Researcher of the Month
November 2008
Victoria Hart
Music Major, University Scholars program, Bachelor of Arts degree - Dec. 08
Recipient of URECA Grant for Creative Activities, Fall 08, to support upcoming concert
Mentor: Dr. Perry Goldstein, Music
There are a great many Harry Potter fans, deeply familiar with J.K Rowling's 7 book
series and its elaborately constructed magical world following Harry's 7 years at
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. One such fan, at age 11 (the same age as Harry was when discovered his wizarding heritage!), in fact vividly remembers staying up all night the eve of starting 6th grade, reading
the 3rd book in the series. By the time the 7th and final Harry Potter book came out in 2007, this same fan —now an undergraduate music major and composer
at SB—had a thought: "Oh, wouldn’t it be cute if you had a septet based on the Harry
Potter books, and there were 7 movements, one for each book."
Vi Hart spent the next 7+7 months, working with her composition teacher Prof. Perry
Goldstein, and composing a septet for violin, viola, cello, bass, piano, and two voices.
The result was ...well, magic!: 1.5 hours of music, which will be performed on Friday, December 5th, and conducted by the talented undergraduate composer herself! For her research/creative
activities project, Vi also received a URECA grant in support.
Like many musicians, Vi also has a deep love of mathematics. She presented a paper
on "Using Binary Numbers in Music" at the annual Bridges Conference of Mathematics,
Music, Art, Architecture and Culture (Netherlands, 2008); and also co-authored a paper,
"Computational Balloon Twisting" which she presented at the Canadian Conference of
Computational Geometry(Quebec, 2008). When 
asked about her predilections and talents in both spheres of music and mathematics,
Vi reflected:"I think there’s definitely a connection. Maybe I’m biased because those are the two
things I know how to do, so they’re the only things I know how to see connections
between. They’re similar in that sense of discovery, having things fit together. When
I’m composing a piece, I often feel that I know what has to come next and what makes
sense. Certain notes work and other notes don’t work. If you can figure it all out
and put it together, you end up with a beautiful piece. Mathematics is often the same
way where you’re on this trip of discovery. Certain things work, certain things don’t.
And when you’re done, you have something beautiful, elegant."
Vi Hart has also explored the visual arts, and sample works (charcoals, sculptures) can be viewed at www.vihart.com. Although plans for graduate school and the future are currently unclear, Vi has definite plans to travel around Europe following graduation in December. Correspondent Rita Skeeter of The Daily Prophet ventures to make another prediction: more creative contributions to the world are sure to follow from Vi Hart! Below are some excerpts of Vi's interview with URECA Director, Karen Kernan.
Karen: Tell me about your project.
Vi: I’m a composer and I’ve been composing for as long as I can remember. I got inspired
last year by none other than the Harry Potter series. The project started off as a cute idea and then I just ran with it. It took
about 14 months. But I completed a septet — originally 2 hours of music, which I’ve
cut down to one and one-half hours. Now, I’m currently working on getting that septet
performed.
How did you first get this idea of writing this composition?
Last summer when I began writing the septet was the summer that the seventh book came
out. Seven is an important number in the Harry Potter books. So that was the founding
idea of this piece. I thought: “Oh, wouldn’t it be cute if you had a septet based
on the Harry Potter books, and there were 7 movements, one for each book. I thought
it was a fun idea and then it happened. I did it. That was the surprising thing. Fourteen
months later, I actually finished it! . . . It’s the biggest project I’ve ever worked
on. It’s been quite a journey.
Who’s involved in this performance?
There are 7 players. The piece is for a string quartet— a violin, viola, cello, bass;
plus a piano; and two female voices. So far, I’ve almost got my performers finalized.
Almost more difficult than writing the thing in the first place is finding performers
and arranging schedules and rehearsals…all the administrative work that I’m not so
good at.
Tell me a little more about the composition process. Were you thinking of each book
as a separate entity? Did you have ideas already in mind as far as themes? How did
it work?
When I began each section, each book of the septet, I would reread the book itself
looking for text because there are two voices in the septet, and they sing snippets
of text, such as the sorting hat song… As I got to each subsequent book, I’d see how
this text relates to something I did before. And I’d think: I can use that theme again.
I can make connections. So they aren’t really separate movements. It all is a whole
piece that reuses themes and develops them throughout the entire series.
Do you have a favorite theme?
