Music composition is an art of courage and thoroughness. After nearly four years of playing jazz with Queen’s music professor Greg Runions (winner of the 2006-07 Queens Music Department Teaching Award) and studying music theory and analysis, I have recently delved into the fascinating art of writing original music in the broadly defined jazz idiom. The opportunity to give something back to the creative music community has been both humbling and inspiring. Through Prof. Runions impressive experience as a prolific local composer, I have learned about the challenges of connecting melodic ideas with music harmony that both pleases and challenges the listener. In two semesters of study, we have explored jazz arranging for a variety of instrument groups, the complex art of chord extensions and modulation, and writing melodies over chord progressions that are memorable and enjoyable. I have produced a dozen songs in lead sheet format, similar to the way music is found in jazz performance fake books. Some of these pieces have been fleshed out to cover a wide range of instrumental performance, including solo piano, jazz combo, vocal jazz ensemble, and full jazz ensemble. I plan to continue this process throughout my life as new inspiration and musical situations arise, seeking to grasp the expressivity and enjoyment that music instills in us all.
God et al.— World-Making as Collaborative Improvisation: New Metaphors for Open Theists
