Weekly Releases

Weekly "Blog" Regarding Everyday Learnings.

4/9/24: Introduction

Welcome to the start of my blog. My blog will mostly consist of music, both electronic and physical. Let me introduce myself a little bit.

My name is Brian Lee, and I am a sophomore (as of writing this), and I have always loved listening to music. I was introduced to composing music in middle school, where my music teacher assigned us to compose in the scoring software called Musescore. The idea of composing music that I could listen to and enjoy captivated me, and I even entered the composition contest for a small competition held with other schools, with the help of my friend, we won the competition for the middle school category. Ever since I started using more professional software, such as Logic Pro, and currently FL Studio.

I hope that this blog interests you and that you will stay with me as I continue to post about music and everything that makes it enjoyable!

-Brian Lee :)

4/12/23: Is Classical Music Dying?

Hi! I suppose this is my first “official” blog. I want to start off by explaining my interest in classical music. Everyone probably knows the classics, the ones by Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, or maybe some other popular composers. While scrolling through YouTube, I encountered several channels about classical music (I suppose the algorithm thought I was interested in classical music because of the music videos my music teacher made us watch), and due to curiosity, I clicked on the video. Then, I fell down a rabbit hole of music that I didn’t even know existed, yet sounded beautiful. I was instantly hooked, and that’s where I ended up today.

Now, to cover the main topic: the decline of classical music. With new genres being introduced, along with other societal changes, the long concertos and sonatas started to become uninteresting to the general public. They would rather listen to shorter, more catchy music with synthesizers, electronic beats, and lyrics they can sing along to. I do not blame them. I never expected classical music to last eternally, and believe that the new genres show progress in the evolution of music. While I do believe that the music of the late 2010’s or the 2020’s are far inferior to the early 2010’s (looking at you, Dance Monkey), as a whole, music has progressed greatly. But this raises the question: what about the classics? Is it going to be forgotten? To answer this question, I say an adamant NO.

While classical music itself is declining in popularity, many new types of music use motifs from classical music to be an integral part of their own music (such as Shut Down by Blackpink). The only problem that I might see with this is that some may view the “desecration” of classical music as sacrilegious because the artists often remove several important elements of classical music just to fit their own style. To take the example of Shut Down, the key signature is changed, the motif is extremely short, and the violin playing the theme leaves much to be desired. However, I see more attention to classical music in media, with movie soundtracks playing a very big role in keeping instrumental music alive.

While I would not be surprised if classical music dies out over time, I trust that there will be substitute genres that will fill the boots that the classical music left, and people will still be happy listening to this new type of music. But until that fateful day, let’s not only enjoy the likes of Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, but also more unknown Bruch, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, and other famous composers.

4/17/23: My First Logic X Project

This was my first "official" music project in a DAW. I worked on transcribing Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles in Logic Pro on my Macbook. I aimed to explore the basics of how to work with Logic.

Time: ~1 Month

WMS complete

00:00 / 05:23

4/20/24: Differences Between Modern and Classical Music

When it comes to the world of music, two major eras stand out: the classical era, with its grand symphonies and intricate compositions, and the modern era, characterized by experimentation and innovation. While both forms of music share the common goal of expressing emotions and ideas through sound, they diverge in style, structure, and cultural context.

Classical music, with its roots stretching back to the Baroque period and flourishing during the Classical and Romantic eras, is renowned for its adherence to established rules of harmony, melody, and form. Composers like Mozart, Beethoven, and Bach crafted symphonies, sonatas, and concertos with meticulous attention to detail.

In contrast, modern music, emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, broke away from traditional norms, embracing dissonance, unconventional instrumentation, and experimental techniques. Composers like Stravinsky pushed the boundaries of music with atonal melodies, irregular rhythms, and avant-garde compositions that challenged listeners' perceptions.

Despite these differences, modern and classical music share certain fundamental principles. Both prioritize emotional expression, seeking to evoke feelings of joy, sorrow, or passion in their audiences. Additionally, both rely on skilled musicianship and interpretation to convey the composer's intentions effectively.

In conclusion, while modern and classical music exhibits distinct characteristics and approaches, they are united by their shared pursuit of artistic expression and emotional resonance. Whether one's preference lies in the elegance of Mozart's compositions or the daring experimentation of 20th-century avant-garde, both forms of music offer a rich tapestry of sound that continues to inspire and captivate audiences worldwide.

