Berklee College of Music

Creating A Modern Musician

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Degree of
Master in Music in Contemporary Performance (Production Concentration)

Supervisor: Casey Driessen

By Lorin Xavier Rivers

Valencia Campus, Spain
July 2018

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

iv

Abstract

vi

1. Introduction

1

2. Goals of the Project and Methodology

4

3. Bill Evans – Performance

5

3.1 What Is This Thing Called Love – Excerpt

6

3.2 Peri’s Scope – Excerpt

6

3.3 Peri’s Scope – Excerpt

7

3.4 Peri’s Scope – Excerpt

8

3.5 What Is This Thing Called Love – Excerpt

9

3.6 What Is This Thing Called Love – Excerpt

12

3.7 What Is This Thing Called Love – Excerpt

13

4. Moonchild – Composition

17

4.1 All the Joy – Excerpt

20

4.2 All the Joy – Excerpt

21

4.3 All the Joy – Excerpt

21

4.4 Think Back – Excerpt

22

ii

4.5 Think Back – Excerpt

24

4.6 Back to Me – Excerpt

25

4.7 Back to Me – Excerpt

26

4.8 It Means to Me

27

5. Original Compositions

28

6. Next Steps

31

7. Justification

32

8. Professional Plan

33

9. Conclusion

33

10.Resources

36

iii

Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to give my sincerest acknowledgements to
everyone that helped me and guided me in the development of this project. I
would like to thank Mr. Casey Driessen for his advising and for being a
springboard for me in getting ideas out of my head and for guiding me in
structuring my project.
I would also like to thank my colleagues here at Berklee Valencia. To my
teachers that have showed me so much and helped me grow in numerous ways.
To Mr. Polo Orti, Mr. Victor Mendoza, and Mr. Perico Sambeat, teachers that
have pushed me and shown me new ways of thinking and playing. I am truly
grateful for their mastery and dedication. Also, I would like to thank the students
here at Berklee Valencia. I want to thank them for always being there and for
going through this year with me. For exposing me to new ideas, new cultures,
new music, and new ways of thinking. Learning from all of you as been one of the
most invaluable treasures of this year.
Finally, I would like to thank my mother, friends, former teachers, and
everyone that has poured into my life. To my mother who has been a rock and
always a grounding figure in my life. My friends who have always been there for

iv

me, my utmost gratitude. To my former teachers and forever mentors, Dr. Milton
Ruffin, Dr. Christopher Fisher, Mr. Jeff McCargish, Mr. Jeff Moerckel, and Mr.
Kevin Harris. You have all inspired me so much. Believed in me when I didn’t
always believe in myself. And have given me and shown me so much in your own
way, not only what it means and takes to be an excellent musician but also what it
means to be an exceptional man.
Thank you all so much!

v

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to incorporate the aspects of different facets
of musicians into my own musicality. To create in my perception a modern
musician. Musicality in today’s world isn’t only being proficient on your
instrument, but being versatile. To be able to perform, compose, produce, record
only enhances your musicality as a whole. In this project, I have analyzed and
researched the styles of three different aspects of performance, composition, and
production in three different artists. To see what they did and find concrete ways
of incorporating them. I hope this project can be useful to any musician that is
looking to expand their understanding.

Keywords: Research and Analysis, Transcription, Composition

vi

1. Introduction
When I see the world of art today, I am amazed at the fluidity and
translucent nature of everything. From writers who double as directors, actors
who have stepped in and taken the initiative on social issues, and musicians who
not only can play wonderfully but are adaptable and can create beautiful music in
any facet for any purpose.
Growing up in Columbus, Ohio I was able to be exposed to a lot of music
from very early on. From as simple as going to church every Sunday, I was able to
listen to some great music and great musicians and it was like a concert that I
could count on every Sunday. One thing that struck me was the
interchangeability and versatility of the musicians. From song to song, let alone
Sunday to Sunday they would change and mix and match. For this one the
organist is playing piano, the pianist would pick up the bass, and the drummer
would get on the organ. I thought this was super fascinating.
In my home, we always had keyboards and pianos around the house. For
as long as I can remember I have been playing piano. I was always amazed at how
big the piano can sound and how under different players can sound so different. I
started to officially take lessons when I was 7 at Capital University in Columbus.

