Q&A with Andy our composer/arranger!
One thing that makes Duo Licht unique is that we have a composer in residence!
Andy does all of our music arrangements and original compositions for our duo.
When did you start having an interest in composing?
I had an interest in it when I was in 4th grade. I wasn’t writing music then, but my interest started by listening to a lot of music and learning about composers. I was a huge fan of Vivaldi and Mendelssohn! I started dabbling in writing stuff, just for fun in middle school. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I enjoyed seeing my own progress between different musical ideas.
Did you ever perform your own music back then?
Only a few times. I mainly just did it on the side. However, when I was in eighth grade, I actually was chosen as a finalist for the Umass Lowell MMEA composition competition. It was for a little duo for two violins. I got to do a live performance with my friend!
Did you pursue a degree in composition? Why or why not?
I sat in on some classes for fun, but I decided that I would not. I figured that I was doing degrees in violin performance, and I wanted composition to be a hobby. I was also pretty self-conscious about sharing any of my compositions.
Why did you wait till practically now to share compositions?
COVID-19 pretty much sums it up! The pandemic gave us time to think about our own small music business and to think about exactly what we wanted to do with music. We had to resort to online content, and we wanted to find ways of putting our stuff out there. Beginning our own business in music has gotten us thinking a lot about marketing. I guess I thought to just do it, and not second guess myself.
Since you do music arrangements, how does composition help with that?
Because it is just the two of us, we have a lot of people ask how a song would be possible with just two people. I use the creativity and composition practices in writing arrangements in order to capture the energy of the original song. This means finding a good key for the song that fits the registers of our instruments as well as playing double stops as a way to fill out the sound.
I also love taking creative liberties and additions to some of the pop music arrangements. Classical styles have always inspired me, so sometimes I use some of those styles in the middle of a pop arrangement. For example, in our arrangement of “Watermelon Sugar” the last chorus of the song takes a little detour by breaking out into a 4 part Fugue and Double Fugue. This is when there is a theme that one voice gets, and then another voice enters with it, and then the third, and finally the fourth voice gets the theme, and they are all added in layers. Even though it is just the two of us, we use double stops and register changes to created the effect of each of us playing 2 voices.
The viola part is what really makes the arrangement. Even though the melody or vocal part has to stay somewhat the same, there can be different ways of adding the harmonies and backing. Poor Lilian always has some real challenging and acrobatic parts with double stops and jumping registers in order to give our arrangements the full effect and sound. But she does an amazing job!! 😁
How many arrangements have you written since Duo Licht began?
After counting: over 500 arrangements so far! This does not including original compositions. I had to count by going though the computer files. These include arrangements of genres from Classical, pop, rock, R&B, Rap.
Why bother to spend all this time to write arrangements? Why not just play from the music that exists online, or just play the chords and melody from the sheet music found online?
We find that there are several reasons for this. Properly arranged music fit for the instruments and instrumentation makes a world of difference. We can use our creativity to capture the true essence and vibe of the original.
Another issue is that the music that exists on line tends to be “watered down.“ This is so that they can be easily sightread without rehearsing or practicing it. Because I am writing the arrangements for us - where we know we will rehearse together - the arrangements tend to be more challenging to play yet it is much more interesting to listen to.
Overall, yes, there is a lot more work involved, but it contributes to creating our own identity and our own unique sound.
What compositions are you currently working on?
I am trying a duo for violin and viola in B-flat major in the classical style. I love the Mozart Duos for violin and viola, and I am inspired to practice writing in a similar style. I am also building up a set of really short duos called “Miscellaneous Duos.” This is because they are all very different from one to another, and they are somewhat randomized. I kind of treat them like journal entries and little science experiments using different styles. Because of this, they are purposely unrefined and a bit strange.
I am also writing a set of pieces called “Romanzas,” which are written especially for prelude music for weddings.
What music do you enjoy listening to? Do you have a favorite composer?
Honestly, I am a big huge classical music nerd!
Classical music is such a wide genre, and I love listening to so many different styles from J.S. Bach to Alban Berg.
If I had to pick a favorite composer, it would be Johannes Brahms. Brahms’s music seems like it is in different eras all at once: his music has the strict forms of the classical era, the sonorities of the romantic era, and the way he treats the small musical ideas or motives look ahead to the 20th century!
Photo by: Southernbelle Photography
Photo by: Southernbelle Photography
Staring out into the abyss - during dreaded writers block! :)