.
2. Several orchestration texts were suggested to me, including that by Rimsky-Korsakov and that by Sam Adler.
3. I was advised to learn more about harp writing, since I need to be aware of the pedalling requirements for non-diatonic notes. For this purpose, it was suggested I look at the works of John Weinzweig.
4. Percussion writing strategies were brought to my attention. I was advised to write by player rather than by instrument, to write interesting and integral percussion parts, and to write for one timpanist and two percussionists.

February 2nd

My work this week was quite well-received. Suggestions mainly concerned ideas for variations as the piece develops. Experimenting with rhythmic variation was encouraged, particularly with making rhythms more irregular. Suggestions included occasionally delaying chords to make them less regular, and offsetting the “waves” motif while maintaining the oscillating figure. Such irregularity would mimic the irregularity found in nature. I was advised to plan out the remainder of the composition, using visual diagrams and considering orchestration. Most importantly, the main suggestion was to ensure that the piece holds more surprises.