5/10/24: Composers at a Micro Level: Pyotr Tchaikovsky

When thinking about the Romantic Era of classical music, it is hard to miss the vibrant and iconic music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Creating notable music such as Swan Lake, 1812 Overture, The Nutcracker Suite, and countless other operas, concertos, and symphonies, he has cemented himself as one of the classical music giants among huge names such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach. In this “series”, I want to cover several different composers, their backstories, their pieces of music, and why I enjoy their music. To start this series off, I wanted to cover my personal favorite composer: Tchaikovsky.

Tchaikovsky lived a fascinating life, with many moments of depression and sadness. He had developed a keen ear for music at a very young age, but due to the lack of public music education in Russia at the time, he had to wait until he entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, which garnered some of the best Russian composers of all time, notably Rimsky-Korsakov (composer of Flight of the Bumblebee and Scheherazade), and Shostakovich (composer of his Waltz No. 2 and various symphonies). Tchaikovsky graduated in 1865 and started his composing journey.

Tchaikovsky experienced many hardships throughout his life. It started when he was separated from his mother at a very young age to attend boarding school, and his mother died shortly after. He also lost a very close friend and colleague, Rubinstein. Along with a failed marriage, and losing his patrons, Tchaikovsky also was secretly homosexual, which was strictly forbidden in Russia. After his nephew (and alleged lover) Davydov’s suicide, Tchaikovsky died at the age of 53 due to cholera. However, it is debated whether this death was orchestrated (get it?) or not.

I have already shown his notable works earlier, but I want to cover some of the more “niche” compositions that Tchaikovsky composed that may remain unknown to the general public. His Violin Concerto, regarded as one of the best violin concertos of all time, IS the best violin concerto of all time in my opinion. This is due to one thing: appeal to a wide demographic. When I just started learning about different classical composers, I stumbled upon Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, which opened my eyes to the world of classical music. Even after learning more about classical music and understanding more music theory, I still appreciate Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto, but for different reasons than the first. People with little to no classical music can still enjoy his violin concerto, as well as more experienced people. His widespread appeal makes it one of the most genius pieces of classical music. If you want to hear the concerto for yourself, I recommend you listen to either Heifetz’s recording or Hilary Hahn’s recording. His first Piano Concerto is also a fabulous piece of music. Tchaikovsky manages to incorporate the piano and the rest of the orchestra so well throughout the entire piece. Tchaikovsky may be overshadowed by other composers in terms of popularity, but he is undoubtedly one of the greatest composers of all time.

6/10/24: 1 Week Challenge

I was challenged to create a piece of music in under 1 week. Due to a summer camp in a few weeks requiring me to use notation software, I decided to use Musescore to review each tool and function the software offers. I was lucky as I was able to create a motif/melody relatively quickly, allowing me to expand upon that melody for a longer duration of time. There is definitely room for improvement, but for a piece that only took 1 week to make, I am proud of the work.

String Quartet

00:00 / 01:12

7/14/24: Composers at a Micro Level: Dmitri Shostakovich

When you think about the job of a composer or a music producer in general, you would think the job is relatively stress-free, with the most stress coming from meeting deadlines and earning enough money. However, one composer did not live this kind of life, instead living a life filled with hardship and suffering. Due to the censorship of the Soviet Union, along with the harsh living conditions of Russia at the time, Dmitri Shostakovich lived a harsh life filled with hardship and torment.

Shostakovich began his musical journey at the age of 9, when he got piano lessons from his mother. He showed great musical talent, he had a great musical memory, consistently being able to play what his mother played in the previous lesson. He also wrote a funeral march, his first musical composition. At the age of 13, Shostakovich was admitted to the Petrograd Conservatory, the most prestigious music school in Russia, where all-time Russian greats such as Rimsky-Korsakov and Tchaikovsky attended in the past. His music was played for the first time in 1925 but was not appraised highly. In fact, his first musical breakthrough was with his First Symphony, which he initially planned to perform privately. When he performed the piece in 1926, the audience loved it, demanding an encore.

