Discover Music with Corwin Rishel
Learn More About Corwin’s Goals
Explore Musical Creations
This section showcases my top projects.
Original Scores
Commissions
Corwin Rishel’s Musical Journey
In the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year, I was a sophomore in high school and a passionate music enthusiast. I started playing the french horn in the 5th grade and I have continued to play french horn for my school concert band each year after. Upon entering high school in 2021, I discovered that music theory was an available class. Despite warnings from seniors and music teachers that sophomores rarely take Music Theory I and II in the same year, and that most seniors take it before college, I decided to enroll. This, to this day, has been the best decision of my life so far.
That year, I learned to view music from a completely new perspective as I eagerly took advantage of opportunities to compose music. In mid-September of my sophomore year, I approached my band director about the PMEA Composition Contest, which required composing an original piece for any chamber group or wind ensemble, up to a full symphony. My first entry was a simple yet rhythmic brass quintet, which received positive feedback from the judges, with no score below 7 out of 10. Although I didn’t win, I continued to write music because of something I had never realized about music before this entry.
When I wrote my first entry, I was rushing myself and didn’t spread out my thoughts or time. I finished the composition in less than 2 weeks and submitted it at the very last minute. I felt rushed and ended up stressing myself throughout the process. After I got my scores back, regardless of how the judges liked it, I wasn’t pleased with myself. I had rushed an artistic project that I had paid to enter. Over the following summer I realized what I was missing. When I wrote the previous piece, I did so because I could. There was no meaning or story, and that was what I wanted to include from now on.
The following year, I entered the contest again with another brass quintet, scoring higher than the previous year. I regard it as my best work so far. The reason I view this as my best piece is not because of the quintet itself, but because of what happened to it. Later I expanded the piece from a quintet to an arrangement for concert band while increasing the difficulty and musicality to make it more enjoyable and more clear of a story. I submitted it to the National Band Association’s Young Composers Competition. Furthermore, my band director has arranged for my high school band to perform it this school year.
I continue to write music to this day, and the reason has shifted since then for why I compose. My first few compositions were very boring. But now I convey a story or personal emotion into my work to share with the people who will listen. Taking music theory early on was the best decision I’ve made, not due to the accolades, but because it revealed my passion and talent for composing. I aspire to refine my skills further, learn everything about music composition, and eventually share and sell my music to an audience who will appreciate it. This pivotal year in music has undoubtedly been the most significant decision of my life driving the vision for my future career in music.