“The point is obviously not the colonoscopy, the point is what we remember. And music is all about memory. When you write music, if you don’t appeal to the person's memory at all, it’s not going to have much of an impact.”
“I started to play the piano when I was seven. Apart from studying piano all through my childhood and adolescence, I studied harmony and counterpoint with Prof. Marvin Duchow in private lessons. This kind and extremely generous man was not only a profound musician but a mentor and a friend when I most needed one. I obtained a B.A. and a Masters Degree from local schools, but my real education in composition took place when I was accepted to the Juilliard School. I did my doctorate at Juilliard with David Diamond, and for a few months, with Elliott Carter. From 1982 to 2016 I was a full-time faculty member at the Université de Montréal. I am proud to have been awarded a prize as «Best Associate Professor» in my university in 1994. Now I am retired, and I teach privately and online. I mainly teach composition, harmony, counterpoint, orchestration, and analysis for composers. My music has been played in Canada, in the United States, in Europe, in Russia, in Mexico, in Australia, and elsewhere. For a full list of my works and recordings, please see my worklist page.” - Alan Belkin
I was very excited after receiving an email from Alan that he would be happy to join me on the podcast. His work as a composition instructor - through the articles and books he has produced - has really impacted the way I understand how music is experienced. These concepts are all explained in his book titled Music Composition: Craft and Art (linked below), where he lays out various principles that are style-neutral and designed to enhance the emotional impact of your music: what features of an opening invokes curiosity in the listener; how do you maintain interest in a way that makes sense to the character of the piece; what degree of novelty vs. invariance is an appropriate balance, etc. We talk quite a bit about many of these concepts in this episode, as well as realizing how music is perceived by learning about psychology, Alan’s experience studying with Elliott Carter, his YouTube channel - where you will find videos about these topics, I would highly recommend subscribing to! - and so much more on episode 21 of the Making Noise Podcast.
I hope you enjoy it!
Follow Alan’s Work: www.alanbelkinmusic.com
Subscribe to his YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/channel/UCUQ0TcIbY_VEk_KC406pRpg
Purchase his book, Music Composition: Craft and Art, on Amazon
www.amazon.com/Musical-Composition-Craft-Alan-Belkin/dp/0300218990/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=music+composition+craft+and+art&qid=1630336515&sr=8-3
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where you can listen to music, purchase scores, and learn how to commission a new piece for your ensemble.