CO-OP PRESS

Featuring the music of Sy Brandon

BOOKS

Click on above image to see table of contents Printed Copy $15 PDF Download $8.87 order from http://www.lulu.com/content/446374 Book store purchase orders accepted. E-mail for discount and return policy information. E-mail school, course, class size, and decision date from school e-mail for free consideration copy Adopted as a text by: Texas Southern University Millersville University

The purpose of this book is to provide insight into the compositional process to enable listeners, interpreters, and creators of music to advance their skills through a series of guided activities. Listeners can use this book to increase their musical understanding and appreciation. Developing performers, educators and conductors can use this book to gain valuable insights to assist them with interpreting music beyond what is printed on the page. Developing composers can use this book as a beginning text or to help refine their compositional techniques.     Each chapter is divided into descriptive material that includes some discovery activities to assist in the learning process. Free downloadable mp3 files containing MIDI performances of most of the examples used in the chapters are available. The descriptive material is followed by separate activities for listeners, interpreters, and composers. A list of suggested compositions for listening activities is provided at the end of the book. 80 pages and CD containing MIDI performances of examples ISBN 978-4303-0898-0    Purchase of the book entitles the reader to join a free on-line discussion group that is moderated by the author. It is a place to share experiences, comments and questions regarding subjects that are covered in the book and to respond to other reader’s posts. The author will also contribute to the discussions. Reviews of "A Composer's Guide To Understanding Music" Sample Chapter     The author is available for book signings and discussions. "Music to Your Ears" is a talk about listening to music by understanding how a composer thinks about music. This talk involves the audience through some of the activities from Sy Brandon's book "A Composer's Guide To Understanding Music". This topic works well at libraries, bookstores, schools, retirement communities, and lecture series. E-mail Co-op Press for more information.

Reviews

   "By reaching out to performers, listeners, and educators, Brandon reminds us that the art of composition has a holistic dimension, and how it is inextricable from other music-related activities. Because of Brandon's interdisciplinary approach, 'A Composer's Guide to Understanding Music' is a valuable reference for a variety of classroom or studio settings and is an indispensable resource for the aspiring composer."

Daniel Adams, Texas Southern University (From the NACWPI Journal,  Spring issue, 2006.  Reproduced by permission.)

    "Sy Brandon's ‘A Composer's Guide to Understanding Music’ is a wonderful and provocative ‘hands-on’ assessment of a subject often viewed as too technical.
Readers learn step by step HOW to listen and WHAT to listen FOR in a musical work. There is clarity in Brandon's compilation and the downloadable mps files of short musical examples from works by the author/composer clearly illustrates all the topics in the text point by point.
    There are suggested activities for listeners, interpreters, composers, conductors, and educators, which invite and sometimes challenge readers to further explore the integration of musical sound worlds and the compositional process.
    More than simply another text on composing, the reader's fascination is propelled forward by the author's enthusiasm and passion for the subject. Highly recommended!"

Robert Levy, Professor Emeritus (Director of Bands) Lawrence University (1979-04)


   "Congratulations on the completion of such a wonderful and much needed text. As an active educator and musician, I have a keen awareness of available resources and a clear understanding of what works well. Let me start by saying I found ‘A Composer’s Guide To Understanding Music’ to be much more than what the title implies. You have successfully integrated a theoretical summary, musical workbook, and interpretive guide in a way that I have never come across. Your book effectively addresses the needs of so many different types of readers: composers, performers, listeners, teachers, and anyone interested in understanding what makes music so enjoyable and satisfying.
    The listening activities at the end of each chapter, the downloadable mp3 files, as well as the sequence and cumulative nature of the topics, make ‘A Composer’s Guide To Understanding Music’ a perfect addition to any course on composition, music appreciation, or interpretation, and I look forward to it becoming available so I can begin to use it in my own teaching. Simply put, it’s a good read and it works. You should be commended on your abilities as a writer, educator, and communicator. Your book is great resource and I have enjoyed it very much. Well done!"

Chuck Hulihan, Director of Guitar Programs, Glendale Community College, Guitarist with Duozona

   "In today’s world, the words "user friendly" are understood by most people and certainly apply to A Composer’s Guide to Understanding Music - eighty pages jammed packed with information useful to musicians and non-musicians alike.  Each concise chapter leaves no doubt that these important facts and concepts are viewed through the eyes of an accomplished composer. … I would enthusiastically recommend this text to high school seniors preparing for entrance exams in music required of most colleges and universities.  The material set forth in this text is precisely what I teach to both music majors in theory and non-music majors in fundamentals.  What are unique about this book are the activities presented with each concept.  The glossary (five full pages) is filled with terminology all musicians and listeners need to know.  Finally, Dr. Brandon’s appendix is designed to assist the listener with selected masterpieces (including his own) and offers a wide variety of major books on the subject."

