Composers and the "relationship-making business"

An article by Alex Shapiro, posted today, well-worth reading even if you're not a composer:

Blogger Book Club III: Selling Everything, 2.0—The Jig Goes Public

"Those of us who are musicians and composers might think that we're in the music-making business, but we're actually in the relationship-making business. [...] One of the limitations of the new music world is its self-referential nature, whereby accepted norms are...accepted norms, and fewer participants think outside of the taco shell. I find myself most stimulated and inspired by the observations of those who are not part of the arts scene, who see the larger trends in society and in the way people communicate." —Alex Shapiro [READ MORE]

author: Alex Shapiro
source: www.artsjournal.com
date: July 27, 2009

Topic for discussion: How can composers best build responsive relationships for their art outside of the new music community?


[This post also appears in my own EarRelevant blog. --mg]

Eyedrum threatens to move or close

Music critic Pierre Ruhe examines the current status of Atlanta's most iconic alternative performance/exhibit space:

Mired in money troubles, Eyedrum threatens to move or close

The innovative multi-disciplinary arts space Eyedrum, an invaluable asset to Atlanta's arts scene, is in financial trouble. ... [READ MORE]

author: Pierre Ruhe
source: artscriticATL.com

Topic for discussion: Are alternative venues in Atlanta shrinking in number or growing?


[This post also appears in my own EarRelevant blog. --mg]

"An architect puts Bach in a musical cocoon"

MANCHESTER, England — A rewarding experiment in creating an ideal space to hear some of Bach’s most intimate music... http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/arts/music/14bach.html

author: Anthony Tommasini
source: NYTimes.com 13 July 2009)


Topic for discussion: How do you choose (or create) a venue best suited to your own music?

Nothing to waste: The advantage of being under-funded

Entrepreneur and programmer Derek Sivers, founder of CD Baby, talks about marketing as simply "being considerate" without need for fancy trappings:

Nothing to waste: The advantage of being under-funded

Source: sivers.org
Author: Derek Sivers


[This post also appears in my own EarRelevant blog. --mg]

The Music May Not Want to Be Free

In the upcoming July 6, 2009 issue of The New Yorker, reviewer Malcolm Gladwell takes on the technological utopian assumptions of WIRED editor Chris Anderson's book, Free.

Malcolm Gladwell reviews Free by Chris Anderson: Books: The New Yorker

Source: www.newyorker.com
BOOKS review of “Free: The Future of a Radical Price” (Hyperion; $26.99) by Chris Anderson. ... READ MORE in THE NEW YORKER

[This post also appears in my own EarRelevant blog.]

Scott Smalley Orchestration Seminar in Nashville survey

I went to this seminar last summer and found it helpful, Scott Smalley is an excellent teacher and has some great insight on orchestrating. Nashville is roughly 4 hours away and makes for a great weekend. You also get a thick book of scores and a CD of the scores he uses in class. I plan on going to the advanced one if they offer it.

This is from Geoff Koch, president of the Nashville Composers Association:

Hello everyone,

As many of you know, last year the Nashville Composers Association, along with the Film Music Network, brought Hollywood orchestrator and composer Scott Smalley to Nashville to hold one of his renowned orchestration seminars. We all considered it a great success, including Scott, who loved Nashville and wants to return. To that end, I've been working on bringing Scott back here for another seminar, hopefully later on this year. Scott also has an "advanced course" in the works in which attendees would study "traditional" orchestral works (e.g. Stravinsky, Mahler, etc.) for elements we can use in film scoring today, so having this new course here is a possibility.

The main sticking point is, in light of the slow economy, concern about potentially low attendance. So to help gage interest, I'd like to hear from those who would be willing to pay to attend a Scott Smalley "Art of Orchestration" seminar in Nashville, Tennessee, specifically:

1. Would you be willing to pay $350 for the 2-day course? (Keep in mind that this is for new attendees as those who have previously attended the course may attend again for free, if space is available; there may also be discounts for early sign-ups).

