Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings: Composer Spotlight - Ben Morris

Composer Ben Morris explores the intersections between jazz and concert music. Ben is currently pursuing his masters’ at Rice University as a Brown Fellow and interns with film composer Michael Bacon. His music has been performed by LUNAR Ensemble, Cadillac Moon, Living Earth Show, Resound Duo, Fredericksburg Brass, American Modern Ensemble, the Cleveland Orchestra, Imani Winds, the Frost Symphony and Concert Jazz Band. Ben received an ASCAP Morton Gould Award, a NJMEA Composers Award, the 2015 Frost Concerto Competition Prize, and two Klezmer Company Orchestra Composers’ Prizes, and three Festival Miami Composers’ Awards.

Ben's piece, titled Old Seven Mile, will be workshopped and read at the JCOI Readings on Thursday, June 16, 7:30pm at Miller Theatre, Columbia University. The work is named after the longest continuous bridge over open water, located in the Florida Keys, and is meant to convey the idea of the "bridge-in-progress." Ben was kind enough to expand on his program notes for our blog.

Composer Ben Morris

American Composers Orchestra: Can you talk about the challenges of writing jazz music for orchestra? What do you believe is the biggest payoff?

Ben Morris: While composing music for a chamber jazz group can be like setting some loose house rules for a close family, composing music for orchestra is like writing a law book for a big foreign city. During the composition and rehearsal process for a new orchestral piece, we composers don’t personally interact with musicians in the orchestra as often. Usually, the conductor will talk to the composer before rehearsals, and composers are limited to a few comments during the small rehearsal time. This approach is different from a jazz group’s, where rehearsals are more frequent and the performers are familiar with each other as artists. A lot goes unspoken – the composer knows for whom they are writing. 

The challenge of composing jazz-influenced music for orchestra is reconciling my tendencies to “let the performers go” with a more rigorously structured narrative form and nuanced orchestrational details. Orchestral music, due to the number of musicians (most of whom the composer won’t know personally) and the limited rehearsal time, requires controlled expression and unity of intent built into the music, which is communicated by the conductor. Concision and playability are important factors for writing orchestra music. Of course, the EarShot readings do a lot to ameliorate these challenges by breaking down some of the barriers between the orchestra and the composer by encouraging more discussion and feedback for the composers.

Ultimately, the biggest payoff for me is that I can create an enormous 3D world of sound – a totally immersive experience that an audience wouldn’t get as often from a small jazz combo or classical chamber group.  Nothing quite beats it. 

ACO: In what ways does your piece Old Seven Mile combine jazz and concert music?

BM: Big band music is in my DNA, and elements from classic and modern big band arrangements come out strongly in Old Seven Mile, which captures some of the energy of the music of South Florida.  The piece features a drum set “driving the bus” in lockstep with the basses and tuba, something that is idiomatic to jazz and funk music. Quick wind flourishes act like improvised interjections, while stretches of solo trombone and trumpet predominate the slower middle section. Another section of the piece features parallel rhythmic motion in the winds and muted brass like a big band sax soli a la Thad Jones or a Gil Evans Sketches of Spain harmonization. Rhythmically, the piece relies on shifting vamps and repeated grooves. A lot of big band sounds transfer quite well to orchestra, and that is something I take advantage of in the piece. 

The piece’s form, a big ABA with an energetic fast and end section and a slower middle portion, is typically classical. Textures in the piece, from percussion and piano flourishes, pizzicato strings, glissandi, and chorales, are very much grounded in contemporary classical music and the works of Joseph Schwantner, Henri Duttileux, Olivier Messaien, and Witold Lutoslawski. The two worlds can work surprisingly well together. 

ACO: What has your experience in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute been like so far?

BM: As a composer in academia, my experience at JCOI is different from a lot of the other composers and mentors in the program, who are freelance jazz composers and performing musicians. A lot of these musicians really give a realistic picture of the possibility of crossing genres in a lucrative way outside of academia. It inspires me and gives me a clearer vision of where I am going as an artist, since they have all been there before and can advise me what and what not to do in the music industry. 

Each of the faculty and participants addressed the practical and aesthetic issues of the meeting of jazz and the orchestra in an open forum for discussion, allowing like-minded individuals to share their experiences. Each of us feels more prepared to tackle challenging issues of programming and getting our music out there - we have a toolset of approaches and responses to promote and deliver our own personal voices to a complex musical environment. It was also wonderful after the daily classes and workshops to share beers with such different souls and talk about the music we liked – everything from indie rock to metal to EDM to jazz to experimental classical. It was eye opening. 

