Title: Laban for Actors and Dancers
Author: Jean Newlove
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 2 stars

Although the writing and drawings of Laban for Actors and Dancers are not particularly clear, the precision and economy of the Laban system of notation comes through. Laban uses simple lines and shapes to encode a movement’s mechanics, as well as its intent. Laban is intended to cover the full range of possible human movement, perhaps unnecessary for Matsuri movement where the range of movements and the intentions are so limited. After reading this book, I appreciate Laban more but thought a system designed specifically for Matsuri might be more efficient.

Title: Alphabet of Movements of the Human Body
Author: Vladimir Ivanovitch Stepanov
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 2.5 stars

Though only about 40 pages, Alphabet of Movements is a surprisingly thorough explanation of Stepanov’s system. Written in 1892, the language is quaint and charming but I wish the translation were not quite so faithful to the layout of the original book; specifically the image plates. In the 19th century, many books placed multiple figures on a single page, rather than intersperced with the text. While it simplified printing, it forces the reader to flip back and forth between text and image on separate pages. Perhaps it is historical translation heresay to say so, but I think the book would benefit tremendously from removing the 19th-century printing limitations and mixing the images and text.

Stepanov’s notation system is based on musical notation, using the original note shapes to symbolize duration and adding ornamentation and position on the staff to indicate body parts. It’s a clever and good-looking system but I won’t likely pursue something based on western notation. To me, tempo and duration are more naturally indicated by horizontal space as opposed to note shape.

Title: On the Count of One
Author: Elizabeth Sherbon
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 1.5 stars

On the Count of One deals more generally with the teaching of dance but includes beautifully drawn examples of poses with corresponding Labanotation. While Laban’s system is arguably the most advanced and I find it beautiful to look at, I’m not sure an abstract-symbol (versus stick-figure) system is usable for my current task of making taiko movements accessible to general taiko players.

Title: Dance Notation – The Process of Recording Movement on Paper
Author: Ann Hutchinson Guest
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 4.5 stars!

With chapter titles like “Why is dance notation needed?” “How is movement described?” “Degree of specification in movement description” and “Evaluating a [notation] system”, Dance Notation is a fabulous book and the best I’ve found on the subject! It is the perfect resource for exploring the variety of notation systems available. Guest is a master notator in the Laban style but her more general appreciation of all forms of notation shines through in unbiased, inquisitive language.

Dance Notation led me to the realization of why I seek a notation system for taiko form, rather than simply recording video. Guest compares dance notation to that of music, “The second reason that records and tapes are not used in rehearsing a [musical] work is that these do not represent the work itself but a performance of that work… Each performer and conductor wants to be able to go back to the work itself recorded in the notation and to bring the music to life in an individual, personal way.” She goes on to explain experiments where dancers learn from video and from notation. The notation students perform better, presumably because the notation provides direct access to the intent and concept of the movements. With my goal of sharing taiko movements and form, I am attracted to the “essential” quality of good notation, and the promise of improved understanding of my own movement biases.

I gleaned a number of notes for myself to remember over the coarse of developing or finding a system.

• A useful notation system can indicate exaggeration of timing, isolated movement, variation in spatial pattern, and quality of movement.
• “A sophisticated, versatile approach to timing had to wait for the twentieth century, when the idea of length on paper to indicate length of time (duration) was established… This device frees movement notation from its bondage to music notation…”
• Labanotation combines four factors into one symbol: “direction of the action (shown by the shape of the symbol), level (shown by the shading), timing (shown by the length of the symbol), and the part of the body moving (shown by its placement on the staff).”
• “Laban always advised: ‘Write more than seems necessary; better to have too much detail than not enough… In direct contrast… Benesh preached redundancy avoidance: ‘Eliminate everything you possibly can.’”
• “The Language of Dance approach to movement study… features movement notation because it provides a means through which to explore the nature of dance.”
• “Writing errors were more common than reading errors, indicating that the perception and cognition of movement itself is more difficult than the reading and performance from notation.”

Title: Dance Writing Shorthand for Modern and Jazz Dance
Author: Valerie Sutton
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 3 stars

Though this book has little of the grace and efficiency of writing seen in Guest’s Dance Notation, the Sutton system of notation might well prove the most useful for my purposes. In particular, it is based on stick-figures, with additional symbols for indicating the third dimension. Though this book only covers the shorthand notation and does not provide an introduction to the system, Dance Writing Shorthand provides exciting hints of a notation that strikes a balance between the pictorial and the symbolic.

