Lost Minuet: Jeff Van Devender aka Jeffrey van D
Originally recorded 2009 for the "Don't Ever Forget" album.
I recorded this video at home, as the original recording has somehow recently sprouted a life of it's own, far and away becoming my most played original composition - on YouTube, Spotify, etc.
Please give a listen & give a SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel while you're there. Thank you. https://youtu.be/nd42ICDeNcY via @YouTube
The JavaMusiK BloG: Wayward ramblings and the occasional random musing,
sometimes actually related to JavaMusiK, from the alpine road.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Friday, May 08, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Behind the MusiK...
Post #2 - Awakenings (The Awakening)
Behind the MusiK...
Post #2 - Awakenings (The Awakening)
The story begins January 1981. I was a college freshman. The class was Music Theory - second semester. I was about to embark on my first venture into music composition of a full piece of music. I had actually dabbled previously with a theme from a piece of music I was fascinated with. The piece opened with that theme but evolved into another direction. If you asked me to play it today, I wouldn't be able to get very far, as it has mostly faded from memory. This, however, was the song that would wind up being my first official composition.
The challenge was laid out by our Music Theory professor. We had one week to compose a song in the style of Johann Sebastian Bach.
The previous semester had been spent learning about unique stylings of Western music, established primarily by the compositional techniques of JS Bach. Parallel fifths are a no-no. The movement of the melody, the harmonic counterpoint and the song structure all factored in.
So, the challenge was put forth as a contest. Once the Theory professor had looked them all over, an announcement of who won would take place.
The key of G was chosen. For the first verse, I pulled together a left hand pattern, commonly known as the Alberti Bass and composed a right hand melody over that. The second time through the verse, on the repeat, the melody picks up a harmony line while the left hand moves to a more complex counterpoint relationship built on more stepwise scale patterns. Looking back, I am somewhat embarrassed to admit, the chorus loosely borrowed some thematic material from at least a couple different song selections. Liberties were taken to make the melodic line uniquely mine. I was young. I needed to get the assignment finished. Musicians tend to borrow things.
The song got completed and transcribed in basic longhand form for the assignment. Succeeding years would see it evolve into a longer form with a fanfare intro and an extended mid-section (bridge) taking form in a key change to e-minor. The outro of the bridge would lead to an eventual return to the original verse/chorus in original key of G followed by the fanfare intro for a conclusion. In live performance, the midsection often sees an extended improvisation.
May 1988, I married my wife Amy. The song seemed to work as a possible idea for a processional. If any other musical selection was considered, I have no memory of it. The decision was made to use Awakenings for Amy to walk down the aisle to.
Two thoughts about this:
First: Standing at the front of the church, the view of Amy in her wedding dress looked amazing - she stood in the doorway to the sanctuary during the fanfare, then proceeded down the aisle once the original opening verse began. Seeing my bride, accompanied by my first-ever original composition at the biggest day of my life was mind-blowing. What an honor to experience this moment.
Second: This experience was the first (and only) time I have ever heard another person play my music. To say that is a surreal experience is an understatement. Phrasing and interpretation were naturally somewhat different than how I play, which is to be expected. It is a pleasant experience to hear someone play your composition and I highly recommend it.
The sheet music has since been transcribed on computer and uploaded and can be found here online.
An annex (or coda) to this wedding story.. We had two sisters as flower girls in our wedding. One was 6 years old, the younger was 3 at the time. 22 years later, the younger sister got married. I was asked to play piano for that wedding. And the request specified the use of Awakenings as the song to be used for the processional in that wedding. So honored, once again! To be chosen as an inclusion of two people's most special day of their life is overwhelming to even comprehend. And for them to use my composition for the most amazing moment... there are no adequate words..
As for the conclusion to this story, upon review by the professor for the Music Theory challenge, this composition unfortunately did not win that particular recognition. I still remember the face of the girl who was awarded the honor - but do not remember her name or hearing her composition. This selection laid the foundation for me to have enough confidence to eventually pursue additional compositions. They say you always remember your first - in this case, I would agree.
January 11, 1998 - My first ever recording session in Minnesota Lake, MN. Awakenings was the first song we recorded. More about these sessions will be shared in an upcoming Behind the MusiK post featuring the cd Ascend.
Meanwhile, be sure to check back next week - and each succeeding week - for another installment of Behind the MusiK.
Awakenings - Live video
Meanwhile, be sure to check back next week - and each succeeding week - for another installment of Behind the MusiK.
