Category: new music

  • William O. Smith’s “Microtonal Ritual”

    William O. Smith’s “Microtonal Ritual”

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    In 2010, I immersed myself in the world of William O. Smith in order to write a paper on his compositional style as part of my D.M.A. qualifying exam at the University of North Texas. I read and listened to everything I could get my hands on in the short two weeks I had to…

  • William O. Smith’s Solo for Clarinet and Delay System

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    (Note: I originally wrote this post at Signals for Images, the contemporary music blog to which I contribute.) Last weekend, my clarinet/electronics duo Odd Partials (with Greg Dixon) put on a concert together with Seattle-based composer Marcin Pączkowski as part of the Wayward Music Series. This experimental series is run by new music organization Nonsequitur, and presents…

  • The Learning Scale

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    As a contemporary music specialist, I am no stranger to parts like this:   This kind of part — with multiple layers of extended techniques, unique notation to decode, rarely encountered fingerings, and rhythmic complexities — can be quite overwhelming. It’s not sight-readable, even at a slow tempo. There’s often no recording available. Questions for the composer arise. Fingering charts need to…

  • Paul Thomas – Bruegel Sketches

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    Last week I had the opportunity to premiere Bruegel Sketches for bass clarinet and accordion by Paul David Thomas, professor of music at Dallas Baptist University, with the composer himself on accordion: It’s a great set of miniatures evocative of the paintings. And the score is a lesson in how to use notation as a…

  • The Problem with Premiere-Hunting

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    I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of “premieres,” and why they are often over-valued by performers and ensembles.  Sure, they sound fancy in an artist bio (e.g. “So-and-so has premiered works on eight continents…”), and they can contribute to the perceived legacy of a performer.  We must support the creation of new…

  • Madera Wind Quintet Call for Scores

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    At the end of last year’s performance season, in May of 2011, the members of the Madera Wind Quintet began tossing around the idea of doing a call for scores.  We had just performed a new work commissioned by Sarah Summar and had such a great time doing it, and we had already performed much…

  • ClarinetFest 2011!

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    I’m excited to announce that my research presentation was chosen for the International Clarinet Association’s Research Competition, so I will be presenting this August at the 2011 ClarinetFest at California State University–Northridge!  The presentation is titled “Interactive Music for Clarinet and Computer: Performance Practice Problems and Solutions” and is based on my dissertation research on…

  • L. Scott Price’s Crystalline Vapor

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    I’m excited to be performing L. Scott Price’s Crystalline Vapor for clarinet and computer for the second time, on Monday, February 21 as part of the “Centerpieces” concert series, hosted by the Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia (CEMI) at the University of North Texas.  Here is a recording of the premiere performance at the…