1

Mostly, in lesson, it was classical repertoire that I was given, which I really
appreciated but a lot of the time it drove me insane to play the same song in the
same way. My teacher was continuously upset at me for playing the pieces but
always taking liberties. I found myself playing the repertoire but always trying to
reinterpret them in my own way and find different ways to play them, closer to
the sound that I was hearing in church and on the radio.
As I grew older and into high school I was starting to realize that music was
something that I really wanted to pursue. I found how much joy it brought me
but not only that how much joy it brought other people. I was playing with more
people, and with that playing with older musicians and learning from them as
well. I went to high school at Fort Hayes which is the performing arts high school
in the city. This was an invaluable experience for me as it allowed me to meet
and play with other musicians who will be lifelong friends as well as meet lifelong
mentors in some of the faculty.
At school, I learned about Berklee College of Music and heard so many
great stories from friends that had graduated before me and went to college
there. They would come back so excited and with so much to tell. I knew that
this where I wanted to go to school. And after studying and auditioning I was
accepted and absolutely ecstatic about this new point in my life.

2

At Berklee, my experience was both educational and inspirational. Not only
was I surrounded by great musicians every day, but their dedication and prowess
challenged me and inspired me to get better every day. I am so blessed to have
been able to study there and learn from living legends at every turn.
While at Berklee, I was reminded of how much I really enjoy the versatility
of music. From fellow students who were multi-instrumentalists, to teachers who
had played with such famous artists, to teachers who not only taught but played,
performed, toured, produced, and also worked in film and television. Once again
I was amazed by how big music can be. And also, I was reminded that music is
the great unifier of people, no matter where one comes from to what language
you speak, we can all feel music as one.

3

2. Goals of the Project and Methodology
The goals of this project are a very personal one for me. It seems to me
that all of my favorite musicians also happen to be my favorite performers,
composers and producers. Artists like Terrace Martin, Quincy Jones, and Hans
Zimmer are some of my favorites because of their musicality and flexibility. They
can effortless flow from arena to arena and create beautiful music in any way.
This is the musician that I strive to be and the musician that I feel in the
world we live in is most valuable. My methodology for this project is a simple
one. To first listen to each of these artists and try to understand generally their
sound. Next is to transcribe and analyze these artists and see specifically their
attributes of composition and musicality. And finally, to write pieces inspired by
and using some of the techniques gained from studying these artists. For this
project, I have taken aspects of musicianship, performance and composition, and
have tried to create templates of learning and to deepen my understanding. In
these areas, I have chosen artists who I truly admire for their creativity in each of
these areas, Bill Evans for performance and Moonchild for composition. With
these artists although it can be any artist that one admires I hope to gain as much
understanding as possible and incorporate it into my own musicianship.

4

3. Bill Evans – Performance

The purpose of this section is to study in my opinion one of the great pianists
and masters of harmony ever. My definition of performance in this case is the
performance and playing style of Bill Evans. Evans had such command and control
of the instrument and seemed to always be in control. “I’ve always preferred to
play something simple than go all over the keyboard on something I wasn’t clear
about,” said Evans in his biography “How My Heart Sings”1. This thought process
is evident in Evans’ music with the singable melodies and beautiful harmonies. For
these reasons, I wanted to study Bill Evans in more depth to find a way to harness
this thought process and incorporate it into my own playing.
I began by simply listening to Evans, but more in depth and attentiveness. After
I started to transcribe and look for tendencies. To start I chose three solos of Evans,
What Is This Thing Called Love, Autumn Leaves, and Peri’s Scope all off of the album
“Portrait in Jazz”, released in 1960. I chose these three solos because not only are
they simply enjoyable, in each one he explores a different way of playing yet still
sounds like himself and in complete control.

