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This sounds really good, but I don't understand the title. Why "jazz"?

Listen to a ton of good music and learn how to play piano by ear. If you can do that well, good counterpoint and voice leading will happen instinctively in your music.

Also, anything by Herbert Howells. And the Faure Requiem, especially the Sanctus. And the Durufle Requiem, especially the Sanctus.

Also "E'en so, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come" by Paul Manz.

I really like Laurisen's "Chansons des Roses" cycle.

That sounded really pretentious. Sorry. I hate using phrases like "my compositional process". Blech.

I wrote this in a couple weeks in August of 07. I wrote the whole thing at the computer, with Finale. I say "writing at the computer", but I'm sort of "writing at the piano" too, since a huge part of my compositional process involves noodling around with chord progressions on my midi controller keyboard.

I saw this at Barnes and Noble today and bought it. WOW.

Oh, and Ethan-- I hear that dissonance as resolving in the *next* measure each time, with the first note of the melody. Listen with that in mind and tell me if it helps for you.

Thank you both! I appreciate the kind words.

Thanks very much! I'm glad you like it. I like Jason Robert Brown a lot and I'm just getting into Sondheim's music.

Well, this is fun so I'll put up another one. Here's the link to the mp3: MYSPACE (track 2)

I've never heard that you shouldn't get an undergrad degree in composition. Maybe that isn't a smart career move (I guess I'll find out soon!), but I can tell you I'm getting a B.M. Composition right now and I'm having a blast.

William Baer.. he teaches at University of Evansville.

Thanks steffen. It's a great poem, isn't it??