Apart from looking eerily like Harry Potter, Shostakovich’s early career quickly took off after the premiere of his First Symphony. Shostakovich only performed his own music, attending competitions. While he was diagnosed with appendicitis the opening day of the competition, his condition improved in time of his performance. He composed his Second Symphony, and more importantly, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. The latter piece was a crucial point in his career but in a very harmful way. Stalin paid a visit to Shostakovich’s performance of the piece but left without speaking a single word. After the day of the performance, Shostakovich was attacked by the media, disrespecting his piece by claiming it as “dissonant” and “muddled”.

Shostakovich then walked a fine line, slowly recovering his reputation with the release of his Fifth Symphony, created to glorify the Soviet Union. Even with close supervision from the Soviet Union, Shostakovich was able to create beautiful pieces of music that flawlessly displayed emotions. He was also able to add hidden meanings to his music, secretly criticizing the Soviet Union, even when he was part of the Soviet Union. His pieces such as “String Quartet No. 8” and “Tenth Symphony” displayed emotions that ranged from anguish and anger to serenity and beauty. Shostakovich is a legendary figure in classical music history and is definitely considered one of the best composers of his time.

7/29/24: Experiences At Berklee Boston Conservatory

Recently, I traveled to Boston to attend the Berklee High School Composition Intensive (HSCI) Summer Program. The program focused on creating 3 pieces of classical music in 2 weeks. There were several insights and things I took away from the program, and in this blog, I wanted to explore each one.

Firstly, I want to emphasize the length of the course and the work we were assigned in that time period. When I first arrived at the conservatory, I thought that the instructors would slowly introduce us to the composing process, but in fact, as soon as the welcome meeting ended and the dorm rules were established, we were straight into composing our first piece of music that was due tomorrow. This was a pretty jarring experience for me, as I was still jet-lagged at the time (I arrived in Boston the day before), but also because I never composed a piece of music in two days. I did end up creating a piece of music, but in hindsight, the piece was unpolished and practically unfinished. I probably will go back and improvise on that piece later, as I liked the idea and the piece itself, I just didn’t have a lot of time to extend and improve upon it. After the piano piece, we had to create a duet piece. I was assigned to create a duet for bass clarinet and marimba, which I originally disliked, as they weren’t exactly “melodic” instruments, and the other options (clarinet or saxophone) were much more appealing to me. Nonetheless, I spent an all-nighter trying to create a piece of music that would suit both of the instruments. After the first piece, I wanted to make my pieces have an “anxious” theme, and I think I accomplished that very well in this piece. Lastly, we had a week to compose a string quartet piece. This was great, as not only did we have more time to compose, but we were also composing for a string quartet, which I enjoyed a lot. Because I only composed one string quartet before, I was able to learn a lot more about the features and roles of each instrument, and how prominent each instrument is when performing. I created one of my favorite pieces that I composed, which I think captured the “anxious” and “panic” emotions very well. Fittingly, I named the piece “Murphy’s Law”.

Secondly, there were some experiences at Berklee that I found surprisingly useful. When I was reading over the schedule of the course, I was slightly confused, as I saw the word “reading session” nearly every day. At the time, I had no idea what a reading session was, and when I saw that there was a “piano reading session” on the very first day, I was concerned that I would have to play the piano myself, which I am very unconfident in. Fortunately, the reading sessions were much different. Reading sessions are where people who play their respective instruments very well play your composed piece of music and give feedback based on playability, and also give suggestions on how to improve the piece. These were surprisingly useful to me, as I gained a lot of inspiration from the performers playing my piece, but also gained a lot of inspiration when I heard my peer’s pieces getting performed. I considered myself a less experienced composer compared to my peers during the camp, as many of them grew up around music, and were composing since elementary school. I only started composing in the later years of middle school, and only seriously began composing around last year. So, listening to their music and how they composed their music gave me a lot of inspiration on how I want to compose my music as well. I also want to emphasize the variety of music that people composed in this camp. I heard examples of contemporary music, pop-inspired pieces of music, ragtime-inspired pieces, and even visual music (a piece of music where the performers play using a piece of art instead of an actual score). All of these pieces of music had different feelings and emotions when listening to them, but they all were very interesting. Although none of them inspired me to switch my genre of compositions, it was interesting regardless to listen to all different types of music, especially live.

