Piano student Claire on compositions before her performance in the Spring Recital 2022

Where do you draw your inspiration when composing music?
I get a lot of inspiration from nature and many of my pieces (including the one that will be played at the recital) were composed trying to convey the feelings of a season or weather.

Do you have other compositions? And do you plan to perform more of them in the future?
Yes! I have around fifteen full compositions to date that range from solo piano pieces to string quartets. If I get the chance to, I would love to perform some more of them.

Describe your creative process when you write new music?
First, my teacher Ava and I decide what kind of piece I want to compose next, such as a piano trio, string quartet, or a solo piano waltz. Then we analyze the same kinds of pieces written by other composers, and I learn more about techniques used to compose this kind of music. I go into composing using Musescore with a rough idea of what emotions I want the piece to project and set the key signature and tempo accordingly. I'll usually write a chord progression first, then the melody. After I finish drafting a piece, I'll show it to Ava and she'll give me some feedback. It can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to finish a piece.

Are there any musicians who inspire you? What qualities do you admire about them?
Some composers that inspire me are Florence Price and Clara Schumann. First of all, their pieces are beautiful and I often draw inspiration from their compositions and play them in my free time. However, I also admire that they were able to be recognized for their work, as during their respective times and even in the present day, you don't see a lot of female composers, especially ones of color.
Someone else who inspires me is my piano teacher, Ava. A few years ago, I was actually thinking of quitting piano because I hated practicing, but when I started learning from Teacher Ava, the piano became fun and engaging. Piano lessons turned into something that I looked forward to every week, not dreaded. Ava not only inspires me to keep on learning piano, but has taught me skills like perseverance, hard work, and dedication.