Your Roots

This is sort of an appendix to the last thread I began, dealing with a small "mixtape of necessary listening" that one might give players before a work is performed. I started that particular thread because I am fascinated by the idea of musical roots: that is to say, where one's musical ideas come from, and where in the musical/cultural realm one feels most at home. These roots could take the form of specific pieces or genres, or even remembered places or events that form the general sound in a person's head. Identify the undercurrent that propels you to create: what is it?

Mahler and Canadian Folk music.

(I was kidding about that last one).

Sometimes I know and sometimes I don't ... but here some pieces I picked up some tendencies -

Listz Piano Concerto 1

Bartok Music for strings and percussion

Prokofiev 3rd Concerto

Talking Heads I Zimbra

Mozart the G minor symphony No 40

Brahms 3rd symphony

Bach Double Concerto in D minor

Stravinsky Les Noces and Dumbarton Oaks

Probably some Arabic music from my Father (well a westernized version of it)

Chopin (warped) from all the stuff I played badly as a kid

Ravel La Valse and a few pieces

Beethoven 8th symphony

Ligeti Ramifications

Ives - select orchestral works

Mine will probably come as a complete shocker to you, Voce. Most of my influences come from my extreme adoration of anything Mozart. I love the way he would take 1 small kernel and create multiple themes out of it and then I love the coyness of his development. I also love how he utilized counterpoint in his middle and later works. The sounds of 8 - 12 different melodic lines going simultaneously is something that just fascinates me to know end. These three things I try my hardest to utilize in my own music. So, yeah... there's my root.

There are composers that I like, but I am not sure if my music sounds like them. I used to have a huge fondness of Brahms. Then I had a Russian period (Tchai, Shos, a bit of Prok), then a French period (Jehan Alain, Dupre, Durufle, later Poulenc). Barber, and currently Berg.

But it might be just as interesting for others to spot influences. Also because I feel like I am to involved in my process to reflect more objectively on it. I can only name those I wish to be influenced by, but not discern if that succeeded...

The sounds of 8 - 12 different melodic lines going simultaneously is something that just fascinates me to know end.

And yet you hate Bach.

Illogical I say!

And yet you hate Bach.

Illogical I say!

Who said I hated Bach?

Tokke just did.

And mine come from the many works bye: Ravel, Stravinsky, Scriabin, Sibelius, Respighi, Bartok, and Alkan. Plus I have a lot of influence from Scandinavian folk music, and many other kinds of world music :)

My main influences;

Switchfoot (the really modal stuff, which sort of introduced me to modality and cool chromatic harmony even though I didn't know it at the time)

Vaughan Williams

Mahler

The music from Runescape (Yes, really, and I have some midi files from the game if anyone is curious, lol)

Sevish

Haydn

The Music from Zelda - Twilight Princess (especially the one quarter tone track that especially introduced me to microtonality even though I didn't know it at the time)

John Dowland

Bach

The music from KOTOR 1 and 2 (more chromatic and modal stuff that was ingrained in my pallet before I really started composing)

Dave Brubeck

Arvo part

Joe Satriani

Folk music from various places

I'd have to say most of my inspiration comes from a kind of musical slurry that forms in my head, the result of listening to everything from Palestrina to Gesualdo to Bach to Handel to Mozart to Beethoven to Brahms to Berlioz to Dvorak to Ravel to Stravinsky to Scriabin to Schonberg to Ligeti to Cage to Glass to Reich to KAPUSTIN, to Joplin and Brubeck and Davis, with a detour through Aznavour, the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd.

I couldn't say one of these inspires me more than the other... a lot of my ideas have some inflections towards many styles of music...

Though I'd have to say Bieber has a special place in my heart.

Sorry, I misspelled: Biber.

i actually think listening to my sister play progessive rock on drums all day is what's making my music really percussive.

The 18th Century. Pretty much all of it, but with a focus on 1760-1800.

