Podcasts about American Composers Forum

SynopsisOn today's date in 1998, two new Christmas carols debuted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the “Welcome Christmas” choral concert of VocalEssence conducted by Philip Brunelle.The two carols, “Sweet Noel,” by Joan Griffith, and “The Virgin's Cradle Hymn,” by Richard Voorhaar, were the prize-winning submissions entered in a contest arranged by the Plymouth Music Series and the American Composers Forum. The idea was to inspire contemporary composers to create new carols that — who knows? — might turn out to be classics over time.As Brunelle put it, “The Christmas carols that we love to sing and hear have a timelessness about them wrapped in their music and words. Out of submissions from all across the USA, [we] selected two that we felt captured this feeling.”Since 1998, the “Welcome Christmas” Carol Contest has continued as an annual tradition, and hundreds of worthy carols have been submitted. Each year, two are selected and premiered in December by Brunelle's choral ensemble. These “Welcome Christmas” concerts are recorded by American Public Media for both regional broadcast and national distribution.Music Played in Today's ProgramRichard Voorhaar - The Virgin's Cradle Hymn; Vocalessence; Philip Brunelle, cond. Clarion 939

In this podcast episode, Jennifer chats with Kel Haney all about fundraising. Kel shares what led her from being a theater director in NYC to becoming a fundraising coach, consultant, and trainer. She gives insights on transforming the often uncomfortable process of fundraising into an opportunity for building meaningful relationships, empasizing that anyone can fundraise successfully, even without a background in sales or fundraising, by passionately sharing what they love. Kel offers tools on navigating the complexities of fundraising, including handling rejection, building genuine connections, leading from abundance and finding a comfortable stretch, and embracing the power of storytelling. They discuss the importance of leading from vulnerability, curiosity, passion, and confidence.  About Kel: Kel Haney is a Maine & NYC-based fundraising coach, consultant, & trainer. Before turning to fundraising full-time, she spent 20 years as a theater director and her fundraising methodology is based on how she led a rehearsal room: focusing on what makes each of us unique and engaging. She's personally made over 20,000 fundraising "asks" and trained non-profit orgs to raise over $15M (primarily in donations under $2K), which inspired her 5-Minute Fundraising Ask Training Program. Kel's work boils down to “Taking the Ick out of the Ask”: she's passionate about shifting fundraising conversations away from transactional encounters and toward relationship-building opportunities. Kel's worked with such organizations as: Berkshire Theatre Group, The Glimmerglass Festival, MCC Theatre, Signature Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York Theatre Workshop, Marin Theatre Company, BroadwayUnlocked, American Composers Forum, and RIP Medical Debt. Kel's IG: @kelhaney Kel's LInkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/kel-haney Download “8 Phrases NOT to use in Fundraising" Guide: www.kelhaney.com/freebie-8-phrases Want to coach with Jennifer? Schedule a session here! https://appt.link/jenniferapple Monologue Sourcing Promo Link! https://empoweredartistcollective.com/podcastpromo Learn more: https://www.empoweredartistcollective.com/podcast EAC IG: @EmpoweredArtistCollective  EAC TikTok: @EmpowerArtistCollective EAC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredartistcollective/ Nominate a Podcast Guest! https://form.jotform.com/220608577638162 Sign up for our newsletter! https://mailchi.mp/8e72e8dcb662/stay-in-touch Check Out Our Merch! https://www.empoweredartistcollective.threadless.com/ Any thoughts you'd like to share? Email us at EmpoweredArtistCollective@gmail.com

Tina Davidson stands out as an acclaimed American composer with over 45 years in the industry. Celebrated for her evocative and lyrical compositions, her work has graced esteemed stages worldwide, garnering praise from major publications like the New York Times. Tina's collaborations include renowned names like the National Symphony Orchestra and Grammy-winner Hilary Hahn. A passionate educator and community builder, she's founded key initiatives like the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Composers Forum and nurtured young talents through innovative residencies. Beyond music, Tina has encapsulated her journey in her 2023 memoir, "Let Your Heart Be Broken." Born in Stockholm and enriched by experiences in Oneonta, NY, and Pittsburgh, PA, Tina's life and work serve as an inspiration for many.Here are links for you to bookmark, save, follow, memorize, write down, and share with others:https://amzn.to/3Q9deLiComposer - Tina DavidsonFacebookTina Davidson (@tinadavidson.music) • Instagram photos and videosTina Davidson | LinkedInTina Davidson - YouTubeTina Davidson | SpotifyStream Tina Davidson music | Listen to songs, Join the 30 Days of Courage NOW, and you'll be part of a powerful FREE online event starting October 1st-30th30 Days of Courage — Courage 365 Tar Heel Construction Group Harford County Living Stamp of Approval for Roofing, Siding and Exterior Services Your Pet AuPair Doing It for the Sits & Wiggles! At Your Pet AuPair our mission is to give your pets the same Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showFollow the Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast on Social Media:Facebook – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingFacebook Group (Join the conversation) – Conversations with Rich Bennett podcast group | FacebookTwitter – Conversations with Rich Bennett & Harford County LivingInstagram – Harford County LivingTikTok – CWRB (@conversationsrichbennett) | TikTok Sponsors, Affiliates, and ways we pay the bills:Recorded at the Freedom Federal Credit Union StudiosHosted on BuzzsproutRocketbookSquadCast Contests & Giveaways Subscribe by Email ...

Synopsis On today's date in 1998, the Lark Quartet gave the first performance of the “String Quartet No. 2” by the American composer Aaron Jay Kernis. Like much of Kernis's music, the new Quartet drew upon an eclectic variety of influences. As Kernis himself put it: “My Second String Quartet uses elements of Renaissance and Baroque dance music and dance forms as its basis and inspiration. For years I've played various Bach suites and pieces from the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book at the piano for my own pleasure, and I suspected for some time that their influence would eventually show up in my own work.” The Lark Quartet had commissioned Kernis' first String Quartet, and, like the composer, were over the moon when they learned the Second had won the Pulitzer Prize for music. Just three months after its premiere, Kernis got the news by phone as he was headed to the airport to catch a flight to Spain. “I haven't had a martini in years,” recalled Kernis, “but that's sort of what it felt like.” Kernis' Second Quartet was a triple commission from Merkin Concert Hall in New York, Ohio University, and The Schubert Club of St. Paul, Minnesota, and was dedicated to Linda Hoeschler, the former Executive Director of the American Composers Forum. Music Played in Today's Program Aaron Jay Kernis (b. 1960) String Quartet No. 2 (musica instrumentalis) The Lark Quartet Arabesque 6727

Joshua Stamper has been a composer and collaborator for nearly thirty years. Equally at home in the jazz, classical, avant-garde, and indie/alternative worlds, and working with filmmakers, dancers, visual artists, poets and architects, his work reflects a deep commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration. Joshua has worked as an orchestral arranger, a studio conductor, and session musician for Columbia / Sony BMG and Concord Records, Lionsgate Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment, and for independent labels Domino, Dead Oceans, Important Records, Sounds Familyre, Smalltown Supersound, Joyful Noise Recordings, and Mason Jar Music.Joshua's work has been commissioned by the Daedalus Quartet, Mantra Percussion, and the Grammy-winning chamber choir, The Crossing. He is a MacDowell Composition Fellow, and is also the recipient of the Lincoln City Fellowship and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship. His work has been supported by the American Composers Forum, the Lilly Endowment, the Anne M. and Philip H. Glatfelter III Family Foundation, the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, the Eric Stokes Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.The Bass Shed on IG / The Bass Shed on Twitter / View More Episodes

Joshua Stamper has been a composer and collaborator for nearly thirty years. Equally at home in the jazz, classical, avant-garde, and indie/alternative worlds, and working with filmmakers, dancers, visual artists, poets and architects, his work reflects a deep commitment to transdisciplinary collaboration. Joshua has worked as an orchestral arranger, a studio conductor, and session musician for Columbia / Sony BMG and Concord Records, Lionsgate Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment, and for independent labels Domino, Dead Oceans, Important Records, Sounds Familyre, Smalltown Supersound, Joyful Noise Recordings, and Mason Jar Music.Joshua's work has been commissioned by the Daedalus Quartet, Mantra Percussion, and the Grammy-winning chamber choir, The Crossing. He is a MacDowell Composition Fellow, and is also the recipient of the Lincoln City Fellowship and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Fellowship. His work has been supported by the American Composers Forum, the Lilly Endowment, the Anne M. and Philip H. Glatfelter III Family Foundation, the Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia, the Eric Stokes Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.The Bass Shed

How do you take the "ick" out of the ask? Kel shares her process leading outbound fundraising efforts for non-profit theatres. Thank you for taking the time to listen to our chat with Kel Haney! If you are listening to this on Apple Podcast, we'd love it if you could share your love in a review! About Kel Haney: Kel Haney, Senior Consultant at Donorly, is a NYC & Maine-based fundraising expert with 17 years of experience in the field, specializing in Outbound Fundraising.  She's consulted with such organizations as MCC Theatre, Signature Theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, The O'Neill Theater Center, New York Theatre Workshop, Page 73 Productions, Marin Theatre Company, BroadwayUnlocked, The Glimmerglass Festival, American Composers Forum, and RIP Medical Debt. Kel's work boils down to “Taking the Ick out of the Ask” and shifting fundraising conversations from transactional encounters to relationship-building opportunities. She spent twenty years as a theatre director and her fundraising methodology is based on how she led a rehearsal room: focusing on what makes each of us unique and engaging. Over her fundraising career, Kel has helped non-profit organizations raise over $11M, primarily in donations under $2K. www.kelhaney.com When not working, Kel's seeking out all kinds of artistic experiences, taking nature walks with her rescue pup, practicing yoga, playing extremely intricate board games, and attempting to recreate the fabulous meals she & her husband (actor Michael Grew) have enjoyed on their various travels. Resources from this episode: www.kelhaney.com instagram.com/kelhaney --- Come say hi to us! Facebook: @PageToStagePodcast @BroadwayPodcastNetwork Instagram: @PageToStagePodcast @TheMaryDina @BrianSedita @BroadwayPodcastNetwork Twitter: @TheMaryDina @BwayPodNetwork Youtube: @PageToStagePodcast @BroadwayPodcastNetwork #PageToStagePodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Synopsis Boston-born American composer Alice Parker is a respected figure in the world of choral music. She studied with the legendary choral conductor Robert Shaw and collaborated with him in a series of folk-song arrangements that are performed by choruses all over the world. Parker was approached by the American Composers Forum to write a new work for their “Choral Quest” series specially designed for middle school children. Parker was intrigued by the challenge, realizing that many scores written for elementary schools would be too easy for middle schoolers, but works written for high school choirs might be too difficult. Also, parts written for middle school boys would have to accommodate voices in the process of changing from treble to tenor, baritone, and bass. Parker collaborated with students from the Amherst Regional Middle School Choir in her home state, and found some Native American texts that intrigued her, including one that began “What I am, I must become.” That text seemed perfect, since, as Parker put it, “Children that age have so much ‘becoming' to do… what they don't realize—yet—is that is true for all of us, all of our lives!” That text became the first of a three-part suite entitled “Dancing Songs,” premiered by the Amherst Regional Middle School Choir and their director David Ranen on today's date in 2011. Music Played in Today's Program Alice Parker (b. 1925) –Dancing Songs (Minnesota Boy Choir) ChoralQuest promotional CD

Synopsis The American composer Jennifer Higdon is used to having her new works premiered by some of this country's major orchestras. The Philadelphia Orchestra, for example, gave the premiere performance of her “Concerto for Orchestra” in 2002. The following year, another Higdon work, a piece for wind band entitled “Rhythm Stand,” premiered in Philadelphia. Now, if Higdon's “Concerto for Orchestra” was composed for the virtuoso members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, “Rhythm Stand” was intended for amateur musicians—middle-school students, to be precise, and its premiere was given by the kids of the Baldi Middle School Band, led by Sandra Dylan. “Rhythm Stand” was commissioned by the American Composers Forum for their “BandQuest” series of new scores, all written by leading composers, but intended for young performers. Higdon explains the title of her new piece as follows: “Composing is merely the job of combining interesting sounds into interesting patterns. And interesting patterns create cool rhythms. So... I'm making a STAND FOR RHYTHM… rhythm is everywhere… ever listened to the tires of a car running across pavement, or a train on railroad tracks? Because music can be any kind of sound arranged into an interesting pattern, I added sounds that you normally wouldn't hear coming from band instruments, sounds created out of ordinary things that might be nearby… like music stands and pencils, for example…. And some performers in this piece get even more basic...they snap their fingers.” Music Played in Today's Program Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962) — Rhythm Stand (University of Minnesota Symphonic Band; Craig Kirchoff, cond.) Hal Leonard (full score, parts and CD) HL-04002285