My previous point leads me to the last point: how this camp connected me much more to the music world. I only listened to two or three live performances, and most of them were free, communal work done by people who performed their instruments for fun. In this camp, however, I listened to five proper concerts, and many more reading sessions by seasoned performers who play their instruments as their job. This was an eye-opening experience for me, as I came to the realization of how different actual instruments sound compared to the MIDI audio that my composing software played. Being able to hear my music being played by professional musicians was also incredible, especially when the string quartet played everyone’s pieces during the concert. The pride I felt when composing was amplified when the music that I created reached more than just my parents or my friends in Korea. The concert was livestreamed, and not only did my peers in the composition camp listen to my piece, their parents also indirectly listened to my piece, and that is an experience that is truly special to me. I also made several new friends who are composers just like me. I previously didn’t have any friends who were interested in composing pieces of music, and now that I have some new friends, I feel like I can reach out to them and ask for feedback or give feedback on their pieces of music. The program gave us a lot of time to compose, so me and my roommate would often compose in our rooms, listening to parts of each other’s pieces, and giving feedback. We also talked a lot about classical music at that time, an experience that I was never able to properly replicate before, except with my grandfather. These experiences truly reinvigorated my love for composing music and were a gateway for me to further flourish in my passion.

Before going to this camp, me and my parents were incredibly skeptical as to whether I should go or not. I had to study for SAT, Math, and AP Physics, and a two-week hiatus from that would hinder my learning in those subjects. But we went anyway, and that was an incredibly good decision. Although I did fall behind in my studies for a while, the experiences that I got at Berklee were something that I couldn’t replicate anywhere else. Although the food was not to my liking, the showers were extremely tiny, and people made a lot of noise at nighttime, all of those inconveniences were subdued when looking at the bigger picture, when looking at the friends I made, the pieces I composed, and the memories and experiences I made while at this camp. I truly do not regret attending this camp, and I would recommend it to any aspiring composers who want to get a taste of what a composer is really like.

8/13/24: What differentiates Classical Music and Movie Soundtracks?

The common misconception is that classical music and movie soundtracks are relatively similar. To an untrained individual, it makes sense, as Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” can sound very similar to Michael Giacchino’s “Welcome to Jurrasic World”. Of course, there are pieces of classical music that are used in movies, notably “Also Sprach Zarathustra” by Richard Strauss, used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. However, there are several different aspects of classical music and movie soundtracks respectively that differentiate the two.

The most significant difference between the two is obviously the period difference. While nearly all of the famous movie soundtracks were created in the 20th to 21st century, while most notable pieces of music were composed between the 16th to 19th century. While some may argue that the time when it was composed does not matter very much, but there is a clear difference. Music evolved as time passed, and that is evident even when comparing classical music. For example, Bach’s music sound very different from Tchaikovsky’s music, as Bach was part of the Baroque Period, While Tchaikovsky was part of the Romantic Period. If you still cannot understand the difference, comparing art periods is a great way to visualize how art changes based on the time period. For example, the Renaissance period differed greatly from Impressionism in terms of art style. Classical music is the same. So obviously, there would be a difference between classical music and movie soundtracks.

Now that I’ve explained the period difference between the two genres, let’s compare the music itself. Movie Soundtracks can take a variety of forms. Some may take the form of the traditional orchestral soundtrack. Some may be the genre of rock or pop. Some may incorporate the two together. Nevertheless, movie soundtracks combine the elements of other music genres to create music that more accurately represents the movie they are part of. On the other hand, classical composers did not have the technology or any other genres to reference, as classical music was the most prominent genre of music during their time. As a result, they are very limited when it comes to the instruments they use. While composers today have the technology of MIDI and synthesizers to quickly understand how their music sounds, classical composers had no such technology, instead having to rely on actual performers to play their pieces to get a feel for how their music sounds. While MIDI and synthesizers are much more lacking compared to an actual performer, they are much more accessible and much more convenient. So overall, while the quality of music may not be as great as classical music, movie soundtracks are much easier to make and are accessible to a larger audience.