ACO: What are you looking forward to about the readings?

BM: I am looking forward to hearing the range of creativity other participant’s works  - the readings will be fertile ground for the exchange of new ideas. Also, I’m actually looking forward to being put through the ringer and to learn some valuable lessons the hard way – in person and on the fly. It helps us all learn and move forward as artists. 

Folow Ben on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Soundcloud

www.benjaminmorrismusic.com

Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings: Composer Spotlight - John La Barbera

Renowned composer/arranger John La Barbera has worked in the jazz world for over four decades, with performances and recordings of his music by Buddy Rich, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Mel Torme’, Chaka Khan, Harry James, Bill Watrous, and Phil Woods just to name a few. His selected piece is inspired by a visit to the infamous Morro da Babilônia Favela in in Rio de Janeiro, where John witnessed severe poverty contrasted with intense human spirit and outreach. Morro da Babilônia will be performed by George Manahan and the ACO at the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings on Thursday, June 16, 7:30pm at Miller Theatre, Columbia University.

Composer/arranger John La Barbera

American Composers Orchestra: Can you talk about the challenges of writing jazz music for orchestra? What do you believe is the biggest payoff?
John La Barbera: To me, improvisation is the fundamental component of the jazz art form and I think the biggest challenge is to incorporate it in a symphony orchestra setting whose virtuosic players traditionally haven't been exposed to or have explored it.  I think this is changing with younger symphony players whose listening is more diverse and whose training has embraced jazz as well as music from other cultures.  Also, trying to incorporate "swing" syncopation has always been an interpretation problem but with jazz now being more inclusive of other cultures and styles, it clears the way for newer rhythms that are more easily performed by orchestras. I think the payoff is broadening the appreciation for jazz, reaching younger audiences, and filling seats with new patrons.

ACO: Can you talk about what jazz elements the audience will hear in your piece?
JB: One of the components of my piece Morro da Babilônia is a representation of the Brazilian choro and, as I explain in the description, the genesis of choro music and American jazz are chronologically aligned and both have improvisation as a principal component. They also share similarities in their solo instrumentation. I prominently feature the clarinet with written and improvised solo space and though brief, a melding of choro and ragtime elements.  In addition, I use "call and response" to bridge certain phrases and sections.  The audience will also hear "voicing" techniques associated with Duke Ellington that I've expanded and incorporated in the work.

ACO: You are extensively accomplished in the jazz world: your big band CD On The Wild Side was nominated for a Grammy, you are Professor Emeritus at the University of Louisville School of Music and an active clinician and lecturer. And yet, as a participant in JCOI, what do you feel like you still need to learn?
JB: Lots!  I'm always listening and learning and as I've gotten older, I find myself more and more interested in theory and how to manipulate it for maximum satisfaction and surprise for me and the listener. I also need to be better skilled in the natural dynamics of the orchestra and the subtlety obtainable by the individual and combined choirs.  In addition, I'd like to experiment with certain non-adjacent instrument combinations to achieve colors that might work somewhat like artificial harmonics in the overall sound of the orchestra.

ACO: What are you looking forward to about the readings?
JB: I'm really interested in hearing how the other composers incorporate the jazz component in their works. Also, networking with the other composers and mentors and exchanging ideas first hand will be a bonus.  By nature of our art, we composers are an insular lot and don't have many opportunities to interact like, say, instrumentalist do.  And of course, hearing a professional orchestra play my work will be a thrill.

Learn more about John La Barbera at www.johnlabarbera.com

Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Readings: Composer Spotlight - Ethan Helm

New York-based saxophonist and composer Ethan Helm makes music that blurs the boundaries between jazz and concert music, creating points of sound where diverse traditions become inseparable. Ethan has composed and arranged for jazz ensembles, indie rock groups, and dance; he has performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and throughout the United States and Canada. Ethan grew up in a musical family in Southern California, and holds degrees Eastman School of Music and New York University. Ethan participated in last summer's Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute Summer Intensive and was selected for the JCOI Readings, Thursday, 7:30pm at Miller Theatre, Columbia University with his piece The Glorious Train Ascending.

