Debut Album in the Works!

Greetings friends,

I settled in for a long night in the Roy O. Disney Hall at CalArts on Monday to record what will soon become my debut album. It will feature all original compositions by yours truly and be brought to life by my fantastic trio buddies, Ben Shepherd on bass and Cameron Hicks on drums. The session went smoothly and with the help of engineer John Aspinall, we were able to lay down nine tunes in the space of about five-and-a-half hours. We've been playing much of this material for half a year or more, and Ben and Cameron catch on so quickly that eyelids weren't even batted at the newer tunes. There was a great energy throughout the night (despite the fact that we finished up around 4:30 am), and I feel confident that once I get back into the studio to start picking takes and mixing, I'll be hearing some beautiful moments.

I am also excited to announce that my long-time friend and artistic/musical co-conspirator Derek Schultz will be working on the album artwork! Derek is an incredible artist in every sense of the word, excelling in painting, drawing, multi-media, music and poetry as well as a host of other mind-numbing skills, and I have been continually inspired by his work since our elementary school days of drawing comic books together. Please check out his website, www.staralchemy.org, to get a small taste of what Derek is about.

On a side note, I had the unique opportunity and pleasure to have lunch with Wadada Leo Smith and Billy Childs today, two incomparable artists who are also warm, welcoming people. I was invited to tag along with a few other students after Billy Childs gave a brief but decidedly inspiring lecture at CalArts, and experience more of these artists in a different context. As Wadada put it, what happens at the lectures is "only part of it; the rest of it happens right here." If you are unfamiliar with the work of either of these men, I urge you to do a little listening and looking and you will undoubtedly find something new.

That's it for now; I've got to get some sleep! Still reeling from the session that lasted into the wee small hours. Please keep an eye on my blog to stay updated on the creation of my debut album, and get excited about music (or, stay excited about music)! There is so much beauty out there.

Ligeti Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano

I have been a fan of all of Gyorgi Ligeti's music that I have heard thus far (which, admittedly has not been a lot), particularly his orchestral work Atmospheres that involves "micro-polyphony"; a hyper-intensified form of counterpoint that involves so many independent lines that an overall sound texture is acheived and the melody of the lines is practically lost. It was a life-changing experience to hear a recording of this piece for the first time; Ligeti created sounds I would have never imagined could come from an orchestra.

Fast-forward a few years to this afternoon. I don't remember how I came to think of it, but I felt the urge to look up some Ligeti on youtube, next remembering that my composition professor at Cal State Northridge, Liviu Marinescu, had mentioned Ligeti's horn trio as being "essential". I found an amazing recording of the four-movement piece on youtube. The most amazing horn playing I've ever heard, and an intriguing composition all around. I was particularly taken by the fragile and dynamic fourth movement, and the rhythmic "groove" of the second movement, though I would urge you to hear it in full. Links posted below.



Ligeti Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano: I. Andantino con tenerezz
Ligeti Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano: II. Vivacissimo molto ritmico
Ligeti Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano: III. Alla Marcia
Ligeti Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano: IV. Lamento-Adagio

Hearing music like this is lighting a fire beneath me to do a lot more listening in this area, along with some intense score study. I will be finishing my Master's Degree in a matter of weeks, but by no means will that mean my studies have come to an end; I mean to compose much more heavily in the area of chamber music in the coming years, and I am looking forward to learning much from Ligeti and others as I learn and refine my own craft of composition and orchestration.