Many of us find ourselves whistling a familiar tune or maybe singing or humming a catchy melody that we hear. This is a common response to a great melody. Classical music is one of the genres that is based on tonality and it is the basis for many styles of music that followed.
When I studied classical music in high school and college, I concentrated on learning music of the great classical composers. Many of those pieces are still being heard today in movies, TV, concert halls and radio. Why? Because most of us are drawn to a beautiful melody that stays in our memory. Take for example, Beethoven’s Fifth, or Zarathustra by Strauss.
Several months ago, I was contacted by Fanfare Magazine to do an interview and review of my first 2 CDs. This was a wonderful moment for me. As a composer who has been writing seriously for a little over 5 years, I was honored to be asked and also felt a great satisfaction in knowing that my music was worthy of recognition.
Being a creative person is about always striving to write to the best of one’s ability but it is also about giving your audience something memorable and inspiring. That is what I want to capture in my compositions. I want to compose something unique and beautiful. When I feel that I have done that, I hope to be acknowledged for my work. One should write for oneself but having the reinforcement makes everything worthwhile.
When I create a piece, I want it to be unique.
There are many challenges to writing original musical compositions. The first one is creating a great melody or melodies for each piece. When I am satisfied with a melody or melodies for one piece, the next thing I want is to make certain that I am not duplicating something that I have written before. When composing music, it is not uncommon to repeat similar patterns in melodies, so I work to be conscious of that potential.
Sharon Ruchman, Classical Contemporary Composer
As a classical contemporary composer and musician, there are many musical elements that I try to incorporate into my compositions, one being a strong melody.
A melody can appear in different forms in a piece by changing its rhythm, its key, or tempo. I also enjoy using a technique of imitation or “echoing” of a melody from one instrument to another. My ambition is always to engage the listener with a strong and distinctive melody that can be recognized in the piece even in its different forms. The ultimate hope is that he or she will to retain that melody in his or her mind, and that my music will lives on beyond it first being heard.
Many of us find ourselves whistling a familiar tune or maybe singing or humming a catchy melody that we hear. This is a common response to a great melody. Classical music is one of the genres that is based on tonality and it is the basis for many styles of music that followed.
