Article on Young Composers in New Yorker

Fellow composer/musicians:

Alex Ross describes his search through the academic music scene for a
typical but talented young composer in a recent issue. He spends some
time with Timothy Andres, from Connecticut, and makes some comparisons
to Ives. Read it at
http://www.newyorker.com/critics/music/?040517crmu_music

His goal:

"to find out what young composers like him were doing, dreaming, and
fearing. For several months, I've been skipping big-ticket items at
major halls in favor of student-composition concerts around the New
York area—at Yale, Columbia, N.Y.U., Juilliard, the Mannes College of
Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. I also collected stacks of
scores and CDs and downloaded dozens of MP3s from the Internet."

He writes a nice affirmation of what's on the way from the younger
generation. He even mentions microtones, in passing:

"Whether you write in C major or in microtones, you face the basic
struggle of getting your music in front of a crowd. By and large,
composers of the youngest generation have different expectations from
those of their teachers; they have never known a culture that cared
about classical music, and thus they aren't waiting glumly for the
masses to come to their senses. They worry not only about the
technique of composition but also about the formerly unmentionable
arts of presentation and publicity. Even those who write freakish,
antisocial music may have well-designed Web sites where visitors can
download worklists, audio files, scores, art work, and rants on this
or that subject. In other words, they do not hold themselves aloof.
They care if you listen."

I write in microtones, and in C major. Does that count? And I have a
web site! Three of them!

http://prodgers13.home.comcast.net - web site and info on the music
http://www.soundclick.com/PrentRodgers - the music in MP3 format
http://www.xanga.com/music1024 - music composition in process - a
weblog

Prent Rodgers

Prent,

{you wrote...}
>His goal:
>
>"to find out what young composers like him were doing, dreaming, and fearing."

...and then...

>I write in microtones, and in C major. Does that count? And I have a web >site! Three of them!

Nice try - he said "young". :)

Cheers,
Jon

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Prent Rodgers"

/makemicromusic/topicId_6673.html#6673

<prentrodgers@c...> wrote:
> Fellow composer/musicians:
>
> Alex Ross describes his search through the academic music scene
for a
> typical but talented young composer in a recent issue. He spends
some
> time with Timothy Andres, from Connecticut, and makes some
comparisons
> to Ives. Read it at
> http://www.newyorker.com/critics/music/?040517crmu_music
>
> His goal:
>
> "to find out what young composers like him were doing, dreaming,
and
> fearing. For several months, I've been skipping big-ticket items at
> major halls in favor of student-composition concerts around the New
> York area—at Yale, Columbia, N.Y.U., Juilliard, the Mannes College
of
> Music, and the Manhattan School of Music. I also collected stacks
of
> scores and CDs and downloaded dozens of MP3s from the Internet."
>
> He writes a nice affirmation of what's on the way from the younger
> generation. He even mentions microtones, in passing:
>
> "Whether you write in C major or in microtones, you face the basic
> struggle of getting your music in front of a crowd. By and large,
> composers of the youngest generation have different expectations
from
> those of their teachers; they have never known a culture that cared
> about classical music, and thus they aren't waiting glumly for the
> masses to come to their senses. They worry not only about the
> technique of composition but also about the formerly unmentionable
> arts of presentation and publicity. Even those who write freakish,
> antisocial music may have well-designed Web sites where visitors
can
> download worklists, audio files, scores, art work, and rants on
this
> or that subject. In other words, they do not hold themselves aloof.
> They care if you listen."
>
> I write in microtones, and in C major. Does that count? And I have
a
> web site! Three of them!
>
> http://prodgers13.home.comcast.net - web site and info on the music
> http://www.soundclick.com/PrentRodgers - the music in MP3 format
> http://www.xanga.com/music1024 - music composition in process - a
> weblog
>
> Prent Rodgers

***I think the important part of this article involves the *spirit*
of some of our younger composers, who aren't interested in doing
what people "require" of them, but who just want the excitement of
writing and making music. At this very moment I sit in an Internet
Cafe in the Village (NY) waiting for a performance soon by Alons
Neuchtustan, who studied at the New England Conservatory and who
brings jazz, big band, improvisation and thoroughly-composed pieces
together in a mix...

J. Pehrson

Joseph Pehrson wrote:

>***I think the important part of this article involves the *spirit* >of some of our younger composers, who aren't interested in doing >what people "require" of them, but who just want the excitement of >writing and making music. At this very moment I sit in an Internet >Cafe in the Village (NY) waiting for a performance soon by Alons >Neuchtustan, who studied at the New England Conservatory and who >brings jazz, big band, improvisation and thoroughly-composed pieces >together in a mix...
>
>J. Pehrson
> >
Where's he performing at?

--
* David Beardsley
* microtonal guitar
* http://biink.com/db

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, David Beardsley <db@b...>

/makemicromusic/topicId_6673.html#6724

wrote:
> Joseph Pehrson wrote:
>
> >***I think the important part of this article involves the
*spirit*
> >of some of our younger composers, who aren't interested in doing
> >what people "require" of them, but who just want the excitement
of
> >writing and making music. At this very moment I sit in an
Internet
> >Cafe in the Village (NY) waiting for a performance soon by Alons
> >Neuchtustan, who studied at the New England Conservatory and who
> >brings jazz, big band, improvisation and thoroughly-composed
pieces
> >together in a mix...
> >
> >J. Pehrson
> >
> >
> Where's he performing at?
>
>
> --
> * David Beardsley
> * microtonal guitar
> * http://biink.com/db

***Cornelia. It was a great show and well attended, although the
place is small. His CD is especially impressive. I can't even
figure out what it is. Jazz, new music?? Who cares. I guess it's
kinda in a Duke Ellington tradition or some such...

JP

Joseph Pehrson wrote:

>***Cornelia. It was a great show and well attended, although the >place is small. His CD is especially impressive. I can't even >figure out what it is. Jazz, new music?? Who cares. I guess it's >kinda in a Duke Ellington tradition or some such...
>
>JP
> >
Cool. I listen to a lot of jazz these days and am working
on a few compositions. I'm to writing open ended pieces
that have an exotic melody and then turn into
mayhem or minimalism. I doubt we could play
someplace as commercial as Cornelia, I'm aiming for Tonic
or someplace east of Manhattan.

--
* David Beardsley
* microtonal guitar
* http://biink.com/db