Category: Creative work
The Junk Synth
This is a long running project–a suitcase containing a number of small sound-making gadgets and kits I’ve acquired and built, connected together to streamline the…
Late Frost revisited
My “revisited” series takes a look at some of my older pieces. I often revise pieces or use elements in new pieces, so it’s fun…
Why composers love to cook
It sure seems like composers love to make food and drink. Whether grilling, brewing, roasting, or frying, I’m always seeing composers sharing their latest culinary…
Experiments with tape loops
This summer I attended a virtual “artist residency” led by Margaret Schedel. The attendees and I had been selected as associate artists at the Atlantic…
Strategize your catalog
From my composition teachers, I’ve heard two schools of thought regarding a composers’ catalog. You could try to have works for certain ensembles in your…
Icicle Harvest revisited
Icicle Harvest by adam scott neal Icicle Harvest is a 60-minute composition. While this might sound like it’s some kind of “magnum opus,” I think…
Reflecting on my wind band music
Wind band is a genre I grew up playing but didn’t aspire to compose for a long, long time. But my focus as a composer…
About Calls for Scores
You’ve likely had a composition teacher encourage you to submit your music to “Calls for Scores.” These are announcements by presenting organizations who seek repertoire…
The winding road of writing a book
I’m working on a book which I hope to self-publish by the end of the year. It’s a collection of short essays about musical instruments…