Lastly, let’s compare the composers themselves. Several successful movie soundtrack composers are renowned across the entire world, being able to make a lot of money and status. This is partly due to the internationalization of everything due to the internet and social media. Their music is also much more widespread as their music is played in movies worldwide. They can live luxuriously once they become successful. On the other hand, many of the most famous composers were extremely dependent on sponsors and investors to retain their composing jobs. Due to being unable to spread their music all across the world or sometimes even the continent, a composer’s popularity was much more limited. Their source of income was also very limited, as their only source of income was from their investors and their concerts, many of which had an entire orchestra needing to be paid as well. As a whole, it is much easier to live the life of a movie soundtrack composer compared to a classical composer of the past. If the classical composers of the past were able to use modern technology, they may have been much more successful and renowned.

To an untrained ear, movie soundtracks sound very similar to classical music. After all, they use the same instruments, which leads to a very similar sound to an average individual. However, when delving deeper into the specifics of what goes into creating a movie soundtrack and a piece of classical music, the process by which it is created and how successful it is is vastly different. So, when your friend says that classical music sounds extremely similar to movie soundtracks, you can tell them the vast differences between the two.

8/24/23: What is the Difference Between MIDI, Recording and a Live Performance?

Note: I’m sorry if this blog was shorter than before. My junior year started around now and I was busy studying for SAT :’). The next blog will be longer than this one.

During my musical composition journey, I was fortunate enough to experience multiple live performances. I thought that there wasn’t much of a difference between the recording and a live performance, but after listening to Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto live a few months ago, my entire perception on the matter changed. I realized that there was a reason composers set up readings on their compositions, rather than simply relying on their MIDI to show them what it sounds like. So, to the people who are unaware, let me explain to you how different a live performance is compared to a recording or a MIDI.

Firstly, I have to explain what a MIDI is. A MIDI is a digitally generated sound that replicates a instrument or synthesizer using a sample. This could be a bow from a violin, or a key press on a piano. The problem with MIDI is that it is only able to produce the sound based off of that one sample. For the sake of the explanation, I will use the violin as an example. Each bow stroke sounds different from the other, and the MIDI producing the same type of bow each time makes the MIDI very unrealistic. MIDI also often fails to replicate techniques on the instrument. The violin utilizes several techniques to increase the diversity of what sounds they are able to make, such as pizzicato, ricochet, and col legno. Unfortunately, most cheap synthesizers or MIDI producing software do not have a high budget, resulting in these techniques being very shoddy in terms of quality. This is also true when considering dynamics. Some people may believe that dynamics simply increases the sound of the instrument, but that is not the only thing that it does. For violin, depending on the violin, it can result in a fuller sound, not only a louder sound. The piano also sounds different as the hammer hits the string more violently. MIDI cannot replicate this very well, and thus differentiates them greatly from a recording, much less a live performance.

Obviously, recordings and MIDI are processed through the device and displayed through an audio device, such as speakers or headphones. That is where the first difference arises. The audio devices fail to replicate the sound that a live performance makes. The sound of the instruments in a live performance is affected by the area they are being played in, as well as the performer playing the instrument. These qualities are all very sensitive to change, and get affected greatly as they get converted digitally for recordings. Thus, it is not surprising that the quality of the music in recordings are much different than a live performance.

Obviously, recordings and MIDI do have their benefits. Recordings and MIDI are much easier to access, and are much more convinient for everyday use. Not everyone can listen to live performances every day, as they may be too busy, or the service may be too costly. For that reason, recordings and MIDI are used by most composers around the world. Additionally, recordings are nearly perfect in terms of performance. Most orchestras or soloists release the best version of their playing, as they are able to record as many times as they need and release the recording that they are satisfied with. On the other hand, live performances may not be the best in terms of performance. Especially for cheaper concerts, the orchestra and soloist would have much less practice, and may be more nervous on stage, resulting in them making mistakes. Their instruments would also most likely be worse in quality, resulting in their sound quality being worse.

When I listen to Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto live, I realized how much I was missing out by listening to music on my headphones. It’s like listening to a pop song and actually going to a concert. The artist may do something special for that specific performance, and the quality of their playing/singing may be different, for better or for worse. The concert that I went to was free, so the quality of the performance wasn’t the best, but the reference I had to compare them with was Hiliary Hahn’s recording and Jascha Heifetz’s recording, so I cannot be a fair judge. Overall, I would choose a bad live performance over a great recording, as the quality of a live performance, no matter how inexperienced the orchestra may be, cannot be matched by any recording or MIDI.