MUSIC 1010 – 46 SEMESTER PROJECT

STEVEN CASPERS00091619

Playing: Requiem for a Dream

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This requires multiple instruments together to create beautiful polyphonic music.

Despite the lovely sound any individual instrument can make, most can only play one note at a time.

This is not the case, however, with the piano. This instrument can not only play multiple notes at the same time, under the hands of a skilled musician, it can play its own harmonies, melodies and bass lines.

Jennifer Southworth learned to play the violin when she was only five years old. She was taught to play using the Suzuki Method.

When she was in 2nd grade, Jennifer performed with the 6th grade orchestra.

Though Jennifer had always divided her time fairly evenly between violin and piano, she overheard Franz Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody no. 2 for piano, and found a new drive for the piano.

She worked hard to master the piece and uncovered a love for the piano that had been lying dormant, now that it wasn’t just scales and exercises.

After graduating high school, Jennifer went to Ricks College (now BYU – Idaho).

There, she joined the college orchestra, and picked up the violin for the first time in about 4 years.

She also studied piano with Dr. Stephen Allen who helped her become much more technically proficient on the instrument.

Over the next several years, Jennifer spent her time performing in various venues, from the Murray Symphony Orchestra to the Salt Lake City Temple Square Concert Series.

In 2006 she married Will Thomas, and changed her name.

All of which prepared her for what came next:

Her first album

• A Beautiful Storm• Prelude in F• Release• You By My Side• Suite Dreams• Will’s Song• Old Movie Romance• Pure• O Mio Babbino Caro• The Red Aspens• Somewhere• The Tempest *now playing

• Sospiro

Her second album

• Brahms Lullaby• Sweet Dreams• Baby of Mine• All the Pretty Little Horses• Dream Weaver• Un Petit Nocturne• I Am a Child of God• Dancing On the Clouds• All Through the Night• Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star• Old Scottish Lullaby• Goodnight, My Angel *now playing

• Unseen Angel

And Now, Her 3rd Album

• Etude for the Dreamer• After the Storm• Illumination• Gymnopédie No. 1• New Life• Beyond the Summit• Into the Forest• Secrets• Toccata and Fugue *now playing

• Rainforest• Fire Dance• Pachelbel’s Canon (a Duet)• Across the Starlit Sky• Requiem for a Dream• Sonata Minoré• Eventide• New World Symphony

Etude for the Dreamer – Released on Illumination, July 2012; Tickled Ivory Music.

Jennifer knew from the outset that this would be the opening track on her new album, she specifically opened it in minor mode, with the expectation of giving listeners a sense of anxiousness or excitement for what was to come.

The inspiration for the song came from her looking out over an evergreen forest and the idea of it being covered, saturated with fog, this thought had a definite dream-like quality that she wanted to harness and convey through music. She drew on her training, specifically taking inspiration from Frederic Chopin, as she describes him as the king of creative, skill-strengthening pieces, and this piece is very technically difficult. She confesses it is possibly the most difficult-to-play composition she’s ever written, and said that she has yet to perform it live without making errors, while at the same time, it’s also a very satisfying piece for her to play or even just to listen to, as so much work went into composing it.

History of Works

Etude for the Dreamer0:00 – The music starts with the piano setting a pace that grabs attention. The music cycles through several notes, then ascends briefly, making an arch as it comes back down.0:07 – As the arch descends below where it started, we get the first beat of percussion which is a queue for the strings to start. The violins maintain a distant humming accompaniment, while the celli make occasional statements.0:21 – Percussion becomes more involved, over the next 10-15 seconds what sounds like cymbals, or perhaps maracas, begin a slow crescendo reaching their loudest by about 0:35.0:49 – The percussion cuts out altogether, as do the string, leaving the piano alone for about 7 seconds when the celli return.0:57 – the celli return along with the rest of the string and percussion instruments.1:02 – the music returns in earnest at this point, drawing the listener forward.1:36 – there is a diminuendo, which feels like the piece is drawing to a close, but it’s a mislead.2:03 – the mode changes from minor to major and the almost ominous feel of the piece becomes brighter, giving a sense of a new day dawning. 2:50 – a drum-roll signals a return to minor mode and the piece darkens for a while.3:20 – the pace picks up again and we’re brought back into major mode as the piece approaches its ending.3:50 – All the other instruments disappear one last time; allowing the piano to close the piece with two final, but strong notes.

