The Compositions of John Carey

[leahcim]

Odd...

Does anyone else have this problem?

It's not odd so much, it's internet explorerer which just assumes you didn't want plain text and displays it as html.

https://www.howtocreate.co.uk/wrongWithIE/?chapter=Content-type%3A+text%2Fplain

[BoliverAllmon]

works for me.

[thalbergmad]

I have downloaded and listened to a couple of your preludes and was very impressed, particularly with the A Minor.

I had no idea you were that good.

You obviously have an immense talent.

[JCarey]

I have downloaded and listened to a couple of your preludes and was very impressed, particularly with the A Minor.

I had no idea you were that good.

You obviously have an immense talent.

Thank you very much Thalbergmad. I'm glad you enjoyed my music.

[steveie986]

To be honest when I first went on your website I thought this was some amateur 15-year-old's effort. But as everyone has said, there's a remarkable amount of originality and lyricism in those pieces. You've stated in another post that you're around my age (I'm 19 - an undergrad in college). Clearly, those compositions are impressive for your age. Are you studying in college or at a conservatory?

[JCarey]

To be honest when I first went on your website I thought this was some amateur 15-year-old's effort.

I'm curious as to what you mean by that. Are you referring to my website, or my music? If you are referring to my music, that is quite understandable! My preludes were, in fact, written when I was 15, and the symphony when I was 16. And I was (and still am), indeed, an amateur. You were the first to have made that observation.

But as everyone has said, there's a remarkable amount of originality and lyricism in those pieces.

That was my intention!

Clearly, those compositions are impressive for your age. Are you studying in college or at a conservatory?

No, I have not studied composition formally.

[steveie986]

I simply meant that I was expecting something very amateurish but your composition were much more impressive than I expected.

Certainly, if you plan on just composing for fun you don't need to take formal lessons. But if you're in college I still think it's a good idea to take some composition classes. You might still learn something and have an expert critique your work properly.

[JCarey]

Certainly, if you plan on just composing for fun you don't need to take formal lessons. But if you're in college I still think it's a good idea to take some composition classes. You might still learn something and have an expert critique your work properly.

The truth is, I'm not sure where I want to take my composition. I would love to compose professionally, even if it isn't the main source of my income, however, I have heard quite a few negative things about composition courses, so I'm not sure what to do.

However, I do try to get advice on my compositions from professional composers at every opportunity I can.

[icd]

wow amazing pieces! i like your piano concerto most especially how the instruments interact.. and i love the tune... sounds like a film music or something..
your prelude in c minor's my favourite amongst all the preludes. (although the tune sounds a tiny little bit familiar?! or is it just me..?)

anyway... would u be able to send me the scores of your pieces by any chance? i swear i wouldn't do any illegal things with them. it's okay if you can't coz i know that it is quite a ridiculous request haaa..


keep up the good work!

[JCarey]

wow amazing pieces!

Thank you!

anyway... would u be able to send me the scores of your pieces by any chance? i swear i wouldn't do any illegal things with them. it's okay if you can't coz i know that it is quite a ridiculous request haaa..

Unfortunately, not at the time being. I hope to publish these works soon (whenever that may be...).

Thanks for the interest in my compositions!

[JCarey]

LATEST UPDATE: I've added the 3rd Movement of the Trio in F Minor. 2nd movement is on its way.

For discussions regarding my music, please visit https://pianochat.proboards25.com/index.cgi.

https://www.johncareycompositions.com/compositions/pianotrio1/trio1-3.mp3

[I Love Xenakis]

Yo rachabji!  Been a while, eh?


Anyways, I listened to the new piano piece and it was very pretty and i enjoyed it quite a bit....... but I have two things to say that are kind of negative ok?

1. Neoromanticism will never catch on.
2. You won't get played unless you're doing something new and innovative.



Please just keep these things in mind.



Best Regards, your doting fan,
Skeptopotamus


XOXO



PS- what are Opp. 2 and 5-13?

[JCarey]

Yo rachabji!  Been a while, eh?

