Notes on Belief, Creation, and the Un-serious. Seriously.
An exploration of knowledge and belief in the search for meaning in art (and life)—and the vital role of humor, friendship, and failure along the way.
Oct 14, 2016
Musical America Announces 2017 Honorees
New music is an important focus in the 2017 Musical America awards which have just been announced. Among the awardees are composer Andrew Norman and the new music ensemble Eighth Blackbird.
Oct 18, 2016
Who Is In the Club?
Under most circumstances, when a White person describes themselves as a composer it can be safely assumed that, in the minds of those present, the images of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach or—perhaps for those more progressive in their tastes—Bartók or Stravinsky (all men) come to mind. Conversely, when a Black person so identifies him or herself, the images of the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, R. Nathaniel Dett, Florence Price, William Grant Still, or—of a more recent vintage—Olly Wilson or George Walker would not come to mind. Rather, there is a strong supposition that, as a Black person, you write either jazz, R & B, or gospel music.
Nov 23, 2016
Andrew Norman Wins $100K Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition
Andrew Norman’s Play has received the 2017 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition. The $100K international prize is granted for a work premiered during the five-year period prior to the award deadline (i.e. Jan.1, 2011 – Dec. 31, 2015). Previous recipients include Witold Lutoslawski, György Ligeti, Joan Tower, John Corigliano, Toru Takemitsu, John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis, and Kaija Saariaho.
Nov 28, 2016
Featuring Female Composers
One of the questions that I get all the time is “Where are the female composers?” While there were a number of female composers of note, they were often overlooked compared to their male counterparts. Fortunately today, that seems to be changing. As part of this year;s festival, we’re showcase the extraordinary range of American female composers.
Feb 23, 2017
Commemoration Music: Commemorating 9/11
If one were looking for an official “monument” among musical responses to 9/11, one might expect to find it in John Adams’s On the Transmigration of Souls.
Apr 13, 2017
5 Female Composers Among 9 Winners of 2017 BMI Student Composer Awards
For the first time in the BMI Student Composer Awards’ 65 year history, a majority of the winners (5 of the 9) are female composers. In addition, Lara Poe, is the first woman ever to win the William Schuman Prize (awarded since 1992 for most outstanding score) and Sydney Wang, winner of the Carlos Surinach Prize (awarded since 1999 to the youngest winner of the competition), is only the second woman to be so honored.
May 16, 2017
Candy Floss and Merry-Go-Rounds: Female Composers, Gendered Language, and Emotion
Problematic gender messaging—in academia, the media, and the culture at large—can toxify the soil in which young musicians hope to grow their careers. Too many female composers drop out as a result. For the health, longevity, and diversity of the art form, we must do better.
May 17, 2017
The Big, and Ever-Present, “What’s Next?”
In a motion that has been well practiced during the last week, I reach for the interior jacket pocket that holds my business cards. I’m pleased to find only one remaining.
May 22, 2017
Composer Advocacy Notebook: Staying Focused on Next
Classical:NEXT has the potential to be the most viable international gathering place for open-minded music-focused people, despite its name.
Jun 14, 2017
Carter’s Continuing Presence
Five years after Carter has left us as a human presence, it is time to assess his continuing musical presence in the still-young 21st century.
Nov 15, 2017
Never Say That’s Not Possible
Instead of stomping my feet in frustration or shrugging my shoulders in weary acceptance that very few exciting solo bassoon pieces existed, I asked, “What can I do to change this?” Thus began a lifelong quest, in step (both artistically and practically) with my new position at ICE, to forge new relationships with composers in order to develop a new body of repertoire for the instrument, and in so doing, empower other musicians to do the same.
Mar 15, 2018
How We Pick Rep and Keep Surprising Our Audiences
Choosing new rep is one of the most thrilling aspects of being in Sybarite5, and people ask how we do it all the time. It’s not a quick process, but it’s designed to let us grow artistically while also keeping our audiences deeply engaged.
Apr 24, 2018
2018 Paul Revere Awards for Graphic Excellence Announced
The 2018 Paul Revere Awards for Graphic Excellence were announced during the annual meeting of the Music Publishers Association at The Redbury in New York City.
Jun 15, 2018
Widening Inclusion & Visibility
How can we broaden our scope to increase the visibility of the vast amount of music composed by women? At least THREE THOUSAND OF THEM.
Jul 05, 2018
Playing Like a Girl: The Problems with Reception of Women in Music
Any new music or new message has problems with reception, but women, in particular, have problems with reception in music.
Jul 19, 2018
“Singers and Musicians” and Why Our Language Matters
When we use the phrase “singers and musicians” in one breath, we communicate—even if inadvertently—that they are mutually exclusive categories. In other words, singers are not musicians. That’s a problem.
Feb 04, 2019
2019 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Awards Announced
ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams today announced the recipients of the 2019 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards.
Apr 04, 2019
Hear It New!
This year’s Classical:NEXT opening concert, Hear It New!, highlights the breadth of National Sawdust’s work with composers, performers, filmmakers and designers, demonstrating the potential for true collaboration to create boundary-pushing new music which is relevant to our society.
Apr 22, 2019
In Search of Robert Palmer
Pianist Adam Tendler spent more than a decade researching the life and work of Robert Palmer and made an album of his music “when no one asked for it. But in my mind, I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t imagine being the only one who knew what this all sounded like.”