Saxophonist and composer Ethan Helm

American Composers Orchestra: Can you talk about the challenges of writing jazz music and other non-traditional forms for orchestra? What do you believe is the biggest payoff?
Ethan Helm: The biggest challenge for me has been the translation of language.  Orchestral and jazz music have their own separate goals, but use the same building blocks of music, as well as similar instruments and notation, to achieve their goals.  A trumpet part that is a page of eighth notes without dynamics or articulation will sound very different in the context of a jazz group than the context of an orchestra.  For example, I wanted some sections of my piece to have the dodging, diving motion of bebop, which I would typically notate in eighth notes.  To translate this to an orchestra, I decided to use more complex combinations of rhythms to exaggerate the effect, reasoning that a much bigger ensemble than a jazz quintet, playing in a hall much bigger than a jazz club, will “smooth out” eighth notes and dull the accents in the musical line.

The obvious payoff of these readings is that I get to hear my and my fellow participants’ pieces played by an incredible orchestra.  But also, working on this piece has planted some creative seeds in my brain, and it will be exciting to hear how these concepts are interpreted by other musicians, so I can continue to explore them in the future.

ACO: You write that your piece showcases the rich and masterful rhythmic jazz traditions that have found their way into symphonic music. Can you talk about any specific rhythms the audience will hear and why they are, as you put it, so transcendently beautiful?
EH: The piece is based on foundational rhythmic patterns of jazz, and from these the audience will hear very familiar forms: a syncopated big band shout chorus, a drum set playing a traditional swing beat, or a walking bass, for example. The element of swing is relatively easy to identify as a listener, but much more difficult to actually define in words or on paper.  Sometimes we notate it as triplets, sometimes as dotted-eighths and sixteenths, oftentimes as eighth notes and just specify in writing, “swing.”  And none of these solutions actually notate the rhythm perfectly, because there is no answer.  At least, not if we define swing as just one perfect repetition of a pattern.  I say jazz rhythm is “transcendent” because in order to understand its nature, we must resist our very human desire to quantify, to capture on paper and not worry about it changing.  When I listen and play this music, it feels like I am being called to think and feel on a higher level, to embrace a religious type of Mystery, and understand that the essence of this thing we call “swing” is never revealed all at once, but only in its many fluctuations through time.  I wanted to evoke this feeling of mystery in motion using the resources of an orchestra.  The audience will hear stalwart forms of jazz composition, but they will be stretched and modified throughout the piece, until they are unrecognizable, and their functions will be constantly shifting, as well.  The orchestra will reveal the ever-changing nature of jazz rhythm in dimensions I could never reach as a saxophonist in a jazz quartet.  I realize this is a lot of meaning to impose on a rhythm, but I spend a lot of time thinking about this!

ACO: What are you looking forward to about the readings?
EH: Well, I will take any opportunity to be in the room with the faculty of JCOI again, as they are all musical heroes of mine.  I also look forward to reconnecting with my fellow participants, who are now friends whose own work inspires and challenges me.  It will also be a rare pleasure to listen to my work performed without me also up there playing.  I will get to listen to my writing very closely without any other distractions, for better or for worse.  Although it’s also a little unnerving, because if the piece is a disaster I won’t be able to just focus on my saxophone part, I’ll have to listen to the whole thing.

ACO: What has your experience in the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute been like so far?
EH: JCOI has felt like one of those perfect communities that blends the right amounts of encouragement and challenge for optimal artistic growth.  Most of what we do involves solitary work at a desk, or performing in a depressingly empty bar on a Tuesday evening.  So to be surrounded by my musical heroes, and to meet so many other people with similar musical ideas and interests, has been a unique and important experience for me.

Follow Ethan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Soundcloud
www.ethanhelm.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Lembit Beecher

Lembit Beecher strives to create intimate, heartfelt, quirky and dramatically potent musical experiences. Many of Lembit’s projects involve the incorporation of untraditional elements into operatic form, working with baroque instruments, animation, electronics, new technologies, and devised theatre actors. Lembit recently received a grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage to develop a new chamber opera with librettist Hannah Moscovitch, featuring soprano, string quartet, and a large music-generating sculpture.

His selected piece for the 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings (Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm Miller Theatre, Columbia University), titled Chopin's Ocean, takes inspiration from your grandmother's coming-to-America story.

Composer Lembit Beecher

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?
Lembit Beecher: I was an outward pillar of calm and an inner dance of joy!

