Hello. My name is George Marshall and I am the founder of Any Old Music. I am a composer with over 10-years of experience, having completed work on 50+ projects for video-games, films and the concert hall. In 2020, I completed my doctorate in Music Composition. My PhD was on constraint and how it emerges in creative projects. For example, team discussions in video-game projects. If a video-game team presented a mood-board and certain briefs, these constrain and challenge the composer to compose in a particular way or style. Less quantifiable than, say, the application of serialism, but probably just as (if not more) constraining and creatively directing. It was during my PhD that I realised that there would only be two outcomes for me as a composer: I became a professional composer who needed to compose lots of music in not enough time. I became an amateur/hobbyist or semi-professional composer who needed to compose less music but still with not enough time. With this in mind I eventually opted for something more along the lines of semi-professional, but with an ambition of setting up Any Old Music as a means of helping similarly time strapped music makers. Particularly those in the second group, the hobbyists and semi-professionals, whose composing competes much more for time against other aspects of life. Composition is incredibly rewarding. You never stop learning and developing as a composer. Furthermore, many of us boast renegade autodidactic personalities to a certain extent. My hope is that Any Old Music’s self-paced composition courses can help composers to continue growing, by learning through creating and doing so in their own time.
Term of the Week: Tierce de Picardi
Term of the Week: Tierce de PicardiFrom Any Old MusicThe tierce de Picardie (Fr.; Picardy 3rd, Eng.) is a musical technique commonly used in Baroque and Renaissance music, in which a parallel major chord is played at the end of a piece that is otherwise in a minor key. This creates a greater feeling of resolution and brightness, providing a better sense of finality and completion. The technique can also be used in the middle of a composition, creating a momentary shift from the prevailing minor key to a major key before returning to the original key. The tierce de Picardie can be heard in many well-known pieces of classical music, and it has also been used in popular music. Did you like this week's term, if so, let me know by clicking here. Or, if you have an interesting term, let me know by simply replying to this email! |
New and Highlighted ContentLast week I announced that pre-enrolment would open for Introduction for Orchestration this Friday 15th May. As part of the announcement, I demonstrated some teaching in Zoom, so that you could see what form it would take. Here is that demo, on Voicing Chords (and Orchestration's additional dimension) in isolation. I'll be releasing another video today, announcing further details on the course and answering some questions that I got about the course over the weekend. It will also include some more teaching, this time looking at creating a contrasting arrangement, using orchestration, but also while maintaining coherence. Email Exclusive ContentDon't forget about the exclusive content you gain access to as an Any Old Music newsletter subscriber:
How can you write better music for strings?Don't forget you have access to our analysis swipe decks as a subscriber to this email newsletter. Here is a link to the one I made on RVW's Dives and Lazarus. Below is a sample of one of my favourite techniques, one that I have used for strings before. Basically, it entails blending soloists with other sections in the string orchestra. What you get is the focus of one soloist, with the added richness and body of the section behind it. There is so much colour potential with the string orchestra. What have I been up to...Music stuffThis summer I am trying out an older piece of mine that I have rearranged for Concert Band. Originally for a video-game project called, Six Sided Slime from Outer Space, I am curious to see how it translates to Concert Band. It was originally for orchestra. This week I have been working on the final, fourth movement, which is partially rearranged. Non-music stuffOver the weekend I went, along with the wife and son, to visit some friends who live in the countryside/moorland toward Manchester. It's normally always wet when we visit, but this weekend was great weather. We were able to have a barbecue, go for walks and let the kids play and assault one another, so that was good. What have you been up to? I'd Love to hear from you! Any questions or comments, please get in touch! All the best, George P.S. Please click here if you do NOT want any further emails about Introduction to Orchestration. |
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Any Old Music
Hello. My name is George Marshall and I am the founder of Any Old Music. I am a composer with over 10-years of experience, having completed work on 50+ projects for video-games, films and the concert hall. In 2020, I completed my doctorate in Music Composition. My PhD was on constraint and how it emerges in creative projects. For example, team discussions in video-game projects. If a video-game team presented a mood-board and certain briefs, these constrain and challenge the composer to compose in a particular way or style. Less quantifiable than, say, the application of serialism, but probably just as (if not more) constraining and creatively directing. It was during my PhD that I realised that there would only be two outcomes for me as a composer: I became a professional composer who needed to compose lots of music in not enough time. I became an amateur/hobbyist or semi-professional composer who needed to compose less music but still with not enough time. With this in mind I eventually opted for something more along the lines of semi-professional, but with an ambition of setting up Any Old Music as a means of helping similarly time strapped music makers. Particularly those in the second group, the hobbyists and semi-professionals, whose composing competes much more for time against other aspects of life. Composition is incredibly rewarding. You never stop learning and developing as a composer. Furthermore, many of us boast renegade autodidactic personalities to a certain extent. My hope is that Any Old Music’s self-paced composition courses can help composers to continue growing, by learning through creating and doing so in their own time.
Hello Reader, I hope you're doing well! It's George from Any Old Music, and I’m excited to share that the first day of 30 Days of Counterpoint is now available as a free preview. If you're interested in counterpoint, especially at a beginner or intermediate level, feel free to dive into the first day’s content. Here’s what you’ll find: Day 1's Video Lesson: Foundations of (1st Species) Counterpoint Lesson Quiz: Test your understanding of the first lesson Skills Quiz: Focused on interval...
Hello Reader, I'm thrilled to invite you to this week's episode of Breaking Down Morning Mood, where we'll dive into a score annotation of Grieg's "Morning Mood" (link to score video, YouTube) from his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1. Get ready for an exciting exploration of this musical gem! Here's what we'll cover in the video: Uber quick recap of last week's preliminary episode where we gathered resources and background information to set the stage. Simple prepping of the score, ready for...
Starting today, we're embarking on a new approach to provide you with practical and engaging music composition lessons and insights. Say goodbye to the "Term of the Week" newsletter. Instead, I'll be sharing in-depth analyses of compositions, meticulously breaking them down to provide you with insightful observations. Don't worry, I'll keep them concise and free from excessive images and links, making them perfect for your Monday work break or an evening read. I understand that this shift may...