2014 has been a busy and productive year.
FIRST very important order of business- my web designer has added a plugin to my site that enables me to finally sell my music online! I am very excited to be able to remotely sell scores and parts in pdf form. It is not set up yet, but will be up and running soon, at which time I will let everyone know how to easily purchase pieces online.
Here is a (hopefully) concise look at what has been going on for me this year-
-In the beginning of January of this year, two very talented saxophonists (Evan Harris and Emily Loboda) premiered my work for soprano and tenor sax entitled Odyssean Steps.
-My new band dedicated to performing music by living composers was formed. The group is Bryce Craig on percussion, Kelly Vander Molen on amplified and acoustic violin, and myself on electric and acoustic guitar. We are Trio Insurgent. We are currently accepting commissions from composers of any age, nationality, and style. Send us a message on Facebook if you are interested in collaborating.
This Friday we will be performing our first concert. Bryce will be performing his own arrangement of the 2nd movement of Reich’s Electric Counterpoint for malletKAT, we will be performing a new lead-sheet composed for us by our good friend Mike Romaniak, there is a brand new piece composed for us by another good friend, Daniel Rhode, and of course Bryce and I composed a few fun pieces that will be performed. The setting is informal and laid back! We are looking to change performance practice. Classical music concerts are becoming all too pretentious…we want our audience to dance and shout when moved to do so, we want them to be so close when we perform that they can see the notes on our parts reflected in our eyes, and we want to give attention and priority to LIVING composers.
-At the end of 2013 I was commissioned to write a piece for solo piano by an excellent pianist and fellow CMU graduate assistant, Yaqin Wang. I completed the piece, entitled Phantasy for Piano, in February of this year and it is to be premiered this Saturday along side my piece Shake ’em (performed by Breana Meyers on maracas and Vanessa Heuck on bass clarinet- it is a fun little piece!) Ms. Wang has done a couple preview performances of Phantasy to some small crowds including this past Wednesday at Art Reach of Mid Michigan.
-In early 2014 I was commissioned by saxophonist Aj Pratt to compose a piece for alto sax and fixed media. I am very excited about this new piece, Lament for Alto Sax and Fixed Media, which is to be officially premiered at Eastern Michigan University on April 21st. A couple of weeks ago Aj performed a surprise pre-premiere at The Avenue in Lansing, Michigan.
-On March 29th the CMU New Music Ensemble performed my new piece Look at me! Hear me! See me! for drum set, electric bass, electric guitar, amplified violin, tenor sax, alto sax, bass clarinet, and trombone. This group has done some really great stuff over the past couple years and I am really proud to be a part of it. Keep on eye out for what we have in store next. My awesome trombonist-composer friend Nathan Brown is taking over the group for the next year!
I have written so much music this year that I really want people to hear, so I cannot wait to get some of those pieces up for sale for everyone to preview! Until next time…
(Trio Insurgent, your friends in New Music)