Title: Principles of Dance and Movement Notation
Author: Rudolf Laban
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 2.5 stars

Laban was a fascinating man and this book provides a wonderful view into his concept of movement. Examples of his notation system are given with verbal descriptions of the movements, providing a decent, if not completely comprehensive, introduction to Labanotation. For the purposes of taiko notation, it feels more and more like utilizing Labanotation would require the input and training of a teacher. Unfortunately, the Laban/Bartenieff Institute of Movement Studies in New York tells me there is only one notator in Los Angeles, and she deals exclusively with western classical dance.

When there is a combination of two or more of these movements, the whole chord of several movements will mean each time something entirely different. In most of these cases, the nodding will be divested of its conventional significance, i.e. assent, and will become part of a movement expression which cannot be transoated immediately into simple words. For the language of movement consist only to a very small extent of conventional signs, replacing, as it were, words and phrases. The main bulk of movement and dance expression consists of motor elements, which can be freely combined to reveal something about the inner state of the moving person. Whether a person uses the language of movement for self-expression, liberation or enjoyment, or for the purpose of communicating with other people, is irrelevant to the present argument.

After all, dance as an art cannot be based on spontaneous improvisations only. Movement compositions, as well as poetry and music, have to be carefully constructed and built up according to the general rules of artistic composition. The profound mistake of considering the charming movements of a handsome body as an indication of the artistic value of a dance creation is entirely obsolete today. The development of a movement idea through different logical stages is nowadays the only try criterion of the worth of a dance. Intelligent and tasteful presentation is a factor to be clearly distinguished from creative invention.

Title: Movement Study and Benesh Movement Notation
Author: Julia McGuinness-Scott
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 4 stars

This was a very enjoyable read and a good introduction to Benesh Movement Notation (BMN), the system utilized by the Royal Academy of Dance. Based on a five-line staff representing the body, it is more visual in nature than the Labanotation, and for me, a bit easier to try out. I was able to notate basic taiko positions relatively quickly (though I’m not sure how accurate I am). A taiko notation based on Benesh probably represents the most symbolic a system could be and still be adopted by lay taiko players.

Title: Labanotation
Author: Ann Hutchinson
Source: LAPL
Applicability/Interest: 4 stars

This is a dense, well-written, 500-page tome on Labanotation. Hutchinson possesses an incredibly thorough understanding of movement notation and Labanotation in particular. The depth and breadth of Labanotation is inspiring. Though the book is technical and unadorned, somehow the system’s flexibility and precision, along with Hutchinson’s deep knowledge, suggests a respect for the choreographer and a true curiousity for movement. Although I don’t see Labanotation being adopted by the taiko world, there is a chance it will find use in my own work.

Title: Your Move
Author: Ann Hutchinson Guest and Tina Curran
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 3.5 stars

After having read Dance Notation and Labanotation, I’m enamored with Ann Hutchinson Guest. I was extremely excited about Your Move, in which Guest explains the “Language of Dance approach to the study of movement and dance.” The notation is a slightly simplified version of Labanotation, taught piece by piece along with movement exercises. Unfortunately, I found myself less inspired than expected, both by the writing, which feels a bit hand-holdy, and the aesthetics of the notation which doesn’t start to look beautiful until the later chapters. With regards to the Laban system and taiko, however, Your Move has been the most immediately applicable, and this will be a go-to book if I return to Laban for more in-depth exploration. There were a number of good quotes.

If you focus on leaving the situation where you were, rather than on moving to a predetermined new spatial placement, the action is more likely to reflect true motion performed for the sake of moving, of enjoying the process, rather than of achieving a particular “picture”.

The lateral symmetry of the body makes it easy for us to gesture with arms and legs into the open side directions; the crossed side directions are not as comfortable and require practice. In the case of one-sided crossing, the range can be augmented by including some degree of accompanying turn in the shoulders or hips; however, other parts of the body must hold the original front so that the sense of lateral direction is not lost.

In dealing with space, there are infinite points toward which we can move, or through which we can pass… However, the human eye is limited in discerning minute differences in spatial location… Other than very small vibrating movements… it has been found that a 15 degree difference in arrival at a destinational point is the smallest degree with which we need be concerned.

Parallel configuration

Perpendicular configuration

More images and info after the break!

