Liz Story - Wedding Rain

Liz Story was a rising star in the New Age piano world back in the 80's. Remember?

Anyway, her CD "Solid Colors" was a hit and put Story out in front among the many who were also creating in this genre.

In this piece Liz creates a nice "new age" ambiance. The piece begins in the right hand creating the feel and mood. So, what do you listen for when you hear music like this?

Well, if you're a composer and want to discover what's happening, you listen for a number of things. The first is the sound itself. Is it major? Minor? Modal? What about the time signature - 3/4/ 4/4 or something else.

Now, the most important thing ... how is this pianist/composer using repetion and contrast? What sections are repeated and which are new.

Remember, think in sections! Most music is sectional in nature. Even though this piece in particular sounds rather "loose," it does have repeats. Listen for these! Then if you want, you can chart out what she's doing in terms of sections, i.e. How many bars for the (A) section (B) etc.