bicemusic.com: Page updated - Homage

I was going through the pages I have created and realized that the page for Homage was incomplete. It was lacking a PDF of the score and the program notes. Today I uploaded the score in an 11 x 17 format and wrote all-new program notes for the piece. I am considering posting a second recording from the performance at Stanford University in 2001, but for now the recording from CSU Hayward is the best one I have.

http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=30

bicemusic.com: Page added - Shadows of Dreams

Shadows of Dreams for flute quartet was composed for the University of California, Santa Cruz Flute Ensemble.  This piece came to be after I was put in contact with the ensemble director Greer Ellison.  She was very supportive during the composition process which made the writing of the piece much easier.  It is not often where you find someone who is genuinely excited about a piece being composed for their ensemble as Greer was.

Shadows of Dreams was composed between October 2008 and April 2009.  On the page you will find program notes, the score and the recording from the premiere on June 2, 2009.  You can view the page under the chamber music section of the Compositions page or by following the link below.

http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=475

bicemusic.com: Page added - Play Ball!

Play Ball! was my first attempt at encoding baseball statistics into music.  The process I developed was similar to twelve-tone music; however the primary difference is that not all twelve notes of the chromatic scale were used.  Essentially I selected two sets of fifteen of the “most important” baseball stats.  One set for batters and one set for pitchers.  Then I selected a player and a season upon which I would build my “tone row.”  For this piece I selected different players for the different instruments.  Similar to twelve-tone music the “row” would be played prior to the repetition of the “row.”

Even after all these year I am still uncertain as to how well the process works.  Play Ball! is a fun piece and there are moments that I really enjoy.  However without further exploration into this technique I really do not know if it is a viable method.

The recording available on the page is taken from the most recent performance in the Spring of 2004.  A score is also available as a PDF File.  You can view the page through the chamber music submenu of the Compositions tab or by clicking the link below.

http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=465

Composing briefly takes a backseat

While I am close to completing Flit for flute I have decided to spend some time focusing on my website.  My intent was to compose Flit for this year's Festival of Contemporary Music.  However, I realize that even if I were to finish this piece today, it would be a difficult piece to learn in a few weeks.

I feel like some of my time is better spent adding content and trying to complete the website.  I am also considering moving this blog to bicemusic.com.  However, I am not certain if I want to combine both things.  My goal is to complete Flit within the next two weeks and send the piece to Greer Ellison.

bicemusic.com: Page added - Sleep's Journey

Sleep’s Journey is my first work for solo piano.  It was also the first piece I composed as a Master’s student at Bowling Green State University.  I distinctly remember the composition lessons with Burton Beerman.  I learned a lot from him and the rest of the composition faculty at Bowling Green State University, but that is a story for another time.

The following statement taken from the program notes sums up this piece quite nicely:
This piece represents a dream or a sequence of dreams one might have during the night.  Sometimes in dreams, ideas and streams of thought can be broken or interrupted without notice taking the dreamer to another place and time.

Sleep’s Journey was composed during September and October 2000.  I revised this piece in the summer of 2001.  On the page for this piece you will find the complete program notes, score and recording from the premiere of the original version.  I do not currently have a recording of the revision.  I am trying to locate a recording and will post it when (or if) I get it.

http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=457

Coming Soon: The Recital Hall

Coming soon to bicemusic.com is The Recital Hall.  This area will be your one-stop listening room for all of the recordings posted on the website.  Currently there are 15 composition pages with recordings.  In an effort to streamline the listening I have decided to create a Recital Hall where you can listen to recordings without switching pages.  There will also be links to the information pages for the compositions so you can read about the piece.

More information about The Recital Hall is forthcoming.

bicemusic.com: Page added - Age Of...

Age Of... is the second piece I had composed.  The pitch material comes from a twelve-tone row I constructed for a music theory class in Fall 1997.  The first three tones of the row are A-G-E, hence the title.  The ensemble for which the piece was composed is different: flute, soprano saxophone, horn and tuba.  I chose these instruments in part because of people I knew who could play the piece.  In addition, I chose this ensemble because I was not interested in writing for a more "traditional" ensemble at the time.

