About taking breaks

We are coming upon the end of another year. This one has obviously been quite strange. And while I’ll reflect on my own year in…
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Making great scores with LilyPond

Software debates: Finale vs. Sibelius vs. Dorico For many years, one of the main “debates” for composers was Finale vs. Sibelius. Now that Sibelius has…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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What my side jobs taught me about music: part 2

This is a sequel to my previous post about lessons I learned in my random jobs. You’ll see…I’ve had quite a few. Let’s continue, shall…
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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…
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Icicle Harvest revisited

Icicle Harvest cover image
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…
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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…
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