1

Peter Pettinger, Bill Evans How My Heart Sings, (Yale University Press), 1998, Chapter 1
5

3.1 “What Is This Thing Called Love” Excerpt2
One thing that I realized and found that Evans played continuously and
developed into his sound was starting on non-chord tones on the beginning of the
chord. This creates to me a very unsettling sound, but the way he resolves them is
always beautiful and completely in time. For instance, on this example of in “What
Is This Thing Called Love,” he begins his phrase and highlights the 11th on the major
chord. In this case on a C major chord.

Figure 1

3.2 “Peri’s Scope” Excerpt3

This is something that I think is a definitive quality of Evans’ playing. Here is
another excerpt from one of the transcriptions that I wrote out from the song

2

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/bill-evans-11th/s-5ko26
https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/3-2-peris-scope/s-qoVms?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
3

6

“Peri’s Scope,” this is similar in the way that Evans’ prioritizes the #11th and the
11th on an F major chord. Tones that are not normally emphasized on major
chords.

Figure 2

3.3 “Peri’s Scope” Excerpt4
Expanding on Evans use of non-chord tones in his phrases, he also very
prominently resolved his phrases deceptively. He was of course a master of
resolving his phrases more traditionally and on the chord tones. The chord tones
being the root, 3rd, 5th, or 7th. However, in this next example from “Peri’s Scope,”
you can see his use of deceptive resolutions resolving on the 13th of a C major
chord.

4

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/peris-scope-deceptive/s-wLpsx?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper/s-dr5wb
7

Figure 3

As is visible, he was very aware of the use of non-chord tones or in other
words 9ths, 11ths and 13ths. This type of phrase structure creates tension and
also is a way to explore new harmonic aspects such as upper structure chords and
outlining super-imposed chords in melodic phrases.

3.4 “Peri’s Scope” Excerpt5
As well as playing with chord tones and using tensions. From my studies, I
also came to really admire Evans’ use of chromaticism. Not just in the sense of
using a series of chromaticism to create tension and unease, or as a rhythmic
effect as in this excerpt from “Peri’s Scope,”

5

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/bill-evans-chromaticism/s-PX93Z?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper/s-dr5wb
8

Figure 4

3.5 “What Is This Thing Called Love” Excerpt6
But also, as a way to approach chord tones, as Evans does in this example
from “What Is This Thing Called Love,”

Figure 5

6

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/bill-evans-approach-chord/s-Ys2O1?in=lorinxavier-rivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper/s-dr5wb
9

In these examples, Evans uses chromatic approaches in differing ways. The
first is somewhat more of a rhythmic approach, creating tension and splitting the
bars into uneven quantities creating a rhythmic modulation, while still being in
4/4. The second is a more traditional example of chromatic approach, using
chromatic notes to outline chord tones. Evans over this Bbmaj7 chord
approaches the 3rd from below by going from the 9th – #9 – 3rd or C – C#/Db – D
and then later in the line approaches the 7th from above by going from the root –
9th – root – 7th or Bb – C – Bb – A. This is a great way to help to add clarity to ones
playing and help to allows know where the chord tones (root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th) are
at all times. This is an exercise that I created from analyzing a transcription of
Evans’ where he demonstrates not only chord tone clarity but chromatic

10

approaches. I transposed them to all 12 keys and one can practice them as fast or
slow with metronome to get the shapes in the hands.

Score

Bill Evans' Chord Tone Exercise
œ œ bœ œ #œ œ
œ
œ
& 44 ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ
C maj7

