Alaska and the Music of JLA
Off the coast of Alaska
A few weeks ago, I was lucky to visit Alaska with my family. For me, the state conjures images of from monumental landscapes (pictured above), rugged residents, and majestic totem poles. But Alaska also means the composer John Luther Adams, whom I was extremely privileged to work with last year. Take a listen to Dark Waves (2007), one of his more extraordinary pieces:
JLA and his music are bound more tightly to the environment than that of any other composer I know. He spent decades as an environmental activist in Alaska, and his ecological awareness shines through his work. Of his Pulitzer Prize-winning piece Become Ocean (2013), he writes “Life on this earth first emerged from the sea. As the polar ice melts and sea level rises, we humans find ourselves facing the prospect that once again we may quite literally become ocean.”
A full performance of that piece, which Alex Ross says “may be the loveliest apocalypse in musical history”, can be found here as part of the Seattle Symphony's performance during Spring for Music.
Kontra-Funkt
Take a listen to Wynton Kelly Stone Guess' thesis, the brilliant Kontra-Funkt:
"The central idea behind Kontra-Funkt is a melting pot of different styles of music and trying to find a common ground between them. Just as bands like Funkadelic groove, so does the music of Pierre Boulez. The opening features a duet between the viola and cello, which is based on the first verse of Nas' "NY State of Mind" from his debut album Illmatic. From there, each instrument in the ensemble enters at very specific points as everything grows from this opening Nas. The piece also features quotes from Kool and the Gang, Funkadelic, Graham Central Station, A$AP Ferg, and Kendrick Lamar.
Flute - Leia Slosberg
Clarinets - Stephanie Clark
Saxophones - Connor McLarrin
Trumpet - Kevin Natoli
Trombone - Cameron Perry
Electric Bass - Daniel McDowell
Piano/Electric Keyboard - Matthew Lowy
Percussion - Una Cheng, Ayami Okamura, Saki Kurata
Harp - Anna Ellsworth
Violin - Lara Ciaccio
Viola - Eric Hollander
Cello - Nathaniel Taylor
Conductor - Jonathon Heyward"
A few bits of news
Happy Travels is in the news again! Yesterday morning, Jack was interviewed live by WFMZ-TV News 69, just a few weeks after CBS Philly ran a story on him and his app.
It's also worth noting that Jack's project has caught the eye of the Commander-in-Chief himself!
From the Big Man to the Little Man (Photo by Happy Travels)
You go Jack! Don't forget to download the app and like his Facebook page!
In other news, there have been a couple updates to the site:
- a new Film & Media page in the music section, where my works for short films, apps, and ebooks are listed
- new entries for A Quarky Collection, Fantasy in a Coffee Shop, Il était une fois (downloadable for free for a limited time only), and Fanfare
- updated entries for Doxology and Shaheed
- updated About page, including a new picture
- some aesthetic adjustments throughout the site
SCI wrap-up
(Photo by Sabrina Schroeder)
After two weeks of intense discussion, remarkable music, and wonderful people, the 2014 Harvard Summer Composition Institute has drawn to a close. Over the course of two nights, the Talea Ensemble premiered works by James Bean, Sivan Cohen-Elias, Hakan Ulus, Julia Blondeau, and Giovanni Santini, as well as the composers mentioned in the week 1 summary. (Look for a recording in the next couple of weeks.)
A special thank you as well to the professors, Steve Takasugi (director), Chaya Czernowin, and Hans Tutschku; the assistant director Michelle Lou; the Harvard Music Department; and the Harry and Alice Eiler Foundation for making SCI the incredible experience it was.
-Andrés
5 myths about contemporary classical music
Photograph: Tristram Kenton for the Guardian
1. "It all sounds like a squeaky gate."
First, not all contemporary classical music sounds like that. Arvo Pärt, John Tavener, and John Luther Adams all have magnificent music that revels in rich harmonies and, yes, even melodies at times. And the "nasty squeaky gate music" of Lachenmann, Cage, or Xenakis "can actually be amazing to experience if you're not afraid of it". They can open up your mind to the sounds around you.
2. "It's inaccessible."
"Without the "classical" avant garde, pop music just could not and would not be the same." The Beatles? They drew inspiration from Stockhausen. Loops and phases? Wouldn't be around if it weren't for Steve Reich, Phillip Glass, and the other minimalists. Sampling?
Read moreSCI full speed ahead!
Week 1 at the Harvard Summer Composition Institute has been enlightening and enjoyable, providing an opportunity to discover the music of Malte Giesen, Stefan Maier, Fernanda Aoki Navarro, Michelle Agnes Magalhaes, Tomer Hod, and Anna Romashkova among others.
Don't forget about this weekend's colloquiums and concerts, including the premiere of my Doxology (for mixed quartet) on Saturday (8pm @ Paine Hall) and the "New Music: Just Another Subculture?" panel on Sunday (2:45pm @ Paine Hall, Rm. 9).
Byron Fellowship and SCI
The Old North Bridge, Concord, Massachusetts (photo by Steven Takasugi)
Having just returned from a week of intense leadership development in the mountains of North Carolina with the Byron Fellowship, I am now back in Massachusetts for Harvard's Summer Composition Institute with Chaya Czernowin, Hans Tutschku, and Steven Takasugi.
For those in the New England area, I'm happy to invite you to two nights of premieres. The Talea Ensemble will present works by a dozen contemporary composers, including my own Doxology, for mixed quartet. The concerts will take place on 24 and 25 August at 8pm in Paine Hall in Cambridge, MA.
Happy Travels in the news
Happy Travels by Jack has been making the news!
Five-Year Old Boy Designs App (Buzzfeed)
Five-Year-Old Game Designer Releases Happy Travels™ App (PRWeb)
If you haven't yet, head to the App Store, Google Play, or Amazon and get the free app!
Happy Travels!
Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to work with the brilliant team at 21x20 Media, Inc. in writing the music for their new app game, Happy Travels. Check it out and make sure to download it and like us on Facebook! (Available on the App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Apps.)
Meet Jack. He's an app fanatic with a vivid imagination, a flair for creating, and an obsession with books and theater. And at five years old, he designed his first app: Happy Travels!