ACO: Your piece, Chopin's Ocean, takes inspiration from your grandmother's coming-to-America story, where as a concert pianist she played Chopin on the ship as it made its way across the Atlantic. Will the audience recognize any of Chopin's melodies in the piece, or will this sentiment be conveyed more stylistically?
LB: I use mostly literal quotes of Chopin’s third Etude in the piece, but with the exception of one very clear moment of quotation, the bits I use are generally quite short or buried in the textures, so they may not be recognizable. I’ll be really curious how clear they seem. (I think these sorts of things are always more clear for the composer as s/he is writing than they end up being for the audience!) But I do think the audience will recognize that there are bits of material floating in the waves of the piece that come from somewhere else. I think of it like bits of plastic in the ocean (hopefully a more poetic form of plastic!) Our plastic waste gets broken up by waves into tiny pieces that have no relation to the original objects, but it is still recognizable as inorganic material.

ACO: What have you done with your piece, score, and parts in preparation for the Underwood New Music Readings?
LB: This is a piece that has gone through a series of revisions - I initially wrote it very quickly, and then revised it before the submission deadline for these readings. But after finding out it was selected for the readings, and after talking with Derek Bermel about the piece over the phone, I did more significant rethinking and re-orchestrating.

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, and the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?
LB: I think I’m most excited for feedback that totally surprises me or catches me off guard. I have always loved those moments when someone with a fresh set of ears will bring up something about my music that I hadn’t thought of at all, perhaps an idea that suggests a totally different way of thinking about a problem, musical moment, or shape for the piece.

Follow Lembit on Twitter
www.lembitbeecher.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Sarah Gibson

Los Angeles-based composer, pianist, and educator Sarah Gibson has received the Victor Herbert ASCAP award, NFMC Marion Richter American Music Composition Award, and first place in the 2010 Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest. eighth blackbird, the What’s Next? Ensemble, the University of Southern California (USC) Symphony, and USC Thornton Edge, and many other groups have performed her music. She is a lecturer at the University of Southern California and is the Teaching Artist for the esteemed Composer Fellowship Program and Associate Composer Program with the Los Angeles Philharmonic under Artistic Director, Andrew Norman.

Sarah will participate in 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings (Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm Miller Theatre, Columbia University) with her piece Talking to the Time, inspired by the way her grandmother tells stories.

Composer Sarah Gibson

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?
Sarah Gibson: ACO and Underwood have such a strong and positive reputation in our field; I was so honored to learn I would get to work with them this June. I've had a couple friends who have participated in the Underwood New Music Readings and the feedback and mentorship they received was invaluable. Working with an orchestra and conductor, George Manahan, who have their thumb on the pulse of modern orchestral music is a one-of-a-kind experience. Combined with the incredible mentors and workshops we will be involved with, I know it will help shape how I think about my compositional voice and technique moving forward. I cannot wait to hear my piece come to life and to learn from the expertise of this orchestra and these mentors.

ACO: Your piece Talking to the Time reflects the way your grandmother would use each antique, trinket, or piece of furniture in her home to tell the story of her life. Are there any particular objects from your life or hers that are represented in the piece? If so, how?
SG: I approached this piece more from visualizing my grandmother walking around her house, telling stories that dovetailed and built on each other and less about particular pieces of furniture. It really was the technique by which she wove her stories that I was drawn to in the form of my piece. That being said, one of her favorite antiques in her home is her grandfather clock. When I heard the Punch Brothers' song "Julep" which references a grandfather clock and the passing of time, I derived the title of my piece from its lyrics: "You and me rocking, grandfather clock is tick tick talking to the time we used to wind it."

ACO: What have you done with your piece, score, and parts in preparation for the Underwood New Music Readings?
SG: I've gone through the piece very carefully and reworked voicings, orchestrational colors, and amped up important melodies that I want to come through more strongly in performance. I've also notated a fair amount of passages differently and played with different meters in order to depict what I’m after most effectively. I’m excited to see how these alterations affect the reading!

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, and the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?
SG: I’ve already learned so much about making my orchestrational argument clearer after a phone conversation with Derek Bermel. All three of these composers – Bermel, Snider, and Hartke – are such powerhouses in their field. I’m looking forward to hearing their feedback not only on my own piece, but also on the six other young composers’ pieces. Constantly, I am inspired by what my colleagues are doing and it will be such a treat to get to watch the other young composers in the rehearsal process and to see what these phenomenal mentors will offer each of us. We all have different voices and it will be so exciting to see the different techniques each of these mentors use with all seven of us. It will be thrilling to learn from these reading sessions and see how the composers, mentors, conductor, and orchestra respond to various aspects of our compositions.

