Katherine Watson – Flute
Michelle Hwu – Percussion
Wes Shen – Piano
Adam Scime – Double-Bass
Patrick Murray – Conducting
Walter Hall, U of Toronto, November 2011
Update smash. Pre-emptive apology
First, regarding We Ate the Children Last (henceforth referred to as WATCL) has had tremendous success since it premiered at TIFF in the fall. It went on to be played at the Vancouver International Film Festival and they decided to hand Andrew the Most Promising Director in a short film award which I think–at the very least–is deserving of an interweb high five.
More recently, WATCL was chosen as a Top Ten Pick for Canada in Short Films. The Top Ten are basically ten feature length movies and ten short films chosen from all the Canadian Festival screenings of 2011. This is a tremendous honour as the film will be screening on the same festival as Cronenberg’s Dangerous Method, Sarah Polley’s Take this Waltz, and Jason Eisener’s Hobo with a Shotgun. Not to mention, three other short’s I’ve already had the pleasure of seeing: 3D dance spectacle Ora, the contemplative and moody drama La Ronde, and the beautiful man vs. machine fable Troteur. In short, these films very good company to keep and I’m delighted to be a small part of it.
In other news, me? Composing like a mad man.
The electric-guitar concert seems like ages ago, but was one of the most unusual TPC concerts we’ve ever done. It was great to see a lot of new faces in the audience, and a really different tone for our concerts. A lot of the TPC stepped outside of there comfort zone and the sum of the concert was quite atmospheric and nebulous. Except for Dan Brophy’s unapologetically violent piece Framed Transients, which explored construction noises. It made me laugh, and gave me a heart attack and it scared me and it was awesome.
I finally got to hear Katherine play Before she woke up, she danced. Which she commissioned and also inspired. She, along with Patrick Murray (conductor), Adam Scime (Bass), Wes Shen (Piano) and Michelle Hwu (percussion) did a beautifully transparent performance. It made my face go :) The performance also got my rolling on a second movement which–to me– has a Debussy timeless feel to it. Huge imaginary spaces like caves that are also cathedrals. I’m picturing a dream I had when I was a teenager, driving down an orange bridge in a red Cadillac crossing the ocean where a Tsunami that was impossibly large crashed across the bridge and suddenly we were flying just inside the crest of the wave. It’s bizarro that the setting of the dream is similar to a dream John Adams had where he was also on a bridge, watching a sunken oil tanker take off from the depths of the ocean, bursting from the waves, and launching into the sky. That would be the first movement of Harmonielehre.
Beyond that, 3 other projects in the pipeline: an orchestration of my sextet Ricochet, a new piece commissioned by ArrayMusic, and a trio commission for flautists Diana Lam, Jeff Stonehouse, and pianist Matt Walton.
I’m very excited to announce that We Ate The Children Last will be featured at The Toronto International Film Festival! This is Andrew Cividino’s film adaptation of Yann Martel’s short story by the same name. Andrew has put an incredible amount of energy into creating this film, and had a remarkably talented group bring this thing to life. It was a privilege to compose for this project. Here’s a link to the preview:
And, here’s the details for screening:
Wednesday September 14th @ 5:30 PM & Thursday September 15th @ 1:00 PM
TIFF Bell Lightbox 2
Reitman Square, 350 King St. Toronto
Single tickets go on sale September 3rd
It’s been about a week since I arrived at Colby College in Waterville Maine to participate in the Atlantic Music Festival. It has, so far, been a remarkable experience. Though I’ve participated in a number of workshops over the years, this is my first full-fledged festival.
The college is on the outskirts of Waterville, situated on a gradual incline so that from the main library you get a spectacular view. All the buildings have a real new england feel to them with quaint windows and red brick-work and copper roofs–a far cry from the weighty, gothic buildings or–as is the case with the Edward Johnson Faculyt of Music building–communist-utilitarian-energy crisis-era buildings of the University of Toronto. (Although, to be fair, the residence we live in is highly functional and could probably double as a low-security prison.
I entered this festival with nervousness and excitement as is natural when you put yourself into a situation where you don’t know what to expect. There are three things that strike me after a week of being here. The first is the skill level and variety of the works by the other composers. Much of the forums are spent listening to recordings of each-other’s works and pouring over scores. There have been no two pieces a like, and generally the compositional voice of each work is extremely strong, unique and creative. It is a humbling experience to have the opportunity to share my music with my colleagues who just a week ago were complete strangers, and it is a privilege to hear their music in return.
The other thing that strikes me is the environment. I’ve never been in a place where so many people are so enthusiastic about music. The first orchestra concert occurred a few nights ago and I look forward to the next three; it was an experience I don’t think is really possible to get back home. The orchestra itself is small; perhaps 30 players at most. They played music by Bartok, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, and Schubert’s Symphony in Bb. The performance was in a chapel on campus. The musicians performed with enthusiasm and energy that a few professional orchestra’s I’ve seen could take notes on. And the intimate setting in a chapel that can seat no more than 200 with brilliant acoustics only makes me think that this is how the composer meant the music to be heard: with transparency, clarity, and intimate energy.
