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A clarinet tutor at my uni put together a clarinet choir and was looking for a student here to write a piece. One of the lecturers put my name forward because he felt that my style would fit the group well. So, I tried to just write a piece in my normal kind of slightly jazzy style. I did my usual thing of creating a few motifs and attempting to build a whole piece out of them, seeing which ways I could twist them and play around with them. I haven't yet sent it to the group, I probably will in early 2019.

Wanted to share an improv from the past year or two. Curious to know what you guys think. Technique, melody, etc. Thanks for listening!

For improvisation it flows well. Nice spread in harmonic rhythm, a graceful tune and pianistically accomplished. An occasional hesitation but that's a risk with all improvisation (I suppose...until you've 'learned' the bits you like for use in subsequent performances - how it is with me anyway!). It could easily pass as a composed piece on paper. Improvisation is composing on the fly to me! Some very nice moments in it.

Listening to the third movement now. It definitely has an uplifting, optimistic tone. I like it — good contrast with last piece. And not every last movement has to end in Greek tragedy ^_~ Great use of arpeggios toward the end of the opening theme. Also, I think you use trills to very good effect, both in right and left hand. In fact, I’m amazed you make it sound so good on a MIDI playback. I purposefully avoid using trills when I can in my pieces, because MIDI tends to completely butcher it. You make me want to try it again, though! I’m really impressed with how you reworked this piece. Before, it suffered from identity crisis and awkward writing, but now, it stands as a more fully fleshed-out, fun, clever, and engaging piece. You should be proud! I hope you will write more pieces for piano, I would love to see how you continue to develop.

Personally, the 2nd movement is my favorite of the bunch, including the fact it strongly reminds me of Carmen 😄 In fact, all three of your pieces have clear sources of inspiration, that you put your own original twist on. The 3rd has Chopin Op. 10 No. 12 reference in the L.H. If this is the same piece I’m thinking I heard from you years ago, it may be the most dramatic improvement. Before there was way too much Chopin. Now, it’s a reference, not a huge riff in the whole piece. 2nd movement: I would never, ever name one of my pieces “Appassionato(a)”, for fear of being unfairly compared to Beethoven’s “Appassionata.” Yet, the title fits, here. I really like that the deep feeling is conveyed, not by loud and dramatic passages (which is all well and good, my personal favorite tool in the toolbox!), but rather, by subdued, dignified “dance” which clearly conveys internal passion which is only peaking through at moments here and there throughout the piece. Over rubato by a performer would kill the piece, and miss the point. Love your choice of melody and voicing in the right hand. Minor qualm, I wish the triplets at 40 would have continued all the way through 41, then stopping at the grand rolled chord at measures 42. I think that would feel more natural. Also, little note on 43-48. I think I see where you’re going here development-wise. I’d like to offer a slight alternative here, I think would sound “smooth”, in harmony with the rest of the piece. Measure 43, move F in R.H. to A in chord on 2nd beat, and add a D to the third beat note below the Bb. Left hand, just make the last F an F#. Then on 45, make the last note L.H. an E natural instead of Eb. Just a suggestion, see how you like it. (You may hate it, and that’s fine too.) I know you’re probably wanting to keep with that repeated note motif throughout the piece, but I thought this might be a nice opportunity to add a little “slant” to that motif, rather than quoting it verbatim. Itty-bitty nitpick, might be better to make the F# and A in the R.H. of 47 a soft second voice, both of them half notes, and lose the D on the 3rd beat (no one will miss it). Love the cantabile and appassionato section. Great use of gradually more adventurous harmony up to a climax. Very nice. One important note (pun not intended): 73 is craving that first bass note to be a D, not F. Really easy fix, and this time, I actually recommend it: ms. 72, 3rd beat, make middle C trail out F minor down to lower C, and then D right above in ms. 73. Then ms. 73, make all bass eighth notes as follows: that D mentioned before, F, D above, going down Bb, F, D, Bb, Ab, bam, fixed. I really think you will like that adjustment. The tracker, unfortunately, refuses to let me listen to the rest of the piece, but I’m hearing it in my head. Looks like a recap mostly, heading toward finale, so I’m pretty sure I’m hearing right, and I like it. Little something: I think in context, 169 and 170 would sound really cool like this. On last beat of 169 R.H., make Ab and Bb both naturals instead. Then on first chord on 170 R.H, keep the chord and add both F and B natural. After ms. 167 having both the Ab and Bb, I think this would add a little harmonic flavor to your ending passage. Love the whole piece. Again, it’s my favorite of the 3. 3rd movement: coming soon.