Synopsis Australian composer Jodie Blackshaw is passionate about music for wind band and is fond of quoting her famous compatriot composer Percy Grainger on the subject: “Why this cold-shouldering of the wind band?” asked Grainger. “Is the wind band – with its varied assortments of reeds (so much richer that the reeds of the symphony orchestra), its complete saxophone family that is found nowhere else ... its army of brass – not the equal of any medium ever conceived? As a vehicle of deeply emotional expression it seems to me unrivalled.” For her part, Blackshaw has chosen to compose primarily for wind band. She also appears as a guest clinician and adjudicator for band festivals throughout Australia. “The Wind Band offers a varied and colorful contribution to instrumental music,” says Bradshaw, “and with literally millions of children world-wide entering musical performance through this medium, it is worthy of our serious attention.” On today's date in 2014, a new work by Blackshaw intended for middle-school band students was premiered by the Rosemount Middle School Band of Rosemont, Minn., under the direction of John Zschunke. The new piece, “Letter from Sado," was inspired by a Japanese haiku and traditional Japanese taiko drumming. This work is part of the BandQuest series commissioned by the American Composers Forum, intended to offer young musicians a diverse variety of fresh new wind band works by leading composers of our day. Music Played in Today's Program Jodie Blackshaw — Letter from Sado (University of Minnesota Wind Ensemble) Hal Leonard HL04004132 (sheet music)

Synopsis The American composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and its Composer-in-Residence. He was born in Norman, Oklahoma, and his chamber and orchestra works, all infused with themes and musical elements from his Native heritage, have been performed by major orchestras like the Detroit Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Colorado Ballet, and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. But during the fall of 2011, Tate began working with a non-professional ensemble closer to home—at Dickson Middle School in Dickson, Oklahoma. Tate had been commissioned by the American Composers Forum to write a new work for their ChoralQuest series for middle-school choirs. The resulting work, entitled Taloowa' Chipota, which in the Chickasaw language means “Children's Songs,” was premiered on May 15, 2012, by the children at the Dickson School. “The songs,” explained Tate, “are reminiscent of traditional stomp dancing and are based on old Chickasaw melodies. Stomp dances begin at dusk and end at dawn. The first movement depicts the beginning sunlight of the morning. The second is full of abstracted textures emulating the shell shaking in stomp dances.” For his part, Tate says he's pleased how it all turned out: “I was able to introduce a Chickasaw experience to a diverse group of students… I strengthened my own relationship with my Chickasaw community and demonstrated to the Chickasaws in the chorus how our culture can positively impact classical music.” Music Played in Today's Program Jerod Tate (b. 1968) — Taloowa' Chipota (Children's Songs) (Minnesota Boy Choir) Hal Leonard 00119300 (sheet music)

The Piano Pod team had a wonderful conversation with the musical power couple, Juhi Bansal & Nic Gerpe, from L.A.! 

Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate, is a classical composer, citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and is dedicated to the development of American Indian classical composition. His Washington Post review states that “Tate is rare as an American Indian composer of classical music. Rarer still is his ability to effectively infuse classical music with American Indian nationalism.” Tate is Guest Composer/Conductor/Pianist for San Francisco Symphony Currents program Thunder Song: American Indian Musical Cultures and was recently Guest Composer for Metropolitan Museum of Art's Balcony Bar program Home with ETHEL and Friends, featuring his commissioned work Pisachi (Reveal) for String Quartet. Recent commissions include Shell Shaker: A Chickasaw Opera for Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra, Ghost of the White Deer, Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra for Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Hózhó (Navajo Strong) and Ithánali (I Know) for White Snake Opera Company. His music was recently featured on the HBO series Westworld. His commissioned works have been performed by the National Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Ballet, Canterbury Voices, Dale Warland Singers, Santa Fe Desert Chorale and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Tate has held Composer-in-Residence positions for Music Alive, a national residency program of the League of American Orchestras and New Music USA, the Joyce Foundation/American Composers Forum, Oklahoma City's NewView Summer Academy, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and Grand Canyon Music Festival Native American Composer Apprentice Project. Tate was the founding composition instructor for the Chickasaw Summer Arts Academy and has taught composition to American Indian high school students in Minneapolis, the Hopi, Navajo and Lummi reservations and Native students in Toronto. Mr. Tate is a three-time commissioned recipient from the American Composers Forum, a Chamber Music America's Classical Commissioning Program recipient, a Cleveland Institute of Music Alumni Achievement Award recipient, a governor-appointed Creativity Ambassador for the State of Oklahoma and an Emmy Award winner for his work on the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority documentary, The Science of Composing. In addition to his work based upon his Chickasaw culture, Tate has worked with the music and language of multiple tribes, such as: Choctaw, Navajo, Cherokee, Ojibway, Creek, Pechanga, Comanche, Lakota, Hopi, Tlingit, Lenape, Tongva, Shawnee, Caddo, Ute, Aleut, Shoshone, Cree, Paiute and Salish/Kootenai. Among available recorded works are Iholba‘ (The Vision) for Solo Flute, Orchestra and Chorus and Tracing Mississippi, Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, recorded by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, on the Grammy Award winning label Azica Records. Tate earned his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Northwestern University, where he studied with Dr. Donald Isaak, and his Master of Music in Piano Performance and Composition from The Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Elizabeth Pastor and Dr. Donald Erb. He has performed as First Keyboard on the Broadway national tours of Les Misérables and Miss Saigon and been a guest pianist and accompanist for the Colorado Ballet, Hartford Ballet and numerous ballet and dance companies. Mr. Tate's middle name, Impichchaachaaha', means “his high corncrib” and is his inherited traditional Chickasaw house name. A corncrib is a small hut used for the storage of corn and other vegetables. In traditional Chickasaw culture, the corncrib was built high off the ground on stilts to keep its contents safe from foraging animals.

Synopsis In the years following the end of World War II, the “baby boom” led to a dramatic rise in the number of high school and college music programs across the country. By the mid-1950s, a number of well-known American composers started receiving commissions from these schools for new works for wind band. In the past half-century, the Symphony for Band, by American composer Vincent Persichetti, has been one of the most frequently performed. It was commissioned by the Washington University Chamber Band, and received its first performance by the ensemble in St. Louis, Mo., on today's date in 1956. In keeping with this tradition, in the late 1990s the American Composers Forum started commissioning major composers to write new works for middle-school bands. The series was dubbed BandQuest, and in addition to new scores by composers like Chen Yi, Michael Colgrass, Libby Larsen, Robert X. Rodriguez, and Alvin Singleton, the series offers music teachers interactive content, which places each piece of music in a wider cultural and historical context. This music is from Alegre, by Cuban-born composer Tania Leon. “Alegre” is a Spanish word meaning “joyful,” and Leon's piece is meant to demonstrate the link in Latin culture between music and dance. That's something the New York-based Leon knows more than a little about — she was a founding member and the first music director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. A music educator as well as a composer, she also set up the theater's music school and orchestra. Music Played in Today's Program Vincent Pershichetti (1915–1987) — Symphony No. 6 (Symphony for Band) (Eastman Wind Ensemble; Frederick Fennell, cond.) Mercury 432 754 Tania Leon (b. 1943) — Alegre (American Composers Forum Bandquest CD-ROM) Hal Leonard

Synopsis In 2010, the American Composers Forum launched ChoralQuest, a specially-commissioned series of works written especially for middle and junior high school choirs.  The idea was to expand the available repertoire for young choirs, introduce them to contemporary composers, and give composers the chance and challenge of writing for young voices. One of these new works received its premiere on today's date in 2011 with the Oak Grove Middle School Singers in Bloomington, Minnesota. Bryan Blessing conducted his young singers in lines from “Tintern Abbey” by the 19th century British poet William Wordsworth set to music by the 21st Century composer Stephen Paulus, who titled his piece “Through All Things.”  “I chose a poem that conveys some deep thoughts,” says Paulus. “People often underestimate the sophistication of young people… The Wordsworth poem speaks about ‘a motion and a spirit that rolls through all things.'” “But a composer really needs to know the range of young singers and what they can do,” admits Paulus, who spent time with the Oak Grove Singers and confessed it's not just the kids who benefited.  “You're never too old or too experienced not to learn something from writing a new piece, whether it's for kids or professional musicians.” Music Played in Today's Program Stephen Paulus (1949 - 2014) — Through All Things (Minnesota Boychoir; Todd Price, p.Mark S. Johnson, cond.) ACF score and recording (ISBN 0983388709)

Synopsis Chinese New Year, or “Spring Festival,” is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays and its observance traditionally begins on the first day of the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar. “Spring Festival” is also the title Chinese composer Chen Yi gave to a work for wind band that she wrote in 1999 on commission from American Composers Forum and published as part of their “BandQuest” new music series for young performers. “Spring Festival” draws on a southern Chinese folk tune called “Lion Playing Ball,” but its formal structure is mathematical in nature and based on the ancient Greek idea of the “Golden Ratio,” traditionally thought to represent an aesthetically pleasing proportion. Chen Yi received her Master's degree in music composition from the Central Conservatory in Beijing, and her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Columbia University in New York City, and now teaches at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. It was in Kansas City that Chen developed “Spring Festival” during workshops with the young musicians of the Smith-Hale Junior High School Band, and the finished score received its premiere performance on today's date in the year 2000 by that band under the direction of Jan Davis. Music Played in Today's Program Chen Yi (b. 1953) — Spring Festival (University of Minnesota Symphonic Wind Ensemble; Craig Kirchhoff, cond.) HL-04001978

Synopsis In the rarified world of contemporary music, composers often “challenge” performers – pushing the envelope of instrumental technique and difficulty. But in the fall of 1999, it was the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Michael Colgrass himself who was challenged: he was commissioned by the American Composers Forum to write a piece for their BandQuest series, intended to provide high-quality new music for young performers. Specifically, Colgrass was asked to write for the Winona Drive Senior School Band of Toronto. Far from professional musicians, some of these were kids just learning to play their instruments. Their conductor was the hard-working Louis Papachristos, who, in addition to leading three bands, also coached boys' and girls' basketball. Colgrass rose to the challenge, and the resulting work, “Old Churches,” was premiered on this date in 2000. Colgrass employed elements of Gregorian chant to evoke an ancient monastery, and easy graphic notation to introduce students to improvisation and the compositional process itself. “Keeping the music simple was a challenge,” says Colgrass, “but it struck me that Mozart and Beethoven wrote music for amateurs without ‘dumbing down'… am I a good enough composer to write a simple theme that can be genuinely exciting or moving, the way they did?” Music Played in Today's Program Michael Colgrass (b. 1932) — Winds of Nagual (North Texas Wind Symphony; Eugene Migliaron Corporon, cond.) GIA 880

Originally aired 8/7/2017 This week, Garrett Hope of The Portfolio Composer joins Dennis to make a few exciting announcements, including a new partnership with the American Composers Forum, a new distribution outlet for self-published composers, and gigantic new call for scores – all to make composers' lives better. BONUS CONTENT: Dennis and the anthology curators do a live Q&A session » Watch the video here » Links: NewMusicShelf NewMusicShelf Anthologies Call for Scores American Composers Forum The Portfolio Composer: The Vexing Problem of Unplanned Vacations

Originally aired 1/16/2017 William J. Lackey is one of the many cool people I met at the Midwest Clinic. In addition to his work as a composer, Billy has been the Administrative Director at the Mizzou New Music Initiative, and served on the Boards of the newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, the Odyssey Chamber Music Series, and the Kansas City Electronic Music and Arts Alliance. He's currently a Vice President of Programs at the American Composers Forum, and he brings all of the skills he learned in these various positions to bear in his composing career. During the course of our conversation, we chatted about transformative teachers, learning administrative skills, and a host of opportunities available for composers through the American Composers Forum. Links: William J. Lackey Soundcloud American Composers Forum Mizzou New Music Initiative & International Composers Festival