I loved Beethoven as a child - the world was going through a renewed love affair with Beethoven when I became what I would call musically aware, around the time of the Beethoven bicentennial in 1970 - but I transferred most of my affections to Mozart rather early. The night I heard "The Marriage of Figaro" at 14 and wept all the way home from the opera sealed the deal. I've grown away from Mozart since then, exploring lesser-known composers from his time as well as broadening my horizons considerably on either side of the time spectrum, from Ars Nova to the Avant Garde - but I've stayed uncommonly close to those 18th Century roots. I think musically very much as they did and pretty much always have, hence the dearth of music in a modern voice in my catalogue.

Blues.

Brevity is the soul of wit. ;)

I first started where every other American kid did in at that time. And no, it's not very impressive either. The first music I got into was Weird Al. Yeah, I'm not too proud of it. Then I started to get into classic rock from the 60s 70s and 80s. Then, one day my music teacher at school (A.K.A. my mom since I was home-schooled through elementary) played Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. With that moment, I was admiring that piece constantly in my mind. I didn't want to say I loved like I really did because, well, all my rock loving buds would think "WHAT?!" Soon i heard more Tchaikovsky and began remembering when I loved Beethoven's 5th when I was just an infant. I then broadened my horizons, and I was off looking for new classical music to hear. Since my mom was a horn player during the 20th century there was no doubt she would introduce me to Mahler's music. With Mahler, I was hesitant at first, but I soon saw that Mahler was like Beethoven (Another favorite of mine) on steroids. LOL :laugh: The rest is pretty chaotic. One composer after another grabbed my interest. It's a long story.

-Jared

Classically speaking? You'd be set with Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Holst and Whitacre, if he counts. Nothing pre-1850 would be on there. But that wouldn't come close to the whole picture. There would have to be some Björk, Imogen Heap, Radiohead, Punch Brothers, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend, Mute Math, and tons of other weird bands like them. I admire the hell out of classical music, and some of it really gets me. But I'm probably gonna end some sort of bizarre pop musician.

I mean, come now, my bare roots were Eminem and the Backstreet Boys as a young youngster around 1999. Then I moved onto Dream Theater for a loooong time, until 14, when I discovered my true niche with Porcupine Tree.

Hi, I'm new here, and my irreverent opinions on some classical music might irritate. :)

Classically speaking? You'd be set with Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky, Holst and Whitacre

You really think so? I mean, I agree with you that these are great composers (some of my favorites! Stravinsky!!), but we need all music to get from A to B.

if he counts.

Why wouldn't he?

Nothing pre-1850 would be on there.

:horrified:

But that wouldn't come close to the whole picture. There would have to be some Björk, Imogen Heap, Radiohead, Punch Brothers, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend, Mute Math, and tons of other weird bands like them.

Only heard of a few of them, but I don't care for pop music really. not sure why tho.

I admire the hell out of classical music, and some of it really gets me. But I'm probably gonna end some sort of bizarre pop musician.

Don't determine your future yet ;) We need a couple more violists!

I mean, come now, my bare roots were Eminem and the Backstreet Boys as a young youngster around 1999. Then I moved onto Dream Theater for a loooong time, until 14, when I discovered my true niche with Porcupine Tree.

Who are these people? (I was born in 1999 lol)

Hi, I'm new here, and my irreverent opinions on some classical music might irritate. :)

Of course not! We admire all skill levels and types of music here :)

I should hook you up with my step-cousin. you'd like her musically! (she's 35, don't worry :P)

Oh my goodness dude, you've never heard of the Backstreet Boys or Eminem? Eminem is coming back right now, you've probably heard something of his. But Backstreet Boys?! That's my childhood right there...any child of the early 90s/late 80s will know EVERY WORD to "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. It's nostalgia city for all of us, like Spice Girls too. Well, fair enough. Man, what did you 2000s kids grow up? I guess you're still in the process, but uhh...dubstep? Bieber? Taylor Swift? Now I feel out of touch.

