le monde de la procrastination

There it is: the orchestra board that lists my untitled future doom directly above Bruchner's magnum opus. Since this project was announced in March, I've successfully worked on two opera arias, completed a violin duo, studied for a music history qual that no longer exists (yes, I'm serious), and started adjuncting. So I've totally had lots of leftover time to work on my magnum opus.

Whoops.

Not that I haven't been trying—who says that score study can't be done during your twice-a-week, twenty-minutes-each-way commute? (Do you know what fits perfectly in that time frame? Ravel's La valse.) Or, why can't you cram all of your orchestral research during your two weeks off between semesters/quarters? (In my case, I've had to deal with both.)

So, while normal people have been overdosing on egg nog or cheesecake or See's Candies* or other holiday delicacies, my sketches now show the aftermath of gorging on Impressionist orchestral works and holiday tunes.**

composer WIN #5

It's a Solstice/Christmas/Hanukkah/Chrismukkah miracle. Just when I woke up a tad crummy due to (1) not waking up in time, (2) gaining a few extra pounds, and (3) realizing my orchestra piece wasn't writing itself (I might start crying if my ideas keep sucking so badly), I received this in my inbox.

I was so bummed yesterday morning that I didn't quite grasp the subject heading of "Invitation to the Atlanta Opera's 24-Hour Opera Project." I mean, I've been rejected before and I thought I'd received something similar to last year.

BUT NO—I didn't.

gray goo 1.01 at the CAC

Well, I hope you all had a good solstice and enjoyed riding the F train YESTERDAY, not tuesday. (I kind of messed up the date when I announced it on my blog.)

Oops.

Anyway, here's the last video from my "They Came…from the FUTURE!!!" concert at the CAC. With Zach Larabee, Mike Lunoe, and Ty Niemeyer. And me.

Enjoy! And happy holidays!

take the F train TODAY

Sorry this post is up a little later than usual: I was delayed by my grade submission duties and a McSkillet sausage burrito. Mmmmmmm…burrito.

But if I weren't sidelined by a burrito or stuck here in Cincinnati, I'd be in NYC taking the F Train TODAY between 7–8 p.m. Jim Holt, a composer I met earlier this year who curates the "My Ears Are Open" series has an installation called "Thru-Line," which will be performed today during this time. Says Jim:

"For this piece, 44 musicians will set up with their instrument at every subway platform along the Coney Island-bound F train line. They will all continuously perform the prelude from Johann Sebastian Bach’s 'Cello Suite No. 1 in G major.' Commuters will hear music while waiting on platforms, then hear snippets of the same music from inside the train, every time the doors open."

How cool is that? I'm a bit jealous of you New Yorkers right now, because this is an awesome way to celebrate winter.

the #armada ship has arrived

What began as a small Twitter exquisite corpse game in July turned into this: a piano sonata completed by twenty-nine composers.

How did this work?

"#Armada (pronounced 'Hashtag Armada') is a collective of composers and performers from all over the world engaged in a ludicrous game of exquisite corpse via Twitter. Each game starts with a set of parameters, such as 'solo piano, 4/4, 140 bpm.' A composer writes one measure, then tags someone to write the next one. He or she can describe the measure they have written to whomever they have tagged, but their description is limited to a single tweet."

Do you know how crazy this was? Here's an example of a Tweet sent by @dennistobenski.

Tag! 4/4; syncopated B/C# in lh; descending chromatic triplet-sixteenth in rh, ending on D-natural. #armada

You must also include the composer's Twitter handle in the tweet, and all of this cannot exceed one hundred forty characters. I ultimately don't know how the piece will sound, but it was a lot of fun—when I wasn't overly busy and swamped with work or composing or receiving a tweet on my Blackberry while I was at a concert.

Curious? Here's the score. Also…is there a pianist out there who wants to play it?

press play at the cac

I finally received all my videos from the CAC event. Yahooooo! And here is a performance of "Press Play." Guess what? You can see it! And you can see the tape players! And, honestly, this is the best performance of this piece yet.

So a question to you folks: is this a fixed-format piece, live performance, or a sound installation? I haven't quite decided the format of this piece. I had a friend suggest that the tape players should be on display in a room so people can have the freedom to walk around and hear it. I also think it's fun to have a vintage tape recorder on your lap while you "perform" your part. Thoughts? Suggestions?