January 25, 2006
CHS student composers showcase their work at Michigan Music Conference
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Three Central High School students showcased their compositions last week during the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids.
A collaborative concert drawing together string, band, orchestra and vocal teaching groups, the concert drew music educators from around the state. Twelve students from around the state presented their compositions to judges and attendees during the event, ranging in age from six to high school. The compositions featured everything from string quartets and a flute choir piece to jazz and classical piano.
The three Central composers - seniors Jason Storm and Kristin Farley and junior Adam Begley - wrote vocal pieces. Members of the school's Choral-Aires, which includes Farley and Begley, traveled to Grand Rapids to sing the original numbers.
Farley is a prolific songwriter who presented a rock ballad entitled "This I Pray." A member of the Choral-Aires, she sang the song in Grand Rapids backed by the 15 voices of her friends in the ensemble.
"I performed this piece at Rendezvous last year, so I've got it under my belt," she said.
Farley said composition provides an emotional outlet: when she's upset the songs come pouring out. She has been composing "forever" and cut her first compact disc in fifth grade and another one two years ago. She composes completed by hearing, writing either at the piano or in the shower.
"It's like writing in a journal, you get it all down on paper," she said. "Sometimes I'll write a poem and it will turn into a song."
A member of the school's Chorale and Men of Note, Storm plays around with ideas until he has something he likes and then harmonizes it. Storm intended his song, "Dies Irae," which means Days of Wrath, to be a classical number.
"I was trying to imitate Verdi on a riff," he said. "But I've had some people say it should be a rap song."
Begley delves into his life to find lyrics and inspiration for songs but noted that the piece accepted at the conference is "pretty depressing music." A member of the Choral-Aires, Begley conducted his peers as they sang the song.
"I was reading Emily Bronte at the time and it just came out of nowhere," he said of the song. "You don't really know where it's coming from - it's God. There's a big chorus at the end, it's meant to be angels."
Jeff Cobb, Central High School's choral director, praises the trio for their creativity and is proud that they were invited to the Michigan Music Conference. He also was pleased at the students' poise and confidence during a roundtable discussion period after the performances.
"What I think is so cool about this contest is that these kids who were invited, a lot of times they have the inspiration and know what they want to compose, but they don't have any outlet for it," said Cobb. "Composition is something really hard to teach and for these kids, it's just something that they've got."
A composer himself, Cobb has many songwriting credits to his name. He has frequently penned an original piece for his choral groups as needed, like if a song they planned to sing was not working out and a substitute was needed.
"I'm lucky because my kids work at such a high level, the stuff that I write for them is at college level," he noted.