2. Which Smalley course would you be willing to attend -- the "Art of Orchestration" (emphasis on study of contemporary film scores), the "Advanced Course" (emphasis on study of traditional scores), or either?Please respond at your earliest convenience and forward this message to anyone who might be interested.Many thanks, everyone -- I look forward to hearing back from you!

Geoff Koch, NCA President

--> please send responses to gk@kochproductions.com

New Arts Blog in Town

FYI: I've recently learned that Pierre Ruhe, former AJC classical music critic, and Cathy Cox, former AJC visual art critic have started an arts blog. It's still a work in progress, but they have begun posting reviews and comments, so I wanted you to know about it. 

 

Cathy Cox writes, "We believe that thoughtful criticism is a key component of a vibrant arts community, not only as an important link between art and its audience but also as a platform for debate and dialogue. Both Pierre and I continue to contribute reviews and features to the AJC, but we feel --and your expressions of concern suggest you share this view-- that metro Atlanta needs more. We hope that our blog, www.artscriticATL.com, will help to fill the gap.

 

We intend to apply the same journalistic ethics and standards we have demonstrated throughout our careers and, as we add writers, will expect the same from them. So please bookmark our site, add your comments and keep us apprised of what you are doing. We hope to supply you with a steady stream of reviews, news and comments--your and ours."

Adam Scott Neal in recital

Hi all -

I will be back from New York briefly next week, and am performing piano recitals at two friends' houses (Tuesday and Wednesday at 7pm). I will be playing selections from my CD Late Frost. Opening for me on Tuesday will be veena player Priya Chandrasekaran.

If you are interested in attending either night, please let me know (adamscottneal at gmail dot com) ASAP so I can reserve you a space (we are limited to 20 guests each night). Tuesday I'll be in Tucker, Wednesday in Powder Springs.

Thanks!
asn

Georgia Young Composers Festival

Georgia Young Composers Festival -- Saturday, May 16, 2009, 8:00 PM
The Guild has initiated the first ever choral music competition for student composers in Georgia's high schools, colleges and universities. Come hear the latest works by tomorrow's great composers presented in concert. A panel of judges will select the best compositions to receive a prize award. Our Performances page contains complete details about the concert. Visit the Festival Web Site to read about our student composers.

Tickets for the concert: Adults: $15
Seniors and students: $5
Click here to purchase tickets online.

Bent Frequency presents "Georgia In My Ear" - Tues 21 April @ 8pm

Bent Frequency presents "Georgia In My Ear" tomorrow, April 21 at 8pm in GSU's Kopleff Recital Hall, featuring music by Georgia composers Nickitas Demos, Mark Gresham, Lewis Nielson and Joel Puckett, and composer Vivienne Olive from Atlanta's sister city, Nuremberg, Germany.

Thanks to recent underwriting of the program through a CENCIA Grant from Georgia State University, admission to the concert is now FREE for all attending audience.

Program:

Nickitas Demos: Secret Music
Joel Puckett: Gunslingers
Mark Gresham: Mortal Coils (premiere)
Lewis Nielson: Danger Man
Vivienne Olive: Another Silly Love Song

Click image below to see full-sized graphic for the concert:

Rapido Composition Contest hosted by Atlanta Chamber Players

Ugh! Why does this cool stuff happen right in the middle of our wedding/honeymoon! Brian C. and I won't be able to do this, but maybe one of you can. Win it for Atlanta!

June 8 - 22, 2009
Sponsored by the Atlanta Chamber Players & The Antinori Foundationto promote new works for chamber ensemble by Southern composers

The Atlanta Chamber Players, a mixed ensemble of strings, winds & piano, were founded in 1976 and have premiered more than 65 works to Atlanta audiences, including commissions by John Harbison, Michael Gandolfi, Anne LeBaron and Jonathan Kramer. The group has performed in more than 250 cities in the U.S. and Europe and has five CD recordings in its discography.

THE COMPOSITION CONTEST:
An original movement of 4-6 minutes for mixed ensemble must be composed in 14 days! The Rapido!SM judges will award the first prize winner a commission to complete the work for premiere performance by the Atlanta Chamber Players in May 2010.

