Archives for 2017

Can we name a universal aesthetic experience, one that all peoples around the globe have encountered from the beginning of humanity to the present?  Probably not.  But if we wanted to come close, we could do worse than the daily occurrences of sunrise and sunset.  The size of the sun, the colors that surround it, the length of the shadows that engulf us as we watch: how many trillions of times … [Read more...]

Over time, various cities emerge as strongholds of finance:  Venice, Zurich, Edinburgh, Singapore, Hong Kong.  These cities, though they have many other characteristics, have been known for taking a leadership role at some point in regional or global finance. New York City has held a central position in this nation’s financial dealings from the start, and one could argue it was in the city’s … [Read more...]

At the bottom of the hill where I live is what used to be called a Dead End.  Now, I believe, developers address them more euphemistically – No Outlet, for example. The pavement doesn’t stop so much as merge, shifting into crumbled asphalt, then stones, then weeds, then wilderness.  I have the impression that once upon a time the street came to a distinct halt, but gradually Nature has been … [Read more...]

I am off to the Charlotte New Music Festival, a gathering of composers, performers and music lovers in the Queen City over the second half of June.  I’ll be teaching seminars and lessons, and the Out of Bounds Ensemble will be premiering a new piece of mine – Let Slip – on June 23 at the Steinway Piano Gallery. Also on the program: Gestures (fl, ob, perc, pno) by Egid Joechi simul … [Read more...]

Long ago, I heard a lovely definition of creativity: “Finding what has been lost and making it new.”  I’ve never been able to track down the source of that definition, but it’s stuck with me.   We’ve all heard there is nothing new under the sun -- and we can certainly extend that axiom to the knowable universe – but the number of things that have been lost perpetually increases.  Maybe newness is … [Read more...]

I’ve always felt open to a wide range of influences in my music.  That’s not the right approach for everyone – some composers must focus on one or two strong influences – but it suits my character and the kind of music I want to create. Been working on a new piece, though, that has an influence I never would have anticipated.  The music takes the form of many short movements – each under two … [Read more...]

A friend of mine in grad school, a cellist, was close to graduation when his teacher suddenly died.  “What am I going to do?” he asked me. “There is nobody to help me get started in my career!” I remember being shocked at his selfishness, seeing someone else’s death only as an impediment to his own success.  I mentally chided him for ignoring the man who had died, and his family. Two years … [Read more...]

I was surprised to identify, in the placid strings that conclude the extraordinary film A Quiet Passion, a bit of decomposed Ives:  the action dissolves into The Unanswered Question, stripped of trumpet and winds. What is left of The Unanswered Question when the question and increasingly agitated answers are removed?  “The Silence of the Druids—who Know, See and Hear Nothing,” in Ives’ words, … [Read more...]

We had composer Chris Heckman in on Friday to talk with our composers about careers in Film Composition.  Chris is a good colleague who has worked on projects for Disney, Danny Elfman and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.  He was direct and informative with the students: no sugar-coating, no blasting the bad guys, just shared a clear sense of how the profession works.  A few themes emerged. … [Read more...]

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of getting young composers opportunities to hear their music played, and how some schools put more emphasis on showcasing the work of the composition teachers.  Obviously, students should hear the music their professors write, but not at the expense of hearing their own work. A few days later I received a flyer from a prominent school emphasizing … [Read more...]