Gretta Harley Music
  • Home
  • About
    • Discography
  • Element 115 (Uup)
    • Listen
    • Recording with Kramer
    • Lyrics
    • Album Artwork
    • Media Player
  • Other Projects
    • These Streets
    • Bands >
      • We Are Golden
      • Maxi Badd / Danger Gens
      • Monstro
      • Stevedores
      • Eyefulls
    • Composition & Direction >
      • Productions
    • Music Lessons
  • Watch
  • Press
  • Calendar
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Join
  • Contact

What is a Composer? What is a Songwriter? Where do they cross? Essay #2 (of 4) 

5/16/2016

0 Comments

 
"My love for music always seemed clear to me, regardless of the style or form, but there was a disconnect for me as a young writer. I had the desire to compose, having an opera and another multi-media project in my head at age sixteen, but I had massive anxiety over not knowing how to make the music come to fruition. I was overwhelmed by my insecurity, thinking I didn’t know how to do it “right.” I had no mentors to guide me in compositional vision. I didn’t even know what to ask for. I was a suburban teenager with no family background in music, attending piano lessons each Tuesday and practicing four to five hours a day in secrecy from my rock-n-roll friends. The training I received was very traditional and I loved it, but it also intimidated me. Perhaps that intimidation is endemic to the culture? A lot of feelings weren’t clear to me until many years later when I analyzed my own relationship to music."
​Link to the rest of the
​ New Essay on New Music Box. 

Picture
Photo by Angela Castaneda
0 Comments

Where I have been and ESSAY #1 or 4 in New Music Box

5/10/2016

1 Comment

 
Shortly after my record, Element 115 (Uup) came out, my then-boyfriend was diagnosed with cancer. His name was James Atkins. He was my biggest cheerleader in putting my record out myself after Fin Records folded. I will always be grateful to him for that particular encouragement. Unfortunately James lost his battle with cancer on Feb 27th. We poured his ashes in Puget Sound last weekend and I am trying to get on with my life. New Music Box, specifically Frank Oteri, asked me to write a blog series last autumn, shortly after the record came out. I wasn't able to do anything during this time except care for James, which was pretty much a full-time job. Frank got a hold of me a month ago, following what little I published about my life on Facebook and asked me if I would like a perhaps well needed distraction from cancer and death to write that blog series. So here is the first installment. I hope you like it. Thanks Frank! Next one coming out Monday May 16th.
The Slow Listening Revolution
1 Comment
    Picture

    Welcome

    Gretta here, sharing some thoughts about music, process, performing. Thank you for reading, commenting, sharing!

    Archives

    September 2017
    October 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014

© 2022 Gretta Harley
subscribe