Well as far as ideas of themes, in the books it’s the theme of love. How love conquers all. There’s the friendship
kind of love. A mother’s love. . . and I use a lot of beautiful, lovely themes to
develop this idea. I try to write beautiful music. And this theme is one that really
lends itself well to making music.
What do you do with the dark sides of the book? Like Voldemort, or should I say, “he
who cannot be named.”
They’re in there too! If you had an hour and a half of only nice, happy, pretty themes,
it could get kind of boring!. . . But there’s a lot of conflict in my piece, creepy
themes—minor music too. But always, it’s those beautiful themes that you come back
to. And it’s so much better when you do come back to that theme you love after having
heard all the darker music.
What were your best and worst days in going through this process of composition? Did
you ever want to give up on this project?
I kept expecting that point to happen, that I’d get so far and then get bored and
want to stop and say I’m tired of this, and I’m not inspired anymore. But that point
never happened! I kept going and was constantly inspired. I took breaks sometimes,
and then would get a burst to work again.
The performance hasn’t happened yet . . . but as far as best days, it is always great as a composer for people to actually hear your music, and to hear it yourself. That’s a huge motivation for me when I’m writing the piece. It’s not just that I want other people to hear it. I want to hear the piece. I need to hear my own music. I'm excited about the upcoming performance. I do think people will enjoy the music. It’s a lot of fun … And conducting is particularly exhilarating when you’re hearing your music performed. It gives you a sense of power… such a thrill. Because you know the slightest movement of your hand is going to be reflected by a huge response by your performers.
Tell me more about types of music you’ve worked on before, other compositions you'd
done.
Starting by playing piano made it so that I knew how to write for piano. I also sang—
so I knew how to write for voices. I played viola, so I knew how to write for strings.
I play these instruments because I liked them. And they’re easy to write for because
I play them. So they’re mostly the instruments I write for. I haven’t done too much
with woodwinds and brass. I love the sound of strings and voices and of piano….I think
they’re very natural. Other sounds I like also. But they don’t work as well alone.
Tell me about your mentor’s influence on the creative process.
My composition teacher Perry Goldstein has been very supportive of this piece. He’s
been helpful in looking at the pieces with me, and offering suggestions — which often
I don’t take! But it does help me to put the piece in perspective. Mostly, what’s
important when writing is that you know what you’re doing and that everything that’s
there is there for a reason. When he says, “Take a look at this section. I noticed
you did this…” or “Don’t you think something else would be better?”…..if I then look
at that and can’t justify why I did it a certain way, and why it makes sense, then
I would change it. So having him there to look over what I’m writing is definitely
good in that it helps me justify what I’m doing. And that way, I understand it myself
more.
How do you dissociate yourself from the music of the movies, the music written for
the film versions of Harry Potter?
I’ve seen all of the films so far. The only theme I really remember is Hedwig’s theme.
But music in a movie is very different than music when you’re having music for its
own sake. Because in a movie, the music isn’t supposed to be distracting, it’s background
music. …When you’re writing music that’s meant to be listened to by itself, you write
completely differently.
How did you get involved in composition? Did your high school have a strong music
program?
Northport HS has an excellent music program: 4 years of composition and theory. But
even before that, there was a piano in my house when I was growing up. And with a
piano in the house, I couldn’t help but be attracted to it and play it. I’d make up
music. I didn’t know how to read music for a very long time….but I’d make up my own
music to play.
You didn’t have formal piano lessons?
I actually did take piano lessons for a couple of months and I hated them…because
I had to play what the piano teacher wanted me to play and not what I wanted to play.
I didn’t think they were interesting at all when I was young. So I stopped taking
lessons early on. But I kept on playing. In a way, I developed a lot of awful habits
by teaching myself how to play my own compositions. But it may have been a benefit
for composing. Exploring the instrument without instruction can help you be more creative
in that aspect (even if I might never be a concert pianist!).
Did you start off as a music major at Stony Brook?
Yes, and the teachers are excellent, and the graduate students are very excellent…
excellent performers. So for a composer, it’s ideal. When I have a piece, and I have
a piano part that’s way too difficult for an undergraduate…I can go to a grad student,
and say, can you do this? And they can, because they’re very good!
Tell me about your future plans.
I’ve considered film scoring. Musical theater. Maybe I will go to graduate school.
…I haven’t quite decided yet. I do want to compose. Where I want to go with that I’m
not sure. Because it’s difficult to just compose and magically receive money for it.
