To follow up our music review yesterday, my students made a list of questions they wanted to ask Kat Souponetsky. We chose the best questions and sent them to her. Today I wanted to share the questions and answers with you as well.
Do you decide on a title before, during or after you compose a piece?
Sometimes during – to have a better character sense of the piece. Most of the time – after. Never – before.
Do you have a favorite place to compose – at the piano or away with sheet music or at your computer?
I always compose at the piano. Not just because improvisation helps me to find the ideas, but also to make the piece as idiomatic as possible for the piano.
What is your favorite chord or chord progression to use in music?
I tend to keep the same harmony while the bass line is moving up or down, or keep the same bass while the chords are changing. G# minor is my favorite key.
What made you decide to become a composer?
I started composing around age 6-7. “Winter Bird” was actually my first ever composition. I modified it a little bit and included it in my second book. The decision to pursue composition in college came when I was a junior in high school. At that time, I was very much involved in jazz improvisation, and it influenced my composing. I thought that I’d be more creatively fulfilled from writing the music rather than interpreting it although I like the latter as well.
Author: Whitney
Whitney Hawker, NCTM, teaches group and private piano at Weber State University, Utah. She loves surprising students with the perfect piece or a new exciting game! After graduate school, she missed sharing ideas and resources daily with colleagues so she and her friend, Spring, began blogging together at 4DPianoTeaching.com