Follow Sarah on Twitter, Instagram, and Soundcloud
www.sarahgibson-music.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Paul Frucht

Composer Paul Frucht is currently a D.M.A candidate at Juilliard, studying with Robert Beaser, and an adjunct faculty member at NYU. He has had performances by the San Diego Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Juilliard Orchestra, the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Orchestra, the Chelsea Symphony, American Modern Ensemble, and many others ensembles. Paul received the Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2015 and is artistic director of the Danbury Chamber Music Intensive, a music festival and concert series he founded in Danbury, CT that champions the work of Danbury native, Charles Ives, as well as today’s living American composers.

Paul's piece Dawn was selected for the 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings (Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm Miller Theatre, Columbia University). The work is dedicated to Dawn Hochsprung, a teacher who Paul knew from middle school, and the other twenty-five victims of the Sandy Hook shooting and their families.

Paul spoke to SoundAdvice about the upcoming readings and his piece.

Composer Paul Frucht

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?
Paul Frucht: My immediate reaction was, of course, one of excitement, but also gratitude. This is such a fantastic opportunity for composers to hear their work performed by an orchestra, especially the ACO. When I found out, I felt and still do feel very fortunate to have been selected.

ACO: You founded and are artistic director of the Danbury Chamber Music Intensive in your hometown in Danbury, CT, which champions the work of another Danbury native, Charles Ives and today’s living American composers. Can you talk about what influence the music of Ives has had on your own voice as a composer?
PF: Ives has had an extraordinary influence on certain guiding philosophies I’ve grown to believe in over the years. His use of the music that surrounded him to create art that really resonates with people on a deep cultural level is something I find particularly inspiring. When I was writing Dawn, I was thinking about this a lot. Growing up in Danbury and listening to Ives’ music, I just get this sense he felt he was indebted to his community in some way, since his music really tells their story. After the Sandy Hook shooting, I went home for the holidays early to attend Dawn Hochsprung’s memorial service, during which I waited in line for six hours with two close friends whom I’d gone to school with in Danbury. That was a truly moving experience and in the days that followed, Ives’ way of telling the story of his community was on my mind. This felt like a story that I needed to tell.

ACO: Dawn was originally written for a 5-piece ensemble. Why did you choose to expand the piece for full orchestra? Can you talk about how you translated the parts for alto flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and harp into an orchestral setting?
PF: The reason I chose to expand the piece for full orchestra is very much related to my answer above. Sandy Hook has become a flash point in what has become a national movement to reduce gun violence. I think that’s in part because of how many of the families of those who were lost have become national leaders on this issue, including Dawn’s daughter, Erica. Their relentless and passionate push in the face of unimaginable grief inspired me and motivated me, from a musical standpoint, to improve the piece and re-create it for orchestra, to continue to tell Dawn’s story through music. While there was some translation involved from the smaller version to the larger version, I re-wrote most of the piece and for the parts that weren't re-written, I used the smaller version as a short score. The biggest challenge was taking moments of intimacy in the smaller version, which I thought were the best moments of that version, and re-creating those moments in a large orchestra.

ACO: Your piece is dedicated to Dawn Hochsprung, the other twenty-five victims of the Sandy Hook shooting, and their families. Can you talk about any of the musical elements which you feel particularly reflect Dawn's legacy of selflessness, positivity, and courage?
PF: I wanted to create a bright sound world with a lot of percussion that reflects hopefulness, especially in the first part of the piece. The thematic material is often jubilant and cautiously optimistic. At the same time, I also felt it was necessary to reconcile with the inherent pain of this tragedy. The music reflects that in how these themes progress and evolve throughout the piece and in what new contexts they appear, many of which are darker as the piece progresses to a climax, at which point the brighter musical forces and the darker musical forces come to terms with each other.

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, and the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?
PF: As always, I’m looking for constructive criticism, particularly in the areas of orchestration and writing for the orchestra in general. It’s a wonderful opportunity to receive feedback from composers such as those. I’m also looking forward to learning from my fellow participating composers. Environments such as these always provide a great and truly inspiring experience.

For more information on Paul, visit www.paulfrucht.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Joel Rust

Music by composer Joel Rust has been performed internationally and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio France Musique, and Radio 4 (Netherlands). In March 2014, Discantus released his work for six female voices, sunt etenim pennae volucres mihi, on their CD ‘Music for a King’ and chamber piece, an awakening voice, received an Honorable Mention in the ASCAP Foundation 2016 Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. Joel is currently studying for a Doctorate at New York University and was selected for the 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings (Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm Miller Theatre, Columbia University) for his piece Beyond the Heart, which was commissioned by Melos Sinfonia and premiered in 2014.

