Recently, though, one of my CDs was reviewed by a popular magazine and the reviewer was quite critical of my work. I was, at first, aghast that anyone could be so hard on my writing. Interestingly, there were a lot of contradictions in his review. He called my pieces “very pretty”, not “modern” and good as background music. His complaint was that my compositions were too simple.

Background Music and Shostakovitch

By that, I am assuming that he was referring to the structure of the pieces. Yet, he spent much of his review on the fact that my music had influences of Chopin, Brahms, Shostakovitch, Shubert, Elgar and Milhaud. That, to me, was the biggest compliment of all. I have studied piano since I was eight years old, In addition, I have had an extensive music education in voice and theory and over that time, I have listened and been inspired by the great composers of “classical music.”

That style of music has been the basis of my compositions, but they have been created with my own voice. I don’t want to be “modern” or have my music put into a specific category but am interested in writing beautiful melodies in a unique style. My wish is that I am giving my audience music that speaks to them, comforts them and comes from the heart.

I can accept the fact that the reviewer didn’t respond to my music the way I would have hoped but his suggestion that the influence of some great classical composers was incorporated in my music was exactly what I intended. Therefore, I am not looking to be a “modern” composer, but one that ignores the norm and writes what naturally comes from my experiences, my influences and my heart.

(To see the above-referenced music review of Sharon’s classical compositions, click here. If you like Sharon’s classical style and music, please feel free to let the reviewer know by responding to his review. Thank you!)

The Gift of Classical Music 

I compose classical music because it offers me the ability to share the gift of music with others, to let them feel many emotions. It lets them put aside their troubles, even temporarily. It allows them to feel positive and hopeful. Beethoven’s last movement of the ninth symphony, “Ode to Joy” – a German poem sung by choir and soloists – is an example of music that lifts people’s spirits.  It is one of the most widely known and sung classical music pieces. Although it was completed in 1824, it is timeless. No matter how many times “Ode to Joy” is performed, people respond with joy and excitement. And there are so many more well known classical music pieces that are still heard today that stir up one’s emotions.

If, through my writing, I can give the listener some solace and joy, then I have fulfilled the purpose of classical music. I want to compose melodies that the listener responds to and that stay in their mind for a long time. That’s what the great masters of classical music had intended. That is why the music is still heard today and will continue to be heard for generations.

I think about those elements when I am working on my compositions and refer to many of the great pieces I grew up with. One of the most important elements of a piece is the motif theme or melodic theme or themes that weave in and out of a piece that can be clearly identified by the listener. Another element of importance is the “surprise.” I like to incorporate a new key or introduce a different time signature.  Sometimes I enjoy making a theme in a major key into the same theme in a minor key.  I enjoy bridging some of the themes with a brief phrase that is unexpectedly brought into the piece. I find that using different rhythms of a motif or moving into new octaves gives a composition a new dimension. Changing the instrumentation in a piece gives it a different feel and texture. For instance, if I write a piece for flute and cello, those instruments can alternate playing the same theme. Sometimes they play together and sometimes they play as soloists.

No matter what type of music one listens to, there are many elements in music that draw one into it. The qualities I have mentioned above are some of them. There are others, not mentioned, that can also capture a listener’s attention. It’s like peeling layers. Each layer of a piece gives us something new and different.

It is important that I continue to find ways to add interesting elements to my music. It is a challenging and exciting process.  Each piece should be unique, and at the same time, contain elements that keep the listener drawn to the music.

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.

Atonality, which is not melodically based, falls into the contemporary music category. That can include electronic music, music that can be quite dissonant: sounds that can be foreign, not familiar to the ear. It can, however, be an interesting study. Many of those atonal compositions are mathematically based.  However, it doesn’t inspire one to hum a tune, if there is one.

Melody is the most important component in my classical music compositions and I truly believe that an audience responds to that.  A beautiful melody has the ability to make someone feel emotion, feel inspired. It gives us the gift of something memorable.

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.

Doing the interview for Fanfare made me reflect on my past musical experiences. I was very involved with performing, accompanying and teaching during my years in high school and college and always had a special place in my heart for composing.  I was fortunate that my family encouraged me to continue my music studies. Yet, I never considered pursuing a career in writing.

I realized over the years that I wasn’t getting the thrill from performing anymore. I knew that there were so many great performers playing music by great classical music composers, but the thought of creating something of my own was far more exciting than playing someone else’s compositions. It took a very long time for me to make that connection, but once I did, my life completely changed, going from a performer to being a creator.

When I finish each CD, I long for people to hear my work, but the reality is that it takes time before one can establish a name and reputation in the creative arts. My dream is to have people listen and enjoy the music that I compose and truly believe in.

I regret not having a career in composition earlier in my life but I feel grateful that I now have an opportunity to challenge and express myself.  Fanfare Magazine has given me the chance to have a promising career in classical music composition.

