By Laura Koenig | Echo
After four years of writing music at Taylor University, senior music composition major Joshua Dix will present his creations this Saturday during his senior composition recital.
Piano soloists and wind ensembles will perform his seven original compositions. However, Dix has also taken on a challenge never attempted at a Taylor senior recital.
"Last semester, I wrote a score for a student-made film," Dix said. "I am having it performed with live instruments while the film is playing."
This 20-minute comedy film is about a man with a dead-end job who happens to get involved with an unlucky group of bank robbers. This movie and music combination reflects Dix's interest in using his degree to work with film in some capacity.
Along with this fresh and different work, the audience should expect Dix's favorite piece, a playful song titled "The Old West."
Dix's pieces emerge from his deep love of music.
"It is the international language," he said. "You could go to a concert hall in Germany, China or Brazil, and they all speak different languages. But you could put the same piece of music in front of the musicians and the same emotions come through."
Dix is inspired not only by the international language of music but also by local inspirations: namely one of his mentors, Dana Collins.
"For all four years, he has been instrumental in providing more tools and insights," Dix said of the music composition professor. "He has helped a lot in giving me knowledge and opening my mind to different ideas."
Dix also admires the work of Howard Shore, the composer of the score for the "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" film series. He strives to mimic Shore's intentional writing, carefully placing each note with purpose and meaning.
While his mentors have given him valuable lessons, Dix also draws on his childhood. When he was a kid, his parents made a rule that all of their children had to be involved in music. This is when Dix started playing piano. Later he moved on to playing percussion instruments, specializing in the timpani. However, it was not until his junior year of high school that he started to compose his own music.
Throughout these years of composing, Dix has learned that he works best writing his music while working on other things. "You can't always expect when you will have a good idea," he said. "I fall into the idea and just run with it. I've learned to be completely open to that."
Dix's ability to keep an open mind about new techniques and ideas provides an appealing and dramatic set of original compositions at his recital.
Dix performs on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Recital Hall. There is no admission charge.
