As a composer of acoustic and electronic music, Dr. Sheldon draws her inspiration from nature and life events. Most of her music is programmatic and tonal with inflections from popular music as well as late 19th century forms and harmonies. Dr. Sheldon's acoustic music ranges from solo instrumental works to chamber music and songs as well as film and video game soundtracks.
Vision in Vanilla: a rock-style composition featuring keyboard, drums and guitars
Moody: an electronic composition utilizing live sources, manipulated recorded sounds and computer-generated sounds.
The CD Here's to You! includes solo compositions "Journey of a Falling Leaf" and "One Last Beauty." The more upbeat "Sebastian's Salsa" for harp ensemble can be found on Gold2Ivory.
Compositions and New Music for Harp
Transcription and Arranging:
Beginning with her doctoral dissertation, "Franz Liszt and the Harp", Dr. Sheldon maintains a great interest in transcribing great works of music not written for the harp, transforming them into idiomatic harp compositions. She often presents lecture recitals detailing the history of the works transcribed as well as the transcription process itself. Works she has transcribed range from piano solos of Beethoven, Debussy, Chopin and Joplin to orchestral works of Vivaldi, to recent jazz, popular and rock music not often heard on the instrument. In addition, she arranges music of all genres for solo harp and ensembles of various sizes and instrumentation.
Dr. Sheldon's newest CD, Gold2Ivory, includes the four Liszt transcriptions from her dissertation as well as her interpretation of Delibes' "Flower Duet" from Lakme.
Promotion of New Music:
For the past several years Dr. Sheldon has worked as an advisor and editor to student and professional composers. As a result she has premiered works by local and international composers in such venues as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She is always interested in working with composers curious about the timbral possibilities and intricacies of the harp.
Reverie (for Vanessa Sheldon) by Masatoshi Mitsumoto