The page for Age Of... can be found under the Chamber Music heading at bicemusic.com.  On this page you will find information about the piece, a PDF of the score and a recording created at a recording session in October 1998.

bicemusic.com/?page_id=440

bicemusic.com: Page added - The Winding Road

I have just added the information page on bicemusic.com for The Winding Road.  This piece exists in two versions: euphonium and piano and clarinet in A and piano.  The version for euphonium and piano is the first piece I ever composed.  When I first took composition lessons my teacher Jeffrey Miller suggested that I write a piece for a familiar instrument.  I selected euphonium because it was an instrument I played.  I did an arrangement of The Winding Road for my graduate recital in spring 2000.  I chose clarinet to bring out the light and playful aspects of the melody.

Both versions of The Winding Road are available for listening and viewing.  Feel free to listen to both versions and let me know which you like better.  You can access this page under the chamber music heading of the compositions tab or by going to this website. http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=419.

bicemusic.com: Page added - Dissolution

I have just added a page on bicemusic.com for Dissolution.  This is a piece I composed in 2003 for flute, bass clarinet, vibraphone, chimes, violin and cello.  In Dissolution I began experimenting with time using a concept I call durative notation.  In this type of notation the time signature is abandoned as melodic and thematic fragments are repeated and different sections are marked by cues.

On this page there is a recording from the premiere performance on February 24, 2003 to which you can listen.  There is also a PDF version of the score so you can see how I notated this piece.  You can access this page in the composition menu under the chamber music submenu or by clicking here: http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=405.

Night Sky score and recording posted

Today I posted the complete score and recording of Night Sky.  The recording is from the premiere performance on May 31, 2011 by the Symphonic Band at Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School.  More details about Night Sky can be found at bicemusic.com.  Click her for a direct link to the page for Night Sky: http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=35.

bicemusic.com: Page added - Disparate Influences

I have just added a page on bicemusic.com for Disparate Influences for flute, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, violin and cello.  I originally composed this piece in 2001 for a different ensemble: clarinet, alto saxophone, trumpet and trombone.  At the time there were four movements.  When I set out to revise this piece in 2004 I threw out three of the four movements keeping the first movement.

On this page is a link to the PDF version of the score and a recording from the premiere performance on April 15, 2005 to which you can listen online.  You can access this page under the compositions tab or by clicking here: http://bicemusic.com/?page_id=382

bicemusic.com: Site update

Lately I have been looking at my composition website: bicemusic.com.  Mostly I have been looking at which compositions have pages and what information is missing from those pages.  Right now there are fourteen composition pages.  This means that there are still twenty-seven pages to create and post before my entire catalogue is available.  This number does include current projects.  All of my completed solo instrumental, collaborations and wind ensemble pieces have pages.  The bulk of the "missing" pages are under the chamber music category as there are currently only two pieces with pages.

In order to fill in the gaps my goal will be to post at least two new pages each week.  This will include all information, score and recording (if available).  I will post updates on added pages as they are finished.

bicemusic.com: Page added - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

A new page has been added to my composition website bicemusic.com.  This page features my trombone quartet Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow which I composed in 1999.  On this page you will find the program notes, performance history and a recording to which you can listen online.

You can access this page on bicemusic.com by click the Compositions header and clicking the link to the page under the Chamber Music section.  Otherwise you can click on the following link: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow.

My new website launched: bicemusic.com

On Sunday, February 6, 2011 my new composition website launched: bicemusic.com.  This website will feature information about my music, performances and related media.  On this site there will be information pages about each piece I have composed.  These pages will include program notes, performance history and composition dates.   Each page will have the ability to stream audio performances of each piece (if available).  In addition I plan to upload pdf versions of each score for browsing and downloading (some scores my be excluded from this).  Currently there are pages for seven of my pieces.

My hope is that this website will increase my online presence.  It will also help to create an identity for myself as a composer that is separate from New Music Forum.  I may even try to find a way to incorporate this blog into the website.

I invite you to check out bicemusic.com and find out more about my music.  Feel free to leave comments or drop me a line while you are there.