Titles in Music

 As anyone who has created something can attest to, things need names. Some things we create only have common names of which we refer to as generic place holders. Some things that we create require specific names, or proper names. 

Naming music has always been somewhat weird to me. When you look at the music you most often consume, everything has a name. Most pieces of music have names that convey a character of the music. For example album names are one of my favorite ways to name music. The art and meaning from albums titled things like RAMONA PARK BROKE MY HEART or sour.

The names chosen for works of art determine so much about how music will be perceived. It is often how we first come in contact with a song, its name. This is especially the case in orchestral concert music where there is often a program handed out as you entire a venue. In a lot of orchestral music, especially in older styles such as Baroque, Classical and to a lesser extent Romantic, pieces will have names that don't tell you much about what you are going to hear. Such as Symphony No. 40 in G minor. A name that to some will tell them very much about what they are going to be hearing, if it is your first time listening to the piece, you are given a lot of information in the title, such as form and 'key' but it doesn't have any flavor in the title. Although, maybe music doesn't always need a fun title. 

Some well know examples are the Untitled. Unmastered. tracks, all of which are only titled with a number and date of recording. Although, again still telling some detail about the tracks, it doesn't really matter what they are titled. 

When it comes to me naming my music, I like to keep people guessing. Music that I release via my independent label are often named in an approach common to pop music in style, however, music that I 'compose' for academic or orchestra situations, I have followed some examples from the past, such as Piano Trio No. 2. However, to contrast that title, my first Piano trio is titled final project because it was a final project for class. How creative. Another classical title I have is Quartet for 4 Strings, because its a string quartet but scored for 2 violins and 2 violas and I was advised not to title it String Quartet No. 1 because that might be a misnomer. However, I am definitely going to name my next string quartet String Quartet No. 2. Unless it again is for a weird string ensemble, but that is a bridge I will cross later.