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Yuletide Reflections: Now Available
YULETIDE REFLECTIONS, the new piano/keyboard-based Christmas cd by Jeff Van Devender. Please buy multiple copies! Now taking orders for immediate shipment HERE.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
BloG #45: Of Passing Breaks & Discovering That Elusive Purpose
Another summer vacation has passed & here I sit the night before returning to my classroom tallying up my summer to-do list. Did I get through whatever needed to be accomplished? Was it a productive summer? Were my objectives met? Or was it a complete waste of time?
Looking back, I have yet to wish for a shortened summer vacation. This goes all the way back to my childhood. Even when I was in a career that had no summer vacation benefit attached to it, I still yearned for an extended break where I could recharge, re-evaluate my path in life and just simply veg. I value that time greatly and truly appreciate every moment I am given for that purpose.
This is not to say I don't appreciate being employed. I do! The benefits of working far outweigh the alternative and I find it beneficial to my own self worth to be productive in whatever sector I am employed with. This is part of the reason I ventured to complete my masters degree. To help myself become better and more informed at what I do (plus reap the benefits of being on a somewhat higher pay scale).
Returning to the questions at hand, I found this break to be a textbook summer in terms of satisfying my own personal needs. Those needs included (but were not limited to):
1.) Distancing myself from work - physically & emotionally (check)
2.) Spending time with family & friends (check)
3.) Catching up on rest (check-minus)
4.) Reading (check)
5.) Composing/creating (check-minus, minus)
6.) Performing (check)
7.) Advancing JavaMusiK into new territory/frontiers (check)
8.) Traveling to a new location (no check)
9.) Traveling (check)
10.) Bungee jumping (no check)
Not bad, considering all things. This summer will likely go down as a slightly better than average one, though it is not yet far enough back in the rearview mirror to catch a complete perspective on it in relation to the bigger picture. But looking at it from the here & now, a lot was accomplished, as you can see from the somewhat predetermined list. Some pleasant surprises helped the break to actually have some unexpected highlights, though the checkbook seems to be screaming a little louder than normal.
Since I have spent the last few years in my forties, I have found it less appealing to simply relax without some sort of opportunity lurking in the bushes. Let me explain...
I have never quite nailed down what it is I want to be when I grow up. This little tidbit has caused a fair amount of consternation in my ability to be productive, b/c I often have it in my head that I should really be doing something else (without ever really being clear what that something else could or should be). During my time in college, my poor advisers had to feel somewhat dizzy after their visits with me. I went from being a completely undecided major, to music ed to pre-engineering to undecided again to music business. Did I have a clue what I was going to do with a degree in music business?? Not a chance! It took me five years & a summer to get out of that school with a music business degree because I was still dinking around trying to figure out what I wanted to do!
Then after all that, I tried again five years later & got a degree in music education. That degree has served me well, but has also not quite fulfilled my inner need for more. Nevertheless, my time between earning my first and second undergraduate degrees enlightened me to discovering a calling of a higher purpose. Before going back for the second degree, I continually felt the burden of feeding a corporate machine and not much else. That really started to wear on me, almost to the point where I was not feeling real positive about going to work anymore.
During a time when I was training a new assistant manager on the job, I was told I would make a good teacher. Didn't think much of it at the time, but eventually those words began to echo kind of like you sometimes see & hear in the movies. After some soul-searching moments, I finally made the move to get after it & go forward. After all, this could fulfill that higher calling I wasn't feeling in my previous line of work. Teaching children about the creative arts was going to be my ticket to happiness.
Now, with 20 years under my belt in this career of music education, I have found much fulfillment and happiness. I have also discovered much opportunity for personal and professional growth. As a musician with a continual fire in my belly, I have also harbored a fair amount of need to create. And, yet another ember that rears it's head occasionally is a spirit of entrepreneurship. I truly admire those who start a business and make it successful.
Thus, the somewhat uneasiness with simply going fishing, or planting my butt in a lawn chair (for too long). All the above identifiers have conspired to form what has become somewhat of a mission for me. After 12 years, the mission is still in it's formative stages, but becomes a little clearer everyday. The name is JavaMusiK. The mission to this point has included the creation of new music and arrangements without the use of words, giving this music a life of it's own, and bringing people together in fellowship through music. I often get the feeling that there is more to the picture and have recently been testing the waters with that thought in mind. More may be written of that later. Meanwhile, the word legacy begins to creep into my inner thoughts as I continue to advance in age...
