This was the best song to come out of the Arizona Allstate choir due to the storytelling we could finally share. Thank you for your beautiful music keep doing Gods work!!!
I sung this as 2nd Tenor in Utah’s All State Choir a year ago under the direction of Johnathan Talberg himself!! I love the melodic lines and the difficulty that comes with this piece! It was literally my all time favorite to sing and I still study that music today!
I sang this in the Arizona All-State choir this weekend. Thank you for you writing this beautiful piece. And thank you for FaceTiming us and helping us even more :)
Performed this at All-State this year and it is by far the best piece of choral music I’ve ever listened to or performed, in my opinion. The warmth of the music that blends perfectly with the text- it’s just unmatchable and emotionally resonates with so, so many things.
I absolutely loved performing this in the Arizona All State Choir. Your call also created an even deeper connection I had to this song than before! Thank you so much!!
@@matthewlyonhazzard singing this song for you was the highlight of my all state experience! And your feedback definitely helped us really take it to the next level, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help us!
I sang this in the Arizona All-State choir this weekend, and having the interaction with you to improve the piece was quite a special treat. This song is absolutely beautiful, thank you for listening to us! :)
Have you heard the Oregon All State choir sing this?? Dr Tahlberg directed us and told us all about you! I hope you get in touch with him and get that recording!! Gorgeous!!!!! Also, please try and get yourself on Spotify! People would totally listen to your channel! Thanks for being so talented! I cried when I sang this :)
I can’t believe I didn’t respond to this! Thanks so much Katherine, it means a lot to hear that it affected you. I love the Oregon All State recording, and was thrilled when I got it. You guys gave such a heartfelt and touching performance. Hope you’re still making choral music like that out in Oregon!
@@matchboxmatt I will be attending PSU in the fall! So yes definitely! Currently, I am at BYUI and I am a vocal performance major! I am looking forward to furthering my career at PSU in the fall :)
hey matt, planning to compose a choral piece as a fun little project - any advice for how to productively come up with a structure or motives? i can always write a beginning but never know where to go from there
Hey Ronin! I don't know how I missed this. I just gave a big ol' Zoom talk the other day about my process. It's a huge read, but I hope it helps! 1. I always start with the text. I post it everywhere so I see it again and again. I write it down. I look at it everyday. Basically, I live with it until I’ve memorized it. That way, when musical ideas come, they come with those words and their message. 2. I record all of my musical ideas during this process, including melodic lines, textures, forms, and so on. I record *a lot* on my iPhone so I can revisit these ideas, but more often than not, recording it helps me commit it to memory. I sometimes write out complex ideas in a Finale file, or on staff paper if I don’t have access to my laptop. 3. Depending on the piece, I’ll try to figure out the form in advance. Usually, the text will tell me what the pace should be, but if it’s unusual, then I’ll use formal devices (like Dan Harmon's story circle) if appropriate. I also try to formulate pieces around the golden mean (ex. the climax should hit or begin around .618 or 5/8ths of the way through the piece). I found that my favorite pieces were well-paced, and measures like these ensure that consistently. 4. Once I’ve connected with the emotional message or image of the text (aka. its “thesis”), I sit down to write the “skeleton” of the piece. I try to do this in just one sitting, but if I can’t, then I work on it every day until I get it out. ---The idea of a “skeleton” is that it’s a functional piece from beginning to end, even if it’s missing sections, parts, or harmonies. As long as I have the full form in place, I know what to work on next. ---It can take a week, a month, or a couple days of living with the text before I’m ready to write. Sometimes it takes talking to the lyricist, or finding my emotional “way in” with the words before I really find that connection. Before the first note comes out, though, I need the “thesis”: the reason or message behind the piece. ---I try to write out the skeleton all in one sitting because then I’ll have a singular vision of the piece. The composer I am today is going to be different than the one next week, so if I work too slow or set the piece down, then I risk the vision for the piece changing. --I’ve definitely had pieces that I had to abandon because my vision for the piece changed halfway through writing. For instance, last year, I had this song I conceived of during the summer, but had to abandon it around autumn. The first half and the second half didn’t match up because they came at separate times. Once your vision starts to change, then it’s like Frankensteining together a bunch of good ideas together instead of making a cohesive song, and that can be really difficult.
This performance is by the Bob Cole Chamber Choir at Cal State Long Beach. But, the piece has been performed by the Arizona, Utah, and Oregon All-State choirs in the last three years!
I just sang this for the Arizona all state choir. Thanks for talking to us and helping us improve the piece.
I was there too. It was so inspiring to sing for him
This was the best song to come out of the Arizona Allstate choir due to the storytelling we could finally share. Thank you for your beautiful music keep doing Gods work!!!
I sung this as 2nd Tenor in Utah’s All State Choir a year ago under the direction of Johnathan Talberg himself!! I love the melodic lines and the difficulty that comes with this piece! It was literally my all time favorite to sing and I still study that music today!
