Archives for 2016

Every year, we have our composition students do focused study of the works of a living composer, then Skype with that composer to discuss the music.  This year, one of the composers we focused on was Chen Yi, and we met with her this past week. Chen Yi is a fantastic subject for young American composers to study because her life experiences are dramatically distant from theirs, and that … [Read more...]

When did singers and songwriters first start getting lumped under the moniker “artists?”  I think it happened during my lifetime, but I’m not sure, because I’ve spent a lot of my life in a cave.  Hank Williams, Sam Cooke wrote and sang their own songs, but I don’t think they were generally referred to as “the artist.”  Or, rather, when they were referred to as artists it was meant as a compliment, … [Read more...]

I’m a big fan of the people I am close to; I don’t know how I would get along without them.  But I really cherish my time alone.  Solitude gives me the energy I need to interact with the rest of the world in a healthy way.  When I get enough of it – and I need a lot – I am more creative, more kind, more balanced. This coming Saturday night, violinist Kevin Lawrence is playing a program … [Read more...]

I live in Forsyth County, a little north of the center of North Carolina, a state that chose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton by 5% in last week’s election.  Here is how this county voted: President: Clinton (Dem) 53%, Trump (Rep) 43% Senate: Ross (Dem) 51%, Burr (Rep) 46% House: Brannon (Dem) 54%, Foxx (Rep) 46% Governor: Cooper (Dem) 56%, McCrory (Rep) 42% Many minds are … [Read more...]

Next Sunday, the Tallinn Filharmoonia will give the European premiere of my Multiplicity.  It’s a cool program, with music by Erkki-Sven Tüür, John Adams and Paul Trapkus.  Wish I could be there for it -- snowy streets start to sound appealing this time of year – but I have commitments here. Multiplicity was commissioned by violinist Danielle Belén; she premiered it in 2012 in Los Angeles.  … [Read more...]

For years, I've wanted to create something that would capture the sense of helplessness I feel in the face of horrific onscreen images, the kinds of clips that 24-hour news programming seems to specialize in. Over and over I have had the experience of watching something I couldn't bear seeing, powerless to intervene, and it struck me that I was just one of millions observing the same events, … [Read more...]

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature this year, and discussions ensued: why him?  These discussions are understandable and mostly reasonable, and they are good discussions to have.  But at the same time, it’s important to note that these discussions happen every year with every winner, whether it’s Nobel or Pulitzer or any number of lesser known awards. Maybe we should shorten this … [Read more...]

Unspoken romantic feelings.  The absent, or undemonstrative, parent.  Kitchen table tales of a like-minded ancestor.  All of us have had deep connections to other human beings that are never expressed, yet hold a powerful influence over our thoughts and actions. I’ve just completed a composition called Silent Bond that explores these connections.  Two complementary textures occupy the same time … [Read more...]

Saw a very nice concert this past week by the Lumina Duo – oboist Merideth Hite-Estevez and pianist Jani Parsons.  The program was all music by women from the 12th century to the present.  Great to have a program where the women aren’t presented as token reps for their sex, where the performance is just about them.  The performers took the opportunity to tell each composer’s story, and a … [Read more...]

Got a flu shot a month ago, which means that the dozen-or-so flu symptoms I’ve been laid out with this week aren’t flu, so hurray for that.   The cocktail of fever, wheezing, aches and Nyquil has given me some doozies of nightmares like you might expect from a child first encountering Doctor Who: aliens, exploding planets, etc.  Really not the kind of dreaming I’m used to. Then, last … [Read more...]