Perfect Composer Wednesday

Wednesday April 23rd. What a long day it has been!

The day began with piano class at 9 with Risto Kyrö. But my right  hand was feeling quite sore once again (due to RSI), so we had a “left hand class”. I’m at the moment practising Moskovskys etude in g-minor, so there is anyway quite enough to do woth the left hand as well.

After that I had my last lesson of score reading before my final exam. My teacher Tero Lanu had copied an extract from Strauss opera “Der Rosekavalier”. This was about as difficult but much more boring than the Wagner extracts I have previously been given by Lanu.

At 13 o’clock we had a feedback session about the music theatre project Bus Number13. We were divided into groups (composers, musicians and actors) and each group was asked to make a list of what they had liked/learnt from the project and what could be improved. Mainly organization issues were requested to be improved, but everyone was very happy about the project in general.

Jarkko Pajunen (composer), Heidi-Annina Nikkilä (violin),
Andreas Heino (clarinet), Tiitus Ylipää (barytone) and
Alina Lehti (alto) at the feedback session of Bus Number 13. © Cecilia Damström

Auvo Vihro (director), Hannu Pohjannoro (coordinating professor),
Anna-Maija Ihander (producer) and Matilda Seppälä (composer)
at the feedback session of Bus Number 13. © Cecilia Damström

This was followed by a lunch break and then had just enough time to listen once through to Lutoslawskis 3rd Symphony from youtube.

At 16 o’clock we had the second part of the percussion seminar held by percussion professor  Harri Lehtinen. During this seminar he mainly talked about the marimba and the vibraphone. I discovered that the marimba has a very nice sound when you play it with your fingers (so with no mallets), but it’s a very quiet sound and can possibly only be used in solo or chamber music (in occasions where the music is performed in small venues).

There after I rushed to listen to the choir Näsin Ääni practise my songs for my upcoming concert. After choir practise (at 20 o’clock) I headed of the composition studio for composing my orchestral piece which should be finished by the end of this year, because it is required for graduation! At about 23.30 Matilda came to the composition studio (because the main building of the conservatory had closed) and together we listened to Lutoslawskis third symphony, with which I have now totally fallen in love! After that I let over the studio to Matilda (who has an urging deadline for the composition summer course “Sävellyspaja”) and went home for getting some well deserved sleep after this 15 hour day at school.

Chamber choir Näsin Ääni practicing my pieces, conducted by Markus Yli-Jokipii.
© Cecilia Damström