Joel was kind enough to answer these questions for SoundAdvice.

Composer Joel Rust

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?
Joel Rust: I was really thrilled! I'm looking forward to an intense and exhilarating three days. I've been in the USA less than two years, and I'm especially delighted to have a chance to be working with so many great performers and composers in New York; it's vital to build those relationships.

ACO: Beyond the Heart was premiered in 2014 by its commissioner, the Melos Sinfonia, alongside Sibelius' Seventh Symphony, and draws on the Romantic gestures of Sibelius' work. Why did you choose these "Romantic gestures" to inform and influence your piece? Do they speak to your personal voice as a composer?
JR: Orchestral music is one of the hardest media to get practical experience working with, even as it requires different and particular technical skills. So, I wanted Beyond the Heart – my first piece for full orchestra – to start from somewhere where the I felt the orchestra was at home, and it's the orchestral music of the Romantic era that means that to me. I was very happy it was going to be premiered alongside Sibelius' Seventh; it has those characteristics in a particularly rich and condensed form.

The more time I've spent with my piece, the less I think you can hear anything of Sibeilus in it. I think it's a sign my approach worked; it gave me a strong foundation, which I built something very different on.

ACO: What have you done with your piece, score, and parts in preparation for the Underwood New Music Readings?
JR: Beyond the Heart had been performed before, and there were many changes I'd wanted to make after that; I didn't want to alter the overall sweep of the piece, but there were many details I added or changed to make that sweep richer and more effective. I had very helpful advice from the ACO's Derek Bermel, but also from the professors I've been working with at NYU – Louis Karchin and Jaime Oliver La Rosa.

I'd made enough changes that I needed to make the performing materials more or less from scratch. It was great to have comments on them from Bill Holab (ACO's Orchestral Librarian); when they're as clear as possible, you can spend the rehearsal time getting stuck into the musical content, rather than working on practical details.

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, and the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?
JR: I love how open so many composers are with sharing guidance on matters from the very practical to the highly abstract. This piece has already grown from various people's input; and as I work on new pieces, what people have said about previous works – what works or doesn't work, and what feel like the truest and most important aspects of them – do influence me as I'm working out how to say what I want to say. In this case, I'm excited to have input from three composers working at the top of different fields; the broader the perspectives you can get, the better.

Find out more about Joel at www.joelrust.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Michael Small

Composer Michael Small’s works often draw on visual or literary sources. Michael studied at the Royal Northern College of Music and with David Horne, before moving the United States to study with Steven Stucky at Cornell University. He was recently named one of the six Fellows chosen to participate the Copland House's esteemed CULTIVATE program. Eastern Point is Michael's orchestral work selected for the 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings, Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm Miller Theatre, Columbia University.

Michael answered these questions about what he looks forward to at the readings, and gave some insight into his new work.

Composer Michael Small

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?
Michael Small: I was absolutely delighted to find out - several of my friends and colleagues have done these readings before, and they all had great things to say about the experience. The ACO's readings and Minnesota's are regarded as the best professional ones out there for young composers!

ACO: Your piece is based on two paintings by Winslow Homer: West Point, Prout’s Neck and Eastern Point. Given the choice, would you like the audience to see the paintings before or after they hear the piece, or perhaps while they listen?
MS: I think that either before or after the performance would be preferable, but probably not during the performance. I wouldn't want the audience to feel like they have to hunt for clues in the painting to explain what they're hearing, and I certainly want to leave listeners to form their own impressions and images. Though this piece (for me) is "about" water and the sea, it will probably not sound at all that way to others. For this reason, I'd probably lean more towards showing the painting afterwards, perhaps during applause (if it wouldn't be awkward) and not so much in the direction of showing it before, since I'd be uncomfortable with "priming" the audience's listening. A fourth option might be to have it printed in a program note, so that the listener can refer to it as they want. I'm very passionate about trying to communicate and excite listeners, especially for those who are new to contemporary music, and I've found that some really appreciate being given an "anchor" or a little concept of some sort to guide them through the piece, something very open and poetic. For me, that is the function which the title performs - but I also believe that a composer should make themselves available to questions. Sometimes I like to briefly introduce a piece before a performance, but another part of me believes that diving straight in without any pre-amble can actually have a greater impact. A lot of my fondest memories of discovering new music in my teenage years are when I simply allowed the music to shock me, without knowing anything about it ahead of time. I'm never quite sure which is the better method, but I always assume that the audience will form their own view anyway. That brings me to my next answer:

