MYP PERSONAL PROJECT - Music composition

Objective A: Planning

My Learning Goal:
My learning goal for this project is to learn about classical music(piano) composition. There are two kinds of
composition: Harmonic and Melodic. Harmonic composition is about using chords and using that framework to
create compositions. Melodic composition is when you first start to compose the melody and then add the
chords. (Miller, 2005) To achieve this goal, I will need to research and learn how to use both Harmonic and
Melodic composition techniques and see which suits me better to compose. In addition, to link it to my interest, I
will include famous motifs from works from other great composers in my composition as well. My composition
will be at a Grade 5 level as it would be a bit more challenging for a beginner like me.

Personal Interest:
I have been exposed to the classical music world ever since I was 5 years old. When thinking about what I
wanted to learn in this project, I immediately thought that I should do something related to classical music.
Creating a music composition is one of the most obvious things I could learn. I have composed short and simple
melodies ever since I was young and had an interest in them. Recently, I have been to many concerts, festivals
and other events, such as the Piano Island Festival. This event was a big festival with many professional
pianists, including Pascal Roge, Kevin Kenner, and others who were lecturing, teaching, performing and having
masterclasses. Some of the events included composition works that were being performed. There was a pianist
who caught my attention. She composed her works by combining different motifs from other music pieces and
the music she created was inspiring. One of her compositions was called Butterfly. This piece was inverted from
Ravel's Sonatine as Butterfly's opening gambit. I thought it was really interesting and creative, so I decided to do
that in this Personal Project. Some examples of motifs that I like are in these pieces: Bach: Invention 6,
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.5, Bach: Cello Suite No 3 In C Major: Bourree 1 & Bouree 2, Strauss: Radetzky
March, Cecile Chaminade: Concertino for Flute, Op 107 and Tchaikovsky: Dumka Op 5.

Intended Product:
Based on my learning goal, I’ve decided to compose my music that is around a Grade 5 ABRSM(The Associated
Board of the Royal Schools of Music) level. I have seen various piano works in ABRSM from Grades 1 to 8 and
based on my personal experience of composing melodies, I have decided to create a Grade 5 piano composition,
as I think it would be challenging, but possible for me. To create this product, I will learn the basics of
composition and also analyze other works. In addition to the composition, I will also take photographs of music
scores that contain the famous motifs I love and show how they are included in my end product. This way, the
audience will understand how the process works. Since I am a pianist, I will also play my composition to the
audience to gain feedback.

Product Success Criteria:

Product Success Criteria Description & Testing Method

Use of Harmony and Chord Improving my understanding of harmony is one of my learning

Progressions goals. I have to evaluate my success based on how effectively I
will incorporate these into my composition:
Different chord progressions
 Modulations (In my experience, a grade 5 composition
mostly has 1 modulation in the piece)
Key changes
Root/1st inversion/2nd inversion forms of chords

I will verify if I have successfully done and used these points into
my composition with an expert in this field of composition.

Melodic Development My goal for this project is to incorporate motifs from different
pieces and synthesize them with my style of composition,
therefore I will need to evaluate my composition based on:
Constant motif
Different melodies connected with my style of
composition

I will also verify if I had used them well in my composition with

the teacher.

Originality and Creativity Since my goal is to include different motifs, I will also need to
evaluate based on:
The use of different motifs from other pieces(at least 5
motifs; some obvious and some not)
How well original ideas were connected together
Whether the motifs are still recognizable even though the
rhythm/intervals are changed or when the melody is
inverted

Having experience in this field, the teacher will be able to verify

if I had used and connected different ideas successfully.

Additionally, I can present my composition and ask the audience

whether they can recognize the melodies in my exhibition.

Standard: Since I aim to create a composition at a grade 5 level, my

intended product should be around that standard.

I will verify my composition work with the piano teacher as he is

familiar with the ABRSM piano pieces.

Melodic Devices Melodic devices include:

Sequence
Syncopation
Counterpoint
Call and Response
Imitation
Step-wise/Leap motion
Ornaments

I will also check that I have included melodic devices in my

composition with the piano teacher.
Plan for achieving the product:
Table 1: Learning Process
Dates Task To-do Relevant Source Progress
Success
Criteria

15/1/2 Learning how to ● Read: Use of The Complete DONE

023 - use basic and - Chord Harmony & Idiot’s Guide to
22/1/2 advanced chords Progression Chord Music
023 in composition - Cadences Progressions Composition
- Right key
- Harmonic ABC OF
rhythm Harmony Book A
- Application by Roy Wilkinson
of chord
progression Youtube
- Melody to
chords
● Read:
○ Richer
harmonies
○ Pedal
points
○ Chord
substitution
● Watching tutorials
● Trying these chords
out on a blank staff
paper
● Make study notes

