The music of Dan Stearns

Listos,

I've been remiss in not taking the time to publicly accolade all over Dan Stearns for his recent works. Dan, you've always been a breath of fresh air, and all of your newest music making is threatening to turn the breath into at least a breeze, if not a downright gust (mind you, a very non-agressive gust).

I love that you approach music on *its* terms, as witnessed by the extremely different nature of the meditation on the Universe Symphony ("no more next time") and the more recent 11edo piece, "Over the Rivers". Dan, I'm not sure what you are doing these days, and I'd be the last to prod you on the technical details, but these don't sound like pieces you did on the computers down at the library!

The synth piece (using standard GM soundcard playback, I'm guessing) reminds me a lot of the ensemble pieces that Frank Zappa did with his Synclavier, and I say that in context: I've been listening to a couple of recordings of the Ensemble Moderne, where they have transcribed these pieces and perform them live - what I'd give for that to happen for you (AFMM, maybe?).

But I always have a fondness for found sound music ("foundness"?) that your meditation reminds me of. You have such a fine grasp of sonic narative, and I love the gentle flow of the piece. The overlapping is a fine tribute to Ive's multi-layered approach to rhythm and other musical components. But most of all, this piece reminds me of your *writings*, which I have a few collected, especially your descriptions of places in New England where you've been.

Dang, you didn't do another Jacky-collab on this piece, did you? :)

Keep it up, Dan. You seem like a self-powered rocket, ready to cross the next boundary...

Cheers,
Jon

thanks so much for the kind words Jon,they're much appreciated.
Because of something you wrote me I've decided to post this is a
brief bit about the pieces I have up at:

http://zebox.com/daniel_anthony_stearns/

This puts them in some order regarding when they were recorded and
what they are and whether or not they are microtonal in content.
Thanks again, dan

The Housatonic at Stockbridge
Charles Ives--composer Dan Stearns--guitar synth, keyboard and
arrangement
An early 90s microtonal experiment that directly led to what I still
consider to be my best piece, Day Walks In.

no more next time!
Dan Stearns--guitar,bass Mike Seda—drums
This was an early 90s collaboration with 17-year-old Bronx, NY
drummer Mike Seda, and a mini homage to Hendrix.

ballad
Dan Stearns – classical guitar Colin Malakie – bass Pete Zolli – drums
Taken from a live mid 80s radio gig with the band Vertigo.

miniature no. 1
Dan Stearns – classical guitar Jim Capone – Bb and bass clarinets
In the mid 80s I wrote 30 duets for poet Michel Duncan Merle's book
of cut poems, I have no deadlines. This piece was a late 80s
reworking of one of them.

Debra Ann
Dan Stearns -- bass,turntable Mike Seda – drums
This piece is another early 90s punk-jazz collaboration with drummer
Mike Seda, and the title is a pun on Parker's Donna Lee

miniature no. 2
Dan Stearns – classical guitar Forgotten musician (number 1) – trumpet
A little 5/4 toss off featuring a forgotten trumpeter recorded in the
mid to late 90s.

Accidents Happen in Threes
Dan Stearns and Scott Dakota – all instruments, etc. Forgotten
musician (number 2) – tenor sax Forgotten musician (number 3) – flute
A late 80s circus music collaboration with Scott Dakota, one of the
few substantial pieces we'd record together despite being best
friends.

a little song for a couple of clarinets
Jim Capone – Bb and bass clarinets
A late 80s cut-piece for clarinets and Duncan Merle.

In a World Out of Tune
Dan Stearns--electric,acoustic,classical and bass guitars, electronic
and acoustic percussion, tapes and noise Jim Capone--Bb clarinets and
soprano sax
A breakthrough late 80s piece that helped define the direction most
of my composed rock music would take thereafter.

clang
Debra Shea – words and voices Dan Stearns – instruments and tapes Jim
Capone – bass clarinet
A late 80s collaboration with Debra Shea that is very representative
of the place we lived together in Rutland Ma, a nearly deserted
Finnish community called Sovittaja Park. The little "lady in the
radiator" tag at the end is an appreciative nod to David Lynch's
Eraserhead.

a meditation on the Universe Symphony
Dan Stearns and Scott Dakota--all instruments and tape treatments
This is a huge acoustic-electric microtonal mid 80s collaboration
with Scott Dakota that took over a year to complete and features
quite a few little homemade instruments.

