Join me, a recent graduate of Columbia University's doctorate program in music composition, as I attempt to teach various music courses at two universities across two states in one day. The courses I'm teaching today are: Private compositions lessons to graduate students, Instrumental and Vocal Arranging, and Music Humanities.
I have found that the busier I am , the more productive I am with the time I spend composing. Also , the last composition teacher I had Is probably one of the busiest composers in the world right now, and his lessons were also really productive and insightful .
Hey Saad! Just wanted to say I love the channel. I’m a solo/orchestral percussionist but commenting from my whiskey review channel. I was reminded that we had a brief email exchange back in 2018 when I came across your channel here on UA-cam, and have been keeping up with your videos ever since. You are killing it man! Top notch content and top notch music of course. Hope to cross paths at some point, cheers!
Believe it or not I’ve been keeping up with your whiskey content as well, especially your live streams which is giving me ideas for possible live streams myself!
Great video! Having done a fair bit of teaching in my PhD it's not too different but I'm looking forward to learning how to balance the teaching with composing this coming year
@@saadhaddadmusic Ha ha. My mentor for years was a man in his 80's who (of course) always came to school in a coat and tie. But then you could count on a day at the end of the spring semester when he would show up in a bright Hawaiian shirt just to throw everyone off.
@@DavidBennettThomas That's so funny, I think Milton Babbitt would always show up to classes in a suit? I haven't really seen anyone do it in the last 10 years? Maybe it should come back? Maybe not? I actually thought it was kind of fun
@@saadhaddadmusic it is true that there is likely a huge misperception of modern composers regarding how they sustain themselves (I think many historical composers taught as well to be honest). I cannot imagine a commission would bring enough $$$ in sustain someone in the modern era.
@@soundtreks I can’t think of a single composer that earns their living from writing music alone. Even film composers don’t just “write music.” And I’m happy that I have other skills to offer too.
Hi thanks for this video, it was very interesting to see as someone who hopes to teach composition! Hope you enjoyed Balch's work, I saw it's Pittsburgh premiere! I'm taking a gap year between my Masters and my Doctoral (was rejected but I'm thinking it was good, I could mentally use a short break), but wonder if you have any advice for a gap year?
Bradley, thanks for your message - I remember meeting you during our virtual lesson from November. My gap year from masters to doctorate was filled with writing tons of music. Some of that music was even used to apply for my doctorate. So that’s what I did. I didn’t really take a “gap” in composing, just a gap in terms of academia. That’s what I did at least.
@@saadhaddadmusic Yeah that was my plan as well. I need a break from academic work, not art. I'm staying in Pittsburgh for connections I've made here, and I plan to keep writing. I know you are biased as you offer lessons, one of which I've taken lol, but do you think private lessons would be good for both a CV in a gap, and keeping me motivated?
@@bradleyfletcher6525 it could be yes as long as you’re doing the work in between lessons. Lessons alone don’t guarantee any success on their own. Taking lessons with someone does nothing for your CV though.
I've been wrestling with attending live music lately... can you give an argument why it's so important, especially in the age of high-quality recordings (where I can hear the music so much better than in a live venue)?
I am curious as to what exactly you teach in private lessons. There are a lot of obvious things, of course; getting down characteristics of various time signature/meters, range of various instruments, music theory from A to Z, Forms (sonata allegro, rondo, etc), phrases that are typical for various instruments and just where you can and cannot write "atypical" phrases for various instruments. But all of this should be already bread and butter for a good composer, although I suppose you aid and assist some students to get to that point. But what do you do beyond that? For me, I can think of a half dozen ways in which my composition skills can be improved. However, it would take a musician extremely familiar with Romantic - 19th century style music to be able to assist me, especially someone who is intimately familiar with the skills of Dvorak, Smetana, Tchiakovsky, et al. Such a musician may or may not exist. I presume that most, if not all of your students intend to write contemporary style serious orchestra / piano / chambermusic (as opposed to ditties for an advertisement, songs for rock music, or melodious film music). Besides the basics listed above, what other skills do they learn?
Every student is wildly different, but most lessons center around a student’s specific project they are currently working on. I think any composer taking lessons now from a reputable teacher can relate to what I’ve outlined in this video. Most of my students also don’t write strictly Classical or Romantic music by the way, but there are some that do and I make sure to cater to their interests, but I always like to throw in the occasional curveball to potentially broaden their palettes 🎨
Join me, a recent graduate of Columbia University's doctorate program in music composition, as I attempt to teach various music courses at two universities across two states in one day. The courses I'm teaching today are: Private compositions lessons to graduate students, Instrumental and Vocal Arranging, and Music Humanities.
I have found that the busier I am , the more productive I am with the time I spend composing. Also , the last composition teacher I had Is probably one of the busiest composers in the world right now, and his lessons were also really productive and insightful .
There you go, hard agree
You have such a great connection with other music-lovers: students, other composers, performers, non-sheet-music-readers. Very real and inspiring.
I try my best, thanks for your encouraging comment!
This was so interesting to see, Saad!
Thanks Carlos!
this was very fun to watch!
I wasn’t sure if it would be! Thanks for your comment
Hey Saad! Just wanted to say I love the channel. I’m a solo/orchestral percussionist but commenting from my whiskey review channel. I was reminded that we had a brief email exchange back in 2018 when I came across your channel here on UA-cam, and have been keeping up with your videos ever since. You are killing it man! Top notch content and top notch music of course. Hope to cross paths at some point, cheers!