œ œ bœ bœ nœ œ
b
œ
œ
œ
‰ œ bœ œ œ bœ

bœ ∫œ bœ bœ
bœ œ
nœ
œ
b
œ
b
œ
‰ œ bœ œ œ

A b maj7

D b maj7

bœ œ bœ ∫œ bœ nœ œ
œ
‰
b
œ
& œ bœ œ œ bœ

9

G b maj7

œ bœ ∫œ bœ nœ bœ
b
œ
‰
b
œ
bœ bœ
&
bœ bœ œ œ

13

#œ
#œ œ
#
œ
œ
#
œ
œ
& ‰ #œ œ
E maj7

17

œ #œ
#
œ
œ
œ
#
œ
œ
& ‰ #œ œ
D maj7

21

œ œ bœ œ #œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
‰œœœ œ

F maj7

E b maj7

B b maj7

œ œ œ bœ bœ #œ œ
œ
œ
‰
b
œ
& œœ œ œ

5

Transcribed by Lorin Xavier Rivers

#œ nœ œ #œ
#œ
œ bœ œ œ
#œ

#œ #œ nœ œ ‹œ #œ
#
œ
#
œ
‰ #œ #œ #œ œ œ
#œ
B maj7

œ #œ œ bœ œ #œ #œ
#
œ
œ
œ
#œ œ
#œ œ

A maj7

‰

œ #œ œ bœ œ #œ œ
œ
œ
#œ œ œ
œ œ

G maj7

‰

Figure 6

With this exercise and the others that I have developed, to practice as is
and as well as manipulate them and transpose them into different keys, modes,
11

and chord structures they have helped me to gain more of an understanding of
Evans and his style and techniques.

3.6 “What Is This Thing Called Love” Excerpt7
Another aspect of Evans playing is his rhythmic sense. He is always aware
of where he is rhythmic and exactly where to place things. For instance, he has
such a beautiful way of breathing on the downbeat of one and coming in on the
one. He does this constantly and it is so beautiful. It adds a real element of
singability to his phrases. Such as this instance in his solo on “What Is This Thing
Called Love,”

Figure 7

7

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/3-6-bill-evans/s-e2Wc9?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
12

I really enjoy this aspect of Evans playing because it is so clear and concise.
Just like in speech, a statement and then a period.

3.7 “What Is This Thing Called Love” Excerpt8
Evans really has a breadth and a width to his playing rhythmically.
However, it is always very open and clear. To speak to this width this excerpt
from the same solo on “What Is This Thing Called Love,” is an example of Evans
stretching the bar using quarter note triplets. This really makes the bar feel open
and almost out of time for a moment.

Figure 8
As was discussed earlier I developed exercises that expand on some of the
ideas that I found within Bill Evans’ playing. One of the exercises was similar to

8

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/3-7-bill-evans/s-8iU7u?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
13

the one above but instead focus on the use of 11ths within the melodic phrase
itself.

Bill Evans 11th on Major Chord Exercise

Score

Lorin Xavier Rivers
C maj7

4
&4
B b maj7

5

& bœ bœ nœ
A b maj7

œ
œœœ œœœ
b
œ
n
œ
œ
œ bœ nœ
œ
3
œ œ bœ
œ
œ
œ
œ bœ nœ bœ œ bœ
3

& bœ
bœ nœ bœ bœ œ bœ bœ œ
bœ nœ bœ

9

13

3

G b maj7

&

bœ ∫œ bœ bœ bœ nœ

3

bœ bœ œ bœ

bœ

bœ bœ bœ

œœœ

bœ œ bœ
bœ œ bœ

#œ #œ œ
œ
&
#
œ
œ #œ œ œ #œ
œ œ #œ œ œ #œ
D maj7
œ
21
œ #œ œ
#
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
& œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ
E maj7

17

F maj7

3

3

Figure 9

14

bœ bœ nœ

E b maj7

bœ bœ nœ

D b maj7

bœ bœ nœ

œœ œœœœ
œ
b
œ
n
œ
œ
3

œ
œ œ bœ
bœ bœ nœ bœ œ bœ
3

bœ œ bœ bœ œ bœ
b
œ
b
œ
n
œ
bœ

œœœ

œ œ bœ
bœ œ bœ

3

b œb œ œ b œ b œ # œ
b
œ
n
œ
œ
œ œ bœ#œ

B maj7

3

bœ bœ nœ

œ œ #œ œ
#
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ

A maj7

3

œ
œ #œ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ bœ nœ œ œ #œ
G maj7

3

The next two exercises were more focused on the voicings of Evans. The
first is a minor voicing that is voiced very openly. This is an interesting voicing
because there is so much space in between the notes the shape is the most
important. The quality of the voicing can be changed by adding just a few notes
in between shape of the voicing.

