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"There's a mystery around being a composer but it's like building a house. You have to have a basic plan. Other ideas come to you from seeing the plan..."
Steve Martland studied composition in Holland. He favours a plurality of musical influences, both ancient and modern, 'serious' and vernacular. He works almost exclusively with artists outside classical institutions - Dutch and American groups, free lance musicians and especially his own Steve Martland Band which tours his music internationally.
Usually amplified, muscular and powerfully rhythmic, his music has been extensively choreographed: Drill for the Sydney Opera House, Crossing the Border for the National Ballet, Amsterdam. Danceworks commissioned and premiered by London Contemporary Dance Theatre has received many new productions around the world, notably by Grand Ballet Canadien and Ballet Tech in New York. Principia was adopted as the theme music for the BBC radio programme 'The Music Machine' and is also the subject of Music Works, a BBC composition pack for schools. Scores for TV include the multi-media Albion, commissioned by the BBC and Granada TV's Children's drama Wilderness Edge
Steve Martland's preoccupation with the function of the composer in society is reflected in his commitment to music education. He has directed many composition projects in schools both at home and abroad and he ran Strike Out, his own annual composition course for school children.
Meet The Composer
Matthew, Marcia, Jake and Lianne- singers from the CYM Choir (Centre for Young Musicians) - discussed the song with Steve during the recording session.
How long did it take to write the song? I wrote it in one morning. I had already thought about what I was going to do.
What inspired you to compose this piece? I'm never inspired in the romantic sense of walking through a forest and thinking of things. Instead I can think while walking in somewhere like Oxford Street where it's extremely busy. More musical ideas come to me then than if I'm alone somewhere. When you've got to write some music you just get up in the morning and get on with it.
If someone wanted to compose, how could they start off? You need a basic idea, it can be a simple one, even just be a rhythm. You don't need a melody even. You can play around with a rhythm and start to vary it. Then you could start adding three different pitches to the rhythm, you can change the order of the pitches from that rhythm. You can make 4 bars of 8 bars or 12. You can then build up the structure of the piece and then add a bass or long notes or a melodic idea.
Why did you pick that poem? I wanted to use great poetry, and 'The Tyger' is a great poem. I also wanted something you could talk to each other about and there's no way that I could write poetry that good!
When you are about to compose what goes on in your head? There's a lot to think about - the notes, the rhythms and the overall structure. There's a mystery about being a composer but it's like building a house. You have to have a basic plan. Other ideas come to you when you see the plan - doors over here, and the fireplace there . so I think about all of those things.
What sort of styles of music do you like? I like lots of different kinds of music: opera, medieval music and music by Bach because of its clarity. From the twentieth century, Stravinsky's music (do you know the The Rite of Spring?) and lots of rap music.
Why do you like rap? I think it's an interesting form of vocal delivery. Rap artists have fantastic voices and the use of lyrics is brilliant. |
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