The last thing I take note of at this festival is the incredible sense to share with one another. The composers quickly got to know each other and you can’t escape a meal with out talking about your latest compositional problem, or get into a debate about why Claude Vivier is the greatest Canadian Composer who ever lived, or what makes spectral music just so friggin’ cool.
It’s brilliant. It’s an oasis for music lovers where its creation and performance permeates everything you do here. With only three weeks left, I’m soaking it up.
As far as my own compositional pursuits, I finished a piece for Katherine in the first week of being here. It’s called “Before she woke up, she danced.” and is scored for flute, percussion, piano, and double bass. The piece is being performed on July 28th as part of the composers series. I’m really looking forward to the rehearsals and performance and I’m sure you’ll hear about it in a future post!
It’s been ages since I’ve posted. Too long. I decided just to post a few animations that I scored last year that have ripped through some festivals and are now online. (Normally, festivals don’t allow you to publish your films online until they’ve been screened at festivals. I suppose in theory, posting online could cut down their audience attendance… meh!)’
The video below is by Randolph Lizarda’s “Lucian,” and explores the idea of life and death and what lies in between. He’s come up with some beautiful imagery, and I love the colour palette. As far as the score goes, my favourite is the chimes and bells that ripple through the end.
I can’t figure out how to embed it so just click here to watch it.
The second short is the award winning “Earlth and Moonch” by Dei Gazetelumendi. It took the 2010 Nelvana best 3D animation prize at Sheridan College: Kudos Dei! The score sulks along in the background, emulating the Earth’s self pity. It’s got a bit of spacy-limbo feel to it as well.
A few days ago I was watching the highlight reals after a disappointing game between the Leafs and Islanders. The play that was getting most attention was not a goal scored, or a nifty play, but a freight-train hit against Pacioretti by Chara. The hit–which I would like to note was probably accidental–left Pacioretti with a concussion and a fractured, non-displaced vertebrae.
It’s taken a couple days for this accident to garner the amount of media attention that I felt was deserved immediately–Prime Minister Stephen Harper has denounced the play, a police investigation has been called in Quebec, Canadian minister of sport Gary Lunn has admonished the NHL for it’s lack of action, and Air Canada has threatened to remove its funding from the league. What is shocking is the league’s lack of action to discipline this play. Whether it was an accident or not, severe, and possibly permanent damage has been inflicted on a player, and by not pursuing any recourse, the league is saying that these kind of actions or forgivable, even acceptable.
I am no athlete by any stretch of the imagination. However, being a musician and composer–where competing is a very big part of what we do in grant writing, prize applications etc–competition is something I am quite familiar with. I am very fortunate as a composer to not have suffered any sort of diabolical plot aimed at ending my career. But there have been cases in music where bullying and horse-blind visions of what music should be has shaped and shut-down careers. What comes to mind immediately is IRCAM. The largest, most funded musical institution in the world, IRCAM gets most of its funding from public money in France. Despite being publicly funded, IRCAM excepts only a limited scope in aesthetic for its composers and performers. As a result, many European composers have been shut-out entirely from public funding simply because they don’t fit into IRCAM’s mandate.
It is a bit erratic to draw a comparison between hockey hits and art-funding policiest, but I think they do tie in. In the case of the hockey hit–and I don’t care that it was an accident–it was completely unacceptable. Chara decided that to get to the puck was more important than his opponents well being and the consequence was a life changing injury. In the case of IRCAM, there is a lack of respect for a larger musical community and the power to actually shut-out that community for personal benefit. In both cases there is a bully mentality at play. There is a serious problem in what you are doing if your success is dependent on the sacrifice of another.
It was a huge pleasure this week to have John Adams (composer–not dead president) in Toronto this week. He is a brilliant composer, and the TSO did a superb performance of his Harmonielehre (one of my personal favourites) and a new work called City Noir.
Harmonielehre, written in the early 80′s when serialism and twelve tone technique was disproportionately favoured in academia and new music concert halls, essentially gives atonality the finger. I think since then we’ve all calmed down and found that there’s room for both, but at the time it was written, Harmonielehre was controversial. The first movement is bookended by these absolutely kick-ass full orchestra chord shots that represent a dream John had in which he found himself standing on the golden gate bridge and watching a sunken oil-tanker dislodge itself from the ocean bed and take off like a rocket, bursting through the surface and up into the sky. The second movement is called The Anfortas Wound which refers to the impotence of stalled creativity. (Freud would have a field day with this piece, eh?) And the final movement, Master Eckhardt and QUackie also refers to a dream John had in which his daughter was perched on the shoulders of a 14th Century mystic.
