19 - Original Piano Composition by Thomas LaVoy

19, an original piano composition by Thomas LaVoy, a freshman theory/composition student at Westminster
Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey.

Video directed by Spencer Higgins
Filming/editing by Spencer Higgins and Dave Frazier

Special thanks to Esther Barrington and St. Michael's Catholic Church for the use of their piano.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 19
• nineteen
• original
• piano
• composition
• thomas
• rosin
• lavoy
• student
• westminster
• choir
• college
• rider
• university
• grand
• st.
• michael's
• catholic
• christian
• church
• marquette
• michigan
• MI
• james
• goldsworthy
• princeton
• new
• jersey
• spencer
• higgins
• dave
• frazier
• grant
• cook
• acoustic

[evster7flick]

How do you keep your fingers so loose in the faster phrases of the piece? A lot of the time I'm finding that mine begin to tense up and then the phrase isn't fluent.

[ThomasLaVoy]

@evster7flick I'm still working on that problem myself! When we filmed this video I was still havivng issues with tension in the wrist and hand, but in the two years since then my tension issues have cleared up quite a bit. The trick for me was to feel like my arm and hand were open, and that the actual muscular action was taking place closer to my upper arm and armpit. Hinging directly from your hand cuts off the rest of your arm and body from being a part of the sound.

Hope that helps!!

[RHaeIn68]

Why is the title 19?

[ThomasLaVoy]

@RHaeIn68 Beginning around 2:15, that first melody has 19 pitch changes (not 19 individual notes) including the striking of the first pitch. More significantly, the melody beginning at 4:10 has 19 pitch changes as well, and this melody is prevalent as a theme throughout the rest of the piece. I also started writing this piece at the age of 17 and finally finished the score at the age of 19, so the title seemed fitting in that regard as well.

Thanks for asking!

[evster7flick]

@ThomasLaVoy I'm starting to get it, it's sort of similar to how you hold a bow. Thank you so much, my piano teacher isn't too good with this type of technical stuff. Mainly a lot of theory.

[bdubbs138]

wow that was phenomenal good work man

[destroyall94]

I feel sorry for all of the people who can't listen to such a great composition may it be because of a disability or because of the fact that the individual has a different taste in music.

[musicnato]

amaaazing :)

[Nicofiesta18]

Hey ! Watch my compositions too ! :)

[veronsky7]

I'm Blown Away. You are truly amazing!

[rjberman25]

This is really good maybe a bit slower in some parts because the notes don't feel clearly articlulated in some parts. Otherwise I think your skills are to some extent unparallelled.