Study Music Project

Time for a long over-due commentary about my newest composition. I recently received a message about it, and in replying to the message, I’ve shared a little bit of what the song is about.

Subject: Snowflake Sonata

Message: “Just to clarify, this isn’t really a sonata (: haha very pretty music though. This might be presumptuous of me but I’m guessing you’re not classically trained? This is more of a rondo then a sonata.”

My response:

hey there,

thanks for your message! and thank you for your clarification. actually i am aware that in the most classical sense, i am using the word “sonata” a bit out of context. however, i wanted to use this word in a more general and literal sense, in the way wikipedia describes it: “[sonata] literally means a piece played as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian cantare, “to sing”), a piece sung.”

i was inspired to write this song by watching the way snow falls, and the way it covers the land peacefully. I desired to recreate this feeling for those who are going through alot of stress in their studies. Thus, i wanted to title the piece to reflect this inspiration. I wanted to use alliteration and thus came up with three different titles:

1. Snowflake Song

2. Snowflake Suite

3. Snowflake Sonata

I wasn’t about to call this, the “Snowflake Song” because I didn’t really like the ring to it, and Snowflake Suite is a name of a computer software. So that leaves Snowflake Sonata. It felt right, and thus it was therefore entitled as such.

In regards to my training, I have been classically trained for a good 11 years before moving onto jazz and improv, which is why you hear classical elements to alot of my music.

Hope this clarifies things,

Dennis Kuo

Time for a long over-due commentary about my newest composition. I recently received a message about it, and in replying to the message, I’ve shared a little bit of what...