What are some of your other interests?
Reading. I love reading. I read all the time. I read like I compose…in huge chunks.
I get a book, and I finish it that night even if I stay up all night. I remember I
got the 3rd Harry Potter book the first day it came out. It was the first day of 6th
grade for me. I had just turned 11 and I got the book and I stayed up all night reading
it. I do things very intensely. . . I still lose a lot of sleep to reading— and to composing. I’m also a re-reader. I never feel
like I’m wasting time on a book I’ve already read, though, because I do also read
a lot of new books. But I love to re-read things multiple times, to re-enter that
world of a book that I love. . .
I’m also in the judo club here on campus. It’s fun…I spend so much time in my own
head so it’s fun to throw people and get thrown, and struggle physically instead of
mentally for awhile.
I’m also a math hobbyist. But I don’t do that in connection with school. I enjoy going
to math and art conferences. I presented at the Bridges Math and Art conference last
summer. That was a lot of fun.
What was your presentation/paper about?
It was about using binary numbers in music which is a fun way to compose using a new
tool and putting math in music. Also last summer, I presented a paper at CCCG, the
Canadian Conference of Computational Geometry. It had nothing to do with music. I
love geometry and mathematics. And this paper was another fun one about computational
balloon twisting, co authored with Eric and Martin Demaine. Our paper was about what
you can twist out of balloons, what different structures you can make . . . . It was
a lot of fun to write and to present.
Math and music talents and interests often seem to be correlated. Don’t you find that
people are very often drawn to both?
I think there’s definitely a connection. Maybe I’m biased because those are the two
things I know how to do, so they’re the only things I know how to see connections
between. They’re similar in that sense of discovery, having things fit together. When
I’m composing a piece, I often feel that I know what has to come next and what makes
sense. Certain notes work and other notes don’t work. If you can figure it all out
and put it together, you end up with a beautiful piece. Mathematics is often the same
way where you’re on this trip of discovery. Certain things work, certain things don’t.
And when you’re done, you have something beautiful, elegant.
That’s great that you’re pursued this interest in mathematics as well as music.
My love of geometry and mathematics is definitely my father’s influence. Ever since
I tagged along with him to my first conference, I enjoyed myself so much that I look
for opportunities to go to fun conferences ever since. Bridges is a wonderful conference.
I’m actually the music organizer for that conference now. And I do enjoy presenting….When
you’re presenting a paper, you should really want to tell others about something you
think is interesting. At a conference, especially one where the environment is friendly,
and you can meet everyone …it’s like telling all of your friends about something cool
you did. And it’s fun. I got a lot of great feedback from people interested in my
work and who enjoyed the presentation.
When you’re hard at work in the composition process, what frustrates you?
Writing music is a creative process, and often… you can’t sit down and force yourself
to do it. I used to compose by waiting for inspiration to strike, and then I’d be
inspired, sit down and get an incredible amount of work done in a short time. Then
maybe I would not do any work for a month. And then I’d have another burst….What I’ve
learned with this project is that sometimes by sitting down and actually saying, now
I have to work, now I want to finish this piece, you actually can get better at controlling
your creative bursts and being able to work when you want to. It’s very important
to know how to do this.
It's a bit like writing, it seems.
It’s very much like writing. Especially in that, with writing, people have the idea
that you are a talented great writer or you’re not. Same thing with composing: people
tend to think, someone is a genius or they’re not. Both are skills that can be learned,
and take practice. If you sit down and put a lot of work into it, you can be a great
writer or a great composer. It’s not that you just sit down and write your first novel
and it comes out wonderfully. It’s not a magical process …it’s something you actually
have to do work for.
Do you have any advice to other students?
Two things. First is to see the value in what you’re doing. And in everything you’re
doing. Even for example if you’re struggling through DEC classes that you have to
take, it’s important to see that value in that and realize how it will help you and
to enjoy yourself. The second thing is …don’t procrastinate. I don’t mean that in
your work for school. I mean …people often say, "maybe I’ll write a book some day,"
or "some day I'll do a huge composition project." The time is now to do things. So
if you have something you think maybe you’ll do someday , what better time is there
than now? Life is now! Not . . . when I graduate, or when I’m done with a midterm.
Life will always keep coming at you. You’ve just got to do what you want to do! And
there is the time, even if it’s only a little bit. You always have enough time to
do something if you really want to.