23/1/2 Understanding ● Read: Melodic The Complete DONE

023- Melody ● Qualities to devices Idiot’s Guide to
31/1/2 contribute to Music
023 making memorable Composition
melodies
● How to build a Google
melody from motifs
and short phrases ABC OF
● Make study notes Harmony Book B
● Trying these by Roy Wilkinson
techniques out on a
blank staff paper

31/1/2 Scales, Modes, ● Melodies with Use of The Complete DONE

023 - Rhythm, step-wise and Harmony & Idiot’s Guide to
31/2/2 Syncopation, skip-wise notation Chord Music
023 Tension and ● Building a melodic Progressions Composition
Release outline
● Simple rhythmic Melodic Google
pattern devices
● Syncopation Youtube
 ● Make study notes
● Trying these
techniques out on a
blank staff paper

31/2/2 How to develop ● Creating a form Use of The Complete DONE

023 - the Composition from motifs and Harmony & Idiot’s Guide to
10/3/2 themes Chord Music
023 ● Writing in musical Progressions Composition
phrases
● Constructing Melodic Google
multiple-section devices
compositions Youtube
● Building toward a Melodic
climax Development
● Using theme and
variation to create
longer
compositions
● Various variation
techniques
● How to create an
accompaniment to a
solo line
● Writing for two
separate voices
● Learning the rules
of counterpoint
● Make study notes
● List steps and ideas
● Trying these
techniques out on a
blank staff paper
Table 2: Developing process
10/3/2023 Composition ● Listening to music Originality & Spotify DONE
- ideas pieces(Bach, Mozart, Creativity Piano scores
16/3/2023 Chaminade, Chopin,
Haydn, Scarlatti, etc)
● Highlight the motifs I
might include in my
composition
● Include them in my
process journal

16/3/2023 How ● Take down notes(key Melodic Youtube DONE

21/3/2023 professional points) for future development
composers reference when
compose composing

21/3/2032 Analyze ● Analyze chord Use of Piano scores DONE

- 5/4/2023 compositions progressions among Harmony &
 and try to different pieces of Chord
compose piano music Progressions

5/4/2023 - Start my ● Choose a motif(from Originality & My notes DONE

25/4/2023 composition what I chose from my Creativity
research)
● Set a key, time Melodic
signature, etc. Development
● Combines motifs and
start composing Standard
● Draft composition on a
manuscript Originality &
● Transfer and organize Creativity
composition digitally
● Familiarize with the
software
● Double check rhythm
and tempo
● Listening to my
composition and
change accordingly

Early Have a rough ● Combine more motifs Melodic Noteflight DONE

June draft of the ● Connect the melodies development software
composition ● Continue the
composition 50% - Standard
70% of the
composition done Originality &
● Make suitable changes Creativity

Late June Work with ● Take notes on – Expert DONE

expert suggestions
● Change according to
the suggestions

Mid July Discuss with ● After developing more – Expert DONE

expert of the product, show it
to the expert and ask
for his opinion
● Change according to
the suggestions
● Discuss how to
improve

By Finalized ● The whole – – DONE

1/8//2023 product composition should be
completed with both
hands and dynamics
should be included.
Objective B: Applying
ATL Skills - Research, Communication, Thinking(Creative & Critical)
Research:
My goal in this project is to learn about piano composition and how to create a composition that is on a Grade 5
level. To gain more knowledge of this topic, I used the ATL skill - Research to help me in my learning process.
First, I defined my research question as, "What is composition and what do I need to learn to compose one?" so
that I know what I am aiming for in this project and how I am going to start learning. Next, I searched up and
found some sources to gather information from, including print sources such as different books, digital sources
(tutorials, websites, online teaching platforms) and primary sources like interviews and one-to-one lessons. I
consulted with an expert in the field to gain tips and suggestions for creating a composition. Once I had gathered
my sources, I evaluated them against a table that I received from an AI model. When prompted with “What are
the things I need to assess for books and videos in one sentence?”, the ChatGPT-generated text indicated that
these are the things I need to assess for them, “For books and videos, you need to assess their content quality,
accuracy, relevance, and credibility to determine their educational or entertainment value.” (OpenAI, 2023)