I sang this in the Arizona All-State choir this weekend. Thank you for you writing this beautiful piece. And thank you for FaceTiming us and helping us even more :)
Performed this at All-State this year and it is by far the best piece of choral music I’ve ever listened to or performed, in my opinion. The warmth of the music that blends perfectly with the text- it’s just unmatchable and emotionally resonates with so, so many things.
I went to All-state last year (2019) and reading this comment made me so happy. I hope you are doing well :)
@@MrxEVILCRAZYx Aaaah man! I hope you’re doing well too!
So did I! Love this piece forever
I absolutely loved performing this in the Arizona All State Choir. Your call also created an even deeper connection I had to this song than before! Thank you so much!!
The gratitude is mutual. You all brought so much heart to this that it decked me: I was a total wreck afterwards.
@@matthewlyonhazzard singing this song for you was the highlight of my all state experience! And your feedback definitely helped us really take it to the next level, thank you so much for taking time out of your day to help us!
I sang this in the Arizona All-State choir this weekend, and having the interaction with you to improve the piece was quite a special treat. This song is absolutely beautiful, thank you for listening to us! :)
Coming back to this after 6 months from all state :) still crying when i try to sing it. unforgettable moments with this piece, truly
Have you heard the Oregon All State choir sing this?? Dr Tahlberg directed us and told us all about you! I hope you get in touch with him and get that recording!! Gorgeous!!!!! Also, please try and get yourself on Spotify! People would totally listen to your channel! Thanks for being so talented! I cried when I sang this :)
I can’t believe I didn’t respond to this! Thanks so much Katherine, it means a lot to hear that it affected you. I love the Oregon All State recording, and was thrilled when I got it. You guys gave such a heartfelt and touching performance. Hope you’re still making choral music like that out in Oregon!
@@matchboxmatt I will be attending PSU in the fall! So yes definitely! Currently, I am at BYUI and I am a vocal performance major! I am looking forward to furthering my career at PSU in the fall :)
I was in the oregon all state choir too!
Soooo, ummm when is this gonna be on Spotify so I can add it to my choral playlist?
This is absolutely breathtaking. Jake Runestad would be proud of this!
hey matt, planning to compose a choral piece as a fun little project - any advice for how to productively come up with a structure or motives? i can always write a beginning but never know where to go from there
Hey Ronin! I don't know how I missed this. I just gave a big ol' Zoom talk the other day about my process. It's a huge read, but I hope it helps!
1. I always start with the text. I post it everywhere so I see it again and again. I write it down. I look at it everyday. Basically, I live with it until I’ve memorized it. That way, when musical ideas come, they come with those words and their message.
2. I record all of my musical ideas during this process, including melodic lines, textures, forms, and so on. I record *a lot* on my iPhone so I can revisit these ideas, but more often than not, recording it helps me commit it to memory. I sometimes write out complex ideas in a Finale file, or on staff paper if I don’t have access to my laptop.
3. Depending on the piece, I’ll try to figure out the form in advance. Usually, the text will tell me what the pace should be, but if it’s unusual, then I’ll use formal devices (like Dan Harmon's story circle) if appropriate. I also try to formulate pieces around the golden mean (ex. the climax should hit or begin around .618 or 5/8ths of the way through the piece). I found that my favorite pieces were well-paced, and measures like these ensure that consistently.
4. Once I’ve connected with the emotional message or image of the text (aka. its “thesis”), I sit down to write the “skeleton” of the piece. I try to do this in just one sitting, but if I can’t, then I work on it every day until I get it out.
---The idea of a “skeleton” is that it’s a functional piece from beginning to end, even if it’s missing sections, parts, or harmonies. As long as I have the full form in place, I know what to work on next.
---It can take a week, a month, or a couple days of living with the text before I’m ready to write. Sometimes it takes talking to the lyricist, or finding my emotional “way in” with the words before I really find that connection. Before the first note comes out, though, I need the “thesis”: the reason or message behind the piece.
---I try to write out the skeleton all in one sitting because then I’ll have a singular vision of the piece. The composer I am today is going to be different than the one next week, so if I work too slow or set the piece down, then I risk the vision for the piece changing.
--I’ve definitely had pieces that I had to abandon because my vision for the piece changed halfway through writing. For instance, last year, I had this song I conceived of during the summer, but had to abandon it around autumn. The first half and the second half didn’t match up because they came at separate times. Once your vision starts to change, then it’s like Frankensteining together a bunch of good ideas together instead of making a cohesive song, and that can be really difficult.
which All-State choir is it?
This performance is by the Bob Cole Chamber Choir at Cal State Long Beach. But, the piece has been performed by the Arizona, Utah, and Oregon All-State choirs in the last three years!