Yea, I'm weird about classical music, but I'll get there. Brahms is certainly a genius and generally the man, even if his music bores me.

^Hey dude above, mind elucidating? Sounds serious, but since I don't know where you come from, I can't fill in the gaps here.

Oh my goodness dude, you've never heard of the Backstreet Boys or Eminem? Eminem is coming back right now, you've probably heard something of his. But Backstreet Boys?! That's my childhood right there...any child of the early 90s/late 80s will know EVERY WORD to "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. It's nostalgia city for all of us, like Spice Girls too. Well, fair enough. Man, what did you 2000s kids grow up? I guess you're still in the process, but uhh...dubstep? Bieber? Taylor Swift? Now I feel out of touch.

Yea, I'm weird about classical music, but I'll get there. Brahms is certainly a genius and generally the man, even if his music bores me.

^Hey dude above, mind elucidating? Sounds serious, but since I don't know where you come from, I can't fill in the gaps here.

I remember the backstreet boys, (I was born in 1994) and I didn't know about eminem until his come back, but I don't really consider myself to be a 90's kid... It's funny though, there are kids younger than me that are more into 90's stuff than I am. Maybe they are just trying to be cool by appreciating older stuff? IDK... But anyway, if you knew anything about the 00's, you would know that Bieber is a laughing stock for everybody but preteen girls. Anyway, I also like grunge, but I'm not really into the crap music of the 90's (The Spice Girls, haha, IMHO)

I don't think you could call me a 2000s kid either, I just listen to what I like, and do what I want to do. :P I guess I am a part of the culture of my own little circle of friends.

An 80's child, first became aware of music through Pet Shop Boys, Culture Club, Tears For Fears, Glass Tiger....

Moved on to 90's Rock and Hip Hop: 3rd Eye Blind, Collective Soul, Soundgarden, Beck // Wu Tang Clan, NWA...

Then discovered jazz - progressed logically through: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Miles, Mingus, Thad Jones, Monk.... then settled on Carla Bley.

Went to college....more Mingus, Monk, Ornette, Carla, Kenny Wheeler, Maria Schneider....the ECM record label really grabbed me through the early 2000's....

...And here I am....

Oh my goodness dude, you've never heard of the Backstreet Boys or Eminem? Eminem is coming back right now, you've probably heard something of his.

Nope. I hate pop music.

But Backstreet Boys?! That's my childhood right there...any child of the early 90s/late 80s will know EVERY WORD to "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys.

Toooooo bad. I mean, my childhood is Ravel, Stravinsky, and obscure 20th century composers! My father's orchestra does all that stuff, so I mean I just never got into pop and rock and all that stuff

It's nostalgia city for all of us, like Spice Girls too. Well, fair enough. Man, what did you 2000s kids grow up? I guess you're still in the process, but uhh...dubstep? Bieber? Taylor Swift? Now I feel out of touch.

Now I feel out of touch. (Who's dubstep?)

Yea, I'm weird about classical music, but I'll get there. Brahms is certainly a genius and generally the man, even if his music bores me.

No worries, for a while I was like you and didn't like any pre 1850 music, but now I do :)

Toooooo bad. I mean, my childhood is Ravel, Stravinsky, and obscure 20th century composers! My father's orchestra does all that stuff, so I mean I just never got into pop and rock and all that stuff

That's ok, you're young, you still have plenty of time to discover the glory of rock music.

Eeew no :P

LOL RRR

There are plenty of people that like classical, rock and more. There's something good in every genre. Why don't you think for yourself instead of listening to what your dad likes?

There are plenty of people that like classical, rock and more. There's something good in every genre. Why don't you think for yourself instead of listening to what your dad likes?

I have. I've tried to listen to rock music, I've gone to jazz concerts, heard pop, rap, hip hop, and all that stuff.

And I didn't like it.

I've opened my ears but I just don't like the sound. Same reason I'm a vegetarian. I've opened my tastes but I didn't like meat :P