About Composing: my creative process

         " The experience of creativity is an entry into the mysterious. Technique, expertise and knowledge are just tools; the key is to abandon oneself to the energy that fuels the birth of all things. " 

~ from the commentary on Creativity; Osho Zen Tarot.        


I first was trained as a classical pianist, from about age 4 until 11 years old.  I  reached a point where I was practicing an hour a day, every day, which was hard to keep up as I approached my teens.  When piano lessons discontinued, I pursued violin for a few years, as well as choral ensemble.  In high school, I started out writing mostly lyrical ballads, working together with a friend of mine who wrote the lyrics.  I would take the words and try to express the main emotions of the song with music.  Sometimes, but less often, I would write the music and lyrics myself, usually at the same time, rather than having one or the other completed first.  I still struggle with writing lyrics, but when a song does come through it is worth the wait.

          Writing piano solo compositions at first was hard.  I had to break away from classical training and form.  Also, a set of lyrics often provides a "roadmap" to follow and structures the piece, along with lots of repetition of verses and chorus.  Piano solos can travel along without ever coming back to repeat a section, or to have a less predictable course that may include improvisation.  A few years ago, I started expanding my piano solo pieces to include other instruments, and to write orchestration. 

For the past several years, I have been recording my first professional-quality CD.  This has challenged me to juggle the creative process while learning studio recording software, and, at the same time, being both the performance artist and the sound engineer.  It is difficult to think in both worlds at the same time, and I want to make sure the art doesn't suffer.

CONTACT:  morganne@morgannebaum.com


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