Composer Renee Baker believes that "classical" training doesn't have to be a barrier to other genres and styles - she sees it as a bridge! She returns to TRILLOQUY's third movement to talk about her entry into the world of "creative music", her recent collaboration with the American Composers Forum and the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, and the way capitalism helps maintains American orchestral paradigms. Scott shines a light on the intersection of Black history and present as it relates to "classical" guitar, and Garrett speaks to white supremacy as it exists in both heavy metal and "classical" cultures. Playlist: Thomas Flippin - "Beyond Ferguson" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiogFVTPNiw&t=38s) Hirax - "El Diablo Negro" arr. The Theorist - "Donda Medley" for cello and piano (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEmP_eyEkHo) Justin Holland - "Martha" (perf. John Alvarado: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN6mXTQVazE) Leroy Jenkins - "Through the Ages of Jehovah" One World Jam - Improvisation w/ Renee Baker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfygTFRw7rU) arr. DSharp - "Hot Girl Summer" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Edu9ZPgHDNg) More: Downbeat (Megan Thee Stallion Explains 'Big Ole Freak' To A Classical Music Expert): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ESyhpq_BwA&t=143s Maria "Isa" Perez-Hedges announces bid for Minnesota Senate: https://www.insightnews.com/news/maria-isa-perez-hedges-announces-bid-for-minnesota-senate-seat/article_606474ea-594e-11ec-81e1-cbc33961bd03.html Teenage virtuoso Damian Goggans' journey to Oberlin: https://www.ideastream.org/news/guitar-found-me-teenage-virtuoso-damian-goggans-journey-to-oberlin Thomas Flippin, guitar: https://thomasflippin.com Stop White Supremacy in Heavy Metal Music: https://act.colorofchange.org/sign/hate-music/?source=AH_Dec7_stage3_mailer_image_random_400k&t=3&akid=52563%2E15058325%2E6xL-DF The Black Metal Sketch List: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RdoohJdrM4XZLWiuzYMpbUnTG-tA-lkdHcg9BQF5gKk/edit#gid=0

Kate Gale is a poet, prose writer, librettist, president of the American Composers Forum, and founder of Red Hen Press, a Los Angeles-based independent literary publishing house, one of the foremost of its kind in the US. Her story is both all-American and quite unusual: It involves escaping a cult, going to college just to spite a conservative boyfriend, and becoming a divorced mom who decided to transform Los Angeles into a literary city. The result was Red Hen Press, named after the American fable about the Little Red Hen who sowed her own wheat to make her own bread. Kate and I talk about the healing power of storytelling, how a manuscript goes from being one of thousands submissions to being published, how stories aren't always enough, the taboos around money, the insight manuscript submissions give into the collective psyche, and why e-Books aren't replacing print books any time soon, among other things. Website of Red Hen Press: https://redhen.org/

Wynn Fricke, recipient of seven McKnight Fellowships in Choreography and Performance, produces, according to City Pages, precise and virtuosic work “guided by extremes of physicality. Part of the pleasure of watching it is that the difficult appears effortless; the tiny and delicate, Herculean”. Wynn danced with Zenon Dance Company from 1992 – 2001 and since 1998 has created eight original works for the company including her most recent, The Mourning Tree, which premiered in 2015 with live traditional Bulgarian Folk music performed by Mila Vocal Ensemble. From 2005 – 2007, Wynn served as Choreographer-in-Residence with Minnesota Dance Theatre, and in 2008, she was the Dayton-Hudson Distinguished Visiting Artist at Carleton College. She has had choreographic residences in Yarlslavl, Russia, at the Blacklock Nature Sanctuary in Moose Lake, MN, and at the Company Development Residency at The Yard in Chilmark, MA. She is the recipient of grants from the Jerome Foundation, the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, the American Composers Forum, and Arts International and the Trust for Mutual Understanding. She has been honored with two Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance in the category of Outstanding Performance. Wynn has created work for additional dance and theatre companies including James Sewell Ballet, Ballet Arts Minnesota, Ragamala Dance, Frank Theatre, Minnesota Ballet, and Borrowed Bones Dance Theatre. Her choreography, My Very Empty Mouth, was recently performed by Zenon Dance Company at the Teatro Marti in Havana, Cuba. Wynn earned her MFA at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.

From architecture to composing, Pierre Schroeder found a way to connect building buildings to building music scores. A French native, Pierre studied architecture in Paris, before graduating from the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After moving to Los Angeles, he won a number of national and international music competitions for choral works and orchestras, including the American Composers Forum 2005 Art Song Competition, with a premiere performance during the Schubert Club's Summer Festival. Pierre has composed electronic and orchestral scores for short movies and animated films, as well as documentaries.   Pierre's latest release is on Navona Records on the album “Moto Eterno”. https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6341/The music you enjoyed from Pierre is called Childhood, from Season 1 of his 4 Seasons. (Annie Kim, soprano; Louise Thomas, piano)Waiting for the completion of his new website, the address of Pierre's music page on facebook is: https://www.facebook.com/pierre.schroeder.music/Follow on Instagram: @thehowwecreatepodcast If you want to support this podcast check out: buymeacoffee.com/HowWeCreate. You can find my recent pet portraits on my Instagram: @CorisaPaintsPets.Original music by Deborah Stokol.Support the show

Our podcast guest today is Danielle Eva Schwob. The New Yorker hails her as a “notable cross-genre composer”, who writes concert works, experimental electro-rock, and film scores. Many listeners should care about her work because she is redefining what it means to be a "serious composer". Notable presenters have featured her work, like Lincoln Center and Le Poisson Rouge, and she has received commissions from the American Composers Forum and New Music USA. But unlike many composers who run in these circles, she has her finger on the pulse of music for big name Hollywood movies. She's worked on the music team for Manhattan Night starring Adrien Brody, and the film Mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence. We discuss her work and more on this episode, including her new album, Out of the Tunnel, featuring PUBLIQuartet. -- Classical Post explores the intersection of classical music, style, and wellness, diving into meaningful conversations with leading artists from an array of different backgrounds. Based in New York City, Classical Post is a touchpoint for tastemakers. Visit our website for exclusive articles or subscribe to our monthly newsletter to be notified of new content.

Garrett McQueen is a bassoonist who has performed with orchestras across the country, including the Knoxville Symphony, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Today, Garrett works as a producer of digital and broadcast media, with content featured on the Public Radio Exchange (PRX) and local public radio stations across the country. In 2017, Current named McQueen a Black talent in public media “that you may not know, but should,” and in 2021 the New York Times noted his weekly podcast, TRILLOQUY, as "a standout" that's "required listening for industry leaders and listeners alike.” In addition to working as the Executive Producer and co-host of the TRILLOQUY podcast, Garrett works as an equity consultant, guest speaker, curator, and presenter at the intersection of race and "classical" music. He serves on the board of the American Composers Forum as the Equity Committee Chair and is on the leadership teams of the Black Opera Alliance, the Gateways Music Festival, and the International Society for Black Musicians.

Synopsis Remember “Y2K” — the Millennial Year 2000? It was a time of extravagant hopes and dire predictions, as pundits and prophets weighed in as the 20th century hastened to its end. Composers weighed in, too. The American Composers Forum and the National Endowment for the Arts collaborated on a project entitled “Continental Harmony” which commissioned new musical works for public celebrations in communities large and small in all 50 states. The ambitious commissioning project was even endorsed by the Clinton White House. Premieres of many “Continental Harmony” commissions occurred on or near the Fourth of July in the year 2000. On today's date, for example, on the eve of the Fourth, the Richmond Symphony in Virginia premiered an orchestra work entitled “From Time to Time: Fantasias on Two Appalachian Folksongs” composed by Anthony Iannaccone, who explained the title of his new piece as follows: “The extraordinary beauty of Virginia and the resilient spirit of its people provided the inspiration for an extended tone poem based first on the folksong ‘Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair'... [and then] ‘Shenandoah,' presented in fragments... the orchestra extracts the folk melody and recasts it as a kind of Fourth of July fireworks display.” Music Played in Today's Program Anthony Iannaccone (b. 1943) From Time to Time Janacek Philharmonic; Anthony Iannaccone, cond. Albany 486 On This Day Births 1854 - Czech composer Leo Janácek, in Hukvaldy, Moravia 1878 - American song composer George M. Cohan, in Providence, R.I.; He mistakenly believed he was "born on the Fourth of July" as his popular song "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" states; In 1978 the centennial of his birth was honored with a U.S. postage stamp issued on this date 1879 - French composer and conductor Philippe Gaubert, in Cahors 1901 - American composer and American folksong compiler, Ruth Crawford (Seeger), in East Liverpool, Ohio; She was the second wife of the eminent American composer and ethnomusicologist, Charles Seeger (1886-1979); Charles Seeger's son by his first marriage became the famous American folksinger, Pete Seeger 1926 - American composer Meyer Kupferman, in New York City Deaths 1966 - American composer, writer, and broadcaster, Deems Taylor, age 80, in New York City; For many years he was a broadcast commentator for the national broadcasts of both the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera (Two of his operas were staged at the Met); In 1967, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) established the Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in the fields of music criticism, journalism, and broadcasting; Composers Datebook won a Deems Taylor Award in 2000 1998 - English romantic composer George Lloyd, age 85 Premieres 1944 - Robert Wright & George Forest: musical "The Song of Norway" (based on the music of Norwegian composer Edward Grieg), during trial run in San Francisco; The musical opened in New York on August 21, 1944 1964 - Robert Ward: opera, "The Lady From Colorado," in Central City, Colorado; 1967 - Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 4 ("Das Siegeslied") in London; This symphony was composed in 1929 1976 - Hovhaness: Violin Concerto ("Ode to Freedom") at Wolf Trap, with André Kostelanetz conducting and Yehudi Menuhin the soloist. Others 1848 - American music publisher Theodore Presser is born in Pittsburgh; In 1883 he founded in Philadelphia the famous music monthly, "The Etude" (which discontinued publication in 1957), and shortly thereafter the Philadelphia-based Presser music publishing firm; He was also a co-founder of the Music Teachers National Association

Synopsis Remember “Y2K” — the Millennial Year 2000? It was a time of extravagant hopes and dire predictions, as pundits and prophets weighed in as the 20th century hastened to its end. Composers weighed in, too. The American Composers Forum and the National Endowment for the Arts collaborated on a project entitled “Continental Harmony” which commissioned new musical works for public celebrations in communities large and small in all 50 states. The ambitious commissioning project was even endorsed by the Clinton White House. Premieres of many “Continental Harmony” commissions occurred on or near the Fourth of July in the year 2000. On today's date, for example, on the eve of the Fourth, the Richmond Symphony in Virginia premiered an orchestra work entitled “From Time to Time: Fantasias on Two Appalachian Folksongs” composed by Anthony Iannaccone, who explained the title of his new piece as follows: “The extraordinary beauty of Virginia and the resilient spirit of its people provided the inspiration for an extended tone poem based first on the folksong ‘Black is the Color of My True Love's Hair'... [and then] ‘Shenandoah,' presented in fragments... the orchestra extracts the folk melody and recasts it as a kind of Fourth of July fireworks display.” Music Played in Today's Program Anthony Iannaccone (b. 1943) From Time to Time Janacek Philharmonic; Anthony Iannaccone, cond. Albany 486 On This Day Births 1854 - Czech composer Leo Janácek, in Hukvaldy, Moravia 1878 - American song composer George M. Cohan, in Providence, R.I.; He mistakenly believed he was "born on the Fourth of July" as his popular song "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" states; In 1978 the centennial of his birth was honored with a U.S. postage stamp issued on this date 1879 - French composer and conductor Philippe Gaubert, in Cahors 1901 - American composer and American folksong compiler, Ruth Crawford (Seeger), in East Liverpool, Ohio; She was the second wife of the eminent American composer and ethnomusicologist, Charles Seeger (1886-1979); Charles Seeger's son by his first marriage became the famous American folksinger, Pete Seeger 1926 - American composer Meyer Kupferman, in New York City Deaths 1966 - American composer, writer, and broadcaster, Deems Taylor, age 80, in New York City; For many years he was a broadcast commentator for the national broadcasts of both the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera (Two of his operas were staged at the Met); In 1967, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) established the Deems Taylor Awards for excellence in the fields of music criticism, journalism, and broadcasting; Composers Datebook won a Deems Taylor Award in 2000 1998 - English romantic composer George Lloyd, age 85 Premieres 1944 - Robert Wright & George Forest: musical "The Song of Norway" (based on the music of Norwegian composer Edward Grieg), during trial run in San Francisco; The musical opened in New York on August 21, 1944 1964 - Robert Ward: opera, "The Lady From Colorado," in Central City, Colorado; 1967 - Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 4 ("Das Siegeslied") in London; This symphony was composed in 1929 1976 - Hovhaness: Violin Concerto ("Ode to Freedom") at Wolf Trap, with André Kostelanetz conducting and Yehudi Menuhin the soloist. Others 1848 - American music publisher Theodore Presser is born in Pittsburgh; In 1883 he founded in Philadelphia the famous music monthly, "The Etude" (which discontinued publication in 1957), and shortly thereafter the Philadelphia-based Presser music publishing firm; He was also a co-founder of the Music Teachers National Association

Jinza Thayer received her BA from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA from George Mason University. Recognitions include being a two-time semi-finalist for France’s Rencontres (Bagnolet); a 2010 SAGE Award; and support from the Minnesota State Arts Board, American Composers Forum, Jerome Foundation, and McKnight Artist Fellowship. She has created over 60 original works and presents her work as Movement Architecture – a blend of dance and theater in structured environments. Jinza is a registered Somatic Movement Therapist and Movement Educator (ISMETA) and has taught somatic movement re-patterning and modern dance training for the past 20 years.“I bring all of who I am into expression when I work– genetics, experience, and ways of perceiving. Through my choreography, I work with internal somatic processes to source the body's wisdom and instigate movement. Those ideas are then made manifest through immersive installations -- metaphorical spaces that the dancers navigate in the same way that we, as individuals navigate our own mental models.”