Bill Evans' IVmin Voicing

Score

C-

4 w
& 4 b ww
w

A b-

w
bw
& b b ww

5

#w
& # ww
w
E-

9

B b-

w
bw
w
bw
F-

D b-

Transcribed by Lorin Xavier Rivers

w
bw
w
bw

G b-

bw
∫w
bw
bw

w
∫w
b w
bw

#w
b w
w
w

A-

D-

#w
w
w
w

E b-

w
bw
w
bw
B-

#w
w
#w
w

w
bw
w
w
G-

Figure 10

The final exercise is another voicing exercise to be practiced in all keys with
metronome at the tempo of choosing of the player. It is an example of Bill Evans’
Lydian voicings with a resolution to round out the sound.

15

Bill Evans 11th Major Voicings

Score

Lorin Xavier Rivers
C maj7( # 11)

w
#
4 ˙
&4 w
w

A b maj7( # 11)

w
b˙
˙
& w
bw
E maj7( # 11)
#w
9
˙
#˙
#
w
& w
5

F maj7( # 11)

˙

D b maj7( # 11)

w
˙w
bw

w
˙
w
w

b˙

A maj7( # 11)

#w
# # ˙w
w

˙

B b maj7( # 11)

w
˙
w
bw

G b maj7( # 11)

bw
˙
w
bw

D maj7( # 11)

#w
#˙
# w
w

˙

˙

E b maj7( # 11)

w
˙
w
bw

B maj7( # 11)

b˙
˙

#w
#˙
# w
w

G maj7( # 11)

w
#˙
# w
w

b˙
#˙
˙

Figure 11

Bill Evans is very influential in his playing. In my opinion he is one of the
most influential jazz pianist of the 20th century. In the same way that Max Roach
changed the way the drums are played forever and Jaco Pastorious for the electric
bass, this is the same lasting legacy that Bill Evans has left on the piano. From this
study, I have developed exercises for myself to encompass these ideas into my
own playing and from that to interpret these ideas into my own to sound like
myself.

16

Consistently throughout all of the solos that I transcribed I found that Evans’
deep knowledge of harmony was evident. He connected his phrases beautifully
and even the off-kilter phrases timing-wise or the ones starting on non-chord
tones resolved in a way that makes sense. He is always under control and
everything he plays makes sense. This is one of the biggest things that I have
learned and continue to learn from Evans’ and one that I hope to implement in
my own playing and compositions.

4. Moonchild – Composition

For the next part of the project my objective was to analyze and understand
some more compositional aspects of one of my favorite bands, Moonchild. This
was very fun and I feel that composition and performance go very much hand in
hand. That the better and more in depth composer you are this also goes for your
performance. Since improvisation and performance is simply put, composition in
real time. The composition is what makes the song the song. For instance, the
form of the song and the length of each section. As well as how the melody falls
over the selected chord changes of the song.

17

This was very rewarding but also difficult to choose which artist to study.
There are so many composers that I enjoy and value. But I wanted to focus on
Moonchild because their compositions are simple, yet interesting and fresh, and
so danceable.
Moonchild is a band comprised of three musicians for Los Angeles, Amber
Navran, Max Bryk, and Andris Mattson. They are all graduates of USC Thornton
Schools of music where they all actually studied horns. But as well as horns Bryk
and Mattson both play keyboards and Amber Navran is the lead singer.
Moonchild’s music is definitely influenced by jazz as they are all very fine jazz
musicians but what makes it interesting is there combining of numerous styles
such as jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and electronic music as they make all of their own
beats.
Compositionally I find their taste in harmony to be very interesting. It is very
deep and lush and is not much like a lot of the harmonies you hear in most R&B
music today. For this segment of the project it is very much like the performance
section. I chose three different songs off of the three albums that Moonchild has
and analyzed them as compositions, looking for tendencies and characteristics of
their sound.

