Sarah’s Blog
Hi, I’m Sarah. I absolved the preperatory course ‘Filmscoring and Production’ at Musicube Academy and now I am a second year student of Composition for Film and Theatre. In this blog I’m gonna share my personal experience as a student at ArtEZ in Arnhem.
Any questions: sarahs_blog@yahoo.com
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Finally, the sun gives us its first rays of spring and in the meantime some flowers are already visible. People slowly dare to get out of the house again and enjoy the light and warmth. This year, I am also especially happy about the beginning of spring, even though I am actually a winter person.
After the last few weeks filled with tasks and projects, I’m especially happy to be able to spend a little time outside instead of in front of the computer. Unfortunately, that’s what the job as a film composer entails. A lot of time inside in front of a screen.
But the best inspirations usually come not in front of the computer, but outside. Arnhem is a great place for that. As a nature lover, I am very happy that this study program happens to be anchored in one of the greenest cities in the Netherlands.
On one side there is the Rhine, which is wonderful to walk along, and on the other side there are several parks with lakes and small forests. If you are lucky you can see wild horses and in the parks you can find swans, geese and ducks.
Unfortunately, I still have to rely on my music notation program when I want to compose something (unless it’s a song), but how nice it would be if all you needed was paper and pen to write your next orchestral piece.
To do that you have to train your ear. If you can picture the notes accurately, you don’t have to hear them first to know what they sound like. So you could imagine a piece in your head and then put it down on paper.
But to do this, it’s important to have a good idea of harmonies, intervals, and rhythm. To learn this, singing exercises can help, because if you can sing intervals, chords, etc., you can imagine them and vice versa.
Especially here at the university, a lot of emphasis is put on the singing skills of the students. The point is not that it sounds pretty, but that it solidifies musical imagination, which can also have an important influence on composing itself. It can also be a tool for accessing one’s own creativity.
Of course, as with everything, the more you practice it, the better you get, and the more it comes to flow. It’s the same with creativity and productivity. After all, it is not without reason that practice makes perfect.
In our music theory class, we sing regularly and I feel like I’ve developed both my singing skills and my musical imagination, but I’m nowhere near the end. But I hope that someday I can sit in the sun with a pen and paper and write my next piece for orchestra 😀
All the best,
Sarah