"Some People Think He's God": Ken Smith Remembers Paul Bowles
Although he was a success as both composer and author, as a recluse Paul Bowles was a total failure. After fleeing New York for Morocco in 1947, he and his wife Jane continued to entertain a seemingly endless parade of visitors in his adopted country. Even in the 1990s, after Betolucci’s film of The Sheltering… Read more »
How did your education shape your attitudes about music? Joshua Cody, Composer and Director of the Sospeso Ensemble
Joshua Cody Photo courtesy Sospeso Ensemble I studied with several very gifted composers at Northwestern University, where I was also able to study some literature and philosophy. I’ll always feel uneducated-learning is an ongoing process. Of course the deeper one’s knowledge of the repertory and of the history of music, the more opportunity for depth… Read more »
How did your education shape your attitudes about music? Elliott Sharp, Composer
Elliott Sharp Photo courtesy Elliott Sharp As a young child, I loved the music of Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, began piano lessons at age 6 and was performing by 7 1/2, but at a price: the pressures of practice from parents and teacher plus a rigid and uninteresting approach to the general knowledge of music killed… Read more »
How did your education shape your attitudes about music? Amy Rhodes, Director of Artist Management, Fine Arts Management
Amy Rhodes Photo courtesy Fine Arts Management My traditional education did not really affect the way I think about music. In fact, I went to college and majored in Asian Studies and International Relations because I think I unconsciously needed to get away from music for a while. I learned about classical music completely at… Read more »
How did your education shape your attitudes about music? Annie Gosfield, Composer
Annie Gosfield Photo by Nola Lopez I was taught the importance of creativity and individual expression early in life at a progressive elementary school that had classes for children in music and theater improvisation. As a teenager, private study with jazz pianist Bernard Peiffer taught me to bring my own interpretation to any music that… Read more »
Making Conservatories Less Conservative
What American Conservatories Do To Spark Interest in New American Music.
Soundtracks: December 1999
Traditionally, December is a slim month for new releases. Most record companies and distributors view December as a time to catch up and to make one valiant final effort for the entire year’s releases through holiday promotions. Still, however, a handful of exciting new releases have come our way that might even wind up in… Read more »
Education and New American Music
Frank J. Oteri Photo by Melissa Richard Ten years ago I was a high school teacher in the New York City Public School System and since then, I have often described that experience as “my version of time in the peace corps.” It was simultaneously life affirming and extraordinarily frustrating. It was life affirming, because… Read more »
How did your education shape your attitudes about music?
Annie Gosfield Composer “I was taught the importance of creativity and individual expression early in life…” Jonathan Sheffer Composer Founder, Conductor and Artistic Director of the Eos Orchestra “My musical education began at the Westport School of Music, where as a preschooler I was taught the basics of major and minor scales…” Amy Rhodes Director… Read more »
How did your education shape your attitudes about music? Jonathan Sheffer, Composer; Founder, Conductor and Artistic Director of the Eos Orchestra
Jonathan Sheffer Photo by Stephanie Berger My musical education began at the Westport School of Music, where as a preschooler I was taught the basics of major and minor scales, and began piano lessons. I recall we were rewarded often with candy. The next most important influence in my musical education was the Bernstein Young… Read more »
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center Vivian Perlis, Director, Oral History of American Music, Yale University
Vivian Perlis photo by NewMusicBox While working with Aaron Copland’s papers that were filed in the basement of his house in Peekskill, New York, I came upon six assignment books for Rubin Goldmark, the celebrated composition teacher in Manhattan. Copland was astonished to see things he had not looked at for over sixty years. “Holy… Read more »
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center Patrick Hardish, Composer; Co-Director, Composers Concordance
Patrick Hardish photo by Barry Cohen Courtesy of Patrick Hardish Otto Luening was a great mentor and influence as well as being a close personal friend. He was important to my development as a composer and on the progress of our organization, the Composers Concordance. I got to know Otto in July 1980 at Bennington… Read more »
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center Sylvia Goldstein, Former Senior Vice-President, Boosey & Hawkes
