Welcome!
Come in, come in! There has been a little spring cleaning happening around here. Have a look around, listen to some music (happily, you iPad worshippers out there can listen now too!), read some posts (you could even go crazy and subscribe to the rss feed), and feel free to stay as long as you...
Symphony Orchestra. Prog-Rock. What?!
I am thrilled and honored to be composing a new work for the Seattle Symphony 2012-13 Sonic Evolution program! The mission of Sonic Evolution is to feature orchestral commentary on Seattle’s legacy of inventive and groundbreaking popular music, so my new piece will reflect upon the legacy of the progressive rock group Yes and will...
Meet Longfellow
Introducing a new addition to the composer-cat continuum! Although I had no intention whatsoever of having a pet when I moved to Baltimore (I have enjoyed having cats in the past, but it’s been several years since the last batch) it seems that the universe had other plans. This guy showed up on the front...
Long Time, No See
Holy Moly. Hi! Has it seriously been nine months? It’s turrrrble, so much radio silence. Believe it or not, I have actually been writing all this time! In fact, I’ve probably written more words in the past nine months than in the last nine years (rest assured that I am just as surprised as you...
Concerts, Goose Bumps, New Discoveries
Last week in New York was one big concert frenzy, and I had a blast! Notable things included: Goose bumps! A clear signal that something very excellent is in progress. I experienced more than one episode of these as a result of: Roomful of Teeth at the Ecstatic Music Festival. They delivered an utterly delightful,...
Mint Conditioner Recording
First of all, last week’s concert at Roulette was, to quote an enthusiastic listener, “absolutely bloody amazing!” Seriously. All of the musicians gave 150%, and I think the choice to follow three pieces for solo instrument and electronics with an acoustic ensemble work provided just the right sort of juxtaposition, or….palette-cleansing? Particularly notable was Logan...
Two by Eight Recording
A special treat just arrived in my email inbox! A recording of Two by Eight from my friends Compagnie CH.AU (I assure you I have no idea how to pronounce the name either), from a June performance in Vevey, Switzerland. You can listen to it here. They pretty much nailed the whole “Quirky gypsy wedding...
Now or Never
Some notes and papers from the production of Now or Never for flute, clarinet, electric guitar, piano and double bass. You can read a program note here, as well as an essay on this photo ritual here. Now or Never is written for the wonderful NOW Ensemble, who are on tour as we speak, and...
Mint Conditioner and Musical Kryptonite
Above are a few pages of sketches and notes from the making of Mint Conditioner for double bass and electronics – signed, sealed and delivered (several weeks ago) to exceedingly awesome bassist Logan Coale. True to the title, this piece starts out a tangled ball of knots, and by the end rinses out smooth and...
Why we do what we do
Shortly after I had completed my piece Tourmaline for saxophone and computer sound, I showed a recording engineer buddy the Pro Tools session that contained all the recorded elements, along with the score, and explained how the recorded part is represented in the score, how the performer plays along, and how if all goes as...
New Performance Videos
Updates are rolling in backwards! Chronological time is overrated… I wanted to alert you to some videos from last month’s concert in Baltimore. The combination of fantastic performances, an enthusiastic, open-eared audience, and a venue that has really good feng shui (Baltimore people, if you haven’t been to The Metro Gallery, you must stop in...
Let the games begin!
This holiday season I am feeling positively festive! Hmmmm, I wonder why. Do you think this sort of thing could be the cause? Maybe compounded by this joyful event? Oh wait! I know what else it is! I CAN GET HITCHED NOW!!! Okay, almost. Still exciting! Whatever the reason, it’s kinda nice to revel in...
