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Interview with Roger Ellman
September 2, 2006
Roger Ellman is a composer, as well as a poet, cosmologist, physicist, philosopher, and sculptor. For information about his work, visit www.the-origin.org.
Tibbetts: How long have you composed, and what made you decide to become a composer?
Ellman: I am an amateur composer, it has never been my main career, but has long been an avocation. I started composing in about 1970 at about age 38. I'm 75 now so that makes about 37 years. My wife was an amateur painter and it one day occurred to me that if she could paint why couldn't I compose?
Having many other demands on my time [earning a living, father to 5 children, etc.] I have never been "heavily" involved in playing the piano nor composing. I was born with an innate understanding of harmony and melody. With no piano lessons I was playing my own "by ear" arrangements of simple songs at age 8. Around age 9 or 10 I taught myself to read music. At age 14 I did my own piano arrangement of the "Warsaw Concerto" after hearing it on the radio.
After a "trial" first short composition I realized I needed some studying if I was to compose. The studying was reading a few books on music theory and composition and arranging some orchestral scores [borrowed from the local symphony's library] for piano solo. While I have done a few minor compositions for other than piano solo I have largely restricted my composing to for solo piano because then I could perform and listen to it.
Tibbetts: What inspires you?
Ellman: Feelings. I have to be emotionally feeling something. My Sonata #1 is a cry of protest about the Viet Nam War; Sonata #3 is the result of being in love; etc. Or, if strong feelings are not involved I at least have to have something "that I want to say" and have significant feelings about.
Tibbetts: Of all you have done, what do you consider your best work, and why?
Ellman: My Sonata #4, which I call "The Universals", because I think it is the best structured, that it best says what it has to say, and because what it has to say is a paean to the fundamental and universal principals of "Truth and Beauty, Love and Compassion, Justice and Equity".
Tibbetts: What is your 'typical day' like?
Ellman: I have no "typical music day". There are, and have been, long stretches of time with no composing nor piano playing. Then when the urge comes I probably spend on the order of four or five hours a day focused on the composition. Right now I am reviewing and editing my latest piece: Philosophic Suite - The Cycle of Being preparatory to getting it recorded.
Tibbetts: Do you have any words of wisdom to offer to aspiring composers and musicians?
Ellman: 1 -- Love what you're doing. If it's work it's not for you.
2 -- Believe in yourself; believe in your ideas, your principles, what you want to say musically. [For example, it is a shame that Leonard Bernstein let himself be "hounded" by the serial 12-tone school into trying to compose to their satisfaction. If he had just "been himself" he could have done much more.]
3 -- But, that does not mean that one can ignore the immutable requirements of art: theme, variation, structure, rhythm, message, logic, etc.
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