Indeed, welcome back!

Anyways, I listened to the new piano piece and it was very pretty and i enjoyed it quite a bit....... but I have two things to say that are kind of negative ok?

1. Neoromanticism will never catch on.
2. You won't get played unless you're doing something new and innovative.

Unfortunately, you may be right. However, I wouldn't say that neoromanticism doesn't have the potential to attract contemporary audiences. Some may expect modern, innovative music, but others will be satisfied with any music they consider pleasing to listen to. And in any case, I'm not necessarily trying to pander to the tastes of modern audiences; rather, my goal is merely to express myself in any form that I find to be most natural (and ultimately, aren't most listeners attracted to a composer who writes honestly as opposed to one that composes music they don't enjoy just to bring in an audience?) It also seems to me that, considering the popularity of composers like Philip Glass and even Carl Vine, the era of ruthlessly avant-garde music is coming to an end.

Thank you for your thoughts!

[Kassaa]

Odd...

Does anyone else have this problem?

I don't and I do use Firefox.

Edit: Obviously, there was a second page...

I'm going to listen to your compositions tomorrow, It's late here.

[I Love Xenakis]

I'm not sure how much I agree with you on the statement that Avant-Garde music is over.  The three strongest schools of music right now are New Complexity, Brutalist and Post-Serialist, with Musique Concrete coming in at a close fourth and Minimalist barely surviving.


Just be careful hun *smooch*

[stevie]

tell me about this 'brutalist' style

sounds nice

[I Love Xenakis]

tell me about this 'brutalist' style

sounds nice

Like Barrett or Barlow or Flynn

[JCarey]

tell me about this 'brutalist' style

It's wonderful. I believe Flynn's Trinity is a good example.

Skepto, you're probably right, but check this out. Apparently there are many of these groups forming.

Anyway, I appreciate your concern.

Thanks,
John

[I Love Xenakis]

Cool ^^  That was a very interesting essay!  So like... you wanna make out or something?



Oh and for anyone who is interested, here is a sound sample of Fredrik Ullen playing an excerpt from Flynn's "Trinity":

https://fredrikullen.com/DePaul.WoundSpike2.mp3

[stevie]

HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA FUNKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK MILDLY

[JCarey]

Yes, that piece is amazing.

[gruffalo]

i use internet explorer. i can get on to your website and i can get into the composition section, but when i click on the ownload links it doesnt work. nor do the links you gave in the forum. it just says "page cannot be displayed".

[JCarey]

That is quite odd. It appears that you are the only one with that problem.

Sorry for the inconvenience!

[phil13]

Hi John,

Sorry it took so long for me to respond to these awesome compositions. My sound player has to stop and re-buffer every 12 seconds or so, so I haven't been able to listen properly.

But now that I have, wow. The prelude in C minor is especially pretty, and the part from the PC in C#m that I could hear was really cool. I like your style, man.

And a word for Xenakis/Skepto: Neoromanticism WILL catch on, we just might not be alive to see it. And we will get played, by ourselves!

Anyways, keep on writing in this vein of music. It's fun.

Phil

p.s. I have posted a composition for the first time in Misc. Check it out if you like.

[JCarey]

Thanks Phil!

By the way, my website has been shut down by my hosting company - apparently they haven't received my payment to renew the subscription. Sorry, and I hope it will be back up soon!

[phil13]

Oh I forgot a few questions...

Do you write out all your music on manuscript paper and then transfer it onto the computer for your program, or do you simply write them on the computer and keep them that way?

I ask because I have always written music out on manuscript paper, and then copied them out in pen when they are finished (I am my own copyist). It can get rather daunting when I write pieces that are of a rather long length (i.e. my most recent work, a four-movement cello/piano sonata that looks like it will be upwards of sixty pages long). I own Sibelius 3, and have used it for the string quartet piece I put up in Miscellaneous, but I find it better overall to write music out manually.

Also, do you play your own pieces?

Thanks,
Phil

[JCarey]

Everyone,

My wesite is up again!