Listening Guide

History of Works

Illumination – Released on Illumination, July 2012; Tickled Ivory Music.

The title track of the album – one of my favorite songs of all time, in fact – has the unlikely distinction of having been created initially as a one-minute “audition” submission for a car-commercial. Because the car manufacturer’s advertisement agency did not select it for their commercial, she was able to retain her ownership of the piece and has expanded it, building it into a living, lively piece of art.

Originally written for violins, French Horns, Percussion, and celli, she later met with the conductor of the Evergreen Philharmonic Orchestra and with the help of couple of transcriptionists, was able to score Illumination for a full symphony. The end result is a fast-paced thrill-ride around twists and bends of a road designed with luxury in mind.

Listening GuideIllumination0:00 - Much like Etude, Illumination starts with a few very quick notes on the piano.0:02-0:10 – The violin(s) enter, almost teasingly, hinting at their presence, but then they’re gone briefly, to return again, fully joining in with the piano by 0:100:16 – Here, a low chord is struck and allowed to fade before the melody comes back with a vengeance.0:37 – The strong piano melody takes a break, and the violins take over, imitating the melody introduced at the beginning of the song by the piano.0:47 – A crescendoing slide of the string instruments brings the strength of the melody back again, part of a pattern throughout the first half of the piece. The beat is now set by the piano, firmly.1:05 - 1:07 – A pause in the music followed by the drums taking a turn, rumbling in the introduction to a new movement.1:07 – The piano takes over the melody while maintaining the beat for about 10 seconds, without other instrument accompaniment.1:18 – The violins return, mimicking the initial melody.1:34-2:17 – The piano introduces a new melody, rich and full, in perfect harmony with the original melody still playing in the background by the strings.2:17 – The piano and violins return to the original melody/accompaniment.2:52 – At this point, there is a major key change, and the strings come in with a strong support to the piano’s melody. There is also a hint of brass in this movement.3:13 – Again the arrangement returns to the original melody.3:21 – The piano introduces a change back to minor, and it carries us through towards the end.3:39 – The tempo slows considerably, letting us know we’re near the end.3:50 – The piano brings us to a conclusion with a quick descent into the final closing statement.

History of Works

Across the Starlit Sky – Released on Illumination, July 2012; Tickled Ivory Music.

This is the only solo-piano piece released on the Illumination album. It’s mellower, much more toned down from Jennifer’s usual fiery piano music, but it’s so full of introspection and peace, that I thought it would fit very well as part of this paper. The piece gets its name from the deep night sky that she could view out the large window as she sat at the piano

Listening GuideAcross the Starlit Sky0:00 – This song opens with a lento ascending form and a gentle progression.0:16 – The melody changes very slightly for a moment, becoming more involved, before returning to the basic original melody. 0:36 – The evolution of the melody continues here, introducing a lovely upper-register melody that drives the movement.1:15-1:24 – the upper-register piano takes a momentary break 1:41 – a more mature lower register tone joins the upper pitches bringing a soulfulness to the piece.2:30 – the high notes begin telling the story again, drawing the listener along.3:12 – We’re approaching the end, and the higher notes slow their pace, introducing us to the end.3:28 – The notes start a progressive descent towards the end.3:50 – The entire piece is wrapped up with the final few notes and a closing chord.

Sources:

http://jenniferthomasmusic.com/bio.phphttp://jenniferthomasmusic.wordpress.com/my-story/http://jenniferthomasmusic.wordpress.com/http://jenniferthomasmusic.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/diary-of-a-song-illumination/http://jenniferthomasmusic.wordpress.com/2012/12/08/diary-of-a-song-across-the-starlit-sky/http://www.reverbnation.com/rpk/photos/324346

Not to mention, years of friendship and interpersonal email communication.

All of Jennifer’s music and pictures were used with her knowledge and permission.

Fin