Essays

Essays

Deconstructing DAW Music Production with “A Story of a Garden”: Solitude, Contingency, and Coexistence with AI

Tsunehiro Uno's "A Story of a Garden" is a thought-provoking book that offers a new perspectiv...
Essays

“Phantom Gleam” Liner Notes

Phantom Gleam by MasaharuThe title track, "Phantom Gleam," progresses as ambiguous drone soun...
Essays

“City of Gravity” Liner Notes

City of Gravity by MasaharuTo abstractly organize the 12-tone equal temperament scale based o...
Essays

A Further Look at Composition: Why is Empathy Through Music Possible?

(Originally posted on November 12, 1999)In a previous column, "Gazing at Composition," I attem...
Essays

Music Theory from a Composer’s Perspective: Two Types of Music Theory and How to Approach Them

(Originally posted on October 22, 1999)Chapter 1: The Story Called TheoryFirst, let's look up ...
Essays

Gazing at Composition: A Hypothetical Model for Understanding the Act of Composition

(Originally posted on October 21, 1999)The act of composition is often perceived, both by comp...
Essays

Going on a Field Trip with the Song I’m Composing

(Originally posted on April 17, 2007)The weather was beautiful today, so I saved the song I'm ...
Essays

Trying Out the Jew’s Harp

(Originally posted on July 8, 2006)Encouraged by my recent experience with a "Kalimba Assembly...
Essays

Excellent Websites for Beginners to Learn Orchestration

For those who want to use authentic orchestral sounds with software instruments but don't know...
Essays

Thoughts on a Binding Spell

(Original posted on October 22, 1999)If there was one "binding spell" that often troubled me w...