Musical Influence

In 2011 I started to get bored with my music; I'd been composing for seven years and it was all starting to sound the same to me. I felt I had achieved all that I could with what I had and that it was time to branch out.

In response I started adding more medieval and renaissance music to my repertoire, arranged as closely as possible to the original. The goal was to add influences to the melting pot, and to hear melodies and harmonies according to different norms. I figured that a few years of this would change my own style, and inspire me to compose along new lines.

So far it seems to be working: music that recently sounded foreign to me is starting to feel natural as I rehearse and memorize it. Specifically, the medieval habit of beginning each measure with an eight note has taken some getting used to, and the complexities of renaissance duophony have been a challenge to embrace. I'm curious to see how another year or two along these lines will affect what I write afterwards!