My name is Jordi Vives i Batlle. I was born in Barcelona in 1964, and music
has been present in my life from an early age. Although none of my parents are
musicians, my father taught me from very young the love for classical music. In
those years, however, music at school was not a priority and I was taught that
Music was a pastime rather than a career. In the end, I never started a
professional music life. By training I am a physicist, currently working as an
Environmental Consultant. Although coming from
a scientific background and loving my job, I maintained, however, my early
passion for music, mainly as a listener. My favourite composers have always
been Schubert, Beethoven, Bruckner and Elgar. More recently, I developed an
interest in contemporary music (specifically Webern, though also Schönberg,
Berg and Boulez).
As a result of attending concerts and revisiting my large
record collection, I often felt the urge for a greater musical involvement.
Four or five years ago I started reading basic texts on musical theory and history. I became
fascinated by the formal aspects of music including harmony, form, composition
and analysis. Simultaneously, I joined the Whitehaven town band and now I am a
regular cornet and baritone player in my free time. Stimulated by the contact
with other musicians, I started to think in terms of writing my own
compositions and I made a few attempts, some more successful than others.
Although by then acquainted with some degree of practical musicianship,
it was clear to me that I had reached a point in which I needed to
formalise my training. First, it seemed clear that this would provide me with a
greater appreciation and enjoyment of the music I regularly listened to.
Second, I wanted to write better music in the years to come. What I needed is
to advance beyond the self-taught stage and acquire a formal degree. Initial
training in that direction has now advanced toward the completion of a two-year
Diploma in Music by the Open university. Encouraged by the good results obtained, I intend to
pursue courses in musical analysis next year, and to complete a full named
degree in music with the OU in due course. At the moment, my biggest challenge
is to combine work, study, composition and being a parent. I want to compose
music using a combination of serial and tonal techniques. However, in
preparation for this, I believe I should master classical forms and for this
reason (as well as for pure enjoyment) I am producing pieces in the
Classical style as well. In addition to my existing works in
Scorchmusic I have substantial manuscripts in various stages of revision
including a sonata for clarinet and piano, string quartet in G minor, pieces
for brass band and sketches for a symphony in Bb major, among others. Right now
my efforts are concentrated on the twelve-tone sonata No. 4.