Interviews with musicians, composers and conductors
I would certainly say that a rhythmic drive features heavily in most of my work. Being almost post-minimalistic with a constantly shifting harmonic centre, I think a lot about ‘implied melodies’ where I take the function of a melody, but rather than a ‘melody’ as we think of it in old fashioned terms – I enjoy creating these ‘implied melodies’ out of harmonic ideas.
I think success for a composer can be measured when he/she no longer has to take a direct hand in arranging a performance. When a piece is “out there” and getting performed, I think that’s a success, and it’s certainly gratifying for a composer when that happens.
Who or what inspired you to take up composing, and pursue a career in music? My career in music came first: as a harpsichordist and
I am delighted to announce that Meet the Artist has been selected for inclusion in the the UK Web Archive at the British Library. Established
For composition, subconscious processing is one of your most powerful tools, as long as you “feed it” with tasks to process: don’t wait for inspiration, instead confront the empty page and work on it; put the time in. Even if you discard everything by the end of the day, it is the process that stimulates the subconscious and you’ll find that inspiration follows.
MEET THE ARTIST 