Me in my early studio set up at home
Then after 10 years of dedicated learning composition techniques, developing my personal style and learning the technology as best as I could, I realised I had gone as far as I could and I had used the sounds avaliable on the Clavinova to their limit.
It was then that I discovered the only course I had ever come across dedicated to Composition! It was Composition for Professional Media and this has led me to writing to picture and skills in writing in all styles! What has been the best thing has been the technology. With the latest state of the art sounds, the discovery of VST instruments particularly the Symphonic Choirs, I am able to get music and now video to professional standard. I have now set up my music company to work within the Catholic Media using my gifts and training to contribute towards evangeliazation.
I first began composing music for my GCSEs at high school. At the age of 15 one of our tasks was a piece of composition. My tutor immediately encouraged me with my first composition skills and lit the spark within me to know that this is what I can do and I have been eager to do it ever since!
My very first composition was a piece I wrote for piano called "Fiat Mihi" in honour of Our Lady. You can listen to my very first composition on this page.
On this page you can read ABOUT ME and how I came to start my Company 'Media Evangelization Music
I quickly began writing more piano solos because being a pianist I knew the type of piano style I wished to play but I could never find books of original pieces to play that would create an atmosphere and be emotionally moving in the way I knew I wanted to achieve. So I set about creating my own 2 volume book of piano solos! You can listen to snippets of some of these on my "Piano Solos" page.
After school I knew I wanted to do composition and nothing else but as A-level Music included only 4% composition, I decided to begin working part time and dedicating myself to personally exploring composition and see where it would lead me.
My piano solos soon turned to liturgical and instrumental music for church. Being organist since the age of 10 with my best friend and her little brother on flute and violin I began to develop a repertoire of original prayerful music for us to play post-Communion.
Alongside these compositions for trio, I began designing Albums. Working part time for a Computer Shop helped me greatly to learn the technology of getting my compositions recorded and burnt onto CD but the technology was still new. I used Windows Sound Recorder and a cheap microphone to record the piano. It only ran for 30 seconds at a time so I had to develop techniques for extending the recording time!
I would use Acid Pro software to try and create layers, putting my microphone to my Yamaha Keyboard to record harmonies on cheap midi oboe or flute sounds!
In 2001 I discovered the Clavinova and discovered better Midi and XG sounds and was let loose harmonising many of my piano solos, and creating new compositions with this new and amazing instrument. This I was able to link via the audio output to the audio input of my computer and thus get Clavinova pieces onto CD. This led to the creation of my albums, Dreams, Journeys, Worlds, Lands and Realms.
Saint Margaret Clitherow