Melos Second Post! (repost from www.melosmusic.com)

As I look back on this previous semester (my last semester) in San José State University, it was a rather intense one. I did not compose much music, but I “composed” a huge recital with 1 hour and 30 minutes worth of music. I think that it consisted all the “business” aspect of being a composer, which included looking for performers, printing and sending them music, constantly annoying them by e-mailing twice a day, setting up rehearsal times that had to match simultaneously up to five performers, remembering rehearsal times, be nice and not nice, keeping track on the progress of my pieces, printing posters, asking people to come (promoting), etc. These things all come down to a word – composing. Inevitably, they take that much more time than actually writing notes; so, I realize we composers rarely have time to write notes. My only advices for those of you who are doing a recital is that make sure you start early or even start rehearsing before a piece is finished! We composers or performers never have enough time, and in reality, we get even less time than expected. I think it is such a giving while we are all in college and can ask performers to do us “favors.”

After being very busy with graduation, taking my mum, sister (they came from Hong Kong for two weeks) and girlfriend to many places, I could finally find some time for myself. I have decided to compose, not with musical notes though, but with my camera. In August, I will start pursuing my master degree in composition at Bowling Green State University, and meanwhile, teach in either ear training or music theory.