18

Back to Me off of the album “Be Free,” All the Joy off of the album “Please
Rewind,” and Think Back off of their most recent album “Voyager”. In all of these
songs their tastes and qualities shine through. They have a very distinct quality
and all of their beats never cease to make you dance.
The first piece “Back to Me,” is one of the first songs that I ever heard from
Moonchild. It is very interesting for its sparseness. The tune is very repetitive and
Amber Navran’s voice is very captivating. Her voice is very soft here and almost
like a whisper. The sparseness of the song is evident not only in the composition
itself with very repetitive sections and the same bassline and horn lines in the
verses and choruses throughout the entire song but also in the instrumentation of
the song. With only lead vocals, electric piano, key bass, drum machine, and a
simple horn line there is room for much more sonically. However, the sparseness
of the composition is what makes it special. It allows the song to breath and to
for those simple aspects to make you dance and for Amber Navran’s voice to tell
you the story. This sparseness is something that I feel is important and is a trait of
Moonchild that I use quite often in some of my own compositions such as 3 Mel
and It Means to Me.

19

4.1 “All the Joy” Excerpt9
The next song from Moonchild that I analyzed and transcribed was “All the
Joy,” off of their 2015 released album Please Rewind. This song is quite another
good example of the Moonchild characteristic of sparseness. For most of the
song there are only two static chords per bar and the lead vocal melody creates
the movement. This adds focus to the melody as you are not distracted by other
material around the lead vocal. They are there simply in support.

Figure 12
9

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/4-1-moonchild/s-n79vD?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
20

4.2 “All the Joy” Excerpt10
This song is also an example of the creativity of melodies of Moonchild. For
instance, the largely pentatonic aspect of the melody in the chorus.

Figure 13

4.3 “All the Joy” Excerpt11
Moments later the chorus is modulated up a half step to create tension and
add variety to the piece.

10

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/4-2-moonchild/s-c211P?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
11
https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/4-3-moonchild/s-2JfcN?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
21

Figure 14

This piece is a good representation of the simplicity yet creativity of
Moonchild. The lack of super involved accompaniment creates a great
environment to support the vocalist yet it is interesting enough in itself. But
subtle changes such as a modulation up a half step in the chorus gives the tune
variety and intrigue.

4.4 “Think Back” Excerpt12
The last song that I studied from Moonchild was “Think Back,” off of the
2017 album release Please Rewind. This song is another example of the
Moonchild technique of space, sparseness, and scarcity of instruments.

12

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/4-4-moonchild/s-SqxzX?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
22

The key bass is a big factor on this song. Not only does it act as a source of
grounding and as a traditional bass but at times in the song it feels almost just as
important as the lead vocal itself. It has movement but also function and at
times, particularly the outro, it is the driving force of the piece

Figure 15

The bass here not only has movement and a distinct shape of its own, but it
suggests the chord itself.

23

4.5 “Think Back” Excerpt13
Also, an aspect of this song is the somewhat slow harmonic movement.
This movement creates a somewhat plodding and labored effect to the song
especially the bass just going back and forth between the root and 5th.

Figure 16

13

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/4-5-moonchild/s-RljgP?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
24

By doing this Moonchild allows for the outro which is very different from
the rest of the song to really stand out and shine and be a special moment in the
piece.
While studying Moonchild there where characteristics of their sound that
definitely stood out and made themselves prevalent. For instance, the groove
and the rhythm is one major characteristic. They are very subtle and usually are
light instrumentally however the groove and the force of making you want to
dance is always there. With the driving high hat eighth notes and the actual
finger snaps they regularly place on beats two and four.

4.6 “Back to Me” Excerpt14
One particular compositional aspect that I noticed from Moonchild is that
on every minor chord there is always an 11th. Either in the harmony itself, in a
backing horn line, or Amber Navran singing it herself. As in this instance in their
song Back to Me.

14

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/moonchild-11ths/s-aeEs5?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/ce-paper-audios/s-KxVZu
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Figure 17

4.7 “Back to Me” Excerpt15
Another characteristic that I found was the density of the harmony. It
seemed that everything that was played on the piano was within two octaves,
which created a very dense sound overall. As in this instance in Back to Me.

