Finding Your Voice

Abstract

The process of developing a compositional voice is not a clearly defined sequence of events. It is an experiential process that occurs when a composer creates a unique synthesis of compositional techniques that expresses their creativity while engaging the listener with a story that is sometimes entirely musical. The ability to use music to convey complex emotions or abstract ideas is not new territory. How that goal is achieved is something that is unique to each composer. Discovering the methods and techniques that create a person’s unique sonic voice/identity is a crucial part of the creative journey composers undertake and is a process of research, listening, and creating. This project covers all these aspects of compositional development that result in a performable product that not only shows the development of a choral composer but also a storyteller.This project is a culmination of research, composing, and writing that will result in a song cycle for SATB choir. The song cycle will feature the poetry of Emily Dickinson and Sara Teasdale, chosen for their writing style, and accessibility in the public domain. The purpose of this project is to synthesize research and discuss the compositional choices made while composing a song cycle for choir. The process of selecting poetry that evoked a theme or concept I wanted was challenging due to the large bodies of work from each poet, and narrowing those catalogs down to two poems by each composer was a highly involved process