Synopsis Is the customer always right? Apparently Giuseppe Verdi thought so–to a degree, at least. On today’s date in 1872, Verdi sent a note to his publisher with an attached letter he had received from a disgruntled customer, a certain Prospero Bertani, who had attended not one, but two performances of Verdi’s brand-new opera, “Aida.” Bertani said, “I admired the scenery... I listened with pleasure to the excellent singers, and took pains to let nothing escape me. After it was over, I asked myself whether I was satisfied. The answer was ‘no’.” Since everyone else seemed to think “Aida” was terrific, Bertani attended a second performance to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, and concluded: “The opera contains absolutely nothing thrilling or electrifying. If it were not for the magnificent scenery, the audience would not sit through it.” Bertini itemized his expenses for tickets, train fare, and meals, and asked Verdi for reimbursement. Verdi was so amused that he instructed Ricordi to pay Bertani – but not the full amount, since, as Verdi put it: “…to pay for his dinner too? No! He could very well have eaten at home!” COMPOSERS DATEBOOK is produced by APM, American Public Media, in collaboration with the American Composers Forum, reminding you that "all music was once new." Music Played in Today's Program Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) Aida excerpts On This Day Births 1697 - French violinist and composer Jean Marie Leclair, in Lyons; 1888 - Austrian-born American film composer Max Steiner, in Vienna; 1894 - Russian-born American film composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, in St. Petersburg; 1916 - American composer Milton Babbitt, in Philadelphia; Deaths 1760 - German composer Johann Christoph Graupner, age 77, in Darmstadt; Premieres 1876 - Wagner: "Festival March" (commissioned for the American Centennial), at the opening of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, conducted by Theodore Thomas; 1894 - R. Strauss: opera "Guntram," in Weimar at the Hoftheater, with the composer conducting; 1904 - Alfvén: "Midsommarvaka" (Midsummer Vigil), in Stockholm; 1907 - Dukas: opera "Ariane et Barbe-Blue" (Ariane and Bluebeard),in Paris; 1954 - Rautavaara: "A Requiem in Our Time," in Cincinnati, with Cincinnati Brass Choir, Ernest N, Glover, conducting; This work had won First Prize in the Thor Johnson Composition Contest that year; 1957 - Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2, in Moscow, by the USSR State Symphony, Nikolai Anosov conducting, with the composer's son, Maxim, as the soloist; 1964 - Roy Harris: "Epilogue to ‘Profiles in Courage'" for orchestra, in Los Angeles; 1985 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise" for orchestra with bagpipe solo, ay Boston's Symphony Hall, by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams; 1985 - Michael Torke: "Ecstatic Orange," at the Cooper Union in New York, by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Lukas Foss conducting; 1997 - Philip Glass: opera "The Marriage Between Zones Three, Four and Five" (based on the sci-fi novel by Doris Lessing), at the State Theater in Heidelberg (Germany); Others 1824 - American premiere of Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" (sung in English ) at the Park Theater in New York.

Synopsis Is the customer always right? Apparently Giuseppe Verdi thought so–to a degree, at least. On today’s date in 1872, Verdi sent a note to his publisher with an attached letter he had received from a disgruntled customer, a certain Prospero Bertani, who had attended not one, but two performances of Verdi’s brand-new opera, “Aida.” Bertani said, “I admired the scenery... I listened with pleasure to the excellent singers, and took pains to let nothing escape me. After it was over, I asked myself whether I was satisfied. The answer was ‘no’.” Since everyone else seemed to think “Aida” was terrific, Bertani attended a second performance to make sure he wasn’t mistaken, and concluded: “The opera contains absolutely nothing thrilling or electrifying. If it were not for the magnificent scenery, the audience would not sit through it.” Bertini itemized his expenses for tickets, train fare, and meals, and asked Verdi for reimbursement. Verdi was so amused that he instructed Ricordi to pay Bertani – but not the full amount, since, as Verdi put it: “…to pay for his dinner too? No! He could very well have eaten at home!” COMPOSERS DATEBOOK is produced by APM, American Public Media, in collaboration with the American Composers Forum, reminding you that "all music was once new." Music Played in Today's Program Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901) Aida excerpts On This Day Births 1697 - French violinist and composer Jean Marie Leclair, in Lyons; 1888 - Austrian-born American film composer Max Steiner, in Vienna; 1894 - Russian-born American film composer, Dimitri Tiomkin, in St. Petersburg; 1916 - American composer Milton Babbitt, in Philadelphia; Deaths 1760 - German composer Johann Christoph Graupner, age 77, in Darmstadt; Premieres 1876 - Wagner: "Festival March" (commissioned for the American Centennial), at the opening of the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, conducted by Theodore Thomas; 1894 - R. Strauss: opera "Guntram," in Weimar at the Hoftheater, with the composer conducting; 1904 - Alfvén: "Midsommarvaka" (Midsummer Vigil), in Stockholm; 1907 - Dukas: opera "Ariane et Barbe-Blue" (Ariane and Bluebeard),in Paris; 1954 - Rautavaara: "A Requiem in Our Time," in Cincinnati, with Cincinnati Brass Choir, Ernest N, Glover, conducting; This work had won First Prize in the Thor Johnson Composition Contest that year; 1957 - Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 2, in Moscow, by the USSR State Symphony, Nikolai Anosov conducting, with the composer's son, Maxim, as the soloist; 1964 - Roy Harris: "Epilogue to ‘Profiles in Courage'" for orchestra, in Los Angeles; 1985 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise" for orchestra with bagpipe solo, ay Boston's Symphony Hall, by the Boston Pops conducted by John Williams; 1985 - Michael Torke: "Ecstatic Orange," at the Cooper Union in New York, by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Lukas Foss conducting; 1997 - Philip Glass: opera "The Marriage Between Zones Three, Four and Five" (based on the sci-fi novel by Doris Lessing), at the State Theater in Heidelberg (Germany); Others 1824 - American premiere of Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" (sung in English ) at the Park Theater in New York.

Is your New Year's Resolution fat-phobic? It may be! Laura Krider from the American Composers Forum joins Garrett to explore "the last 'acceptable' form of discrimination", and the impacts that it can have on the developing musician. Scott celebrates the music and the legacy of Living Colour, while Garrett honors a soothing piano composition written in honor of Black Lives Matter. The hosts also unpack the art of sampling, and the attack on the United States Capitol. Playlist: Anderson .Paak - "6 Summers" Isaac Hayes - "Walk On By" Carlton Williams - "Prison Song" Elizabeth Cotten - "Freight Train" Living Colour - "Cult of Personality" Alexis Ffrench - "Walk With Us - For Black Lives Matter" Brian Stokes Mitchell - "Through Heaven's Eyes" Ted Hearne - "Privilege" Joni Mitchell - "California" More: Laura Krider: lkrider@composersforum.org American Composers Forum Job Opportunity: https://composersforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ACF-Executive-Assistant-2020.pdf Maryland Court Allows Rap Lyrics To Be Used As Evidence In Murder Trial: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/maryland-court-allows-rap-lyrics-to-be-used-as-evidence-in-murder-trial-news.124285.html Tracy Chapman Wins $450K Copyright Suit Against Nicki Minaj: https://www.vulture.com/2021/01/tracy-chapman-wins-copyright-lawsuit-nicki-minaj.html Miya Ponsetto Tells Gayle King She "Wants a Real Interview With Real Questions": https://www.oprahmag.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a35162920/gayle-king-miya-ponsetto-interview/

I discuss the joys and experiences I've had with composition competitions and call-for-scores. There are great benefits from hearing your work premiered, to winning prize money. These oppurtunities are one of the best ways to get into the career of composing due to its low barrier-to-entry.

For the final opus of 2020, Garrett and Scott go back and talk about some of their most memorable TRILLOQUY moments, including their discussion of "cancel culture", the Louis Farrakhan opus, and the compositions that moved them most. Scott honors pianist and bandleader, Matthew Whitaker, and Garrett chats with Quanice Floyd about her op-ed that shook the world of arts administration this year. Playlist: Adam Schoenberg - "Finding Rothko" Felix Mendelssohn - Violin Concerto in e minor Antonin Dvorak - Piano Quintet No. 2 Gerry Mulligan - "Bernie's Tune" Christian Justilien - "San Salvador" Megan Thee Stallion - "B.I.T.C.H." AAESPO - "Nine" Kronos Quartet/Meklit - "The President Sang Amazing Grace" Glen Miller - "In The Mood" arr. James Cockerham - "Lift Ev'ry Voice" Sean O'Laughlin - "Imani" Mongo Santamaria - "Afro Blue" More: Quanice Floyd Op-Ed: https://hyperallergic.com/600640/the-failure-of-arts-organizations-to-move-toward-racial-equity/ New Stimulus Bill Makes Illegal Streaming a Felony: https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/22/stimulus-bill-streaming/ Job Opening, American Composers Forum: https://composersforum.org/about/job-opening/ Job Opening, Reed College: https://www.reed.edu/dean_of_faculty/facsearch/positions/visiting-assistant-professor-of-music.html Job Opening (virtual teacher), Make Music NOLA: https://www.makemusicnola.org/work Rachel Barton Pine: https://www.musicbyblackcomposers.org/about-us/rachel-barton-pine/