Figure 18

15

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/4-7-moonchild/s-dKXyO?in=lorin-xavierrivers/sets/additional-audios-for-ce-paper-1/s-Maqm4
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4.8 “It Means to Me”16
For this section, as well I wanted to take some of these concepts and test
myself and put them into practice. I used the idea of the closeness of the
harmony and the voicings on minor chords. The song is titled “It Means to Me”.

16

https://soundcloud.com/lorin-xavier-rivers/it-means-to-me/s-5Nfmu
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Figure 19

I plan to continue these studies and as well to continue to incorporate them
into my playing and as well as into my compositions. I hope to use these ideas
especially in my compositions by keeping them in mind and trying to keep finding
new ways of using tensions that is so prevalent in Moonchild’s work. By finding
interesting ways of using the tensions, such as melodies of all tensions or
highlighting the tensions in the voicings by doubling them. I hope to keep
growing my artistry and enhancing my compositional awareness.

5. Original Compositions

With this knowledge that I had gained and studied from Bill Evans and
Moonchild I wanted to test myself and try to put some of these concepts in action
by composing pieces with these concepts in mind. As discussed earlier I
developed exercises to help to implement some of Bill Evans’ musical concepts
into my hands and sound, but I also want to translate some of the ides learned
from studying both artists into compositions of my own. For the point is to take
this information and think about and apply it in ways that make sense to oneself.

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I composed three tunes based on some of these musical concepts “It Means to
Me, 3 Mel, and Meditation on B.”
The first song “It Means to Me,” is a song a composed and actual performed at
forum with Moonchild in mind. One concept was the short and simple horn
section. This adds a different and interesting sonic quality to the piece. And the
small horn section at that, only 3 horns adds power but is not overpowering. It
cuts through sonically but sits nicely within the band. This song was special to me
as well because I wanted to force myself to sing. It was the first time that I had
really sung in front of people and I wanted to push myself and expand myself
beyond just the piano. Rhythmically as well I had Moonchild in mind for this song.
With the high hat eighth notes and the breaks on the fourth beat I wanted to add
a bit of character and personality to the piece by having fun with the rhythms.
Another aspect that I wanted to work on was writing for strings. I wanted to
push myself and write for strings as not just a traditional string ensemble by
themselves but to use them in my own way. The next song that I composed was
“Meditation on B”. This song was a challenge because I started off with a glassy
and fluty synth playing a single B note. The challenge then was that I wanted to
compose the piece around that B and for it to be continuous throughout the tune.
As well the goal was to have that B work with every chord throughout the piece.

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The piece is definitely inspired by Moonchild and is an exercise in sparsity and
understatement. The violins, cellos, and bass are big sweeping melodic stings
while the violas keep not only time but harmony in their simple ostinato like
figure. As the piece started it with the single synth B that is also the last note of
the piece, finishing the B pedal that was present throughout the piece.
The last piece that was composed is “3 Mel”. This piece was also an exercise
and challenge for myself in writing for strings. At the beginning is an example of
triplets as Bill Evans might have interpreted them. Triplets that displace the bar
line evenly. The song is in 3/4 but the triplets at the beginning disorient and
create an atmosphere of being free until the melody comes in, being played by
the cello. The strings are the focus of this song and all the instrumentation, like in
Moonchild, it is designed to be a support system to highlight the string section.
The same can be said of this song as in “Meditation on B,” which is to be
understated. The neatness and cleanness of both pieces adds a clarity to the
pieces. That clarity in turn is an aid in highlighting the melody.

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6. Next Steps
There are many aspects that I want to continue working on now that the year
is over. The year being so hectic and streamlined now that the Masters program
is over there are things that I want to continue on with and explore in more
depth.
One aspect of the project that I want to continue working on is the production
side of the project. The focus is on James Blake and his particular style of vocal
production. He has a very particular and distinctive style of production and
polyphony within his voices. I want to find a way to run a microphone through
my DSI Prophet Rev 2 and use the sounds and effects from the keyboard as the
sound source, so that way whatever I play with the keys will be reciprocated in
the harmony of my voice as polyphony in real time. I really didn’t get a chance to
focus on it as I wanted to this year, with everything going on at school. As well,
everything that I was studying for it cost a lot of money. Money that I wasn’t in
the position to spend right now during the year. For this I want to spend my
summer when I get back to the states working on this and giving myself the time
and setting aside the money to work on it properly.
Also, I want to market my music more and get my own music out to the world.
I plan to set up and distribute my music through Apple Music and Spotify and all

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the major streaming platforms but also to look for music publishers and writers
that would be willing to write about my music and distribute it to a wider
audience.