This is what rides the forefront of my mind during downtime. How can I advance the mission of JavaMusiK? One thing that drives it forward is the financial investment laid out to get JavaMusiK this far. The cost of studio time and equipment, thousands of cd's that need to be sold and return on investment of the education and opportunity cost of what has gotten me to this point of musicianship, etc. Can I ever reach a break-even point on the sum-total of those elements? Can this ever be a profitable venture? Could it ever become self-sustaining?
I think I have spoken in previous posts about the passion that drives JavaMusiK. I truly believe any thread of sanity I may still possess can be credited to the release that comes from working with the product hosted within JavaMusiK. My appetite for creativity, entrepreneurship/business and desire to perform, in addition to the pursuit of a legacy are all being satisfied under the mission of JavaMusiK.
As I write this, I wonder if these feelings are common among other people? I truly do, because I have often felt alone in my lack of focus as to career direction, etc. The people I am usually around seem very confident in their chosen direction. I rarely feel that... JavaMusiK, as small as it is, is the one truth that I feel comfortable hanging my hat on. Do others feel the need to create? Or is that need being satisfied through whatever it is they do at work, or at home? How about starting a business venture and nurturing it through various stages of growth? Or is working for someone else satisfying enough?
I'd love to hear your thoughts...
Jeff Van Devender
www.JavaMusiK.com
Looking back, I have yet to wish for a shortened summer vacation. This goes all the way back to my childhood. Even when I was in a career that had no summer vacation benefit attached to it, I still yearned for an extended break where I could recharge, re-evaluate my path in life and just simply veg. I value that time greatly and truly appreciate every moment I am given for that purpose.
This is not to say I don't appreciate being employed. I do! The benefits of working far outweigh the alternative and I find it beneficial to my own self worth to be productive in whatever sector I am employed with. This is part of the reason I ventured to complete my masters degree. To help myself become better and more informed at what I do (plus reap the benefits of being on a somewhat higher pay scale).
Returning to the questions at hand, I found this break to be a textbook summer in terms of satisfying my own personal needs. Those needs included (but were not limited to):
1.) Distancing myself from work - physically & emotionally (check)
2.) Spending time with family & friends (check)
3.) Catching up on rest (check-minus)
4.) Reading (check)
5.) Composing/creating (check-minus, minus)
6.) Performing (check)
7.) Advancing JavaMusiK into new territory/frontiers (check)
8.) Traveling to a new location (no check)
9.) Traveling (check)
10.) Bungee jumping (no check)
Not bad, considering all things. This summer will likely go down as a slightly better than average one, though it is not yet far enough back in the rearview mirror to catch a complete perspective on it in relation to the bigger picture. But looking at it from the here & now, a lot was accomplished, as you can see from the somewhat predetermined list. Some pleasant surprises helped the break to actually have some unexpected highlights, though the checkbook seems to be screaming a little louder than normal.
Since I have spent the last few years in my forties, I have found it less appealing to simply relax without some sort of opportunity lurking in the bushes. Let me explain...
I have never quite nailed down what it is I want to be when I grow up. This little tidbit has caused a fair amount of consternation in my ability to be productive, b/c I often have it in my head that I should really be doing something else (without ever really being clear what that something else could or should be). During my time in college, my poor advisers had to feel somewhat dizzy after their visits with me. I went from being a completely undecided major, to music ed to pre-engineering to undecided again to music business. Did I have a clue what I was going to do with a degree in music business?? Not a chance! It took me five years & a summer to get out of that school with a music business degree because I was still dinking around trying to figure out what I wanted to do!
Then after all that, I tried again five years later & got a degree in music education. That degree has served me well, but has also not quite fulfilled my inner need for more. Nevertheless, my time between earning my first and second undergraduate degrees enlightened me to discovering a calling of a higher purpose. Before going back for the second degree, I continually felt the burden of feeding a corporate machine and not much else. That really started to wear on me, almost to the point where I was not feeling real positive about going to work anymore.
During a time when I was training a new assistant manager on the job, I was told I would make a good teacher. Didn't think much of it at the time, but eventually those words began to echo kind of like you sometimes see & hear in the movies. After some soul-searching moments, I finally made the move to get after it & go forward. After all, this could fulfill that higher calling I wasn't feeling in my previous line of work. Teaching children about the creative arts was going to be my ticket to happiness.