My guest today is composer Alexandra Garner, who actually never intended to work in music at all. Growing up Alex thought she was going to become an illustrator and draw covers for The New Yorker magazine. Becoming a composer never crossed her mind and she even assumed that composers were just “dead guys in powdered wigs”. It wasn't until she enrolled in an electronic music class during her freshman year of college, that she realized she could make her own sounds from scratch and combine them into anything she wanted. She has been praised as highly lyrical and provocative of thought by the San Francisco classical voice, mesmerizing by the New York times, and her music Regularly performed as the composer in residence of the Seattle Symphony. Links Website: https://alexandragardner.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexgardner Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexgardner/ Email: alex@alexandragardner.net Alexandra's composition "Coyote Turns"  Honesty Pill Links Online Business Accelerator 2.0 six month program Free Resource Library Facebook Group Mailing List About Alexandra Praised as "highly lyrical and provocative of thought" (San Francisco Classical Voice),"mesmerizing" (The New York Times), and "pungently attractive" (The Washington Post), the music of composer Alexandra Gardner (b. 1967) is thrilling audiences and performers alike with a clear, expressive sound and a flair for the imaginative and unexpected. She composes for varied instrumentations and often mixes acoustic instruments with electronics, blending lyricism, rhythmic exploration, textural constructions, and a love of sonic storytelling. Alexandra's compositions are regularly featured at festivals and venues around the world, including the Aspen Music Festival, Beijing Modern Festival, Centro de Cultura Contemporania de Barcelona, Festival Cervantino, Grand Teton Music Festival, The Kennedy Center, The Library of Congress, Merkin Hall, Strathmore Music Center, Symphony Space, and the Warsaw Autumn Festival. As the Seattle Symphony 2017-18 Season Composer-in-Residence, Alexandra spent several months in Seattle for composing and educational projects. Her new symphonic work, Significant Others, was commissioned by SSO and premiered on the orchestra's subscription series under the baton of Music Director Ludovic Morlot. She also led workshops with LGBTQ+ youth affected by homelessness to create a collaborative composition entitled Stay Elevated, which was performed by musicians of the symphony at the Seattle Art Museum, and directed the Merriman Family Young Composers Workshop, leading 10 pre-college students in a 12-week program culminating in a performance of world premieres. Recent projects include Fade for flute and soundtrack, commissioned by the National Flute Association, Hummingbird Dreams, commissioned by Astral Artists for pianist Natalia Kazaryan, and an adaptation of her orchestra work Just Say Yes for a consortium of wind ensembles. Current works in progress include a quartet for Sandbox Percussion and a work for flute, harp, and percussion commissioned by the American Harp Society. Among Alexandra's honors and awards are recognitions from American Composers Forum, ASCAP, Mid-America Arts Alliance, DC Commission for the Arts and Humanities, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Netherland-America Foundation, and the Smithsonian Institution. She is a recipient of the Vassar College W.K. Rose Fellowship in the Creative Arts, a 2018 Rubys Artist Project Grant from the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation, and most recently a 2020 Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award. She has conducted residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Harvestworks, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, The MacDowell Colony, and Willapa Bay AiR, and spent two years as a visiting composer at the Institut Universitari de l'Audiovisual in Barcelona, Spain. Her music is recorded on the Innova, Ars Harmonica, and Naxos labels. For the past several years, Alexandra has maintained a private teaching studio and coaching business. She helps composers lead creative and fruitful musical lives through coaching and mentoring, giving masterclasses and workshops, and facilitating dialog and discussion related to artistic career development and the nature of creativity. Alexandra holds degrees from The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University and Vassar College. She lives in Baltimore, MD with her wife and their very bossy cat Longfellow. For more information, please visit www.alexandragardner.net.

On today’s date in 1998, two brand-new Christmas carols debuted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the “Welcome Christmas” choral concert of VocalEssence conducted by Philip Brunelle. The two carols, “Sweet Noel” by Joan Griffith and “The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn” by Richard Voorhaar, were the prize-winning submissions entered in a contest arranged by the Plymouth Music Series and the American Composers Forum. The idea was to inspire contemporary composers to create new carols that—who knows?—might turn out to be classics over time. As Brunelle put it, “The Christmas carols that we love to sing and hear have a timelessness about them wrapped in their music and words. Out of submissions from all across the USA, [we] selected two that we felt captured this feeling.” Since 1998, the “Welcome Christmas” Carol Contest has continued as an annual tradition, and hundreds of worthy carols have been submitted. Each year, two are selected and premiered in December by Brunelle’s choral ensemble. These “Welcome Christmas” concerts are recorded by American Public Media for both regional broadcast and national distribution.

On today’s date in 1998, two brand-new Christmas carols debuted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during the “Welcome Christmas” choral concert of VocalEssence conducted by Philip Brunelle. The two carols, “Sweet Noel” by Joan Griffith and “The Virgin’s Cradle Hymn” by Richard Voorhaar, were the prize-winning submissions entered in a contest arranged by the Plymouth Music Series and the American Composers Forum. The idea was to inspire contemporary composers to create new carols that—who knows?—might turn out to be classics over time. As Brunelle put it, “The Christmas carols that we love to sing and hear have a timelessness about them wrapped in their music and words. Out of submissions from all across the USA, [we] selected two that we felt captured this feeling.” Since 1998, the “Welcome Christmas” Carol Contest has continued as an annual tradition, and hundreds of worthy carols have been submitted. Each year, two are selected and premiered in December by Brunelle’s choral ensemble. These “Welcome Christmas” concerts are recorded by American Public Media for both regional broadcast and national distribution.

The American Composers Forum was founded in 1973, with the goal of making composers, and the music they create, a vibrant and integral part of human culture. These days, the ACF is working to broaden the way it defines “composer.” In this opus, Garrett and Scott talk with Vanessa Rose, the ACF’s president and CEO, about how the organization can play a role in the larger conversations surrounding diversity and inclusion. The three also tackle the subject of gender vs. racial equity, and preview an upcoming forum hosted by the ACF on the topic of diversity among composers and writers of creative music. In the prelude, Garrett and Scott talk about their visit to the Minnesota State Fair, and Scott reveals why he envies aspects of black history and culture.

Technology transforms the way in which we view opportunities and often creates new ones. This week on the Innovating Music Podcast, we rethink learning and education in music with UCLA alumnus Akira Nakano, the President and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Inception Orchestra. We look through the lens of applying virtual reality technology paired with original composition to the creation of educational programs that engage with local artist communities, and that bring music to underrepresented areas. Guest: Akira Nakano, President and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Inception Orchestra Akira Nakano grew up at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in both piano and percussion, soloing with numerous orchestras throughout Southern California as a youngster. He studied with Dr. Heewon Kwon with master classes from Jeffrey Kahane, Leon Fleischer, Ilana Vered, John Perry and Daniel Pollack. He was the winner of the 1st Annual Herbert Zipper Award in Music Composition amongst other piano competitions. Entering UCLA on a full ride piano performance scholarship, he won the UCLA Concerto Competition and graduated with a B.A. in Film & Television production. Mr. Nakano spent over twelve years working as a video editor, writer, producer and live event director at TRW Space & Electronics, and went on to have 20+ years of video marketing/communications and film producing experience which will dovetail into the LA Inception Orchestra's Virtual Reality/360 music education program.    Mentioned Links: Facebook: https://www.inceptionorchestra.org/ Twitter: @LAInceptionOrch Asia American Symphony Association: http://aasymphony.org Classical Saxophone Project: http://www.classicalsaxproject.org/ Gensler: nsler.com  Heart of Los Angeles: heartofla.org Young Musicians Foundation: ymf.org American Composers Forum: composersforum.org  

"Alligator Alley" is the nickname for the east-west stretch of Interstate 75 between Naples and Fort Lauderdale that crosses through Florida Everglades National Park. This park is home to many endangered species, one of them being the American alligator, a critter that occasionally I-75 drivers might see perched on the roadside observing the traffic flow—or hunting for road kill. "Alligator Alley" is also the title of a wind band score by the American composer Michael Daugherty, a work commissioned in 2003 by the American Composers Forum for their BandQuest series of new pieces written by leading American composers for middle and high school performers. In the case of "Alligator Alley," Daugherty had a particular middle-schooler in mind, namely his own daughter who played bassoon in a middle school band. Daugherty's "Alligator Alley" employs two main themes: the first, a slithery "alligator theme," is played at the beginning by bassoons; the second, a "hunter's theme," is performed by the brass, and the percussive sound of an alligator snapping its jaws is evoked by two pieces of wood being struck together. Since its premiere performance on May 14, 2003, by band director Gene Bartley and the kids at Slausen Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michael Daugherty's "Alligator Alley" has slithered its way into the band rooms and onto the music stands of young musicians all across the country.

"Alligator Alley" is the nickname for the east-west stretch of Interstate 75 between Naples and Fort Lauderdale that crosses through Florida Everglades National Park. This park is home to many endangered species, one of them being the American alligator, a critter that occasionally I-75 drivers might see perched on the roadside observing the traffic flow—or hunting for road kill. "Alligator Alley" is also the title of a wind band score by the American composer Michael Daugherty, a work commissioned in 2003 by the American Composers Forum for their BandQuest series of new pieces written by leading American composers for middle and high school performers. In the case of "Alligator Alley," Daugherty had a particular middle-schooler in mind, namely his own daughter who played bassoon in a middle school band. Daugherty's "Alligator Alley" employs two main themes: the first, a slithery "alligator theme," is played at the beginning by bassoons; the second, a "hunter's theme," is performed by the brass, and the percussive sound of an alligator snapping its jaws is evoked by two pieces of wood being struck together. Since its premiere performance on May 14, 2003, by band director Gene Bartley and the kids at Slausen Middle School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Michael Daugherty's "Alligator Alley" has slithered its way into the band rooms and onto the music stands of young musicians all across the country.

This episode features my conversation with Dr. Scott Watson. In addition to being an acclaimed composer for band and orchestra, Scott is well known for his work as an educator, author, and clinician.    Topics include:  - Scott’s approach to composing - Composing for student musicians - Integrating technology into a music class - Teaching young instrumentalists    Links:  Scott’s website: https://www.scottwatsonmusic.com/ Scott’s youTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAlWx0jwO3JEmbBR_P3nhbA   Bio:  Dr. Scott Watson received his B.S., Music Education from West Chester University and his M.M and D.M.A., Composition from Temple University and has taught music for 30+ years in the Parkland School District (Allentown, Pennsylvania) where he currently coordinates a large, vibrant elementary band/strings program and teaches several popular, creativity-infused high school music electives. Watson was recognized by the Parkland School District in 2015 with a Parkland Pride Award for outstanding achievement, and in 2020 he was awarded the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 10 Citation of Excellence in Teaching Award. An award-winning and frequently commissioned composer, Dr. Watson’s output includes close to 90 published works at all levels for concert band and orchestra. Watson’s music, which has been performed around the world and in the U.S. at such prestigious venues as Philadelphia’s Academy of Music, the White House, and the Midwest Clinic (Chicago), has been described as “outstanding...with beautiful melodies and interesting harmonies" (The Instrumentalist) and "written with supreme craft" (Percussive Arts Society Percussive Notes). His music has received awards and recognition from the American Composers Forum, the American Music Center, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Percussive Arts Society, and others. Recent commissions include works for: Composers and Schools in Concert (for a consortium of 12 university and high school bands across the U.S.), Magic Valley Symphony Orchestra (Twin Falls, ID), Albemarle County (VA) Middle School Honors Band, MusicAlliance Honor Band Camp (Cleveland, OH), the Massachusetts Instrumental and Choral Conductors Association, and many school ensembles. Watson is an exclusive composer for Alfred Publications and a contributor and clinician for the Sound Innovations band series. He, along with co-authors Brian Beck and Robert Sheldon, created Alfred Music's Sound Sight-Reading method (Books 1 and 2) for concert band. Watson has presented numerous workshops/clinics for music educators, including the 2019 New Hampshire Music Educators Association Conference, 2017 Midwest Band & Orchestra Clinic (Chicago, IL), 2017 MENC Eastern Division Conference (Atlantic City, NJ), 2015 NAfME National Conference (Nashville, TN), the keynote for the 2013 Music Technology in Education Conference (Melbourne, Australia) and many other clinics and professional development workshops. He frequently serves as guest conductor for honor band festivals, including the 2020 East Central Mississippi Band Director's Association High School Honor Band, 2020 Winston-Salem/Forsyth All-County Middle School Honor Band, 2019 Mississippi Middle School All-State Band, 2019 PMEA 12 Delaware County 5th/6th Grade BandFest, 2018 PMEA 10 Elementary Band Festival, 2017 PMEA District 5 Freshman Band Festival, and the 2015 All New England Band Festival (Plymouth State University, NH). Additionally, Dr. Watson is an adjunct professor for a number of universities (Cairn University, University of the Arts, Central Connecticut State University, and Moravian College) and author of the highly regarded music education text, Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity (©2011, Oxford University Press). Watson's facility with and pedagogical application of music education technology has made him an in-demand presenter and professional development trainer.  

