By Keyna Wilkins
My compositional process is based on improvisation and connected to my personal spirituality and meditation on extra-musical ideas such a legends, astronomical concepts, emotional states. I have used a number of approaches; viewing imagery and imagining I am present in the picture, exploring pitch material from extra-musical sources and exploring concepts within musical textures. Always at some point in the process I go to the piano and, through improvisation, find a series of melodic shapes, fragments, chords that fit together. I then notate the score in Sibelius and start structuring the piece with practical considerations for instruments in mind. Following this I make multiple drafts and workshop the ideas with musicians to develop a coherent and effective composition.
My Influences: JAZZ, THEATRE, FLAMENCO, LANDCAPES, IMPRESSIONSIM
My flamenco performing experiences have influenced my compositional style by inspiring me to use of flamenco tonalities and introducing me to other performance elements, in this case dance, creating a more total experience. My flamenco journey started while studying in Germany in 2001 when I joined a tango/flamenco ensemble Faux Pas that performed around Germany and Italy. Since then I have joined similar ensembles in UK and Australia. A highlight was opening the Adelaide Fringe Festival with Flamenco Australia and performing regularly in 2012 and 2013 with eight-piece group Pena Flamenca, at festivals such as Darling Harbour Fiesta and shows at the Basement, Venue 505 and many others. Since then I have continued to work with many flamenco and tango ensembles, musicians and dancers. Flamenco tonality often revolves around the Phrygian mode (with flattened and sharpened 3rd) as well as other modes such as Lydian and Aeolian. These modes are prominent in my compositions. The performance aspect showed me that it is thrilling when another element is added to the music - transforming it into another realm.
My live theatre experiences have also influenced my compositional style by demonstrating how exciting having a full narrative with live music can be, how effective a small well-rehearsed ensemble can be and how abstract the narrative can be and still work live. In 2013 I was commissioned by Marquez Laundry Theatre Company to write music for Fred and Ginger at Sydney Fringe Festival. I was a character on stage, wrote the music and performed it every night for eight days at Old 505 Theatre. Alicia Gonzalez and I co-devised the piece for the two-piece ensemble. This was intense and moving as I had never acted before, but it showed me how pure music can be taken into another realm if there is a narrative skillfully executed, while also making it more accessible. There were only two of us on stage for forty-five minutes but no one talked or even hardly coughed because the show was fully engaging and exhilarating. The narrative was rather abstract, drawing from the Beckett tradition, but there was resolution of a kind by the end. The co-devising process taught me how fluid theatrical writing can be and how abstract “plots” can be and still work on stage. Since then I have written a number of live theatre scores.
My jazz and improvisational performances have led me to believe in the symbiotic relationship between performer and composer. In order for a musician to engage with the composition on a deep level and perform it well, they need to feel they own and can put their personal stamp on it in some way. They can put a very clear stamp on it if they are allowed to improvise. Improvisation adds immediacy, intimacy, and the sense that each playing is unique. It is also more rewarding and fulfilling as a performer. In most ensembles I have played in I frequently improvise e.g. jazz quartets, flamenco/tango fusion ensembles, free jazz duos and others. I often include improvised sections in my compositions, and if I am performing them live I will often improvise sections. My connection with improvisation is also linked to my compositional process, which is quite intuitive and often begins with improvising fragments of a melody. My jazz experience is apparent in nearly all my compositions through use of extended jazz chords i.e. ninths, elevenths and thirteenths, as a harmonic basis.
I spent my early childhood in rural Somerset, UK, born to an Australian mother and English father. The pastoral setting of south west England created an imprint of the importance of landscape, while the vivid Australian land provide a striking contrast in texture and mood. While astronomy has always fascinated me, having bought a telescope when I was thirteen with all my saved money, it is the celestial landscapes in particular that draw me in. This impression of spatial vastness reflected musically is apparent throughout my portfolio, with many specific references to astronomical terrain. Australian composers who are deeply affected by the expansive Australian landscape and who have inspired me are Peter Sculthorpe, Anne Boyd and Ross Edwards.
My solid classical training has also nurtured a love of Debussy. Significant features of my music that can be linked to Debussy are: use of parallel chords using fifths and fourths, lyrical melodies that evade a steady beat, exploring the subtle nuances of instrumental timbre, and shifting time signatures.
