The Composer's Craft: A Practical Guide for Students and Teachers - Hardcover

Blake Henson; Gerald Custer

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 157999976X ISBN 13: 9781579999766

Publisher: GIA Publications, 2013

Synopsis

What does it take to cross the line of silence and create a piece of music Is composition equal parts mystery and magic a discipline whose inner workings are revealed only to a few or is it a set of skills that can be understood, acquired, and practiced by all In this ingenious book, award- winning composers and composition teachers Blake Henson and Gerald Custer take a fresh look at what composers actually do by focusing on the elements of craft that composers use every day: the manipulation of sound and silence, gesture and color, text and texture. In an engaging style that resembles an informal conversation between friends (which is how this book began), the authors unpack each major aspect of the composer s craft, explaining what it is and how it works in straightforward language. Selected works by master composers as well as excerpts from music by Henson, Custer, and a number of student composers provide concrete illustrations of the practical concepts described in the text. Each chapter includes thought- starters for reflection and a series of guided exercises based on practical models that allow students to begin acquiring the skills of the composer s craft for themselves. Henson and Custer also confront larger questions seldom considered in most books about composers and composing: Why write music in the first place Where does inspiration come from How do you survive writer s block What s the best way to get published and how important is it anyway

Edition details

• Publisher: GIA Publications
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 157999976X
• ISBN 13: 9781579999766
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English