The Two Box House is a 575 sq/ft modular home assembled from two, 40′ shipping containers, one trimmed to 35′. The upper container can be stacked either parallel or perpendicular to the first floor. The parallel configuration minimizes the home’s footprint, allowing the home to be placed on small and oddly-shaped lots. When space is available, the perpendicular configuration makes for a more dynamic structure and creates two usable roof patios as well as a covered entry at ground level. The Two Box House is designed to meet or exceed standard LA County building code, meaning it can be placed on regular, residential lots. The modular design simplifies the foundation requirements and makes it easy to move the whole home. The Two Box House has the potential to be very eco-friendly, using recycled shipping containers for the structure.

Parallel configuration, opposite side

Perpendicular configuration, opposite side

As shown below, the first floor consists of an office space, living room, and dining area, all situated on a raised floor. The main entry is opposite the stairs. The kitchen (red cabinets) are at one end with an additional entry.

First floor

The second floor consists of the bedroom, a shower and lavatory, the toilet, and a workspace we’re calling the project room.

Second floor

Cross-section view, both floors

View from office into kitchen

Hiro and I are very excited about this design! It feels like the interior will be cozy but not stifling, the construction will be relatively straightforward, and the whole project is more environmentally friendly than the Shoebox House. I now need to explore the engineering and legal challenges more closely. Specifically, I need to figure out how the insulation on the outside of the containers would still allow a crane to hoist the boxes, and I need to start searching for oddly-sized (and thus hopefully more affordable) residential lots in LA County. Fun stuff!

Working with Matt Gallizzi at NoTix Technical Solutions, Hiro and I implemented a photo auto-blogging system to take shots of our meals. There are still a few rough spots to work out but you can see our most recent meal in the updated header of my blog, and our last 30 meals here. Nerdy, no?! Howto coming soon!

Rachel Cohen has prepared a workshop at my request for the Matsuri Aces crew entitled Developing and Refining Movement Phrases, to be held next Tuesday, August 24. Although spaces for participation are full, if you would like to observe, you are welcome to join us. Send me an email and I’ll give the details!

About Rachel Cohen

Rachel’s strong proclivity for the arts led her to a career as a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator, earning two degrees from UCLA, and performing and choreographing professionally. She has taught dance at UCLA, Loyola Marymount University, and El Camino College. Seeing a necessity to create national visibility for local dance companies, Rachel founded Cadence Arts Network, Inc., in 1989, which now includes an international roster of artists in dance, music, and theater. She frequently lectures in universities, and serves as a consultant, mentor, and mediator for a variety of performing artists.

Brent is taking a college course called Environmental Portraiture and asked me to play model for an evening. I have reservations about portrait shots… staring into the camera requires a force of personality I don’t seem to have. But Brent made it fun. He came to my practice space in the underground parking garage at GVJCI and started shooting. Thank you, Brent!

I’ve arranged a performance at the Gardena Valley Japanese Cultural Institute Carnival on June 27 2011, as a way-point for the project. The goal is to develop a series of movement phrases and try working them into an actual performance piece. I’m arranging a series of workshops with non-taiko artists with the hope that taiko can benefit from different perspectives. I have a small group of great taiko players joining me to explore the possibilities and I’ll be blogging about our findings here!

The previous leader of my shamisen school, Kineya Katsusaburo 7th, passed away on June 27, 2010 at the age of 82. My teacher, Katsuyukie, studied under him for more than 50 years, and considered Katsusaburo one of the greatest players and teachers of all time. He is the Iemoto who granted my natori, and I had the pleasure of spending time with him on a few occasions in Japan (Maz met him too!). He was always supportive and generous, and interested in getting the latest news on things in the United States, having travelled the world extensively.

When I spoke with my teacher on the phone, she said that although she’s sad about his passing, “It’s a rare treasure to complete such a dramatically successful and fulfilling life.”

Title: Beautiful Evidence

Author: Edward R. Tufte

Source: borrowed from friend – Thanks Rover!

Interest: 8/10

Beautiful Evidence, the most recent of Tufte’s books, continues his glorious exploration of graphs, diagrams, and descriptive text with the goal of elucidating how we should present information. Touching on topics as far-ranging as sculpture pedestals and astronomical charts, Beautiful Evidence has a satisfying balance of thought-provoking theory and practical advice. Though for me it didn’t have the “weight” of his earlier book, The Visual Display of Quantitative Information, (perhaps only because I have already been exposed to Tufte’s basic premises,) Beautiful Evidence is an amazing book and a great read for anyone who produces works of information.

