Bummer

Back in 1989, I made my second real run at college. While there, I took a rather amazing class, a Philosophy of Music Composition class with Dr. Rod Butler. This class, more than any one class, helped me shape how I viewed the composition process, and how I approach writing both music and words to this day.

I found out that he died about a year ago. He wasn't that old, and it's something of a bummer that such an interesting and pivotal person in my life is gone.

Here are some of the things I learned from him:

All effective music is manipulation.

Things such as Baroque, Classical/Viennese, Romantic, REnaissance, and the various Modern "periods" are actually just styles one can work in. Back then this was a revolutionary idea, while now it's one of the core fascets of the Postmodernist music movement.

Classical and art musicians are often bound by their technique, which limits their ability to do creative things.

MIDI is a tool, just like Orchestration, Counterpoint, Serialism, Intonation, and tone color. Use it carefully but don't minimalize its power either.

There are far more things in the realm of Intonation and Intonation systems than are commonly understood, and those things can be powerful and rewarding if you are ready to take the time it requires to use different scales and numbers of notes per octave.

Listening is the most important skill for any musician.

Wherever you wound up, Dr. Butler, you are remembered.