PRIZES:
Cash prizes total more than $6,000.Each finalist will receive $500 to be used for travel to Atlanta for Oct 09 competition concert.First Prize: $3500 award to compose additional 10-12 minutes of music Second Prize: $600 Third Prize: $400Audience Favorite Prize: $250

ELIGIBILITY: First 100 online registrantsResidents or full-time student residents of 11 southern states:(AL, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV)Composers of all ages and levels of professional experienceCONTEST TIMELINE: June 1, 2009: Closing date for online registration at http://www.atlantachamberplayers.com/.

June 8, 2009: Announcement is made online and by email of required form and instrumentation of Rapido!SM composition entries. (Maximum group is quintet)

June 8, 2009 - June 22, 2009: Composers will have 14 days to write an original movement of 4-6 minutes based on strict requirements.

August 14, 2009: Announcement of up to four finalist compositions.

October 4, 2009: Finalist Compositions to be performed in concert by the Atlanta Chamber Players at the High Museum's Walter Hill Auditoriumin Atlanta.

April 1, 2010: First Prize Winning Commissioned Work of 14-18 minutes to be delivered to Atlanta Chamber Players for premiere performance inMay 2010.

For more information and to register for Rapido!SM please go to:http://www.atlantachamberplayers.com/.

GSU Student Composer Concert

from Brent Milam:

-------------------------------------

Concert: GSU SCI Student Composers Concert

Time: Friday, April 17, 2009 at 12:00 noon

Location: Kopleff Recital Hall at Georgia State University

FREE ADMISSION

-------------------------------------

Dear Fellow Composers,

I would like to announce a concert that will feature works by students from the Georgia State University SCI Student Chapter in Atlanta, GA.  The concert will take place this Friday, April 17th, at 12:00 noon in the Kopleff Recital Hall (Arts and Humanities Building) on the campus of Georgia State University in downtown Atlanta.

Music by: Chad Powers, Hanna Lisa Stefansson; Chris Owenby, Toby Chappell & Ben Kaplan

neoPhonia New Music Ensemble Concert

The fourth and final neoPhonia New Music Ensemble concert of the 2008/09 season takes place on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 7:30 PM in the Kopleff Recital Hall on the campus of Georgia State University. The concert is FREE and open to the public.

Stars, water and landscapes...we explore the different facets of the observable world in a program entitle: intelligent designs. The concert will feature pieces for animated film, computer generated sounds as well as acoustic instruments. Joining student performers will be special guest ensemble Musica Da Camera (Helen KIM, violin, Tania MAXWELL CLEMENTS, viola & Charae KRUEGER, cello) and GSU faculty members Ken LONG, clarinet and Joseph PERAGINE, Associate Professor of Drawing, Painting, Printmaking - Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design.

PROGRAM:

2BTextures : : an abstract experimental animation - music by Elainie LILLIOS; animated film by Bonnie MITCHELL

Water Voyage : : for clarinet duo and electronic soundscape on CD by Alex SHAPIRO

Dark Expanse : : for computer generated sounds (premiere) by Brent MILAM

Paisaje cubano con rumba : : for guitar quartet by Leo BROUWER

intelligent designs : : for string trio and animated film (premiere) - music by Nickitas DEMOS ; animated film by Joseph PERAGINE

The Kopleff Recital Hall is located within the Arts & Humanities Building which is on the corner of Peachtree Center Avenue and Gilmer Street in downtown Atlanta. Street parking may be available in this area, or you may use the I-Lot (Peachtree Center Ave.). For more detailed directions and maps, please check out the GSU School of Music website at: 

http://www.music.gsu.edu

As always, you will be able to meet and greet the composers, artists and performers after the concert at a reception hosted by the GSU Student Chapter of the Society of Composers, Inc. (SCI)

My Blog

Hi Everyone-
I thought some of you might be interested in a recent blog about my experiments with/on
a piano. Mostly for fun...:^)
Have a great week!