Title: Healing with Whole Foods

Author: Paul Pitchford

Source: LAPL

Interest: 3/10

I can’t remember why I added this to my library queue but by the end of the intro, I found myself in a quandry: I agree with the book’s recommendations — the diet, the lifestyle suggestions — but I wholeheartedly disagree with the theory. Essentially, the book professes a vegetarian diet, with whole, unrefined grains and sugars, and a refreshing test-it-for-yourself-and-see approach to health. But on every page the book undermines it’s own authority with references to “eastern” concepts like “yin/yang” and “qi”.  For example, “In wealthy countries, the vast majority of disease arises from excess bodily heat and dampness caused by overeating rich, greasy, highly seasoned, denatured, and/or intoxicating foods, viz., and excess of meats (especially red meats), eggs, cheese, and other dairy products…” Word… meat is bad, and yes, our problem in the US is excess. But why the mysticism of “heat” or “dampness”? At first I figured it might be a problem of semantics; perhaps “heat” is what I might call “high blood sugar”.   Or better yet, “heat” refers to an altogether different concept of diagnosing and treating the body.  But these attempts to remain open minded were defeated by overly simplistic damnations of GM and non-organic foods, statements like “ejaculation causes loss of minerals” (paraphrasing), and by references to “homeopathy”, a greedy sham science perpetrated on people at their weakest. I skipped to the recipes and tried making the dosa, which turned out well, granting the book three points.

Title: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

Author: Haruki Murakami

Source: gift (thank you Yuta!)

Interest: 6/10

Haruki Murakami is a renowned Japanese novelist and one of Hiro’s favorite authors. In this non-fiction work, Murakami talks about his attraction to running and the role it plays in his creative work as a writer. It was fascinating to read another artist’s approach to his work and to exercise, and to hear his thoughts on the subtle interactions between the two.

“No matter how much long-distance running might suit me, of course there are days when I feel kind of lethargic and don’t want to run. Actually, it happens a lot. On days like that, I try to think of all kinds of plausible excuses to slough it off. Once, I interviewed the Olympic runner Toshihiko Seko, just after he retired from running and became manager of the S&B company team. I asked him, ‘Does a runner at your level ever feel like you’d rather not run today, like you don’t want to run and would rather just sleep in?’ He stared at me and then, in a voice that made it abundantly clear how stupid he thought the question was, replied, ‘Of course! All the time!’

Now that I look back on it I can see what a dumb question that was. I guess even back then I knew how dumb it was, but I suppose I wanted to hear the answer directly from someone of Seko’s caliber. I wanted to know whether, despite being worlds apart in terms of strength, the amount we can exercise, and motivation, when we lace up our running shoes early in the morning we feel exactly the same way. Seko’s rely at the time came as a great relief. In the final analysis we’re all the same, I thought.”

I often find myself thinking that the challenges of practice, especially the essential challenges of motivation and priority setting, reveal profound insights into my habits, my weaknesses, and my fears. I loved reading about Murakami’s insights.

I was a bit surprised, however that I don’t share more with him in the way I would describe my work and my over-arching goals. I think we agree that creative work is 99% hard labor, but to some degree, Murakami sees himself as a “troubled artist”.

“But those of us hoping to have long careers as professional writers have to develop an autoimmune system of our own that can resist the dangerous (in some cases lethal) toxin that resides within. Do this, and we can more efficiently dispose of even stronger toxins. In other words, we can create even more powerful narratives to deal with these. But you need a great deal of energy to create an immune system and maintain it over a long period. You have to find that energy somewhere, and where else to find it but in our own basic physical being?”

I’ve never understood this sense of self. I don’t feel any toxin within, with which taiko helps me cope. I’ve chosen taiko deliberately, based on the pluses and minuses… almost like someone might buy a car. I fear that this means I’m not a true artist, and if this book disappointed me in some way, it was because I fear I’m not like Murakami.

Hours practiced (June 22, ’09 – June 22, ’10) – 463.59

Average daily hours (June 22, ’09 – June 22, ’10) – 1.27 (1hr 16.2min)

Current total hours (since 1995) – 4681.59

Estimated date of 10000 hours achievement – Sunday, Dec 5, 2021
(Assuming I maintain this year’s average daily hours.)

