Students find creativity in composition program

Students with the need and desire to create through music have found their way to IU's music composition program. They yearn for creativity and originality, and for finding freedom in their finished products. \nWithout the comforting hum of the television, or the numerous bothersome ring tones programmed into the phone, music composition majors are free to create, to be unique and to bare their souls on paper -- all while doing homework. Musical notes fill pages as composition majors work hard to create pieces they can leave behind as the next genius magnum opus. \nThis desire burns bright for one reason -- self-expression. \n"Once you are bitten by the bug, you're hooked," said Claude Baker, chair of the IU composition department. \nBaker's music is played around the world, but he still suggests composition is one of the hardest things he's ever done. \n"To fill a blank piece of paper with sound is not easy," Baker said. "Students want to stand apart -- that's what gives them satisfaction."\nIU's music composition program is among the most elite in the nation, as it boasts a prestigious staff and several celebrated alumni such as Augusta Read Thomas, composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Edgar Meyer, bassist and composer; and Bob Hurst, bassist on "The Tonight Show," among many others. It is a competitive program, and prospective students must be proficient in a musical instrument, as well as music theory. They also must submit a portfolio of previously written pieces in order to be considered for the program. \nDuring the course of their academic career, their work is performed at recitals in front of live audiences and professors that expect a great deal from these budding musicians. \n"Some people get inspiration from their dreams, but it's not that easy for me," said Yoo Mi Paick, a doctoral student studying composition. \nShe, like any author, struggles occasionally with how to express what she is feeling. She is very critical of her own work, as it is often necessary when writing music. \n"I have to search hard for inspiration." Paick said. "My goal is simply to find my voice." \nCreating music is a necessity for Paick, who suggests it comes naturally from her background in piano and the blessing of having perfect pitch. Despite having won the 2004 Dean's Prize in Music Composition for Chamber Music, Paick said she still gets frustrated during the creative process. \n"I might write three pages one day, and then throw it in the trash the next," Paick said. "I feel free when a piece is finished but when I am working it is easy to become blocked up."\nPaick is also being commissioned to write a piece for IU's new Music Ensemble. She said when her friends say she looks tired, she knows she has been working hard.\n"You are competing with all of Western history," Baker said. "Self-confidence is vital." \nThe task of creating a work of substance is often monumental. \n"Coming up with ideas for the music isn't easy," said junior Jeffrey Stanek. "If I can just leave something behind of myself to others then I will be a success."\nStanek, who started composing by "goofing off on the piano" when he was four-years-old, continues, even though he thinks a future in composition is daunting.\n"If you're doing it for the money, you are in the wrong business," said Stanek, who hopes to continue in school until he obtains his doctorate and become a professor. \nStill, there are several career opportunities in the field of composition. One graduate went on to be a music coordinator for the Atari video games and continued working with Sony. Other alumni have become professors, arrangers and commissioned composers. \n"People who want to do it, do it," said Jeffery Hass, director of the Center for Electronic and Computer Music at IU. "In order to create and enjoy music, you have to have an open mind." \nMany composers want to share their music with the world, but the expression is born with an idea. \n"The music has to grow within you," Stanek said.\n-- Contact staff writer Cordell Eddings at ceddings@indiana.edu.