Justine Maeurer is a 12th grade homeschooler. She's been playing piano for 12 years and viola for 3 years and singing in a homeschool choir for several years. She has a love of music and composition from a very young age when her favorite companions were a keyboard and tape recorder. Recently her composition, Elements, was performed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra on thier April, 2013 Young Composer's Concert. Lisa Shirah-Hiers interviewed her by email for Shirah Piano Studio.
SPS: When and why did you begin composing?
Justine: I guess I've been "composing" as long as I can remember. When I was little, I liked to sing a lot and make up songs. I also liked to play around on the piano, and I remember that it was a great frustration to me that I couldn't play what I wanted. Specifically, I remember improvising on the piano to some Bible stories when I was four or five -- for the story of Moses, I'd play the middle keys when Moses was saying "Let my people go", and I'd slam on the lowest notes for Pharaoh's "No".
SPS: What inspires you most?
Justine: Some of my favorite composers are Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Danny Elfman. But I also like to listen to symphonic metal, jazz, celtic, and brass band music, which have probably influenced my composition style as well. As for what inspires me to write music, I'd have to say that sometimes I just need to compose music. But at other times, I write about emotions that I'm feeling or stories that I want to tell. When I was at the first annual Young Composer's Concert, I was really inspired hearing all of the wonderful music that kids my age were writing. That inspiration propelled me to write a piece to enter the
next year.
SPS: What advice would you give other young composers?
Justine: Try, try, and try again. The first year I entered a piece into the Young Composer's Contest, my piece "Elements" was not accepted. I was really disappointed, since I had put in a lot of work on it, and for the longest time after that, I didn't even want to listen to that piece again. But the next year, when I realized I wasn't going to have enough time to write a whole new piece, I took out "Elements" and listened to it again. I realized that it was an ok piece, but it just had one section in the middle that really wasn't working. So I ripped that section out and replaced it. When I submitted the piece again, it was accepted.
SPS: What are your dreams for the future?
Justine: My passion is filmmaking, and I'm going to college to get a degree in Film & Animation. But my aspirations don't have anything to do with Hollywood. My dream is to be part of the independent Christian film movement, and to make films that are not only technically good, but also spread the message of the gospel as well. I'm not aiming to be a film composer, but I do enjoy composing for film, and I may end up doing that in the future.
SPS: Is there something that music give us which nothing else can? What would that be?
Justine: In my genre of music (film scores), the music you hear in movies is invaluable to the whole experience of the film, even though you might not notice the music at first. That's the point. The music is not heard, but it sets the flavor of the movie and helps you follow the emotions of the characters in a way that nothing else can. In a film with no words, the music tells you what the characters are thinking. Music speaks the international language of moods and feelings, and it can be understood by
everyone.
SPS: Why do you like music?
Justine: I don't know… I just thought humans liked music. I mean, have you ever met anyone who doesn't like music? :-)
SPS: When and why did you begin composing?
Justine: I guess I've been "composing" as long as I can remember. When I was little, I liked to sing a lot and make up songs. I also liked to play around on the piano, and I remember that it was a great frustration to me that I couldn't play what I wanted. Specifically, I remember improvising on the piano to some Bible stories when I was four or five -- for the story of Moses, I'd play the middle keys when Moses was saying "Let my people go", and I'd slam on the lowest notes for Pharaoh's "No".
SPS: What inspires you most?
Justine: Some of my favorite composers are Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Danny Elfman. But I also like to listen to symphonic metal, jazz, celtic, and brass band music, which have probably influenced my composition style as well. As for what inspires me to write music, I'd have to say that sometimes I just need to compose music. But at other times, I write about emotions that I'm feeling or stories that I want to tell. When I was at the first annual Young Composer's Concert, I was really inspired hearing all of the wonderful music that kids my age were writing. That inspiration propelled me to write a piece to enter the
next year.
SPS: What advice would you give other young composers?
Justine: Try, try, and try again. The first year I entered a piece into the Young Composer's Contest, my piece "Elements" was not accepted. I was really disappointed, since I had put in a lot of work on it, and for the longest time after that, I didn't even want to listen to that piece again. But the next year, when I realized I wasn't going to have enough time to write a whole new piece, I took out "Elements" and listened to it again. I realized that it was an ok piece, but it just had one section in the middle that really wasn't working. So I ripped that section out and replaced it. When I submitted the piece again, it was accepted.
SPS: What are your dreams for the future?
Justine: My passion is filmmaking, and I'm going to college to get a degree in Film & Animation. But my aspirations don't have anything to do with Hollywood. My dream is to be part of the independent Christian film movement, and to make films that are not only technically good, but also spread the message of the gospel as well. I'm not aiming to be a film composer, but I do enjoy composing for film, and I may end up doing that in the future.
SPS: Is there something that music give us which nothing else can? What would that be?
Justine: In my genre of music (film scores), the music you hear in movies is invaluable to the whole experience of the film, even though you might not notice the music at first. That's the point. The music is not heard, but it sets the flavor of the movie and helps you follow the emotions of the characters in a way that nothing else can. In a film with no words, the music tells you what the characters are thinking. Music speaks the international language of moods and feelings, and it can be understood by
everyone.
SPS: Why do you like music?
Justine: I don't know… I just thought humans liked music. I mean, have you ever met anyone who doesn't like music? :-)
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