Do you write out all your music on manuscript paper and then transfer it onto the computer for your program, or do you simply write them on the computer and keep them that way?

The former.

Also, do you play your own pieces?

Absolutely, however, I am perhaps a bit too critical of my own recordings, and feel that using the computer is much easier and faster.

[I Love Xenakis]

I have a headache and only your tender lovin's can help me.

[JCarey]

Here are two movements from my Concerto in C# Minor. The first movement is nearing completion.

2. Lento - Andante
3. Allegro molto - Maestoso

Please post your thoughts after listening. It's not necessary to get too "technical."

[Ruro]

I'm quite the newb in relation to the theory of music and everything, so apologies if my opinions seem harsh >_<

The Lento movement, excellent! The start sounded like "Ocarina Of Time", but that quickly faded. The first and second third of the piece was very sound (not literally), and worked very well imo. The last third though... the finalé seemed original to my ears, but the musical ideas deployed within it sorta makes me give leeway to that anyway ^_^;; I guess that's personal preference, but sometimes hearing the same style finalé's get's a bit bleh.

I'm currently listening to the Third movement, which is musically less provocative to me, in terms of inciting emotion, but it is impressive! I love the Madge bashing chords, you done in it in the style he does the Preludio-Corale, so there is a messy, yet funky theme.
It has just finished: I bet that would smack me a good one if it was performed by a real orchestra. If recorded live, I would no doubt purchase and add to my collection

I envy you to the point of jealousy with those skills and ideas!! Amazing though, and good luck with the first movement too! Hope my petty comments are some how useful O_o

[JCarey]

Thanks a lot, Ruro. I assure you, your comments are not "petty." Any and all feedback is welcome and appreciated!

[superstition2]

I just listened to the central movement of the piano concerto. It's not about the piano enough. It's really an orchestral piece with piano embedded. About 7 9ths of the way through, (near the end), there is a very nice crescendo/climax. It has some very pretty bits. But, the orchestral melody drags the listener and won't let go. It's a good beginning.

[JCarey]

I just listened to the central movement of the piano concerto. It's not about the piano enough. It's really an orchestral piece with piano embedded.

True - the piano is featured more in the 1st and 3rd movements.

[JCarey]

The first movement is now finally available. Enjoy!

1. Adagio - Allegro molto

[nicco]

Hi

I listened to your Preludes and PC, and i was really intrigued by it. It was filled with catchy melodies and touching rythm, i will definetaly look into the rest of your compositions later. Well done! Keep up the good work

any chance for sheets?

[JCarey]

Hi

I listened to your Preludes and PC, and i was really intrigued by it. It was filled with catchy melodies and touching rythm, i will definetaly look into the rest of your compositions later. Well done! Keep up the good work

Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy the others as well.

any chance for sheets?

I'm sorry, but until I publish these, I won't feel safe sharing the scores. I'm sure you can understand where I'm coming from.

[JCarey]

I have completely redone this thread. Here is a copy of the original post in its modified format:

________________________

John Galt Carey

Composer / Pianist

www.johncareycomposer.com
www.youtube.com/johncareycomposer


Introduction:

Hello everyone!

It has been roughly six years since I virtually disappeared from this forum (for reasons that will become apparent in the rest of this post), but the time I left was well-spent, as these have been undoubtedly the most productive and transformative years of my life.

Whereas I mainly composed as a hobby before my absence, I have now chosen composition as my career path. Having now studied composition formally at The Hartt School of Music, my compositional abilities have progressed at a level I never imagined possible (as has my speed of output -- I've composed about nine new "major" works in the past four years, about 3 hours of music total).

Now that I've returned to the forum, I'd like to share what I've done since my departure, and hopefully receive some feedback from both those that are already familiar with my music, and of course, new listeners!


Background:

My name is John Galt Carey; I'm a pianist, composer, and avid listener to practically every type of music I have come across.