Now, with 20 years under my belt in this career of music education, I have found much fulfillment and happiness. I have also discovered much opportunity for personal and professional growth. As a musician with a continual fire in my belly, I have also harbored a fair amount of need to create. And, yet another ember that rears it's head occasionally is a spirit of entrepreneurship. I truly admire those who start a business and make it successful.
Thus, the somewhat uneasiness with simply going fishing, or planting my butt in a lawn chair (for too long). All the above identifiers have conspired to form what has become somewhat of a mission for me. After 12 years, the mission is still in it's formative stages, but becomes a little clearer everyday. The name is JavaMusiK. The mission to this point has included the creation of new music and arrangements without the use of words, giving this music a life of it's own, and bringing people together in fellowship through music. I often get the feeling that there is more to the picture and have recently been testing the waters with that thought in mind. More may be written of that later. Meanwhile, the word legacy begins to creep into my inner thoughts as I continue to advance in age...
This is what rides the forefront of my mind during downtime. How can I advance the mission of JavaMusiK? One thing that drives it forward is the financial investment laid out to get JavaMusiK this far. The cost of studio time and equipment, thousands of cd's that need to be sold and return on investment of the education and opportunity cost of what has gotten me to this point of musicianship, etc. Can I ever reach a break-even point on the sum-total of those elements? Can this ever be a profitable venture? Could it ever become self-sustaining?
I think I have spoken in previous posts about the passion that drives JavaMusiK. I truly believe any thread of sanity I may still possess can be credited to the release that comes from working with the product hosted within JavaMusiK. My appetite for creativity, entrepreneurship/business and desire to perform, in addition to the pursuit of a legacy are all being satisfied under the mission of JavaMusiK.
As I write this, I wonder if these feelings are common among other people? I truly do, because I have often felt alone in my lack of focus as to career direction, etc. The people I am usually around seem very confident in their chosen direction. I rarely feel that... JavaMusiK, as small as it is, is the one truth that I feel comfortable hanging my hat on. Do others feel the need to create? Or is that need being satisfied through whatever it is they do at work, or at home? How about starting a business venture and nurturing it through various stages of growth? Or is working for someone else satisfying enough?
I'd love to hear your thoughts...
Jeff Van Devender
www.JavaMusiK.com
Monday, August 11, 2008
Blog #26: My Personal Educational Mission is Complete!
July 26, 2008 - I walked across the stage and was officially awarded my Masters of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago at Orchestra Hall, home of The Chicago Symphony.
After 3 intense summers of study and time secluded away from family, the moment & feeling of finally being finished and receiving the diploma was literally indescribable. The only thing that could have made the day any better would have been to have my father there.
Unfortunately that was not to be, due to his passing April 11 - 15 weeks prior. I know he was there in spirit. Dad left a huge footprint in the field of instrumental music education. He achieved his masters degree at a much earlier point in his life than I. His success and impact upon others as a music educator now serves as a burning inspiration for me to strive for more excellence in my efforts. I can honestly say I haven't always been able to offer such a perspective. He set a great example.
Thankfully, I was honored to have the 4 most important people in my life present on that day. My mother, wife and daughters were all there to celebrate that day with me.
I have learned that they don't just give these things away. The saying goes, "If they did give them away, everyone would have one." As much as I cursed the process nearly every step of the way, I truly feel like something got accomplished here in the end. Now, I guess I need to see if I can put it to any use. lol!
Meanwhile, July 26, 2008 was truly a day I will never forget!!!
After 3 intense summers of study and time secluded away from family, the moment & feeling of finally being finished and receiving the diploma was literally indescribable. The only thing that could have made the day any better would have been to have my father there.
Unfortunately that was not to be, due to his passing April 11 - 15 weeks prior. I know he was there in spirit. Dad left a huge footprint in the field of instrumental music education. He achieved his masters degree at a much earlier point in his life than I. His success and impact upon others as a music educator now serves as a burning inspiration for me to strive for more excellence in my efforts. I can honestly say I haven't always been able to offer such a perspective. He set a great example.
Thankfully, I was honored to have the 4 most important people in my life present on that day. My mother, wife and daughters were all there to celebrate that day with me.
I have learned that they don't just give these things away. The saying goes, "If they did give them away, everyone would have one." As much as I cursed the process nearly every step of the way, I truly feel like something got accomplished here in the end. Now, I guess I need to see if I can put it to any use. lol!
Meanwhile, July 26, 2008 was truly a day I will never forget!!!
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