City Noir is inspired by the city of Los Angeles and the music found in noir films of the 1940s and 50s. Normally film score is over before it has a chance to develop because it is composed in order to serve the narrative. If there is dialogue, the music must take the back burner. If a scene changes, so must the music. Musical choices are made only to serve the story. What’s interesting about City Noir is that it is imaginary film score to a movie that does not exist, and it is able to develop in ways that film score can not. The result is film score-ish sounding music, but with the sophisticated development we come to expect in a symphony (or concerto for that matter… there are some dizzying saxophone solos scattered throughout the piece). Again, a very kick ass piece. I am very pro-John Adams and love every minute of this thing. From talking to others, I’ve been told there are moments where it wanders and lags. But for me, so far, I find every moment to be exciting.
On the homefront, I restarted the string piece. Yet again. This is the last time since it does need to get finished in this lifetime. I think I’ve pushed the limits of the power of procrastination and now I’m pushing my luck. This thing will get finished, but I think my sleep and well being will suffer for it. Oh yes. The life of a composer.
I would like to take this little place on the internet to thank everyone who came to The Toy Piano Composers & TorQ concert yesterday afternoon and last night! It was remarkable to see Heliconian Hall so full of people wanting to hear new music! If you weren’t there, I believe Monica summed it up really well: “They’re really good at hitting stuff.”
If you couldn’t make it, I will soon be posting a recording of my piece, Brutal Winter on ReverbNation and on my Music page so you can have a listen.
If by some astronomical stroke of coincidence you were at the concert AND you are currently reading this, I would love to hear your thoughts on the concert! Feel free to leave a reply–good or bad–with your opinions on the concert.
It’s been a while since I last updated. Life has given be a bit of a kick in the pants as of late but I should be back into the swing of things… starting now!
First off, TorQ and TPC is FINALLY just two days away. Get your tickets before the concert! $10 Adv. / $15 Door. Concert’s on Saturday February 26th 8PM 35 Hazelton Ave. (Heliconian Hall) Toronto.
Secondly, I’ve just recently found out I’ll be participating in a small music workshop slash festival in Croatia this summer with composer Joel Hoffman called Upbeat. I’m super excited about this and will provide more info as it develops.
Lastly, Andrew had an early screening of We Ate the Children Last with a few film makers and directors and stuff. We got some amazing constructive criticism and positive feedback. It feels good to be moving in the right direction. Once I get recordings, I’ll try and post some up via ReverbNation. (Mental notes of things to do.)
Lastly for real this time. I bought two new albums this week. Radiohead’s King of Limbs and a 5 disc recording of all of Sibelius’s Symphonies, plus Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Tapiola, En saga, The violin Concerto, etc. etc. Just like all of his Orchestra stuff. King of Limbs is great. But I can’t stop listening to Sibelius. I may have to start writing about them to entice people to listen to them but for now, just do yourself a favour and have a listen to one of his symphonies. Start with the second symphony. Just brilliant. Bloody brilliant.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted, and much has happened.
First off, we’ve finally got a grant off in preparation for the next season with the Toy Piano Composers. It has made me fully appreciate the work Monica’s done in past grant applications. All I can say is she’s a creative machine–teaching kiddies all day, then coming home to write music AND grants all last year. If I have half the energy she does by June, I’ll be happy and I don’t know how she does it. Pro.
I went to the Esprit concert this past weekend. By far, the highlight of the concert was Giya Kancheli’s Styx. This was essentially a viola concerto with choir. I don’t know how to explain this piece other than that it is both beautiful and savage. And the slow moving chords are so patient. It is a sonic landscape. It’s a half hour long and worth a listen through it’s entirety. The ending made my head explode and my heart jealous. I hope that by the time I’m Kancheli’s age that I can compose with even half his talent and honesty.
I know it’s available on iTunes somewhere, but I’ve put a link to the first movement and I’m sure you can watch/listen to the rest of the piece on YouTube if you’re feeling cheep.
Today I met Mychael Danna. He’s famous for scoring most of Atom Egoyan’s films including most recently Adoration and Chloe. It was weird watching him talk through his film scoring method. He’s eerily similar in his methods to what I do. Things like write first, then sort out the logistics later. Spend an eternity figuring out your pallet. Colour code everything. Change meters every 2 seconds. Even more strange: He’s scoring Ang Lee’s Life of Pi at the moment, while I’m scoring We Ate The Children Last. It’s a Yann Martel adaptation party, though I suppose Mychael’s project is a bit more ambitious than mine. None the less, I’m hoping to present to him my work in progress so he can tear it to shreds and deflate my ego a notch or two.
One more strange coincidence involving Mychael and I to kick-it: Mychael and I were wearing the exact same type of boots today. Cue the Ondes Martenot.
Lastly, on Saturday, I volunteered to help out with an Array Music initiative in which percussion instruments were presented to a group of children. One kid showed up. One very brave kid. But it got me thinking, why in the heck don’t new music establishments have like MAJOR pushes to get kids involved!? Are new music presenters scared of kids? I suppose there is the conservatory of music which does have tons of great new music for kids by fantastic Canadian composers… but kids I think could really benefit from new music presentations. On that note, I’m feeling pretty good about TPC’s presentation at 2pm on the 26th!