ACO: Why did you find Winslow Homer's paintings to be good basis for your orchestral study? Do you believe that all artwork, in one way or another, can be suited with a worthwhile musical interpretation?
MS: I've always tried to broaden my knowledge of other art forms - even if I had never become a composer, it would still be one of my favorite hobbies to go to museums, read books, watch films and listen to music. I always loved art in particular, and for a while, (like many composers, it seems!) I was even considering studying architecture. As such, I certainly don't just explore the arts to look for good ideas for pieces - and I don't believe that anything can be interpreted through music. Many ideas don't survive translation, and moreover, not everything needs to be related to music. The abstract contemporary works that I love are appealing purely on the basis of their sound, architecture, and sense of conversation, surprise, drama and logic playing out in time, and while that may have many resonances in other art forms, sometimes music is best left standing on its own terms. There's an enormous richness in the listening experience which is quite unique.

For my own process, I only sometimes start a piece knowing it will have a certain non-musical association or source. Most of the time, deciding to use a painting, or a book, or a poem is because of a central idea or impression for which I seek a musical analogue. As such, my use of these sources is often an aid to me in figuring out what the "world" of a piece might be; anything from it's general mood and atmosphere, to the behavior of the tiniest ideas and fragments. I find it helpful to have a wealth of material to which I can respond, even if the way I respond is very esoteric and personal to me. It often kicks me off the blank page. That said, sometimes I will be halfway through, or nearly finished with a piece which has no pre-decided association, and I'll suddenly find myself thinking of an artwork or book which seems close to what I'm trying to achieve. This was the way with a string quartet called Memory Palce I wrote about 18 months ago, a concept which came from my favorite Salman Rushdie novel. Eastern Point was written as the last in a series of works responding to paintings. I saw both paintings I mentioned in the Clark Museum in Massachusetts in October 2014, and though they made a great impression on me, my first thought was certainly not about using my response in my music. As the orchestral piece progressed, I thought that the sense of gravity and weight I was trying to evoke with the orchestra was akin to giant ocean waves, and the paintings came to mind. The first version of the piece was read at Aspen with the AACA Orchestra - which brings me to my revision:

ACO: What have you done with your piece, score, and parts in preparation for the Underwood New Music Readings?
MS: I actually rarely do major re-writes of pieces. After a premiere, I almost always make minor changes and tweaks in the light of conclusions gleaned from that performance. But those are rarely more than changing a measure here, or a few notes there. Most of all I focus on issues of timing and pacing which I didn't quite get right the first time around. With this version of Eastern Point, I would say about 60% of the piece is newly written in preparation for these readings. The first version was about 4 minutes, and this one is just shy of 7. When reviewing the score, there were many problems with pacing, and too many logical non-sequiturs between sections. What I did like was that I'd written a smooth transition out of the climax, which featured a very blended textural shift. I decided that the whole piece needed to function like that, and that the climactic moment (where stacks of chords pile up and overlap with one another) should be set up right from the beginning. In one sense, this whole piece is about large textures made of overlapping parts, in a manner not unlike Ligeti's micropolyphonic technique. It took a while to figure out that that was the real story of the piece, which was originally occluded by other aural junk, but I think it now represents a much more coherent statement.

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, and the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?
MS: I'm very much looking forward to working with these other composers - though this is technically my eighth time writing an orchestral piece, the others were all wonderful experiences working with very good student orchestras. I'm looking forward to seeing what I will learn in a professional context, under the guidance of experienced composers and players. Thank you for the opportunity!

Follow Michael on Twitter, Soundcloud, and Issuu
www.michaelsmallcomposer.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Carlos Simon

Composer, film scorer, and performer Carlos Simon combines the influences of jazz, gospel, and neo-romanticism in his music. Simon was named the winner of the 2015 Marvin Hamlisch Film Scoring Contest and has performed with the Boston Pops Symphony, Jackson Symphony, and the St. Louis Symphony. For the 2015-2016 season, Carlos Simon served as the young composer in-residence for the Detroit Chamber Strings and Winds. His selected piece for the 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings, Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm Miller Theatre, Columbia University, is titled Plagues of Egypt, and is the first of several pieces that he says will be apart of a larger work called Bible Stories.

Carlos spoke with SoundAdvice about his piece and preparations for the upcoming readings.

Composer, film scorer, and performer Carlos Simon

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?

