Famous Composers

Found this picture in a desk calendar. Thought it was funny and worth sharing. My favorite composer on the list is Johann Sebastian BockBockBock.

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

Listening Journal: June 20-26, 2011

Steve Reich - Double Sextet (2007) for 2 violins, 2 cellos, 2 pianos, 2 vibraphones, 2 clarinets and 2 flutes
Steve Reich - 2x5 (2008) for 2 drum sets, 2 pianos, 4 electric guitars and 2 bass guitars
Olivier Messiaen - Trois Petites Liturgies de la Présence Divine (1944) for ondes martenot, piano, chorus and orchestra

PDQ Bach - Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head - CD
   "Howdy" Symphony in D major
   Perückenstück (Hair Piece) from The Civilian Barber
   Suite from The Civilian Barber

First look at Flit

Here is a first look at my flute piece Flit. I realize the image is not the best, but I do plan on scanning the sketch and posting it at some point. This sketch encompasses the first 28 measures, about a minute in duration. Flit is almost complete and I hope to finish it within the next two weeks.

Listening Journal: June 13-19, 2011

Billy Joel - Invention in C minor, op. 6 (2001) for piano
Billy Joel - Waltz #3 (For Lola), op. 9 for piano
Witold Lutoslawski - Lacrimosa (1937) for soprano, choir and orchestra
Igor Stravinsky - Suite No. 1 (1917) for small orchestra
Iannis Xenakis - Mikka (1971) for violin
Kaija Saariaho - Monkey Fingers, Velvet Hand (1991) for piano

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.