I am strong enough to dream alone
Jean Lozaraitis – words and voices Dan Stearns – guitars
A mid 80s collaboration with poet Jean Lozaraitis who once told me
that there are major chords and minor chords and those chords that
Dan plays.

common ground
Debra Shea - vocals Dan Stearns - classical guitar and words Scott
Dakota – acoustic guitar
A nice little late 80s mini-song.

The peace of god in five flats
Dan Stearns - guitar and words Scott Dakota – bass Forgotten musician
(number 4) – vocals
A very personal, autobiographical mid 80s demo that was sadly never
finished.

miniature no. 4
Dan Stearns – guitar Jim Capone – clarinet
Mid 80s cut composition.

miniature no. 5
Dan Stearns – guitar Jim Capone – clarinet
Mid 80s cut composition

miniature no. 6
Dan Stearns – guitar Jim Capone – clarinet
Mid 80s cut composition

Song Of The Moldau
Dan Stearns – instruments Pete Zolli – drums
A mid 90s microtonal instrumental rock experiment.

Seven Suns of Cinnibus
Jacky Ligon - keyboards, MIDI wind controller and drum machine Dan
Stearns - guitar, bass, turntables, radio, percussion and noise
A big early 2000 microtonal fusion mail collaboration with fellow
microtonalist Jacky Ligon who I have know since the 80s home taper
days at the Sonic Options Network.

symmetry_fusiondemo1
Dan Stearns – guitar John Clark - sax Colin Malakie – bass Pete
Zolli – drums
An early 80s demo by my high school rock band, Symmetry.

take me to a special place
Dan Stearns – guitars
Early 80s all guitar composition

untitled
Dan Stearns - guitars Colin Malakie - synth Pete Zolli – percussion
Early 80s ambient jazz

pot of gold
Dan Stearns – guitars
Early 80s all guitar composition

if you blink you ain't dead… yet
Dan Stearns - the works
Late 90s microtonal chamber music

symmetryLive_1
Dan Stearns--guitar John Clark--alto sax Colin Malakie--bass Pete
Zolli—drums
Early 80s live recording of my high school rock band

symmetryLIVE_3
Dan Stearns--guitar John Clark--alto sax Colin Malakie--bass Pete
Zolli—drums
Early 80s live recording of my high school rock band

symmetryLIVE_4
Dan Stearns--guitar John Clark--alto sax Colin Malakie--bass Pete
Zolli—drum
Early 80s live recording of my high school rock band

Over the Rivers
Dan Stearns—theworks
Early 2000 microtonal chamber music composed for the occasion of the
50th anniversary of Charles Ives' passing.

--- In MakeMicroMusic@yahoogroups.com, "Jonathan M. Szanto"
<JSZANTO@A...> wrote:
> Listos,
>
> I've been remiss in not taking the time to publicly accolade all
over Dan
> Stearns for his recent works. Dan, you've always been a breath of
fresh
> air, and all of your newest music making is threatening to turn the
breath
> into at least a breeze, if not a downright gust (mind you, a very
> non-agressive gust).
>
> I love that you approach music on *its* terms, as witnessed by the
> extremely different nature of the meditation on the Universe
Symphony ("no
> more next time") and the more recent 11edo piece, "Over the
Rivers". Dan,
> I'm not sure what you are doing these days, and I'd be the last to
prod you
> on the technical details, but these don't sound like pieces you did
on the
> computers down at the library!
>
> The synth piece (using standard GM soundcard playback, I'm
guessing)
> reminds me a lot of the ensemble pieces that Frank Zappa did with
his
> Synclavier, and I say that in context: I've been listening to a
couple of
> recordings of the Ensemble Moderne, where they have transcribed
these
> pieces and perform them live - what I'd give for that to happen for
you
> (AFMM, maybe?).
>
> But I always have a fondness for found sound music ("foundness"?)
that your
> meditation reminds me of. You have such a fine grasp of sonic
narative, and
> I love the gentle flow of the piece. The overlapping is a fine
tribute to
> Ive's multi-layered approach to rhythm and other musical
components. But
> most of all, this piece reminds me of your *writings*, which I have
a few
> collected, especially your descriptions of places in New England
where
> you've been.
>
> Dang, you didn't do another Jacky-collab on this piece, did you? :)
>
> Keep it up, Dan. You seem like a self-powered rocket, ready to
cross the
> next boundary...
>
> Cheers,
> Jon