Alternative classical composer Phillip Bimstein lives in Salt Lake City and Springdale, Utah, where he served two terms as mayor. A recipient of grants and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet The Composer, American Composers Forum, Austria’s Prix Ars Electronica and an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Bimstein’s music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Bang on a Can Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Spoleto Festival and London’s Royal Opera House. Bimstein was born in Chicago and is a graduate of Chicago Conservatory of Music, where he majored in theory & composition. In the 1980s he led the new wave band Phil ‘n’ the Blanks, whose three albums and six videos were college radio and MTV hits. After further studies at UCLA in composition, orchestration and conducting, Bimstein took a hiking trip to southern Utah and never left. Fascinated by language and the ability of music to tell a story, he frequently incorporates text in his work. Refuge, his string quartet based on the book by Utah naturalist Terry Tempest Williams, was described as “sublime - elegant perfection” by the Deseret News. In 2005 Bimstein composed Lockdown, a techno tone poem based on the sounds and voices of a youth crisis center in southern Utah. In addition to public concerts, the work is presented as dialogue-promoting outreach to youth detention facilities and prevention programs. In 2006 Bimstein received his second Continental Harmony grant from the American Composers Forum to compose Zion Canyon Song Cycle based on the historical and contemporary stories of his community. Performed by his Americana folk chamber group Red Rock Rondo, it is the subject of an Emmy Award winning PBS -TV music special, which also won Bimstein an Emmy for music composition. In 2011 Bimstein composed a new song cycle for Red Rock Rondo and the Salt Lake Sympony based on the best-selling book by Ted Gup, A Secret Gift. In 2015 the Salt Lake Symphony premiered The Brahma Viharas, a symphony with English horn soloist (Charlotte Bell), which Bimstein composed based on four ancient Buddhist/Yogic contemplative practices that were developed over centuries to cultivate the qualities of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity in the human heart. Bimstein has practiced yoga, the brahma viharas and mindfulness meditation for more than 40 years, and teaches the University of Utah Honors course, “Opening the Mind’s Eye: Contemplative Practice & Higher Education.” Described by Outside Magazine as “America's only all-natural politician-composer,” Bimstein served two terms as Springdale mayor. Due to his successful efforts to bring harmony to his previously divided community, Parade Magazine dubbed Bimstein, “The Man Who Brought Civility Back to Town.” In 2017 Bimstein gave a TEDx Talk about his approach to community: How to Practice Politics with Music in Mind. Bimstein has served as Chair of the Utah Humanities Council (who awarded him the 2009 UHC Alumni Award and the Delmont R. Oswald Fellowship), Vice-President of the American Music Center in New York, and he is profiled in Who’s Who in America. Bimstein designs and teaches an interdisciplinary course in the University of Utah’s Honors College, “Composing a Community,” and he is a frequent keynote speaker on creativity, community and collaboration. Information about Bimstein’s music and other projects can be found at his website: www.bimstein.com

Aired Thursday, 29 November 2018, 9:00 AM EST/6:00 AM PSTYuval RonYuval Ron is a world-renowned musician, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer. Among his many honors, he composed the music for the Oscar-winning film, West Bank. he was invited to perform for the Dalai Lama, has collaborated with the Sufi leader Pir Zia Inayat Khan, master musician Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Zen Buddhist Priest and Visual Artist Hirokazu Kosaka, choreographers Daniel Ezralow and Oguri and with neuroscientists Mark Robert Waldman and Andrew Newburg.He was awarded the Los Angeles Treasures Award and grants from the National Endowments of the Arts. American Composers Forum, California Council for Humanities, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a noted lecturer and has been invited to speak at numerous schools including Yale, John Hopkins, UCLA, MIT, Berklee College, and the University of Chicago.Yuval has been on the faculty of the Esalen Institute and is an affiliated artist with the Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity and a guiding voice for Seven Pillars – House of Wisdom. Yuval’s first book, Divine Attunement: Music as a Path to Wisdom, won the gold medal in the spirituality category at the Indie Book Awards in 2015.

Aired Wednesday, 12 September 2018 at 4:00 PM EST / 1:00 PM PSTVoyage Through the Chakras with Lucinda Clare and Yuval RonLucinda and Yuval will talk today about the healing power of sound and guided meditation, the science and mysticism behind it, how does it works, why we do what we do, how we created this new double album, etc. etc.About the Guests:Yuval Ron is a world-renowned musician, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer. Among his many honors, he composed the music for the Oscar winning film, West Bank Story, was invited to perform for the Dalai Lama, has collaborated with the Sufi leader Pir Zia Inayat Khan, Zen Buddhist priest and visual artist Hirokazu Kosaka, choreographers Daniel Ezralow and with neuroscientists Mark Robert Waldman and Andrew Newburg. He was awarded with the Los Angeles Treasures Award and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Composers Forum, California Council for the Humanities, and the Rockefeller Foundation. He is a noted lecturer and has been invited to speak at numerous schools including: Yale, John Hopkins University, UCLA, MIT, Berklee College of Music, University of Chicago and Esalen Institute. Yuval’s first book Divine Attunement: Music as a Path to Wisdom won the Gold Medal for Best Book in the Spirituality Category at the Indie Book Awards 2015.Lucinda Clare is the writer and narrator of the guided meditations contained in “Voyage of the Chakras.” She is a renown actress, who trained at Marcel Marceaus mime school in Paris and at the presigious Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Ms. Clare is also a voice over artist and a writer.For more on the new album: http://mettamindfulnessmusic.com/chakrasalbum.htmlTo receive monthly updates join our mailing list: www.yuvalronmusic.com

There are few living American classical composers for whom an academic biography has been published, but Libby Larsen deserves this type of study. At the opening of her book, Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life (University of Illinois Press, 2017), Denise Von Glahn describes her subject's life as a “polyphony”—made up of multiple strands of music, career, and family. In order to make sense of Larsen's long and accomplished career (and her hundreds of pieces of music), Von Glahn divides the biography into a close examination of the factors that most influenced Larsen's life and music: family, religion, nature, the academy, gender, technology, and her collaborations. In each chapter, Von Glahn weaves a consideration of Larsen's life with analyses of some of her major compositions. Larsen grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has always considered herself something of an outsider in the world of classical music. She does not live in New York City (the epicenter of American classical music); she does not hold an academic appointment; she has never applied for some of the institutional grants that often support contemporary composers' work; and she is a woman in a field still dominated by men. While she was in graduate school, Larsen helped found the American Composers Forum which has become one of the most important organizations that supports the work of new composers in the United States. Today, Larsen is one of America's most successful composers having written for many of the best orchestras, opera companies, instrumental and vocal soloists in the country. Her music is eclectic, thoughtful, never pretentious, and always concerned with communicating with the listener. Denise Von Glahn is the Curtis Mayes Orpheus Professor of Musicology at Florida State University where she is the Coordinator of the Musicology Area and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas. Her work centers on music and place, ecomusicology, gender studies, and biography. She has published three previous award-winning monographs: The Sounds of Place: Music and the American Cultural Landscape, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (coauthored with Michael Broyles), and Music and the Skillful Listener: American Women Compose the Natural World. She has received multiple grants including from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Von Glahn has won university awards for her undergraduate and graduate teaching. Kristen M. Turner, Ph.D. is a lecturer at North Carolina State University in the music department. Her work centers on American musical culture at the turn of the twentieth century and has been published in several journals and essay collections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few living American classical composers for whom an academic biography has been published, but Libby Larsen deserves this type of study. At the opening of her book, Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life (University of Illinois Press, 2017), Denise Von Glahn describes her subject’s life as a “polyphony”—made up of multiple strands of music, career, and family. In order to make sense of Larsen’s long and accomplished career (and her hundreds of pieces of music), Von Glahn divides the biography into a close examination of the factors that most influenced Larsen’s life and music: family, religion, nature, the academy, gender, technology, and her collaborations. In each chapter, Von Glahn weaves a consideration of Larsen’s life with analyses of some of her major compositions. Larsen grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has always considered herself something of an outsider in the world of classical music. She does not live in New York City (the epicenter of American classical music); she does not hold an academic appointment; she has never applied for some of the institutional grants that often support contemporary composers’ work; and she is a woman in a field still dominated by men. While she was in graduate school, Larsen helped found the American Composers Forum which has become one of the most important organizations that supports the work of new composers in the United States. Today, Larsen is one of America’s most successful composers having written for many of the best orchestras, opera companies, instrumental and vocal soloists in the country. Her music is eclectic, thoughtful, never pretentious, and always concerned with communicating with the listener. Denise Von Glahn is the Curtis Mayes Orpheus Professor of Musicology at Florida State University where she is the Coordinator of the Musicology Area and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas. Her work centers on music and place, ecomusicology, gender studies, and biography. She has published three previous award-winning monographs: The Sounds of Place: Music and the American Cultural Landscape, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (coauthored with Michael Broyles), and Music and the Skillful Listener: American Women Compose the Natural World. She has received multiple grants including from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Von Glahn has won university awards for her undergraduate and graduate teaching. Kristen M. Turner, Ph.D. is a lecturer at North Carolina State University in the music department. Her work centers on American musical culture at the turn of the twentieth century and has been published in several journals and essay collections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few living American classical composers for whom an academic biography has been published, but Libby Larsen deserves this type of study. At the opening of her book, Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life (University of Illinois Press, 2017), Denise Von Glahn describes her subject’s life as a “polyphony”—made up of multiple strands of music, career, and family. In order to make sense of Larsen’s long and accomplished career (and her hundreds of pieces of music), Von Glahn divides the biography into a close examination of the factors that most influenced Larsen’s life and music: family, religion, nature, the academy, gender, technology, and her collaborations. In each chapter, Von Glahn weaves a consideration of Larsen’s life with analyses of some of her major compositions. Larsen grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has always considered herself something of an outsider in the world of classical music. She does not live in New York City (the epicenter of American classical music); she does not hold an academic appointment; she has never applied for some of the institutional grants that often support contemporary composers’ work; and she is a woman in a field still dominated by men. While she was in graduate school, Larsen helped found the American Composers Forum which has become one of the most important organizations that supports the work of new composers in the United States. Today, Larsen is one of America’s most successful composers having written for many of the best orchestras, opera companies, instrumental and vocal soloists in the country. Her music is eclectic, thoughtful, never pretentious, and always concerned with communicating with the listener. Denise Von Glahn is the Curtis Mayes Orpheus Professor of Musicology at Florida State University where she is the Coordinator of the Musicology Area and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas. Her work centers on music and place, ecomusicology, gender studies, and biography. She has published three previous award-winning monographs: The Sounds of Place: Music and the American Cultural Landscape, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (coauthored with Michael Broyles), and Music and the Skillful Listener: American Women Compose the Natural World. She has received multiple grants including from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Von Glahn has won university awards for her undergraduate and graduate teaching. Kristen M. Turner, Ph.D. is a lecturer at North Carolina State University in the music department. Her work centers on American musical culture at the turn of the twentieth century and has been published in several journals and essay collections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few living American classical composers for whom an academic biography has been published, but Libby Larsen deserves this type of study. At the opening of her book, Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life (University of Illinois Press, 2017), Denise Von Glahn describes her subject’s life as a “polyphony”—made up of multiple strands of music, career, and family. In order to make sense of Larsen’s long and accomplished career (and her hundreds of pieces of music), Von Glahn divides the biography into a close examination of the factors that most influenced Larsen’s life and music: family, religion, nature, the academy, gender, technology, and her collaborations. In each chapter, Von Glahn weaves a consideration of Larsen’s life with analyses of some of her major compositions. Larsen grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has always considered herself something of an outsider in the world of classical music. She does not live in New York City (the epicenter of American classical music); she does not hold an academic appointment; she has never applied for some of the institutional grants that often support contemporary composers’ work; and she is a woman in a field still dominated by men. While she was in graduate school, Larsen helped found the American Composers Forum which has become one of the most important organizations that supports the work of new composers in the United States. Today, Larsen is one of America’s most successful composers having written for many of the best orchestras, opera companies, instrumental and vocal soloists in the country. Her music is eclectic, thoughtful, never pretentious, and always concerned with communicating with the listener. Denise Von Glahn is the Curtis Mayes Orpheus Professor of Musicology at Florida State University where she is the Coordinator of the Musicology Area and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas. Her work centers on music and place, ecomusicology, gender studies, and biography. She has published three previous award-winning monographs: The Sounds of Place: Music and the American Cultural Landscape, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (coauthored with Michael Broyles), and Music and the Skillful Listener: American Women Compose the Natural World. She has received multiple grants including from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Von Glahn has won university awards for her undergraduate and graduate teaching. Kristen M. Turner, Ph.D. is a lecturer at North Carolina State University in the music department. Her work centers on American musical culture at the turn of the twentieth century and has been published in several journals and essay collections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few living American classical composers for whom an academic biography has been published, but Libby Larsen deserves this type of study. At the opening of her book, Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life (University of Illinois Press, 2017), Denise Von Glahn describes her subject’s life as a “polyphony”—made up of multiple strands of music, career, and family. In order to make sense of Larsen’s long and accomplished career (and her hundreds of pieces of music), Von Glahn divides the biography into a close examination of the factors that most influenced Larsen’s life and music: family, religion, nature, the academy, gender, technology, and her collaborations. In each chapter, Von Glahn weaves a consideration of Larsen’s life with analyses of some of her major compositions. Larsen grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has always considered herself something of an outsider in the world of classical music. She does not live in New York City (the epicenter of American classical music); she does not hold an academic appointment; she has never applied for some of the institutional grants that often support contemporary composers’ work; and she is a woman in a field still dominated by men. While she was in graduate school, Larsen helped found the American Composers Forum which has become one of the most important organizations that supports the work of new composers in the United States. Today, Larsen is one of America’s most successful composers having written for many of the best orchestras, opera companies, instrumental and vocal soloists in the country. Her music is eclectic, thoughtful, never pretentious, and always concerned with communicating with the listener. Denise Von Glahn is the Curtis Mayes Orpheus Professor of Musicology at Florida State University where she is the Coordinator of the Musicology Area and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas. Her work centers on music and place, ecomusicology, gender studies, and biography. She has published three previous award-winning monographs: The Sounds of Place: Music and the American Cultural Landscape, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (coauthored with Michael Broyles), and Music and the Skillful Listener: American Women Compose the Natural World. She has received multiple grants including from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Von Glahn has won university awards for her undergraduate and graduate teaching. Kristen M. Turner, Ph.D. is a lecturer at North Carolina State University in the music department. Her work centers on American musical culture at the turn of the twentieth century and has been published in several journals and essay collections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are few living American classical composers for whom an academic biography has been published, but Libby Larsen deserves this type of study. At the opening of her book, Libby Larsen: Composing an American Life (University of Illinois Press, 2017), Denise Von Glahn describes her subject’s life as a “polyphony”—made up of multiple strands of music, career, and family. In order to make sense of Larsen’s long and accomplished career (and her hundreds of pieces of music), Von Glahn divides the biography into a close examination of the factors that most influenced Larsen’s life and music: family, religion, nature, the academy, gender, technology, and her collaborations. In each chapter, Von Glahn weaves a consideration of Larsen’s life with analyses of some of her major compositions. Larsen grew up and still lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has always considered herself something of an outsider in the world of classical music. She does not live in New York City (the epicenter of American classical music); she does not hold an academic appointment; she has never applied for some of the institutional grants that often support contemporary composers’ work; and she is a woman in a field still dominated by men. While she was in graduate school, Larsen helped found the American Composers Forum which has become one of the most important organizations that supports the work of new composers in the United States. Today, Larsen is one of America’s most successful composers having written for many of the best orchestras, opera companies, instrumental and vocal soloists in the country. Her music is eclectic, thoughtful, never pretentious, and always concerned with communicating with the listener. Denise Von Glahn is the Curtis Mayes Orpheus Professor of Musicology at Florida State University where she is the Coordinator of the Musicology Area and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas. Her work centers on music and place, ecomusicology, gender studies, and biography. She has published three previous award-winning monographs: The Sounds of Place: Music and the American Cultural Landscape, Leo Ornstein: Modernist Dilemmas, Personal Choices (coauthored with Michael Broyles), and Music and the Skillful Listener: American Women Compose the Natural World. She has received multiple grants including from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Henry and Edna Binkele Classical Music Fund. In addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Von Glahn has won university awards for her undergraduate and graduate teaching. Kristen M. Turner, Ph.D. is a lecturer at North Carolina State University in the music department. Her work centers on American musical culture at the turn of the twentieth century and has been published in several journals and essay collections. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Giving Voice Chorus is for people and caregivers living with dementia. The group partnered with a composer and poet to create and present a brand-new work, something many might believe is impossible. Kris Kautzman from the American Composers Forum tells us more.