Reflections

Averaging an hour a day of concentrated, technical practice is surprisingly difficult. On an average day I might dedicate five hours to taiko practice, but I only spend a portion of that time actually drumming and concentrating on technique. Over the past three On Ensemble rehearsals, for example, we practiced a total of 16.5 hours, but only 1.1 hours of that time (6.6%) counted toward my tally. The rehearsals focused on teaching guest artists and on fine-tuning our established music, and much of the time I played koto or turntable. They were great rehearsals — very productive and challenging — but they don’t count much toward my taiko “practice”, according to the the project’s strict definition.

An hour of practice requires 2 hours of prep. When trying to motivate myself to practice, the biggest challenge is to know what to work on. When I first started the 10000 hours challenge, I had a backlog of drills that had two key traits for effective practice; they were 1) technically challenging and 2) inspiring/exciting/fun. Over the last year, most of them have run their course, exhausting one or both of the elements. I now need to continually generate source material for engaged practice; writing new, challenging rhythms, thinking of new techniques I want to acquire, discovering new approaches to practice. This thinking, composition, and preparation takes a lot of time, so even when I’m in my studio, by myself, with the drums in front of me, I probably only average about 20 minutes of playing for every hour.

I have to remember to focus on progress, rather than hours.  When I don’t have a concrete plan for practice, or am not particularly motivated, I often trick myself into practice.  “Just go sit in front of the drums… if nothing happens in 20 minutes, then you can give up.”  “Think how ugly the blank space in your practice graph will be… even 5 minutes is better!”  While these kinds of tricks help motivate me, they also seem to increase the internal pressure I feel to inflate my hours.  As I calculate a day’s practice, I can feel myself wanting the minutes to add up to at least one hour.   I need to continually remind myself that progress is the goal, and to reward myself when I only practice a short amount of time but have a particularly productive session.  The 10,000 hours project is an experiment to observe my practice, not define it.

Sucesses

• Finished middle section of never-ending solo piece, Err
• Focus on left hand finally paying off – almost equal speed
• Offset doubles and ryoutan techniques comfortable enough to be useful in musical settings

Not-So-Successes

• No progress with Semba/JoJo Mayer multi-finger roll technique, despite practice
• Relatively little improvement to basic kata and basic kata philosophy

Appreciation

Thank you to Hiro for the support over the past year, and to Alison for the practice space. Thanks to On Ensemble and TaikoProject for all the rehearsals. Thanks to Chris Hunyh, David Wells, Brady Fukumoto, and all my other practice buddies! Looking forward to another 365 days!

The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint, by Edward Tufte
Priceless, by William Poundstone
Brain Rules, by John Medina
The Ethics of Authenticity, by Charles Taylor
Virtual Music, by David Cope

Title: The Cognitive Style of PowerPoint: Pitching Out Corrupts Within
Author: Edward R. Tufte
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 5/10

Continuing my recent Tufte streak, I enjoyed this 31-page essay on the ills of PowerPoint as a presentation medium.  Already sharing these beliefs and having now read some of Tufte’s other, more substantial works though, I didn’t learn much from the book.  The most interesting bit for me was Tufte’s explanation of the unfortunate role PowerPoint played NASA’s poor decisions regarding the Challenger space shuttle.

Title: Priceless, The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It)
Author: William Poundstone
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 6/10

Priceless is a fun tour through research in behavioral economics showing how dramatically our decisions are affected by subtle stimuli.  Poundstone clearly explains diverse research revolving around the Ultimatum Game, where one participant is tasked with splitting an amount of money and offering part of it to another participant.  What percentages in the split are acceptable to the participants vary dramatically depending on what numbers have been recently seen, the context of the question, and the gender of the participants.  The book is a collection of 57 short chapters, an arrangement which I found refreshing at first, but a bit stuttering after a while.  Having recently enjoyed Ariely’s work on behavioral economics, when reading Priceless I found myself wanting the author to provide a bit more guidance to the overarching themes and take-away messages.  Take this criticism with scepticism though, as I can imagine another reader will find Poundstone’s skillful writing and respectful tone in all ways delightful.