7. Justification

The need that I feel for this project is a process for artist to enhance their
musical and deepen their understanding. To increase their understanding of
whatever style of music it is by analysis, comparison, and practice regiments to
incorporate the ideas into their musicality. I think this is important because many
times I hear from musicians “what should I practice or how do I practice?”, with
this methodology I feel that musicians will be able to target what interests them
and take it directly into their own understanding. To take those ideas and after
gaining that awareness to really dive deep and start to expand upon them,
because the idea is not to sound like a particular artist but to be creative and to
sound like yourself.

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8. Professional Plan

I really hope to use the knowledge that I learned through this process and use
it in my own compositions. I want to continue to learn as much as possible from
everything. To have my eyes and ears open to all around me. I once heard that in
phases of life you are either in the learning phase, the phase of making and
sharing all you know with the world, and finally the helping others and imparting
your knowledge on those younger than you phase. I feel like I am still currently in
the learning phase.
I hope to continue my analysis of more artists throughout the summer and the
fall. After this and gathering ideas and harnessing more concepts I plan to
compose around eight songs and have enough for an album. I really hope to start
putting my own music out there. Instead of always being a sideman, I really want
to present my music to the world with my own voice.

9. Conclusion

This year has been a very big challenge for me but it as well as been very
rewarding and I feel that I have learned so much. Not only from peers, teachers,

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and the musical culture around me, but the process of going through the
development of this project has taught me invaluably as well. From trying things
and failing and reassessing and looking at things in a new way is one of the most
valuable things I have learned.
One aspect of the project that I want to continue working on is the production
side of the project. The focus is on James Blake and is particular style of vocal
production. I really didn’t get a chance to focus on it as I wanted to this year.
With everything going on at school. As well, everything that I was studying for it
cost a lot of money. Money that I wasn’t in the position to spend right now
during the year. For this I want to spend my summer when I get back to the
states working on this and giving myself the time and setting aside the money to
work on it properly.
In the process of the project there were many times when I felt that I could
be doing things in a different way and this project has taught me how to change
my thought process and go about it in a new, fresh, and creative way. From this, I
have learned how to learn, how to take my ideas and put them into practice, and
how to increase my understanding of ideas and concepts from different artists
and integrate it into my own musicality. One of the goals of this project was to
learn from these artists but to still sound like yourself. As it comes to this the

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method is simple. Just as a writer must read the classics, or a director must watch
the great films of last century, so too must a musician study the greats that came
before them as well as the artists that they deeply enjoy. There is no danger of
sounding directly like someone else because in your artistry and one of the things
that make you, in fact you, is that regardless you will always sound like yourself.
This was one of the biggest lessons I learned from this year.
I feel that with this knowledge myself and anyone who finds this useful will be
able to find ways to become more complete as a musician and to become a
musician prepared for an ever changing and modern world.

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10. Resources
Pettinger, Peter. Bill Evans: How My Heart Sings. Yale University Press, 1998
Bill Evans Trio – Portrait in Jazz (1960) – “What Is This Thing Called Love?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSr52pyHBDQ
Bill Evans Trio – Portrait in Jazz (1960) – “Autumn Leaves”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Z8KuwI7Gc
Bill Evans Trio – Portrait in Jazz (1960) – “Peri’s Scope”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCGsXx6WF6I
Moonchild – Be Free (2012) – “Back to Me”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7P1K1lGwVM
Moonchild – Please Rewind (2015) – “All the Joy”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D1Xs4ZvzkA
Moonchild – Think Back (2017) – “Think Back”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDvVUePWJ3I

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