After evaluating my sources, I gathered

and organized my research notes into
categories as some of the information is
new to me. I wrote down my notes in 2
ways; point-form in words and try each
skill I learned in the manuscript. I also
organized them by sectioning them into
2 categories: Guidelines and steps to
start the composition and Ways to
Develop the Composition (melody and
harmony). This helped me to identify
the connections between the different
pieces of information so
that I could apply them in my
composition.
Excerpt from Process Journal
I then analyzed and synthesized the
information I had summarized to
develop a deeper understanding of the topic. Based on my research, I drew conclusions and highlighted the key
elements of composition and how I could apply this knowledge to my own work. By researching, I was able to
gain more knowledge of composition and how to create a composition. The steps I took, including writing my
research questions, finding good sources, evaluating my sources, gathering and organizing information,
analyzing and synthesizing information, and drawing conclusions, allowed me to approach the topic in a
structured and systematic way. While researching to create my piano composition, I used different sources to
learn. I studied a book called "The Idiot’s Guide to Music Composition" which focused on composition
techniques and gave helpful guidance. I also watched video tutorials from WIRED, Pianote, and David Bruce
Composer to learn practical piano composing tips. To get personalized guidance, I had a one-on-one lesson with
a piano composition expert. Before the lesson, I made a draft of my composition. During the lesson, the expert
gave me valuable feedback and suggestions to improve my composition. This helped me refine and enhance my
work. Combining the information I gathered and the expert's advice, I made progress in creating an engaging
piano composition.
My Study Notes and Research Examples of research
Notes of an Interview online about notes and reference
Composition notes (for when I
write my own
composition
In my composition, I have used what I researched and learned. This is an example of what and how I included
them:

To achieve my goal of the Melodic Development section in my success criteria, I included different melodies as
seen in the image above(motifs 1 and 2) in my composition and connected them with my own ideas(bars 9 and
10). In these 5 bars, I have used 2 motifs from other pieces(a Bach Invention and a Mozart Sonata) and they are
still recognizable after adding/changing some notes and intervals. This is to achieve my goal in the Originality &
Creativity section in my success criteria. As for the Melodic Devices, I used ornaments, leap motion, step-wise
motion, sequence and a change in rhythm in these 5 bars. Initially, in bar 8, I did not know what I could compose
for the left hand. After speaking with the expert, he suggested that whenever I am stuck, I could use 3rd or 6th
apart notes as they naturally sound pleasing to the ear. Therefore, that is what I did in bar 8, which can be seen
above in the image.

Communication
To deepen my knowledge and to learn more about composition practically, I sought guidance from an expert in
the field. As he invited me to perform in concerts frequently, it was easy to come in contact and arrange meetings
with him. As a pianist with prior knowledge of the piano, and having already researched basic knowledge of
composition by reading books and watching instructional videos, I created a draft of my composition,
highlighting the motifs I have chosen in the first section of the piece, how I’ve connected them together and
created new music from them to ensure that I had a solid starting point for discussion. After presenting my
project and giving him an overview of what my goal is, I contacted the teacher to arrange a lesson, where I could
receive valuable tips and guidelines since my mom maintains close contact with him. We agreed together on a
suitable time, date, and place for the lesson. Having already prepared the draft, I had many questions to ask as
some parts of the composition in the first section did not sound quite right. For example, according to
him(personal communication, July 26, 2023), the triplets in the left hand against the melody on the right hand
sounded offbeat. Also, the transition between the beginning to the next part sounded not quite right because of
another group of eighth note triplets present as well. The expert gave me helpful information in the session and
offered advice specific to my composition. Interacting with him was particularly easy as we have communicated
many times in the past and we know each other quite well. Therefore, we had an effective lesson. I learned new
things such as ways to compose the harmony if I lacked ideas and how I could connect fast-paced sections to
slower-paced ones, especially at the end of my composition(personal communication, July 26, 2023).
Throughout the lesson, I took notes about what he said and asked him many questions about how to improve my
composition. Through my research and engaging with the expert, I achieved my learning goal. This prepared me
to effectively apply my knowledge, understanding, and skills to my product.
 Interview with the Composition Expert(personal communication, July 25, 2023)

Notes taken during the lesson with the Expert

Thinking(Creative & Critical):