Carlos Simon: As young composers, it is a habit to apply to every competition, new music reading and festival possible. More often than not, you receive so many "no's" before you actually get a "yes". So to actually have been chosen for one of the most prestigious orchestral readings in the country has been one sheer amazement. I'm still pinching myself.

ACO: You are an accomplished film composer and winner of the 2015 Marvin Hamlisch Film Scoring Contest. Plagues of Egypt from the Book of Exodus, from the point of view of the enslaving Pharaoh, is the story you are telling with your piece. Can you talk about which musical elements evoke this narrative? 

CS: Out of the many stories from the Bible, I found the Plagues of Egypt to be the most terrifying. It is packed with pure horror. There's nothing more terrifying than imagining a swarm of frogs, lice and other pestilence invading your personal space. Bassoons and contrabasses playing short and fast lines in their lower register represent the masses of frogs or violins playing high, shrill notes chaotically illustrate the pestilence. However, the most important element in this piece is Pharaoh's reaction to these events. I wanted to show his stubbornness and the gradual break down of his pride. 

ACO: Suppose you were writing this work as a film score instead of a stand-alone orchestral work, what differences would there be?

CS: Ironically, I compose most of my pieces like this. I am a very visual person. While there may not be a film associated with what I'm writing, I try to imagine a film being played with my music. One of my teachers, Michael Daugherty, taught me that dialogue, sound, and visual effects could all be a part of my music without actually being present. Given that, if I were writing this work as a film score I would imagine that the piece would not change much.

ACO: What have you done with your piece, score, and parts in preparation for the Underwood New Music Readings?

CS: It is such an privilege to be working with an amazing orchestra. It is one that I do not take lightly. I have dedicated many countless hours (and sleepless nights) to making sure that the score and parts are as clear and concise as possible. That means a lot of proofreading, editing and revising. 

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, and the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?

CS: I'm extremely excited to work with such well established composers as well Maestro Manahan. I'm looking forward to gaining insight as to how I can make Plagues of Egypt a better piece. My hope is to compose five more pieces inspired by biblical stories such as David and Goliath, the Battle of Jericho etc. Gaining mentorship and fostering a professional relationship with such well skilled composers will hopefully help to create better music .

Follow Carlos on Twitter, Soundcloud

www.coliversimon.com

Underwood New Music Readings: Composer Spotlight - Katherine Balch

Composer Katherine Balch writes music that explores lyricism through textural soundscapes, with performances by esteemed groups such as the Albany Symphony Orchestra, the New York Youth Symphony, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Yale Camerata, among many others. She currently studies with David Lang, pursuing her Master’s at the Yale School of Music. Her piece Leaf Catalog will be read by Music Director George Manahan and the ACO on Tuesday, June 14 at 7:30pm at the 25th Annual Underwood New Music Readings at Miller Theatre, Columbia University.

Katherine was kind enough to answer a few questions about her piece and the upcoming workshops and readings.

Composer Katherine Balch

American Composers Orchestra: What was your reaction to finding out your piece had been selected for the Underwood New Music Readings?
Katherine Balch: I was very excited! I have heard wonderful things from past participants about the program and I’m grateful to get to experience it.

ACO: Your piece Leaf Catalog is an "ode to little netted veins," "emerald epidermi," "viridian curves and fern-green webs," which you describe quite poetically in your program note. What is your process for translating those ideas into music?
KB: I spend a lot of time drawing, sketching, and mapping out gestures and large-scale formal architecture before I start through-composing a piece. For Leaf Catalogue, I knew I wanted the first half to be built on simple, rhythmically charged motivic cells, and the second half to be a single, slow, continuous line. In this way, my piece loosely follows a process of zooming out onto a larger picture, where details gradually dissolve into the whole.

ACO: Leaf Catalogue was first performed in 2015 by the Yale Philharmonia and conductor Heejung Park. What changes, if any, have you made to the piece since then?
KB: I’ve adjusted a lot of tiny things, like dynamics, phrasing, and some registers in the brass writing, but the overall shape of the piece is the same.

Excerpt from Leaf Catalogue score

ACO: What do you hope to gain from the workshops, especially the feedback and guidance of mentor composers Derek Bermel, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Stephen Hartke?

KB: I’m looking forward to the feedback from these experienced composers, particularly with regards to orchestration and the orchestral rehearsal process. I hope to learn more about the orchestra and be inspired by my fellow colleagues and the mentor composers!

Find out more about Katherine at www.katherinebalch.com