Connecting you with the University of Missouri’s innovative research and creative activityWriting Music that Speaks to the Human Spirit
A visit with Thomas McKenney, Professor, Composition and Music Theory
Additional Interview Clips
From score study to original musical composition: How research and creative activity inform each other
Employing harmonic vocabulary
More on tonal systems and McKenney’s philosophy of music
McKenney's compositional process: Combining old and new technologies
More on the pros and cons of using computerized software to compose music
The types of musical pieces McKenney composes and the compositional process he employs
The dilemma of publishing for composers
"Music needs to balance emotion and intellect"
McKenney’s philosophy of music
Writing music to elicit an emotional response
Teaching music at MU
What research and creative activity looks like for music composer W. Thomas McKenney
Topics:
music
composition
Research for composer Thomas McKenney often takes the shape of such activities as score studies. That is, before McKenney begins to write a piece, he examines what other composers have done. While research informs his creative process, helping to get the creative juices flowing, McKenney then strives to put aside the research and focus on what he wants to do with his own composition.