Sylvia Goldstein photo by NewMusicBox Sylvia Goldstein own music in the repertoire, Aaron Copland always had time for others. One incident involving the program for a concert he was to conduct at Carnegie Hall comes to mind. The composer of a listed symphony was unknown to me or others in the office. When asked about… Read more »
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center John Duffy, Composer; Founder and Former Executive Director of Meet The Composer
John Duffy photo by Jay K. Hoffman courtesy of John Duffy The AMC was a rich haven for me during my student days. How glad I was to be there as it was the only place to see and study scores by living American composers. It was there that I first encountered Aaron Copland, which… Read more »
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center Samuel Adler, Composer; Professor Emeritus, Eastman School of Music; Professor of Composition, The Juilliard School
Samuel Adler photo by Katherine Cumming Courtesy of Samuel Adler In a 1926 speech, Aaron Copland said of Howard Hanson: “Hanson and Sowerby’s sympathies and natural proclivities make them heirs of older men such as Hadley and Shepherd. Their facility in writing and their eclectic style produce a kind of palatable music that cannot be… Read more »
Help! New Music Service Organizations Answer the Call
Karissa Krenz photo by Melissa Richard Music abounds more than ever these days. On any given night you can hear any type of music in the concert hall, on the web, on the radio (and of course, on your stereo). One might think that in these technologically-advanced days, it is easy for a composer to… Read more »
Soundtracks: November 1999
There are over 60 American composers featured in this month’s round-up of new recordings, which is a wonderful way to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the American Music Center this month! And, as always, the range of composers shows an astonishing array of diversity. Perhaps the most momentous release this month is the long-awaiting 10-CD… Read more »
The 60th Anniversary of the American Music Center
Frank J. Oteri Photo by Melissa Richard November is an important month here at the American Music Center. Sixty years ago this month, the dreams of Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson, Otto Luening, Quincy Porter, Marion Bauer and Harrison Kerr became a reality and the American Music Center was born. To celebrate the occasion, we have… Read more »
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center
Personal Anecdotes About the Founders of the American Music Center Samuel Adler Composer; Professor Emeritus, Eastman School of Music; Professor of Composition, The Juilliard School “…I handed Hanson’s letter to Copland who opened it immediately. His face brightened, and yet there were tears in his eyes as he read the letter…” John Duffy Composer; Founder… Read more »
What role, if any, do you think technology will play in the composition and performance of your music in the next 25 years? Paul Lansky
Paul Lansky Photo courtesy New Albion I’d like to reply by first rephrasing the question: how do you think your music will change as a result of technology? I haven’t the faintest idea. All I know is that technology has already had, and will continue to have a radical effect on the music I write… Read more »
What role, if any, do you think technology will play in the composition and performance of your music in the next 25 years? Pamela Z
Pamela Z Photo by Lori Eanes Technology (whether “high” or “low”) has always had an effect on my work, and I have no reason to believe that will change in the next 25 years. I think that all artists are to some extent influenced by the tools they use to make their art. In my… Read more »
What role, if any, do you think technology will play in the composition and performance of your music in the next 25 years? Morton Subotnick
Photo courtesy Morton Subotnick The speed of information access and the amount and low cost of memory will make MIDI output devices unnecessary in the performance of my music. More and more I am ONLY using a computer. I think we will see a major evolution in the recorded media. It will change to DVD… Read more »
American Innovations in Electronic Musical Instruments
Joseph A. Paradiso photo by Rich Fletcher The desire for musical expression runs deeply across human culture; although specific styles can vary, music is generally considered a universal language. It is tempting to surmise that one of the earliest applications of human toolmaking, after hunting, shelter, defense, and general survival, was probably to create expressive… Read more »
Soundtracks: October 1999
Of the 24 discs featured in our current SoundTracks round-up, only 2 are discs of electronic music: David Doty‘s multicultural microtonal synthesizer landscapes and the unique multi-tracking experiments of Robert Paredes. A third CD, Future Flute — Margaret Lancaster’s recital disc of works by four composers, features works which combine flute with computer electronics. Still,… Read more »
