AugustAug 1 Friday 08
Another Day, Another Gadget
I'm a bit of a gadget fan, it has to be said. In my previous post I was looking at my experience of mobile blogging (incidentally, I am typing this post in the organ loft of the church where I am organist as a wedding goes on below...). Today I am looking at satellite …
JulyJul 25 Friday 08
The Wonders of Mobile Blogging
Further to posts by my friend Matt Roberts, I'd thought I throw in my two pence worth on the subject. I've recently purchased a Toshiba Satellite Pro notebook which came with Windows Vista Home Premium.
For an internet connection I use 3 Mobile Broadband (15GB download …
JulyJul 22 Tuesday 08
Interviews, Loans & Grants
They can only mean one thing... University... Again...
Since I've been working as a Teaching Assistant for the last seven months I've come to consider a career I had dismissed a long time ago, mainly because I didn't think I possessed the personality or patience to …
JuneJun 24 Tuesday 08
Oops... I did it again!
Firstly, an apology to blogging supremo, Matt Roberts for not keeping up with my own posts! It's been awhile since my last post, this has been down to a complete lack of time.
It's been a life-defining last couple of weeks for me, I'm still working as a Teaching …
MayMay 6 Tuesday 08
Oops...
It's been a while since I last posted, although not through laziness! I'm hoping to get back into the routine of blogging regulary as soon as possible. The last month has proved to be quite interesting for me musically as I have begun to venture into a very different …
MarchMar 26 Wednesday 08
The Tiler's Apprentice
I'm halfway through my week's experience as an apprentice tiler, helping out my brother who's regular help is off with a broken wrist. It's great to spend some time and have a laugh with him while also learning some useful DIY tips for the future!
Needless to say, it's …
MarchMar 21 Friday 08
Easter Break At Last, Minus The Break Bit.
I finished work yesterday for two and a bit weeks, and somehow they've already filled up with things to do other than writing. I'm helping out my brother with his tiling business next week, so that should be great to spend some time with him, and the week after I'm …
MarchMar 19 Wednesday 08
A Question
What does contemporary music have in relation to seafood? It's all a simple matter of taste...
When I began my composition studies at Birmingham Conservatoire I was, like many, still writing what I consider to be 'cheese'. Pieces with ideas, rhythms and harmony that …
MarchMar 18 Tuesday 08
Between Projects
As regular readers of this blog will know, I have recently finished my revision of 'Turn From Me Now', a song cycle for soprano I originally wrote at university. My next planned project is a sonata for trumpet for Matt Roberts which I began to draw up sketches for the …
MarchMar 17 Monday 08
The Technique of the Modern Orchestra - C. M. Widor
Remember my post recommending Orchestration by Walter Piston? Forget it!
On the recommendation of Kenneth Hesketh, I acquired a copy of Charles-Marie Widor's The Technique of the Modern Orchestra: A Manual of Practical Instrumentation through Amazon.co.uk. It is a …
MarchMar 12 Wednesday 08
The Day Job
Unfortunatley, writing whatever music you fancy for no particular purpose does not pay the bills. A day job is required, so I am currently working as a teaching assistant at a local secondary school.
The hours (and holidays) are great (8.30-3.15), which allows me to get …
MarchMar 11 Tuesday 08
Turn From Me Now - Complete
It's been about a week and a half since I began revising my song cycle for soprano (see previous posts), and I have just completed the final score. I'm quite pleased with the result, more than anything, I think that the cycle has matured and I have ended up with a finer …
MarchMar 10 Monday 08
Coming Soon
A new medium of communication will be available soon from davelivesey.co.uk, in the form of a podcast. This will be a collaboration between myself and Matt Roberts. Title and content are to be confirmed, however it's safe to say it will be music related! Look for …
MarchMar 7 Friday 08
Turn From Me Now - Revised
I've just completed the first draft of my revised song cycle (as introduced in my post "Turn From Me Now" dated March 5th), so now begins the editing! I'm quite satisfied with the outcome and the addition of a new song has not just changed the overall mood and effect of …
MarchMar 6 Thursday 08
A Question
What does contemporary music have in relation to seafood? It's all a simple matter of taste...
When I began my composition studies at Birmingham Conservatoire I was, like many, still writing what I consider to be 'cheese'. Pieces with ideas, rhythms and harmony that …
Split Calm
Last year I had the opportunity to work with Matt Roberts on a commission for his recital at the Conservatoire. The brief was to compose an avant garde solo piece using extended techniques with a duration of around 10 minutes. Apart from a few technical exercises I …
Turn From Me Now
'Turn From Me Now' is a song cycle for solo soprano which was composed between November '06 and February '07. The cycle is uses poems by Sara Teasdale (1933-1884), an American poet whose work was widely appreciated during the early twentieth century. The major themes of …
FebruaryFeb 8 Friday 08
Virb.com
I recently signed up for a profile on Virb, which is a social networking website that can only be described in the equation: MySpace + Facebook - Rubbish Spam & Applications = Virb! It is also very useful for musicians, whether they be bands or solo artists. I have …
FebruaryFeb 6 Wednesday 08
Like the Sea, Like Time
As part of Liverpool's Capital of Culture year, the first of four large-scale choral works premiered at the Philharmonic Hall. 'Composer in the house' Kenneth Hesketh's truly astounding "Like The Sea, Like Time", commissioned by the HB Bicket Charitable Trust as a gift …
Sonata for Trumpet
I am currently writing a sonata for trumpet with piano accompaniment for my good friend, Matt Roberts, as he is currently in 'my neck of the woods'. We have worked together previously on an avant garde piece, entitled "Split Calm", which was for solo tumpet. This piece …