When learning about composing and working on my piano composition, I applied both creative and critical
thinking skills. The creative part involved generating musical ideas and motifs for my composition. I
experimented with various musical styles, such as the Baroque, Classical and Romantic. However, my
composition encompassed mostly Baroque and Classical styles as they are more compatible with each other
compared to combining with Romantic styles. I also solved problems encountered during the composition
process, such as lacking ideas, especially for the harmony and how to combine faster-paced sections with
slower-paced ones like the ending section, by finding solutions myself and the suggestions from the expert to
make the music flow smoothly and avoiding replication of existing compositions. My creative thinking allowed
me to express my personal experiences through the music I composed.
At the same time, I used critical thinking to analyze the structure and motifs of different compositions. I ensured
that it had a consistent motif with logical progressions of musical ideas in my composition. Throughout the
process, I evaluated the musical choices I made, considering whether they fit the intended mood and style of the
piece. I changed and improved certain sections that didn't work as well as I hoped.
During the process of composing my piano composition, I took the time to review my work and find ways to
make it better. This critical thinking approach encouraged me to challenge myself and strive for better in my
composition. By using both creative and critical thinking skills, they played an important role in my journey as a
composer, enabling me to produce music.

Objective C: Reflecting
Reflection: The impact of my project on my learning
This project that I have been working on this year made a big impact on my learning of piano composition. It
helped me learn new things and transfer them into my product. When I composed the piano piece, I learned a lot
about the different ways I could make music. It was like using what I knew in a real way, and it made me feel
proud of what I can do with the knowledge I have. At the start, my plan revolved around normal research
methods, such as reading and watching videos on composition, thinking that they would provide the necessary
fundamental knowledge of this topic. However, when I engaged in a conversation with an expert in this field, his
insight opened up a new perspective of learning for me. All of his suggestions and advice came from his own
experience with music theory and composition. His ideas were invaluable as one would not be able to pick them
up through reading or watching videos. I realized that acquiring information firsthand from an expert’s
experience was extremely valuable. In the beginning, I thought that learning about composition was a massive
and never-ending task. But after speaking with the expert, I learned that by tackling each part on its own, things
became easier to understand. This way, it didn't feel like there was so much to handle all at once.
A lot of his suggestions were used in my composition. These are examples of how I used them:

Adding ornaments, having the rhythm when

transitioning between two motifs, changing root
position to 2nd inversion, rhythm change, melody
inversion and including triplets were what the
expert suggested I could include. Therefore, I
include most of what he advised in these bars in
my composition.

One important thing I learned was how to be

more creative. Through this process, I have come
to realize that making up new musical ideas is indeed very difficult and I now hold an even greater admiration
and respect for composers from the past and present. Initially, I was always stuck on the motifs from other pieces
and I had a difficult time modifying and creating new ones as I thought once I changed the original motif, it
would destroy the melody in the composition. Creating motifs from the original required me to think differently
and try out new things. This helped me show my thoughts better through the music I made. In the end, I realized
that I could actually come up with some melodies that use the modified motifs. I also learned about critical
thinking while working on this composition. I had to think hard about what I was doing and find ways to
improve. I looked at the structure of my music and thought about my choices in a careful way as I needed to
connect my ideas and make the music fit together nicely. Figuring out what was suitable and what needed fixing
was frequently hard, but really worth it as it’s a chance to get better and finding something to work on is not
something to be discouraged from.
2 examples of how my composition changed after changing it many times:

Through this project, I’ve grown as a learner by recognizing my own style of composing. This project has not
only helped me expand my compositional knowledge and skills but also had a positive impact on me and my
learning. It transformed the way I normally look at music as a pianist, changing me to someone who appreciates
the details and the creation of the composition. This project has not only expanded my understanding as a
student but has also made me feel more connected to the world of music composition.

Product Evaluation:
My product:
My product was a piano composition at a Grade 5 level. It was designed to match a grade 5 level and it follows
an ABA form, giving it a simple structure. My composition is positioned in the key of F major, which is a
straightforward and simple key in music. The piece spans three pages and consists of 30 bars, with a main motif
throughout. Inspired by Baroque, Classical and Romantic styles, I included motifs from famous composers like
Mozart, Bach, Scarlatti, and Haydn. From Mozart, the well-known Sonata in C major, K545; from Bach, some
of the 15 Inventions; from Scarlatti, Sonata in E Kp 162,L 21; from Haydn, Sonata in E Flat Major, Hob XVI 49.
These musical motifs, taken from different pieces, form the basis of my composition. My idea of including
different motifs from composers was inspired by a Singaporean pianist-composer named Churen Li. While
working on this composition, I had the success criteria by my side to ensure that I had hit the standards I made
for this composition.