Title: Brain Rules
Author: John Medina
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 5/10

Shoji turned me on to Brain Rules.  It’s a fun read and John Medina’s gentle explanations are easy to follow.  There are moments when I felt coddled by the author; perhaps due to Medina’s attempts to maintain interest through “relevant anecdotes” and frequently changing topics.  The organization of the book and overall style reflect the lessons it espouses:  concepts are presented in digestible chunks, repetition is used extensively, meaning is presented before details.

For all this, the book feels a little insubstantial to me… the way a magazine article feels compared to one of Tufte’s books.  I wonder if this reveals a trained bias in me; that good art is somewhat “stand-offish”.

Interestingly, my copy of the book has a hand-written inscription on the first blank leaf of the book.  It has been painted over with white-out (I assume by LAPL) but looking at the page through light from the back reveals the following.  Could it really be Jared Diamond’s signed copy?!

(click pic for larger version)

To Jared:

I am just one of the
legions of your fans
who have been
shaped by your
thinking and goodness
of heart.

All the best!

John Medina

Title: The Ethics of Authenticity
Author: Charles Taylor
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 3/10

I’m embarrassed to say that I only read the first chapter of this book.  The description on the jacket is compelling:

“At the heart of the modern malaise… is the notion of authenticity, of self-fulfilment, which seems to render ineffective the whole tradition of common values and social commitment.  Though Taylor recognizes the dangers associated with modernity’s drive toward self realization, he is not as quick as others to dismiss it.  He calls for a freeze on cultural pessimism.”

As a white male, relatively-wealthy, self-employed taiko player, I undoubtedly live a privileged life.  With all the freedom I have, I feel a lot of pressure to live responsibly, and this book seemed to touch on relevant principles.  Unfortunately, the three “malaises about modernity” that the book tackles are not worries I share personally.  “The first fear is about what we might call a loss of meaning, the fading of moral horizons.”  I have the opposite sensibility; that the world is more peaceful and caring than it has ever been.  “The second concerns the eclipse of ends, in face of rampant instrumental reason… for instance, the ways the demands of economic growth are used to justify very unequal distributions of wealth and income…”  I don’t believe that reason leads to a justification of inequality.  I think I have rational reasons to believe that inequality is not in my own interest.  “And the third is about a loss of freedom.”  I feel like I have tremendous freedom, especially considering how far I am allowed to stray from societal norms.

With a small stack of books eagerly awaiting me, I couldn’t muster the motivation to finish the book.

Title: Virtual Music, Computer Synthesis of Musical Style
Author: David Cope
Source: Los Angeles Public Library
Interest: 10/10!

Incredible!!!  David Cope is incredible!  His understanding of western music composition is so thorough that he can easily mimic Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and more.  Above and beyond this talent, however, Cope has written software to automatically compose music in these styles.  (!!!)

Can you tell which is which?  Guess whether each piece was composed by Chopin or Cope’s software!  (Then read on for the answers.)

Mazurka 1 (mp3) (ogg)
Mazurka 2 (mp3) (ogg)
Mazurka 3 (mp3) (ogg)
Mazurka 4 (mp3) (ogg)

Virtual Music explains the inner workings of this music-writing software, Experiments in Musical Intelligence (EMI).  It presents the theory behind the algorithms (some of which was over my head with my limited music theory and notation training) along with interesting commentary from other composers and academics on the artistic ramifications of the fact that computers can now write convincing music.

I found the book absolutely fascinating and am deeply inspired by Cope’s work.  He is able to think of music and compose with a remarkably high level of perspective.  Whereas I’m often caught up in the minutia of composition, Cope is able to think about whole classes of melody and rhythm and the underlying concepts.  He is able to codify successful compositional strategies and communicate them clearly.  In answer to the question of how to write music, so many composers wax poetic… “I open myself to the creative muse and let it flow.”  How about some advice that’s more helpful?!  Cope speaks more precisely… “retain the name of the destination pitch to which each voice moved in the next beat… (and) collect these beat objects in various groups called lexicons named according to the pitches and register of their entering voices (e.g., C1-G1-C2-E3, where the number suffixes reflect the octave of the note names.)”  Ask and you shall receive!

After reading Virtual Music, I am inspired to learn more about Cope’s music, about classical music generally, to practice composition, and to try and develop a deeper understanding of my musical preferences.  I have checked out a music theory book by Cope and am gradually working my way through.  (SPOILER ALERT) By the way, Mazurka 1 and 4 above were composed by EMI. (/SPOILER ALERT)  They were written more than 10 years ago and his software is even better today!