Toronto School for Strings

David Stone

Called a "promising young talent" by the Globe and Mail, David Stone has been composing for classical ensembles and various forms of digital media for ten years. Born in Toronto, Canada, he studied piano and double bass from an early age and was involved in the Claude Watson Arts Program and Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. David received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto, where he studied composition and orchestration with Christos Hatzis, Chan Ka Nin, and John Hawkins.

Reflections on Theory

Theory isn't just learning about notes and how to draw a treble clef. Think about this: When you're playing your instrument, how active is your brain, and how active are your hands? I'll bet you felt your hands were doing all the work. Theory is about getting your brain moving as fast as your hands. Imagine being able to learn your pieces in half the time!

Theory is everywhere in music. It's on the radio, it's in your CDs and MP3s (even in the music you don't learn about in school!). It's in movie soundtracks and even video game music. Theory is about understanding every part of music, because music is more than just having "lightning-fingers."