Product Success Criteria:

Use of Harmony and Chord Progressions:
Areas of Strength: According to my success criteria, I have to use different chord progressions, 1 modulation(as
it is at a grade 5 standard) and inversion forms of chords. In my product, I have achieved all of these according
to the response of the expert. I have used usual chord progressions such as the perfect cadence: V - I. Expanding
on that, I’ve used something many composers do in their endings as well, which is Ic - Va - I, a clear-cut ending.
I have also used different inversions such as the root position and the 1st inversion in my composition. In the left
hand from bars 13 to 15, I have changed the expansion of chords to the 1st inversion. In my product, I have used
a short modulation in bar 24.
Areas for Development: I could have changed the key somewhere in the composition, even though key changing
isn’t common in Grade 5 pieces.

Melodic Development:
Areas of Strength: According to the responses I have gotten, I have used a constant motif which is the changed
motif from Bach's Invention 8. It appeared in the composition multiple times. There are also different melodies
from Mozart and other Inventions from Bach, Scarlatti and Haydn that are combined and connected in the
composition. According to my survey, most of the people recognized Mozart's Sonata K576 and Bach's
Invention 8 as they were the most obvious motifs compared to the others in my composition.
Areas for Development: I believe that I have successfully achieved my goal in the Melodic Development section
of my success criteria. If I have something to improve on, it would be trying to make the main motif of the
composition more obvious so that there is a sense of structure and connection throughout the whole piece.

Originality and Creativity:

Areas of Strength: According to the success criteria and after receiving responses from the expert, the audience
during the Exhibition and the responses from my survey, I have successfully used different motifs from other
pieces and combined them together smoothly. Even after the rhythm, tempo, and intervals were changed and
when the melody was inverted, the motifs were still recognizable, according to the expert and the survey
responses. All of them could at least identify two motifs from the composition.
Areas for Development: I believe that I have successfully used at least 5 motifs in my composition and
connected them well together. When composing next time, I should decrease the number of motifs in my
composition as too many different motifs would just ruin the composition as there will be no sense of connection
throughout the piece.

Standard:
Areas of Strength: According to the expert, my composition is indeed at a Grade 5 level, therefore, I have
achieved my goal for this product.
Areas for Development: None, my composition is at a Grade 5 standard, so I have successfully achieved my goal
in the Standard section of my success criteria.

Melodic Devices:
Areas of Strength: My composition includes melodic devices such as call and response, imitation and
counterpoint and the expert has verified that.
Areas for Development: I did not use syncopation in my composition as I thought it wasn’t suitable because of
its unique rhythm.

Overall Evaluation:
Overall, I believe that my project is successful. Considering that I had never completed a piano composition
before, I am pleased with the outcome of my composition. It will motivate me to improve my skills in
composing in the future. Thanks to this project, I had the opportunity to see and realize how composers compose
compositions and how amazing all of them could come up with such music. It would help me think in the future
when I play new compositions as a pianist. I also think my product is successful because I have achieved all my
learning goals; learning about classical piano composition, finding my own style of composing and also
including famous motifs from works from other great composers at a Grade 5 level. My product evaluation is
also based on the results of a survey that I sent out to people who have a musical background.
Excerpt from my survey:

My product:
 References

Bach, J. S. (2007). Inventions and Sinfonias (2 and 3 Part Inventions) [Score]. Wiener Urtext Edition.

Clipchamp. (n.d.). Clipchamp. https://clipchamp.com/en/

Chopin. (2005). Chopin: Sämtliche Etüden [Score]. Wiener Urtext Edition.

David Bruce Composer. (2022, January 3). How to Write a Great Melody (Over Chords) [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA7gdz56LtY

Miller, M. (2005). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Composition: Methods for Developing Simple
Melodies and Longer Compositions. Alpha Books.

Mozart, W. A. (2003). Mozart Klaviersonaten (Band 2) [Score]. Wiener Urtext Edition.

Noteflight. (2008). Noteflight: Online Music Notation Software. https://www.noteflight.com/

OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Aug 3 version) [Large language model] https://chat.openai.com/

Pianote. (2019, August 27). How To Write A Melody On The Piano (For Beginners) [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvxevjgKBfo

Skillshare. (2022, September 27). Create Your Own Melodies with Jacob Collier [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPVR_EKp6Xs

Worth, E. (2023, July 15). How to Compose a Piece of Music for the Piano: Top Tips from the Pros.
Pianist Magazine.
https://www.pianistmagazine.com/blogs/how-to-compose-a-piece-of-music-for-the-piano-top-tips-from
-the-pros/

Zhanna Gumenyuk. (2022, December 8). Haydn Sonata in E Flat Major, Hob XVI 49 – Alfred Brendel
[Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz7kKUTxp2M