http://www.jcazmusic.blogspot.com/

Jonathan Cazenave

World Premiere of REDEEMER EVENING PRAYER – A LENTEN VESPERS by Curtis Bryant

From Curtis Bryant:

I just wanted to remind you about the upcoming premiere of the full program of REDEEMER EVENING PRAYER – A LENTEN VESPERS on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00 PM at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, 731 Peachtree Street, NE, Atlanta, Georgia.

http://www.curtisbryantmusic.com/news.html

The April 1 service will include all of the music I wrote for the Redeemer Lutheran portion of the Atlanta Faith Partners Residency sponsored by the American Composers Forum. Included in the service are eight new compositions running approximately 25 minutes: an organ Prelude, Hymn of Light (Phos Hilaron), Thanksgiving for Light, Psalm 121 (I Lift My Eyes Unto the Hills), Canticle of Mary (Magnificat), Canticle of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis), both with respective Glorias, and Postlude: Fugue and Toccata on FA-SOL-LA-RE. I collaborated with three Atlanta poets, Marcia King, William Allen, and Doug Cumming (who is on the faculty at Washington and Lee University) for the creation of the above choral settings.

Here is some additional information that will be included in the program notes:

Redeemer Evening Prayer – A Lenten Vespers was composed for the 2009 Lenten services of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer as part of the American Composers Forum Faith Partners Residency Program in collaboration with choir director David Hansen and organist Sarah Hawbecker. Employing numerous early Christian literary sources, including the Phos Hilaron, Magnificat, and Nunc Dimittis, as well as a Psalm traditional to these services (No. 121), Bryant sought out the talents of several Atlanta writers to create poetic settings suitable for musical treatment. Particular attention was given to the inclusion of responsorial verses as practiced in the Lutheran tradition. One of the principal musical motifs connecting many of the compositions within this service is the recurrence of the notes F-G-A-D (Fa-Sol-La-Re) which coincidentally suggest the opening lines of the Greek “Hymn of Light” (Phos Hilaron). Bryant composed the organ prelude and postlude using themes from these choral settings to create a sense of thematic unity and to showcase the Létourneau organ at Redeemer Lutheran.

Faith Partners is an ecumenical program designed by the American Composers Forum that enables religious institutions to select a composer to create original musical works appropriate for use in the worship services of participating congregations. Other consortium members are Cathedral of Christ the King and First Presbyterian Church. Bryant is currently working on liturgical compositions for these congregations as well.

Sonic Generator Concert (March 30th) and Jenny Lin at Spivey (April 1st)

Two exiting, free concerts coming up next week. On Monday, Sonic Generator makes its debut at Woodruff Arts Center, offering a unique program combining music with film and visual theatrics through technology. On Wednesday, exception New York new music pianist Jenny Lin presents a recital of etudes at Spivey Hall.

Hope you can make it to these shows!

Sonic Generator
ensemble in residence at Georgia Tech
Monday, March 30th, 8 pm
Rich Theatre @ Woodruff Arts Center
music by Michael Gordon, Louis Andriessen, Daniel Lentz, Tristan Perich, Marco Nardelli, and Javier Alvarez
films by Hal Hartley and Bill Morrison
post-concert reception to meet the artists and composer Tristan Perich and see hands-on music technology research demos
More info: http://www.sonicgenerator.gatech.edu

Jenny Lin, piano
Wednesday, April 1st, 7:30 pm
Spivey Hall
music by Debussy, Chin, Messiaen, Fujikura, Ortiz, Sanchez-Gutierrez, Stravinsky, and my own Piano Etudes
More info: http://www.spiveyhall.org/concerts/details.php?secID=2&subSecID=1&eventID=579&eventType=1&inDetail=yes

A composer's views on "Less is More (More or Less)"

OK, admittedly since I was one of the composers who was a part of the Atlanta Composers Meetup with Darren and Mark, it's hard to be unbiased about Mark's "Less is More (More or Less)" show at eyedrum last night. But I do have to commend Mark on a well thought-out program, as well as he, Darren, and everyone involved who put together a really fantastic show last night. My views on the show can be read at the link in the title of this article. Great job to all of you! It was really a treat.

