by Michael Shively |
While some may have spent the four long months of summer break sunbathing, traveling, or interning, Dana Coppernoll-Houston was busy composing music four to six hours every week day.
Coppernoll-Houston was awarded with a research grant that allowed them to compose the score for the orchestra accompaniment of one of the most critically acclaimed silent films of all time, “The General.”
Beloved by film buffs everywhere, “The General” gave Coppernoll-Houston a lot of material to work with. The story follows a railroad engineer during the Civil War whose fiancée is accidentally taken away on a stolen train. A rescue mission ensues with one comedic, stunt-filled obstacle after the next.
Coppernoll-Houston says that the event has something for everyone.
“If you really like old movies and the history they have in them, you can come to this concert,” Coppernoll-Houston said. “If you really like watching strings play, come to the concert. If you really like exciting action movies, come to the concert. If you’ve have a stressful day and you just want a break for an hour and a half, come to the concert.”
According to music professor David De Lyser, hearing the soundtrack played live is something most people don’t get the chance to experience, but it’s unique because it brings a whole new level of energy to the film.
Although Coppernoll-Houston is currently working on her Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree at UP, she and De Lyser first met when she was an undergraduate student minoring in music, with a focus on composition.
“I was taking lessons for two years from De Lyser before this project even started,” Coppernoll-Houston said.
Coppernoll-Houston has been writing music since middle school, where she played percussion. Her first pieces were written for her and her fellow drummers, but her vision soon grew. Before long she was writing compositions for the entire band and soon other musical groups. In high school she got composition software, and the rest is history.
Although Coppernoll-Houston admittedly has “tons” of composition in her laptop, only five of them are finished enough for a band to play. Aside from “The General,” two of her other pieces have been played, one for a wind symphony, and the other for an orchestra.
This is the only piece she has done for a movie.
“With normal compositions, I could write whatever I wanted, like choosing to paint with any colors I want on a canvas,” Coppernoll-Houston said. “But with soundtrack composition, which is what I did here for this piece, it’s much more restricted by what’s happening in the movie.”
On top of the hours she put in over the summer, Coppernoll-Houston’s writing continued into the school year, with nearly two hours a day spent perfecting her work. The entire process took 10 months in total and was finished just before March — the first time the show was performed. This Saturday will be the second, and likely final, performance of the work.
Crysta Ross is the principal flutist of the piece, and has been playing with the orchestra for over a year.
“I love playing in these dynamic shows,” Ross said. “It really adds another element that keeps the audience engaged.”
Ross noted that this engagement also held true with the orchestra’s previous show, last semester’s “The Snowman,” which was accompanied by a narrator. She said that having both composers present in the orchestra during the performance was useful, because it allowed them to make changes during practices and see how excited the composers were to see their work come to life.
Coppernoll-Houston suggests that anyone itching to see the fruits of their own creative labor should start composing their own music.
“Just really listen to the music you are already listening to,” Coppernoll-Houston said. “Ask yourself: ‘Why do I like this?’ and really think hard about it.”
You can come experience the hard work of Coppernoll-Houston, DeLyser, and all of the 53 orchestra members, this weekend. If you can’t make this performance, the orchestra will play two shows with the Bravo Youth Orchestra on Feb. 28 and in April.
The concert is Saturday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. Reserve your free ticket at BC 235 ahead of time. call the PFA office at 503-943-7228 for more information. The orchestra Facebook page will also have a link posted to a live-stream of the show.
Michael Shively is a reporter for The Beacon. He can be reached at shively17@up.edu.