Libby Larsen is one of America’s most performed living composers. Her catalogue of some 500 compositions spans every genre from vocal to chamber music to massive orchestra and operatic works. Including a Grammy winning album in 1993, she has over 50 recordings to her credit. She continues to be in demand for commissions and premieres by artists worldwide. She is the co-founder of the Minnesota Composers Form, now the American Composers Forum, and has held residencies with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Charlotte Symphony, and the Colorado Symphony.

Today we're connected with Kate Gale, Managing Editor of Red Hen Press; Editor of the Los Angeles Review; President of the American Composers Forum, LA; faculty member in the Low Residency MFA program at the University of Nebraska in Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction; and author of poetry collections such as Mating Seaon (Tupolo Press), novels such as Lake of Fire (Winter Street Press), and librettos such as Paradises Lost (with Ursula K. Le Guin and composer Stephen Andrew Taylor). Producer: Jon-Barrett Ingels and Kevin Staniec Manager: Sarah Becker Host: Jon-Barrett Ingels Guest: Kate Gale

Dr. Eugene Rogers “preaches the word of the singing conductor.” There is singing, and then there is singing that utilizes technical mastery to communicate the meaning and emotion of a piece. Dr. Rogers calls these leaders who are so deeply connected to sound and its purpose Singing Conductors, and reveals the four characteristics they share in common. Listen: Highlight to Tweet: “The choirs are singing from the inside out. ” - Dr. Eugene Rogers Show Notes: The “singing Conductor” is a process by which one approaches making the choral art come alive. Singing Conductors lead choirs that sing from the inside out. They are completely aware of the technical aspects of choral music, but also deeply rooted in the understanding of the work. There are 4 characteristics of the Singing Conductor: they have a heightened sensitivity to building sound they emphasize sound for sound’s sake, and also sound that is directly connected to the context of the piece they often see technical issues as opportunities for vocal warm ups they place a high emphasis on communication and expression Think about your process. Look at conductors you admire, and figure out their approach. Bio: Recognized as a leading conductor, pedagogue, and lecturer, Eugene Rogers has appeared throughout the United States as well as in Africa, Canada, China, Singapore, England, Portugal, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Mexico, Spain, and Italy. Recently, Rogers received the Sphinx Medal of Excellence for his commitment to issues of social justice and leadership and conducted the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club in Salt Lake City, Utah at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).  In December 2014, the Naxos recording of Milhaud's monumental L'Orestie d'Eschyle, on which Rogers served as a chorus master, was nominated for a 2015 GRAMMY® Award ("Best Opera Recording"). Rogers is currently associate director of choirs at U-M where he teaches undergraduate conducting, conducts the Men's Glee Club and the University Choir, and is the faculty director of the MPulse Vocal Arts Institute, a national high school summer program. In July, 2018, he will begin his new appointment as the Director of Choirs at Michigan, where he will oversee the graduate choral conducting program and direct the UM Chamber Choir.  His past appointments include Macalester College (St. Paul, Minnesota), the Boys Choir of Harlem, Waubonsie Valley High School (Aurora, Illinois), and Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago (formerly the Glen Ellyn Children's Choir).  In 2013, Rogers co-managed the production of the joint CD Ye Shall Have a Song with the Michigan, Yale, and Harvard Glee Clubs, a collaboration celebrating America's three oldest collegiate choirs. Notable guest appearances include the Ministry Branch of Education Inaugural World Youth Choir Festival (Singapore); the Lisbon Summerfest Chamber Choir and Festival Chorus; VocalEssence and the Minnesota Public Radio Harmony in the Park; the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) High School Mixed Honor Choir (Luxembourg), the British Columbia Music Education Association Honor Choir; the NAfME All-Northwest High School Mixed Choir; Westminster Chamber Choir (Florence, Italy, and Princeton, New Jersey); Choral Music Experience (London, England); the Interscholastic  Association of Southeast Asia High Schools Biennial Music Festival (Singapore); the Colorado All-State Choir; the Oregon All-State Mixed Choir, the Tlaxcala Mexico Second International Festival of Chamber Choirs; Choirs of America Festival (New York); the Oklahoma State University Choral Festival (Stillwater, Oklahoma); the Florida ACDA High School Mixed Honor Choir; the OAKE (Organization of American Kodály Educators) National Youth Honor Choir; the Alabama Middle School All-State Choir; Chorus America San Francisco Conference; the Illinois ACDA Summer Conference; the ACDA North Central Division Middle School Honor Choir; and the Vocalizze Youth Program in Lisbon.  2016-17 appearances include guest- conducting and conference presentations in Latvia, British Columbia, China, Madrid, Portugal, Singapore, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Michigan. In 2015, Mark Foster Publishing began the Eugene Rogers Choral Series, a series featuring emerging composers who specialize in contemporary classical and folk music traditions. In 2011, Rogers traveled to and studied the choral traditions of East Africa (Tanzania) and subsequently published editions of Tanzanian choral music under the Hal Leonard World Music Series. As a singer, Rogers has performed with the World Youth Choir, the Portland Symphonic Choir, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorale, and the May Festival Chorus in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to his duties as a conductor, teacher, and singer, Rogers is the first national chair of Diversity Issues for the American Choral Directors Association National Conference, co-artistic director of Portugal's Lisbon Summer Choral Festival and, in 2010 and 2011, was the artistic director of the Disneyland Hong Kong Winter Choral Festival. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts and currently serves on the boards of  Chorus America, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and is the ChoralQuest series editor for the American Composers Forum. Rogers holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in choral music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in choral conducting from U-M. Resources/links Mentioned: Podcast Episode: Put the Text First, with Ryan Guth Jerry Blackstone Joe Miller Emily Ellsworth Choir Nation group on Facebook Email Patreon - Support the podcast! Sponsored by: Sight Reading Factory (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for 10 free student accounts!) My Music Folders (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for “last column” or best pricing - usually reserved for bulk purchases only!)

Dr. Eugene Rogers gives you permission to listen to your gut. Whether it’s a move, a job, or even a bold programming choice, you can take risks. Some of them will pay off. Some of them will leave you stranded in New York City with no job and no car. But you will grow from all of them. Listen: Highlight to Tweet: “Choral music was deeply inside of me. I had a real passion for it, no matter what.” - Dr. Eugene Rogers Show Notes: Dr. Rogers decided to dedicate his life to music during a piano lesson while he was a high school student. The idea that he could make a living as a musician took root and never wavered. He originally thought he would be a singer. But conducting had a natural ease to it that compelled him to study further. Conducting allows him to most fully express his musical vision. Working for the Boys Choir of Harlem proved to be both a wonderful and a trying experience. Intending to stay in New York until he retired, Eugene was blindsided when the organization announced that because of financial difficulties they would no longer be able to pay him. But the experience reinforced for him that his life would always be centered on music. Always listen to your gut! Even when an experience doesn’t turn out the way you expect, you can still learn from it. Bio: Recognized as a leading conductor, pedagogue, and lecturer, Eugene Rogers has appeared throughout the United States as well as in Africa, Canada, China, Singapore, England, Portugal, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Mexico, Spain, and Italy. Recently, Rogers received the Sphinx Medal of Excellence for his commitment to issues of social justice and leadership and conducted the University of Michigan Men's Glee Club in Salt Lake City, Utah at the National Convention of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).  In December 2014, the Naxos recording of Milhaud's monumental L'Orestie d'Eschyle, on which Rogers served as a chorus master, was nominated for a 2015 GRAMMY® Award ("Best Opera Recording"). Rogers is currently associate director of choirs at U-M where he teaches undergraduate conducting, conducts the Men's Glee Club and the University Choir, and is the faculty director of the MPulse Vocal Arts Institute, a national high school summer program. In July, 2018, he will begin his new appointment as the Director of Choirs at Michigan, where he will oversee the graduate choral conducting program and direct the UM Chamber Choir.  His past appointments include Macalester College (St. Paul, Minnesota), the Boys Choir of Harlem, Waubonsie Valley High School (Aurora, Illinois), and Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago (formerly the Glen Ellyn Children's Choir).  In 2013, Rogers co-managed the production of the joint CD Ye Shall Have a Song with the Michigan, Yale, and Harvard Glee Clubs, a collaboration celebrating America's three oldest collegiate choirs. Notable guest appearances include the Ministry Branch of Education Inaugural World Youth Choir Festival (Singapore); the Lisbon Summerfest Chamber Choir and Festival Chorus; VocalEssence and the Minnesota Public Radio Harmony in the Park; the Association for Music in International Schools (AMIS) High School Mixed Honor Choir (Luxembourg), the British Columbia Music Education Association Honor Choir; the NAfME All-Northwest High School Mixed Choir; Westminster Chamber Choir (Florence, Italy, and Princeton, New Jersey); Choral Music Experience (London, England); the Interscholastic  Association of Southeast Asia High Schools Biennial Music Festival (Singapore); the Colorado All-State Choir; the Oregon All-State Mixed Choir, the Tlaxcala Mexico Second International Festival of Chamber Choirs; Choirs of America Festival (New York); the Oklahoma State University Choral Festival (Stillwater, Oklahoma); the Florida ACDA High School Mixed Honor Choir; the OAKE (Organization of American Kodály Educators) National Youth Honor Choir; the Alabama Middle School All-State Choir; Chorus America San Francisco Conference; the Illinois ACDA Summer Conference; the ACDA North Central Division Middle School Honor Choir; and the Vocalizze Youth Program in Lisbon.  2016-17 appearances include guest- conducting and conference presentations in Latvia, British Columbia, China, Madrid, Portugal, Singapore, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Michigan. In 2015, Mark Foster Publishing began the Eugene Rogers Choral Series, a series featuring emerging composers who specialize in contemporary classical and folk music traditions. In 2011, Rogers traveled to and studied the choral traditions of East Africa (Tanzania) and subsequently published editions of Tanzanian choral music under the Hal Leonard World Music Series. As a singer, Rogers has performed with the World Youth Choir, the Portland Symphonic Choir, the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Chorale, and the May Festival Chorus in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition to his duties as a conductor, teacher, and singer, Rogers is the first national chair of Diversity Issues for the American Choral Directors Association National Conference, co-artistic director of Portugal's Lisbon Summer Choral Festival and, in 2010 and 2011, was the artistic director of the Disneyland Hong Kong Winter Choral Festival. He has served as a panelist for the National Endowment of the Arts and currently serves on the boards of  Chorus America, the National Collegiate Choral Organization, and is the ChoralQuest series editor for the American Composers Forum. Rogers holds the Bachelor of Arts degree in choral music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in choral conducting from U-M. Resources/links Mentioned: Boys Choir of Harlem Shout out to Corey! Seven Last Words of the Unarmed University of Michigan Choir Nation group on Facebook Email Patreon - Support the podcast! Sponsored by: Sight Reading Factory (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for 10 free student accounts!) My Music Folders (Use promo code “NINJA” at checkout for “last column” or best pricing - usually reserved for bulk purchases only!)