Brian Skutle
www.sonic-cinema.com

less is more (more or less) @ Eyedrum, this Friday, March 20

A concert featuring new works by Atlanta-based creative artists (in alphabetical order):

Stuart Gerber, percussionist
Mark Gresham, composer
Al Matthews, video artist
Jen Mitchell, composer/dj
Darren Nelsen, composer

...plus front-edge music and performance art by:

John Luther Adams
Alexandre Babel
Giorgio Battestelli
Frederic Rzewski
Stuart Saunders Smith
Christian Wolff

Friday, March 20, 2009 @ 8:00pm
Eyedrum
29 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 8, Atlanta, GA 30312
$10 at the door / $5 students with student ID
(sorry, no credit cards!)

For those who have never been to Eyedrum:

Eyedrum is located on the northeast corner of Hill St. and MLKjr Dr., the entrance to the gravel parking lot faces MLKjr Dr. (Do not park across the street, as you will get towed.) Note that Google tries to locate the address one block to the east and down a dead-end street--wrong location! When you enter Eyedrum's parking lot, the door on the left next to the silo is the traditional entrance to the front gallery, through which you'll go to get to the performance space behind it.

It's going to be a great show. Hope to see you there!

composer duo at Eyedrum, Thursday March 12

Hello,

Spreading the word about a composer duo appearing at Eyedrum this Thursday evening.

http://www.pd.org/~eyedrum/calendar/index.php?id=3006

Jonathan Chen and Andrew Raffo Dewar
8:00PM, Thursday, March 12, at Eyedrum
www.eyedrum.org
$5

"I’ve been repeatedly impressed by the consistency and rigor of [Chen's] work...lovely and unexpected..." Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

Andrew Raffo Dewar, saxophone, and Jonathan Chen, violin will perform three 20 minute sets. One set will be performed together as a duo and two sets will be performed solo. In their solo sets they will perform improvised works informed by generative idioms that have been developed compositionally. As a duo, Chen and Dewar will improvise freely.

JONATHAN CHEN’s work includes installation, composition, improvisation, interpretation, and video. One of his current projects, Platform, is a component within a larger research project linking the philosophies of Marcel Duchamp and Friedrich Nietzsche and involves the installation of slowly moving platforms. Chen’s work has been performed or installed at venues both in the U.S. and internationally. He has worked with artists such as Tatsu Aoki, Anthony Braxton, Flux String Quartet, & Alvin Lucier among others. He received his Master of Music in violin performance from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL in 1999. In 2006 he completed his Master of Arts in music composition at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT. Chen is currently working on his PhD in Electronic Arts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

ANDREW RAFFO DEWAR is a composer, improviser, woodwind instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist and Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts in the New College and music department at the University of Alabama, USA. Since 1995, he has been active in the music communities of Minneapolis, New Orleans, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City, performing his work in North America, Southeast Asia and Europe.

As a composer, Dewar's pieces have been performed by the Flux Quartet (NYC), Sekar Anu (Indonesia), the Koto Phase ensemble (USA/Japan) and the XYZ composer collective (NYC). He has received grants from Arts International, Meet The Composer and the Getty Foundation to support his work.

Andy Ditzler
Frequent Small Meals
Atlanta, GA
www.frequentsmallmeals.com

Christopher Theofanidis and Robert Spano Talk

From Melanie Darby of ASO:

The next Conversation of Note will be take place on Wednesday, April 1 at 7pm and in the Rich Auditorium of the Woodruff Arts Center. Christopher Theofanidis and Robert Spano have confirmed for the event. Chris will talk about his music from the perspective of the composer as teacher. How does the composer inspire a student and what kind of inspiration is gained by the composer from that relationship? ASO plans to bring one or two of Chris’ students to the panel. Throughout classical music there are examples of great composers mentoring their successors. This will be a living example of what those relationships may have been like.

Call for reservations: 404.733.4870