- MY COMPOSITIONAL PROCESS and INFLUENCES
My compositional process is based on improvisation and connected to my personal spirituality and meditation on extra-musical ideas such a legends, astronomical concepts, emotional states. I have used a number of approaches; viewing imagery and imagining I am present in the picture, exploring pitch material from extra-musical sources and exploring concepts within musical textures. Always at some point in the process I go to the piano and, through improvisation, find a series of melodic shapes, fragments, chords that fit together. I then notate the score in Sibelius and start structuring the piece with practical considerations for instruments in mind. Following this I make multiple drafts and workshop the ideas with musicians to develop a coherent and effective composition.
My Influences: JAZZ, THEATRE, FLAMENCO, LANDCAPES, IMPRESSIONSIM
My flamenco performing experiences have influenced my compositional style by inspiring me to use of flamenco tonalities and introducing me to other performance elements, in this case dance, creating a more total experience. My flamenco journey started while studying in Germany in 2001 when I joined a tango/flamenco ensemble Faux Pas that performed around Germany and Italy. Since then I have joined similar ensembles in UK and Australia. A highlight was opening the Adelaide Fringe Festival with Flamenco Australia and performing regularly in 2012 and 2013 with eight-piece group Pena Flamenca, at festivals such as Darling Harbour Fiesta and shows at the Basement, Venue 505 and many others. Since then I have continued to work with many flamenco and tango ensembles, musicians and dancers. Flamenco tonality often revolves around the Phrygian mode (with flattened and sharpened 3rd) as well as other modes such as Lydian and Aeolian. These modes are prominent in my compositions. The performance aspect showed me that it is thrilling when another element is added to the music - transforming it into another realm.
My live theatre experiences have also influenced my compositional style by demonstrating how exciting having a full narrative with live music can be, how effective a small well-rehearsed ensemble can be and how abstract the narrative can be and still work live. In 2013 I was commissioned by Marquez Laundry Theatre Company to write music for Fred and Ginger at Sydney Fringe Festival. I was a character on stage, wrote the music and performed it every night for eight days at Old 505 Theatre. Alicia Gonzalez and I co-devised the piece for the two-piece ensemble. This was intense and moving as I had never acted before, but it showed me how pure music can be taken into another realm if there is a narrative skillfully executed, while also making it more accessible. There were only two of us on stage for forty-five minutes but no one talked or even hardly coughed because the show was fully engaging and exhilarating. The narrative was rather abstract, drawing from the Beckett tradition, but there was resolution of a kind by the end. The co-devising process taught me how fluid theatrical writing can be and how abstract “plots” can be and still work on stage. Since then I have written a number of live theatre scores.
My jazz and improvisational performances have led me to believe in the symbiotic relationship between performer and composer. In order for a musician to engage with the composition on a deep level and perform it well, they need to feel they own and can put their personal stamp on it in some way. They can put a very clear stamp on it if they are allowed to improvise. Improvisation adds immediacy, intimacy, and the sense that each playing is unique. It is also more rewarding and fulfilling as a performer. In most ensembles I have played in I frequently improvise e.g. jazz quartets, flamenco/tango fusion ensembles, free jazz duos and others. I often include improvised sections in my compositions, and if I am performing them live I will often improvise sections. My connection with improvisation is also linked to my compositional process, which is quite intuitive and often begins with improvising fragments of a melody. My jazz experience is apparent in nearly all my compositions through use of extended jazz chords i.e. ninths, elevenths and thirteenths, as a harmonic basis.
I spent my early childhood in rural Somerset, UK, born to an Australian mother and English father. The pastoral setting of south west England created an imprint of the importance of landscape, while the vivid Australian land provide a striking contrast in texture and mood. While astronomy has always fascinated me, having bought a telescope when I was thirteen with all my saved money, it is the celestial landscapes in particular that draw me in. This impression of spatial vastness reflected musically is apparent throughout my portfolio, with many specific references to astronomical terrain. Australian composers who are deeply affected by the expansive Australian landscape and who have inspired me are Peter Sculthorpe, Anne Boyd and Ross Edwards.
My solid classical training has also nurtured a love of Debussy. Significant features of my music that can be linked to Debussy are: use of parallel chords using fifths and fourths, lyrical melodies that evade a steady beat, exploring the subtle nuances of instrumental timbre, and shifting time signatures.