Each issue of “Fanfare” magazine features interviews with music composers and performers, and reviews of their CDs. Ruchman noted, “I was told by ‘Fanfare’ staff members that I was unique to their coverage in that I am both an accomplished musician as well as a composer of classical music.” In addition to her first two CDs, on December 13, 2011, Ruchman released her third CD in three years’ time “Remembrance”. She released her first CD, “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” featuring “Sea Glass” in October 2009, and in November 2011, she released “Arrival of Spring”.

“For my third CD,” Ruchman commented, “I wanted to compose music specifically for violin, cello, flute and piano. While creating all of my CDs, I have enjoyed working with several local area musicians who accompany me in my compositions. Their talents inspired me to compose music specifically for their instruments and styles.” The new “Remembrance” CD is presented on 19 tracks. Tracks 1- 3 are a cello and piano “Sonata in E Minor”; track 4-5 is the song “Remembrance” with violin and piano; track 6-7 offers a flute and piano duet; track 8 is a violin and piano titled “Lament”; “Hope” is featured on tracks 9-10 in cello and piano; “Kaleidoscope” with violin and piano is featured on track 11; track 12 features a solo piece for piano, “Calm”; “Longing” is the violin and piano composition on track 13; and tracks 14-19  offers “Variations on a Theme in F Major for Cello and Piano”.

The “Fanfare” review of the “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” CD, states, “Ruchman does not feel a need to compose music that falls into step with a particular style because it is currently in vogue. In many ways, the music she composed for this disc has much in common with the styles of a century ago. Although she seems an unabashed melodist, she has a tendency to utilize more than one style of composition.”

Nockin wrote this comment in response to Ruchman’s website quote that states, “There are many styles of music by great composers that have inspired me and have allowed me to consider the myriad ways to make a composition interesting.” A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and Yale School of Music, Ruchman also sang for many years with several major choruses including those associated with the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras.

Since 2009, pieces from Ruchman’s “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” and “Arrival of Spring” CD’s have been aired on WSHU and WMNR in Connecticut. In that year, her compositions were also selected by the National Composers Association to be performed in Portola, California as part of the “Music Under the Redwoods” concert. Two of her compositions were also performed in 2009 during the 10th Annual Hartford Women Composers Festival, and one composition was performed live by the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra in 2010.

“Fanfare” Reviewer Nockin wrote of Ruchman’s “Piece for Cello and Piano” on her “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” CD, “The piece ends as smoothly as a perfect summer day.” She also commented that Ruchman’s concluding piece on the CD, “Translucence” for cello and orchestra, “Ends with a memorably rhythmic tune. Ruchman’s piano is always the perfect conversationalist in this musical discourse.”

Nockin’s review of Ruchman’s second CD, “Arrival of Spring”, states, “This CD is a compilation of various forms of chamber music with Ruchman presenting a string quartet, two trios and four duos. She opens with the major piece, ‘Quartet in F# Minor’, and it offers a full-blooded statement of the melodic first theme. She concludes the quartet with a delightfully rollicking tune that suggests an old time barn-raising.”

“Arrival of Spring, the trio of pieces for which the album in named,” writes Nockin, “starts with subtle harmonies that bring to mind the first shy crocus peeking through the snow. Ruchman’s ‘Twilight’ invokes the setting sun with violin and piano, and calls upon coming nightfall to soothe the cares of the past day. ‘Exultation’ concludes this disc of intensely interesting modern chamber music.”

To learn more about classical music composer and pianist Sharon Ruchman, visit www.sharonruchman.com. Orders for Sharon Ruchman’s CD’s can be placed on her website as well as iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon.com.

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Photo: Sharon Ruchman 2011.jpg

On December 13, 2011 classical music composer and pianist, Sharon Ruchman of Washington, Connecticut, (www.sharonruchman.com) released her third CD “Remembrance” in three years’ time. Ruchman released her first CD, “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” featuring “Sea Glass” in October 2009, and in November 2011, she released “Arrival of Spring”. “For my third CD,” she stated, “I wanted to compose music specifically for violin, cello, flute and piano. While creating all of my CDs, I have enjoyed working with several local area musicians who accompany me in my compositions. Their talents inspired me to compose music specifically for their instruments and styles.”

Towards that ambition, Ruchman presents the compositions of her new “Remembrance” CD on 19 tracks. Tracks 1- 3 are a cello and piano “Sonata in E Minor”; track 4-5 is the song “Remembrance” with violin and piano; track 6-7 offers a flute and piano duet; track 8 is a violin and piano titled “Lament”; “Hope” is featured on tracks 9-10 in cello and piano; “Kaleidoscope” with violin and piano is featured on track 11; track 12 features a solo piece for piano, “Calm”; “Longing” is the violin and piano composition on track 13; and tracks 14-19  offers “Variations on a Theme in F Major for Cello and Piano”.