I grew up in a very artistically oriented household; my mother was a professional opera singer for about 20 years. After performing extensively in Europe, particularly Germany, she returned to the United States and started vocal coaching with the man who (in two years) would be my father. My mother was still very focused on her performing career when I was conceived, so I was exposed to a massive amount of wonderful music even prior to my birth! For the first five years of my life, I traveled across the country with my mother and had the opportunity to see her perform in a large variety of different operas. However, she put an end to her career as a singer when I got terribly sick on one particular trip. As a result, my family decided to move from California to New Hampshire in order to establish a vocal studio and settle down for the sake of my upbringing.

Certainly, my exposure to opera in my early childhood benefitted me greatly when I finally discovered my own love for music, which ironically didn't happen until I was about twelve years old. It was the piano sonatas of Beethoven that inspired me to become a pianist, which quickly sparked my interest in composing my own music. I decided that I wanted to start taking piano lessons, but I was entirely self taught as a composer for quite a few years thereafter. Ever since I began my musical journey, I've gone through a multitude of musical obsessions, devouring the works of a variety of different composers (Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Mahler, Sorabji...), and then eventually moving on to other genres, such as jazz (which I specialized in for a good deal of time), rock, metal, electronic music, and whatever else sparked my interest.

After progressing about as far as I could without formal training (my last piece written without having ever taken a composition lesson is my Rhapsody for Orchestra from 2009), I decided to pursue a degree in composition, and attended the Hartt School of Music. Though my musical knowledge was already at such a level that the head of the department once remarked, "we should hand him a PHD on the spot!" after our first conversation, the experience of being constantly immersed in the world of composing caused me to become quite prolific and allowed my music to develop to an entirely different level.


Style:

My music combines a lot of different elements found in the music of composers and musicians that have inspired me (not limited to classical music), and my ultimate goal has been to utilize these influences in ways that are in no way cliché or derivative. Thankfully, I believe I've managed to accomplish that goal, as I feel I've developed a style that is fairly unique. At the root of my style are a few basic elements: "obsessive" motivic development, tonal ambiguity, harmonic language based primarily on polytonality, frequent rhythmic shifts, and generally free formal structures. From a less technical standpoint, my style is intended to evoke a fantastical, dream-like atmosphere, inspired primarily by my own interest in altered states of consciousness that can achieved through methods such as meditation, hypnosis, and lucid dreaming.


Recordings:

Here I will post the works that I believe are my best compositions and also the most accurate representations of my musical personality. If you're interested in hearing my earlier works, they can be found on my website (www.johncareycomposer.com/Recordings.html).


Concerto for Viola and Orchestra (2012)

I. Lento - Maestoso - More Lively - Giocoso
II: Theme and Variations
III. Allegro Molto


Visions for Wind Quintet (2011)


Sonata for Cello and Harp (2011)

I. Rubato
II. Vivace, Like a Dance
III. Adagio
IV. Presto


String Quartet "Reflections and Revelations" (2010)

I. Adagio - Presto - Fugato
II. Agitato
III. Adagio


Fantasy for Two Pianos (2010) [Performed by John Carey and Kyle Landry]


Sonata for Violin and Piano (2009)

I. Slowly and mysteriously - Quickly, with urgency [Performed by Sarah Attwood, Violin, and John Carey, Piano]
II. Adagio. Tranquil, with a sense of yearning
III. Presto


Rhapsody for Orchestra (2009)


Ballade for Piano and Four Stringed Instruments


Recordings of the rest of my works (including those in other genres) may be found here: www.johncareycomposer.com/Recordings.html

Scores can be found here.


Videos (with scores):

Prelude in A Minor for piano (2005)

Sonata for Violin and Piano, I. Slowly and mysteriously - Quickly, with urgency (2009)

Fantasy for Two Pianos (2010)

Sonata for Cello and Harp, II. Vivace, like a dance (2011)

Many more videos (including those of live performances I've given on piano) can be found on my YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/johncareycomposer

________________________________

I do hope you enjoy my music!

P.S. I immensely value ALL feedback! Feel free to be as detailed or as brief as you like -- even the simplest comments are incredibly helpful to me.