Believe it or not I’ve been keeping up with your whiskey content as well, especially your live streams which is giving me ideas for possible live streams myself!
Love jazz at lincoln center
This inspires me so much, thank you!
you're welcome, that was the hope for this :)
Great video! Having done a fair bit of teaching in my PhD it's not too different but I'm looking forward to learning how to balance the teaching with composing this coming year
absolutely, I figure this is a similar experience for many!
@@saadhaddadmusicabsolutely, even as an adjunct I’m interest to see how it compares to simply being an instructor of record
@@BCl137 technically I’m a Lecturer at Columbia, and an adjunct at NJCU, just for anyone wondering. And tenure-track on UA-cam 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for explaining that jacket and tie! I felt like such a lazy bum when I saw you wearing that to teach!
I wasn't planning on filming that day but since I had the suit on I said what the heck (!)
the broll of me teaching when I used to have hair is more accurate attire lol....
@@saadhaddadmusic Ha ha. My mentor for years was a man in his 80's who (of course) always came to school in a coat and tie. But then you could count on a day at the end of the spring semester when he would show up in a bright Hawaiian shirt just to throw everyone off.
@@DavidBennettThomas That's so funny, I think Milton Babbitt would always show up to classes in a suit? I haven't really seen anyone do it in the last 10 years? Maybe it should come back? Maybe not? I actually thought it was kind of fun
@@saadhaddadmusic I thought for sure you wore your crocs whenever you taught.
Excelente!!! Muchas gracias por compartir con Victor David Sotomayor ❤❤❤
Of course !
Thanks for sharing this!
Thanks for joining me!
Did you have any lessons with Ticheli, Hartke, or Crockett while at USC?
Yep with all 3! Junior, sophomore and freshman years respectively
Interesting!
🙏🏽
Great video.
thank you!
@@saadhaddadmusic it is true that there is likely a huge misperception of modern composers regarding how they sustain themselves (I think many historical composers taught as well to be honest). I cannot imagine a commission would bring enough $$$ in sustain someone in the modern era.
@@soundtreks I can’t think of a single composer that earns their living from writing music alone. Even film composers don’t just “write music.” And I’m happy that I have other skills to offer too.
@@saadhaddadmusic yes that’s quite true.
Hi thanks for this video, it was very interesting to see as someone who hopes to teach composition! Hope you enjoyed Balch's work, I saw it's Pittsburgh premiere! I'm taking a gap year between my Masters and my Doctoral (was rejected but I'm thinking it was good, I could mentally use a short break), but wonder if you have any advice for a gap year?
Bradley, thanks for your message - I remember meeting you during our virtual lesson from November. My gap year from masters to doctorate was filled with writing tons of music. Some of that music was even used to apply for my doctorate. So that’s what I did. I didn’t really take a “gap” in composing, just a gap in terms of academia. That’s what I did at least.
@@saadhaddadmusic Yeah that was my plan as well. I need a break from academic work, not art. I'm staying in Pittsburgh for connections I've made here, and I plan to keep writing. I know you are biased as you offer lessons, one of which I've taken lol, but do you think private lessons would be good for both a CV in a gap, and keeping me motivated?
@@bradleyfletcher6525 it could be yes as long as you’re doing the work in between lessons. Lessons alone don’t guarantee any success on their own. Taking lessons with someone does nothing for your CV though.
@@saadhaddadmusic Cool thanks for your replies! I'm still learning how some academic things like CVs work lol
I've been wrestling with attending live music lately... can you give an argument why it's so important, especially in the age of high-quality recordings (where I can hear the music so much better than in a live venue)?
Go and enjoy listening to music with other humans. It’s good for you. Not as long as my dissertation but there’s my argument :)
16 hours? This video’s only 12 minutes! Nice tie
Hypeeeeeeeeee
I'm definitely not an early riser😂
Cheers tho 🥂 😂❤
🧐🤣🥳
earlyRiseGang
First come first serve 🏂
I am curious as to what exactly you teach in private lessons. There are a lot of obvious things, of course; getting down characteristics of various time signature/meters, range of various instruments, music theory from A to Z, Forms (sonata allegro, rondo, etc), phrases that are typical for various instruments and just where you can and cannot write "atypical" phrases for various instruments. But all of this should be already bread and butter for a good composer, although I suppose you aid and assist some students to get to that point.
But what do you do beyond that?
For me, I can think of a half dozen ways in which my composition skills can be improved. However, it would take a musician extremely familiar with Romantic - 19th century style music to be able to assist me, especially someone who is intimately familiar with the skills of Dvorak, Smetana, Tchiakovsky, et al. Such a musician may or may not exist.
I presume that most, if not all of your students intend to write contemporary style serious orchestra / piano / chambermusic (as opposed to ditties for an advertisement, songs for rock music, or melodious film music). Besides the basics listed above, what other skills do they learn?
Every student is wildly different, but most lessons center around a student’s specific project they are currently working on. I think any composer taking lessons now from a reputable teacher can relate to what I’ve outlined in this video. Most of my students also don’t write strictly Classical or Romantic music by the way, but there are some that do and I make sure to cater to their interests, but I always like to throw in the occasional curveball to potentially broaden their palettes 🎨
First
🍪