Composer Scott Watson is my guest on this episode. Scott has over 60 published works, mostly through by Alfred Music. In this diverse episode we discuss Scott's impressive career including his musical background, his compositional process, acquiring commissions and using consortiums, guest conducting, technology in the classroom, project based learning, graded band music, learning one instrument very well, and finding inspiration in writing music for young players. Links: Scott Watson, composer Scott's works at Alfred Music Queen Mab Composers and Schools in Concert Project Based Learning Scott's Book: Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity Michael Colgrass: Old Churches John Kinyon's Biography at Alfred Music Copland: Lincoln Portrait (US Marine Band) Biography: Scott Watson, born 1962 in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania has composed for concert, radio, and theater and received recognition for his work from ASCAP, the American Composers Forum, the American Music Center, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and others. Watson's music for band is published primarily by Alfred Publications, for whom he an exclusive composer. Other music for concert band is published by Wingert-Jones Publications, TRN, C. L. Barnhouse, Hal Leonard, Concert Works Unlimited (a division of Shawnee Press, now distributed by Hal Leonard), and Jon Ross Music. His string/orchestra music is published by Alfred Publications and Wingert-Jones Publications Publications, and his chamber music is published by Trillenium Music Company. You can hear excerpts of Watson's compositions by clicking on the Music links above. About Watson's music, The Instrumentalist says "outstanding...with beautiful melodies and interesting harmonies" (Mark Hosler, 2004), Percussive Notes says "written with supreme craft" (Cort McClaren, 1993), the Allentown Morning Call says "Watson exhibited a great deal of skill in managing the resources of the orchestra...a very well-crafted piece...he will very likely become a force to be reckoned with" (Philip A. Metzger, 2000), and PMEA News says "Watson skillfully transforms his zest for life into his own brand of unique musical exuberance. His scoring for winds, brass, and percussion is excellent" (Kenneth Laudermilch, 1998). His music for band has several times been performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (Chicago) and named to several Bandworld Top 100 and Japan Band Clinic Yamaha Recommends 100 Pieces for Band listings. Recent projects include Youth/Student Concert performances of his Aesop's Fables by the Allentown Band, with dance choreographed by Repertory Dance Theater, as well as commissions by the MusicAlliance Honor Band Camp (Cleveland, OH, made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts), Lehigh County (Pennsylvania) Bandmasters Association, Massachusetts Instrumental & Choral Conductors Association (Spring 2007, concert band and chorus); International Horn Society Meir Rimon Fund (Spring 2006, solo horn and concert band); an American Composers Forum Continental Harmony project commission, Magic Valley, (2004, concert band); Figurations (for winds and percussion), commissioned by the West Chester University Wind Ensemble, Kenneth Laudermilch, Director; Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra, for the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, Luis Biava conductor and Terell Stafford, trumpet soloist; and Hymn and Declaration, commissioned by the Lehigh Valley Chamber Orchestra, Donald Spieth, Director. Watson has been pleased and honored to serve as guest conductor or adjudicator at various band festivals. Watson received his MM and DMA in Composition from Temple University, where his composition teachers include Maurice Wright and Matthew Greenbaum. Watson teaches instrumental and elective music in the Parkland School District (Allentown, PA), and serves as adjunct professor teaching music education/music technology courses for University of the Arts, Cairn University, and Central Connecticut State University and Applied Composition for University of Valley Forge. During the 2001-02 academic year, he served as Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Technology at Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music (Philadelphia, PA). Additionally, his book, Using Technology to Unlock Musical Creativity, which focuses on project-based, creative music learning facilitated by technology, is published by Oxford University Press.    

Since I'll be on my Composer Quest World Tour this fall, I decided we had to do something worldly and big for the final composing quest. In the spirit of the 2016 Rio Olympics, I'll be hosting the official Composer Quest Olympic Games!

On this episode of the podcast, environmental sound-artist Philip Blackburn talks about early exposure to an artist that inspired him to build his own instruments. He also talks about how getting to study under Kenneth Gaburo further opened up Philip's ideas about what his art could be. Plus, Philip talks about the lovely unpredictable nature of work that changes based on human interaction. Philip Blackburn was born in Cambridge, England, and studied music there as a Choral Scholar at Clare College (BA, MA). He earned his Ph.D. in Composition from the University of Iowa where he studied with Kenneth Gaburo and began work on publishing the Harry Partch archives. Blackburn's book, Enclosure Three: Harry Partch, won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. He has worked at the American Composers Forum since 1991, running the innova Recordings label (which has been called “the nation's premiere label for American new music”) while developing re-granting programs (notably the Jerome commissioning program, McKnight Fellowships) and opportunities for composers (such as the Sonic Circuits International Electronic Music Festival, Continental Harmony, and Bamboofest).   He is also a public artist specializing in sound — a composer/environmental sound-artist — and has served as teaching artist for school residencies connected with the Flint Hills International Children's Festival, creating multi-media performances using home-made instruments.  He composed the soundtrack for the Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life exhibition initiated by the Science Museum of Minnesota now traveling the nation.  His Car Horn Fanfare for 8 ArtCars opened the Northern Spark Festival, and his Duluth Harbor Serenade was heard by thousands of people during Duluth Superior Pride. His concert work, Sonata Homophobia, for Flute and Brainwave-Triggered Right Wing Hate Speech was also premiered in Duluth. Blackburn's works have been heard in ships' harbors, state fairs, forests, and coming out of storm sewers, as well as in galleries and on concert stages. He has incorporated brainwave sensors and dowsing rods in performance as well as balloon flutes, car horns, smart phones, and wind-powered harps. He created a multi-media hyperopera about Cragmor Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Colorado Springs. That work, The Sun Palace became a 60-minute indie film that premiered at the New York's Anthology Film Archives.  

Today Matt welcomes composer Joseph Bertolozzi. With a penchant for exploring unorthodox tools, timbres, and sound environments, Joe's sonic ambitions are taking him to new heights and to new nations. Many may know Joseph for his previous album, Bridge Music, released in 2009 and composed using elements of percussion produced only by New York's Mid-Hudson Bridge. To build on this project, Joseph's newest album, Tower Music (or Musique de la Tour) will be composed using percussion sounds made only using the Eiffel Tower. It will be released by Innova Recordings -- the label of the American Composers Forum -- on April 29th, 2016. Hear Joseph chat about what it takes to record such large-scale projects and the challenges he must face when trying to promote and share them. Also hear him chat about his upbringing, his influences, his writing process, and what it's like to compose music both with standard instrumentation and to use sounds from structures. Enjoy! Continue reading

Goldilocks Zone (University of New Mexico Press) Goldilocks Zone explores the inventions of bridges, condoms, fireworks, and glass weaved into the stories of creative people teetering on the brink of disaster. But those lives are also immersed in light, love, joy, and madness, all the elements of a rich and wild inventive life. Dr. Kate Gale is managing editor of Red Hen Press, editor of the Los Angeles Review, and president of the American Composers Forum, LA. She teaches in the Low Residency MFA program at the University of Nebraska in Poetry, Fiction and Creative Non-Fiction. She is author of five books of poetry, a novel, and Rio de Sangre, a libretto for an opera with composer Don Davis. Her most recent projects include a co-written libretto, Paradises Lost with Ursula K. LeGuin and composer Stephen Taylor, and a libretto adapted from Kindred by Octavia Butler with composer Billy Childs. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.

Craig Carnahan has been a part of the American Composers Forum since it was small enough to fit in someone’s living room. In this episode of Composer Quest, he shares some advice on writing grants, getting performances of your music, and arranging copyrighted material. Craig explains how ACF’s Innova recording label works, and why it’s such a great opportunity for composers. We also get to hear a few of Craig’s original pieces.

Trumpeter Ralph Alessi's new album is Baida (ECM, 2013). In this interview, Alessi talks about the cohesiveness of this band after multiple albums together; playing the record for his mother in her final days; and his many years studying classical music before his experience at CalArts changed the course of his life. Learn more at ralphalessi.com. You can get a free mp3 from this album (along with many more free mp3s) by becoming a member for $5/month. You can support The Jazz Session by buying this album in the show's store. SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by innova Recordings, the label of the American Composers Forum. Innova releases creative jazz from the inside to the outside, Braxton to Big Band, Ligeti to Yao to Hwang. Even the different drummer is on our label. On the web at innova.mu.

Trumpeter Ralph Alessi's new album is Baida (ECM, 2013). In this interview, Alessi talks about the cohesiveness of this band after multiple albums together; playing the record for his mother in her final days; and his many years studying classical music before his experience at CalArts changed the course of his life. Learn more at ralphalessi.com. You can get a free mp3 from this album (along with many more free mp3s) by becoming a member for $5/month. You can support The Jazz Session by buying this album in the show's store. SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by innova Recordings, the label of the American Composers Forum. Innova releases creative jazz from the inside to the outside, Braxton to Big Band, Ligeti to Yao to Hwang. Even the different drummer is on our label. On the web at innova.mu.

Danielle Eva Schwob is the leader of new cinematic, experimental alternative band Delanila. The acclaimed composer, arranger and guitarist has assembled an amazing array of talent for Delanila's first release, Overloaded, including Grammy-winning engineer Emily Lazar (Sia, Coldplay, Haim), top beat programmer and producer Pearse MacIntyre, drummer Aaron Steele (Portgual. The Man), Nick Semrad and Adam Agati (Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles), Jim Orso (Hot Chip), Jennifer Choi (John Zorn), Cornelius DuFallo (FLUX) and more. The album is co-produced by three time Grammy winner David Botrill (Muse, Tool, Peter Gabriel) and features complex electro-pop arrangements overlayed by Danielle's elegant and haunting soprano vocals. Known for her classical compositions and film scores where her work has been featured at Lincoln Center, National Sawdust, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn!, Chamber Music America, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the MATA Festival and earned honors from The Aaron Copland Fund, New Music USA, The American Composers Forum, ASCAP, CMNY and BMI, Delanila is a welcome exploration into the alternative pop music scene for Danielle Eva Schwob.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/back-story-song/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy