Discussion #1 for Theory AND Form Students

Hi folks -

Sorry this is getting up later than I had hoped - just tired and busy getting ready for the Conference. I'll post about that tomorrow.

Anyway, today's discussion has to do with music that moves you.

As you can expect, there is a ton of music I listen to regularly. I do listen to classical music, but more often than not I am listening to jazz or singer/songwriter types like Ben Folds or Duncan Sheik. Especially when I am listening for pleasure - I listen to more "pop" music than classical or even jazz. Don't tell anyone I said that!

That said - there are certain composers that just absolute floor me with their artistry. Beethoven is one. Brahms is one, too. Of the more contemporary folks - Aaron Copland is someone that I have studied a lot, and someone that I find terribly musical.

So, for your viewing pleasure - here is the Fourth Movement from his 3rd Symphony - probably his most important work. His first two symphonies were composed earlier in his career - when he was a young man and before he found his more accessible voice. Copland, for all of his accessibility, was a beast of a composer as a young man.

Well, after finding a more subdued language - a language that he thought could express his musical point without alienating his audience - he composed this 3rd Symphony.

One of my Grad School teachers - Barney Gilmore - talked to me a lot about this piece. He really thinks of it as "America's Symphony". The themes throughout are SO reminiscent of what we NOW think of as "American" sonorities that the piece seems to ooze Americana from beat one of movement I through the triumphant coda of movement IV.

So, what you have here is Movement IV conducted by the composer.

Listen now - to the whole thing. I'll wait.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkY-TYTHRGU

Now - FORM students, I want you to talk about what you think is AMERICAN in this piece. That is purposefully broad - just dig in and talk/write about your feelings. It's a touchy/feely assignment. I want your thoughts.

THEORY students, I want you to talk about music (provide a link, too) that moves you - that makes you want to be a better musician. Music that, when you close your eyes and listen to your inner thoughts, reminds you of why you like to make music. It's the music of inspiration.

Write about that, please.

Gotta jet and get some sleep. Thanks for checking the blog - and be sure to give me your REAL name in your posting - so I know who is talking about what!

Take care and I'll post pictures and words about tomorrow after it happens. I have two pieces being played and discussed. Should be a really cool experience.

Good night, y'all.

Jim

CMS National Update

Just got word today that pre-concert lectures were added to the itinerary at CMS National. Before the 4 PM concert on September 23 - five of the 20 works will be discussed by scholars from around the country. Both of my works - Duality in Time and Hop, Skip and Jump - were selected for the panel.

Duality in Time

Dr. Bruce Taggart from Michigan State University will discuss Hop, Skip and Jump and Nico Schuler from Texas State University will discuss Duality in Time.

I am honored to be part of this experience and I'll be re-examining these pieces before this trip so that I am ready for any and all questions.

Parma records Bouncing About

Last summer, Parma Recordings approached me about recording some of my chamber music, but I just couldn't afford the cost of the recording sessions and while I was disappointed, I let it got quickly. While the quote was high - their work is absolutely stellar and the cost covers recording, artist fees, artwork, duplication, international distribution and everything in between. It is an all-in cost. So, it was a neat opportunity, but there is no shame in being unable to pay nearly 5 figures to get 13 minutes of your music recorded.

Well, in early July Parma came calling again - this time the cost was much lower because a session that was already planned opened up. So, after a quick negotiation, Parma recorded my piece for violin and piano - Bouncing About - on July 12 in Prague, Czech Republic.

The CD will be released in mid-2011 and I'll have the first audio edits in a couple of weeks. The performers were: Lukáš Klánský, piano and Ondřej Lébr, violin.

Here is a picture from the session:

I'll post audio when I get it, but in the meantime - look to the right sidebar and see the new ReverbNation Widget for my audio. If you look around there enough you will be able to play a live recording of Bouncing About performed by Bakersfield Symphony players Julia Lawson-Haney and Patrick Bender.

Needless to say - very exciting times.

Upcoming premiers

As I sit in a doctors office waiting to be seen I figure I might as well let my three readers know about my upcoming performances.

On November 7 @ 7:30 PM two of my recent compositions for jazz combo will be performed by students at CSUB. Modes of Transport and D's Changes will be performed. MOT is a modal jazz tune and D's changes is a 32-bar AABA tune. Both present different challenges for improvisers.

On November 13 at the CSUB Chamber Concert (8 PM in the Dore) I have two sets of works getting their world premiers. The first is the Eclectic Suite for Guitar Ensemble. This 5 movement suite consists of miniature pieces and will be played by the CSUB Guitar Ensemble, which I direct. The second set is a pair of pieces for two pianos entitled Low and High which will be played by Sarah McFarland and Rebekah Rogers, two piano students at CSUB.

The next two events bleed into 2010, but considering my infrequent posts I might as well put this up now.

On January 28, 2010 a piece I am currently writing, Duality for Two, will be premiered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The piece is an extension of my work Duality in Time for flute and cello that was premiered in Hartford in August. The performers (Rachel Arnold and Ashley Addington) commissioned the longer work and I will be hopping on a plane to attend. Gonna be great.

The last upcoming premier is for a sonata for classical guitar that I am currently writing for New Jersey guitarist Keith Calmes. Keith is a Julliard and USC gradute and a stunning player, as well as a friend. He asked me to write him a piece last year, but it wasn't until I attended La Guitarra festival in September that I was inspired to start the work.

Keith will premier the piece on February 21 at CSU Bakersfield during a solo recital he will present.

I am very excited about these upcoming performances and look forward to all the music.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Sometimes I just don't know

It's been quite a roller-coaster over the last few weeks. I think it finally hit me the last two days. Not knowing if a job is waiting for you when the academic year starts is strange. I have worked at a college for 12 years now - the thought of not meeting the
new students is strange.

I have been irritable for the better part of a week and it has to be related to a) not getting a call from the JC where I was a finalist for a tenure-track gig and b) the overwhelming sadness surrounding the CSU and the budget at CSU Bakersfield where I work. Just a depressing time.

I guess if I have a diminished role at CSUB in September I will just have to parlay that time into some great composing and work on that part of my career. That is the part that has been neglected since I started th FT gig at the University and doubly so since the birth is the triplets. Anyway, just curious as to what the future holds. I'm not enjoying the wait, either.

New pieces are up!!!

Check out jimscully.com and click on the 30/30 link at the bottom right of the home page. The most recent piece us pretty cool and sounds great because I used Logic Studio and the VSL.

Update:

No new pieces on Wednesday (7.22) or Thursday (7.23). After the budget meeting at CSUB on Wednesday I was pretty pissed and then I played at the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop that night, so I took the night off. As an extension of my pissed-off mood, the family went to the beach on Thursday to decompress. Nice day. Long day. Back at it on Friday. Thirty 30-second pieces in 40 days is still pretty bad-ass if I may say so myself.

30/30 Project Update!

So, another piece down and I am only 13 compositions away from my stated goal of writing 30 30-second compositions in 30 days. I have taken a few days off - a family vacation, a national holiday and one honest to goodness day where I just blew it. Not too shabby, methinks.

So, here is the piece for today:

Murkiness

To hear all the pieces go to the website for the project:

30/30 Composition Project

More news to follow - exciting stuff....

Signing off...

Jim

Great advice from a Colleague...

Kerry Marsh - director of vocal jazz studies at CSU Sacramento - gave me some killer feedback on my arrangement of Ellington's I'm Beginning to See the Light. My head arrangement was a submission for one day of my 30/30 Composition Project - a project that has me compose a 30-second composition each day for 30 days. I cheated a bit with that entry. I had that almost completely in the can and needed to post something that day. But, his feedback will cause me to alter it quite a bit and repost my new version. Kerry is astonishing - his groups have won the Downbeat award for best collegiate vocal jazz group for six straight years and his arrangement of Selfless, Cold and Composed (Ben Folds composition) was selected by Ben Folds to be featured on the A cappella University CD project that Ben produced. The CD contains 18 or so hand-picked performances of Ben Folds tunes as done by vocal groups affiliated with schools. It is a great project and the Sac State tune stands out on the CD as the most developed and most interesting adaptation on the disc - by a long shot.

Here is that video:

Anyway, for Kerry to take time out of his life to listen to and critique my head arrangement of Beginning to See the Light is very cool and I'm gonna work my tail off on it to show him that his time was not wasted.

30/30 Project Update!

So, I've been pretty darn consistent with this project - only 2 days missed. But, I need a few days off now for a family decompression event. I'll pick back up in a couple days right where I left off.

I am very happy with how this has gone so far, the pieces are really showing my voice and the writing is getting easier. I love the process. As a father of three and very busy professor I don't get to write too much. This has been a great chance to get back on the saddle as ole' Gene Autry - the original owner of my favorite MLB franchise - used to sing.

Gigs!!!

Anyway...I just agreed to play a featured set at the Bakersfield Jazz Workshop on 8/5/09 so the next few pieces will be written for small jazz groups. I want to feature at least three new tunes at the gig - so I gots to get writing. I have one for Freddie Hubbard I wrote last week, and I'll take a stab at a very guitaristic piece and maybe a modal tune. Something different.

30/30 Project

Tonight piece will be up a bit late. My wife and I are dealing with very fussy four year olds. It is done, but I wanted to do the audio in Logic and I don't have time to do that right now.

Hang in there.

Update: Piece is up. It is called "Quiet" for guitar and vibraphone. It is short, sweet, pretty and playable - I don't do many like this, but it is nice. Check it out here:

Jim's FB Page

or

Jim's Composition Site

Enjoy...

Woodwind Trio

Just finished the woodwind trio for today - did a lot of it early this morning and tied up loose ends this afternoon.

These are temporary links - I am at the office and can't upload to my personal site from here (iWeb has its limits) so here are links on my academic site:

Woodwind Trio

Woodwind Trio Score

30/30 Preoject!!!

I started a project on Saturday that will see me write 30 seconds of new music everyday for 30 days. Follow my progress at jimscully.com or facebook.com/jimmuscomp. Links to follow when I get to a computer.

Leave comments about your thoughts!

Jim

Summer To-Do List - 2008

So, the best part of my job at a University is, of course, having three months off during the summer to tie up the myriad loose ends that accumulate during the hectic nine months of instruction.  Each summer I have grand plans of composing massive amounts of music, and each summer I churn out a couple of minutes of music and I return to work in September frustrated that I didn’t get more done when I had “time off”.  Well, that has happened again this summer, but I am sure I will get more done.  Why?  Because I created a to-do list.  Yep, that’s gonna keep me in line.

Actually, I can’t be kept in line.  I have three-year-old triplet boys, so “time off” is really a pipe dream.  I am just busy in a very different way - like potty training.  But I digress.  Here is my To-Do list for the 2008 Summer:

• Clean and organize our home office.
  
• Re-organize the garage.
  
• Hold a garage sale.
  
• Bring excess crap to the Salvation Army.
  
• Organize my CD collection.
  
• Organize my office at CSUB - and maybe move into an office that was vacated by a professor that isn’t returning.
  
• Service my guitars.
  
• Record 2-5 standards - solo - in my home studio.
  
• Get JIMSCULLY.COM up an running.
  
• Get my publishing company up and running.
  
• Edit audio recorded in May from CSUB concerts and the recording session of “Bouncing About”.
  
• Compose!!! (Trombone Sonata, Jazz Choir, Big Band, Concert Band, Voice/Piano)
  

Anyway, that is a partial list.  Everyday I think of more things to do...

Maybe I’ll just sit down and compose tonight - it needs to happen.

More to come...