Thomas G. Elliot, D.M.A.
Professor of Music Emeritus
Salisbury University
Founder and Music Director, Salisbury Symphony Orchestra
and its Affiliated Youth Symphony Orchestra (Retired - 2005)
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Dean, College of Music (Retired - 1985)

    "A Composer's Guide to Understanding Music is an academic yet user-friendly guide for anyone seeking the tools necessary to create original sounds, and provides deeper analysis for listeners who want to better appreciate "art" music. … a very useful reference book that any music teacher, music director, professional or even amateur musician will find helpful."

Larry Coressel
Production Manager
Host of Morning Concert and New Music
Dayton Public Radio

    "The activities themselves were loose enough to allow any style of composition to be written but still had good direction. …  What I also liked about the activities is that they were fun and did not feel like book work for a class."

Rob Pendergrass, Freshman Music Major, Emory University

    "You have thoroughly developed the your idea of unity and variety and provided a way to explore them with many activities …  I appreciate these activities and will experiment with them in my classroom."

Amanda Jacobs
Composer and Elementary and Middle School Music Teacher
Brighton, Central School District (NY)

    ... "A composer writing about how a composer thinks is more authentic than a theorist writing about how he thinks a composer thinks."

Dick Strawser,
Music Director, Evening Host & Tracer of Lost Chords
WITF-FM 89.5, Your Classical Music & NPR News Station
Harrisburg PA

   "Dr. Brandon exemplifies his  love for music in his new book.  ... I commend him on this venture and encourage all people interested in music to read his wonderful book."

Dr. Bob Feinberg, Chiropractor, Columbus, GA

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SAMPLE CHAPTER

IX. Scale Systems

    Scale systems (a regular recurring ascending pattern of at least five notes) are the most common method of organizing musical pitch. Most scale systems use the same notes when descending with the exception of the melodic minor scale. The regularly recurring pattern provides unity. Each scale system is unique due to the arrangement of whole step and half step intervals. Some scales contain intervals larger than a whole step, such as harmonic minor and pentatonic. Other scales have equal intervals throughout, such as a chromatic scale and a whole tone scale.

Discovery Activity #1 - Go to any keyboard and locate the note C (the white key immediately to the left of two black keys). Play the C and the next seven white keys to the right successively. You are playing a C major scale which is made up of a whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step. Now play the fifth note of the scale followed by the first note of the scale (G down to C). Then play the seventh note of the scale up to the eighth note of the scale (B to C). These are the important notes for establishing a strong sense of tonality.

Discovery Activity #2 - From the C you began on in activity 1, go one white key to the left. This is the note B. Play the B and the next seven white keys to the right successively. You are playing a B locrian scale. Now play the fifth note of the scale followed by the first note of the scale (F down to B) and the seventh note of the scale up to the eighth note (A up to B). This scale lacks the perfect fifth between scale degree five and scale degree one and the half step between scale degree seven and scale degree eight, therefore making it weaker in tonality.

    Most scales have a strong tonal center that is created by the scale containing a note a perfect fifth above the tonic and a note a half step below the tonic. The note that is one half step below tonic is referred to as the leading tone because it leads up to tonic. When scales lack one or both of these intervals, tonality becomes more vague. Some scales contain an upper leading tone (a pitch one half step above tonic that leads down to tonic) in order to create a tonal sense, such as the phrygian mode (see example 9-1). Scales that contain equal intervals throughout are the least tonal, such as the chromatic scale, whole tone scale (see example 9-2), and octatonic scale (a scale that alternates whole step, half step throughout) (see example 9-3).

Example 9-1 – E Phrygian Mode

 
Example 9-2 – C Whole Tone Scale

 
Example 9-3 – C Octatonic Scale

 

    Using a single scale system throughout a movement or piece provides unity. In order to create variety, composers can change the tonal center of the scale system (modulation) and/or change the scale system.

Activities for Listeners

1. Listen to a movement from a Mozart or Haydn Symphony. Observe the strong sense of tonality throughout most of the movement.

2. Listen to Debussy’s "Prelude To The Afternoon Of A Faun" and observe how tonality is vague. The opening flute solo is part of a chromatic scale. This melody will recur several times.  A whole tone scale is frequently used as the basis of harmony in this composition, as well. Both these scales are equal interval scales and disguise tonality.

Activities for Performers, Conductors, and Educators

1. Using a piece of music that you are studying, determine the scale system and keys that are used. In your performance try to bring out the notes that define tonality and change tonality in scales that have a strong tonal sense. In pieces with scales that obscure tonality, avoid emphasizing any particular pitch.

Activities for Composers

1. Create a short piece that uses a scale system that clearly defines tonality. Feel free to modulate or change scale systems during the piece to add variety.

2. Create a short piece that uses a scale system that obscures tonality. Feel free to modulate or change scale systems during the piece to add variety.

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