In January 2012, Fanfare magazine will feature a review of Ruchman’s first two CDs, “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” and “Arrival of Spring”, along with an in-depth interview. Published bi-monthly, and written exclusively for the avid classical CD collector and music aficionado, Fanfare magazine features extensive interviews with classical music composers and performers. Ruchman noted, “I was told that I was unique to their coverage in that I am both an accomplished musician as well as a composer of classical music.”

In her second CD, “Arrival of Spring”, Ruchman wrote a piece ‘Memoria Dolci’ in memory of her great uncle, Rudolph Fuchs, a virtuoso violinist. “Two of my newest compositions, ‘Remembrance’ and ‘Lament’, were also written in his memory,” stated Ruchman. “My father told me that Rudy loved playing gypsy music and the new composition ‘Longing’ is written in that style.”

Fond childhood memories were the premise of Sharon Ruchman’s new composition, “Kaleidoscope”. “During my childhood, I played with color-filled kaleidoscopes. It was fascinating to me that a fixed number of colored pieces could create such a wide variety of patterns. That image inspired me to write ‘Kaleidoscope’, where the music magically morphs into several patterns rhythmically and melodically.

The new “Remembrance” CD features Ruchman’s piece “Calm” which she stated, “was influenced by Debussy.” This new CD presents several ‘first time’ experiences for Ruchman who has been playing piano since she was eight years old, and five years ago she began her career as a classical music composer. “For the first time, I have composed a piece of variations on a theme. It was interesting for me to see how many different ways I could create new styles based on one melody.”

Ruchman commented that, “This was also the first time that I composed a Sonata (3 movements) for cello and piano.” For the new “Remembrance” CD, Ruchman explained that she “Wanted to introduce different styles within the classical music framework. All the music was recorded at my home in Washington, Connecticut, which worked very well acoustically.”

Sharon Ruchman earned her Master of Music (MM) degree from the Yale School of Music, and her Bachelor of Music (BM) degree at the New England Conservatory of Music. She was an accompanist with the New England Conservatory chorus, and upon graduation she returned to Yale School of Music to study composition with Yale graduate, teacher and accomplished composer, Orianna Webb. From there, she went on to teach music in the West Haven, Connecticut elementary school while she pursued her singing career and performed throughout Connecticut. During 2007 and 2008, she wrote several compositions and began working with several northwestern Connecticut area musicians. Ruchman’s love of composition has led her to become a member of several professional composers associations including the American Music Center, the American Composers Forum, and IAWN, International Alliance for Women in Music.

Since 2009, pieces from Sharon Ruchman’s first two CDs “Sharon Ruchman Chamber Music” and “Arrival of Spring” have been aired on WSHU and WMNR in Connecticut. In that year, her compositions were also selected by the National Composers Association to be performed in Portola, California as part of the “Music Under the Redwoods” concert. Two of her compositions were also performed in 2009 during the 10th Annual Hartford Women Composers Festival.

Brief intervals for each of Sharon Ruchman’s new “Remembrance” compositions can be heard on her website, www.sharonruchman.com. Orders for the CD can be placed on the site, iTunes, CD Baby and Amazon.

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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.

Recently, after I finished the first movement of a cello and piano sonata, I discovered that the main motif had a very similar melody and rhythm to another piece I had composed. I scrapped the idea and started fresh. I was much more pleased with the new melody I created.

Another challenge is to compose a piece that is beyond my comfort zone. There are so many styles of music by great composers that have inspired me and have allowed me to consider the myriad ways to make a composition interesting. For instance, it’s fun to write a piece that only uses 100 notes – a little bit like Twitter! I’ve learned there is actually a music group that requests submissions for such a piece.

Another option is that I can also choose to write something lyrical or atonal, or contrapuntal like a Bach fugue, and combine that with an interesting rhythmical pattern. I like to see how many ways I can use the same melody, whether I play the notes backwards, inverted, or mirrored. You can actually hold a mirror up to the notes that you have written and see the position of the notes.

My final challenge is not to be predictable in my music. I want the audience to be surprised by what key I use or how I end my piece. Most importantly, I want to have a balance of both familiarity and surprise

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.

Another important element in my music is mood. I want the listener to feel the emotional intent of my piece whether it is sadness, exuberance, or joy.  If I have conveyed a certain mood, then I feel a great satisfaction in communicating that to the listener.

Above all, I want to achieve a feeling of calmness in my music… a sense of calmness that it evokes a sense of peace and resolution for the listener. Ultimately, I want to provide the listener with an insight into the thoughts and emotions that I have tried to capture in my music.

My greatest desire is that the listener feels inspired and uplifted.

Sharon Ruchman: wtnh.com