Charlotte New Music Festival, USA: Day 6

I'm pretty sure this isn't to scale.....

Kicking off the Saturday morning composer sessions was Dana Kaufman. Her presentation was based on the work she produced after receiving a research grant to study in Estonia. Talking about the culture, language was something Dana found to be both intriguing and frustrating - given the delicate political situations of the particular area of Europe (and something all too fresh in our minds given the current situations in Ukraine), Dana expressed the complexities of whether to use Estonian or Russian when talking to locals, which I found fascinating. Her first piece, "Solaris Kaskus" was based on a jingle for the grocery store in Tallinn that she would hear constantly whilst walking through the mall, but it was her second piece 'Peaporutus' (translates as 'Concussion') which I was drawn to. The piece was written in response to an physical assault Dana encountered whilst in Estonia, and she created a soundscape based on her experiences in the hospital, and the subsequent concussion she had. She stated that, "It's obvious that it's a piece rooted out of an angry experience", but she wanted to make sure that it was based on the truth of her surroundings, and did so by using the rhythm of the heart monitor machine she was hooked into, creating a pitch series using the numbers on her hospital bracelet, and interjecting a local folk melody and waiting room dialogue she heard around her. This is where music really connects, I feel, when it's rooted in truth. I really appreciated Dana's ability to take a dark experience and turn it into something wonderful, which is what music is really all about - take a listen: https://soundcloud.com/dana-kaufman/peaporutus-concussion

Next up was Carter Rice, who trained at a conservative college (where, in his own words, Tchiakovsky was considered 'out there'), and didn't discover electronics in music until he was in his final years. He went on to Bowling Green State University (which appears to be a common theme amongst these guys) to get an Masters in electroacoustic music. His first presented piece, "Let me See your Face" was written for flute and electronics. He used a lot of collaboration for this particular piece, and Carter himself states that he thinks the flautist deserves as much credit as him as a composer due to the amount of input she had on the shape it took. He talked about how he developed the electronic elements, and expressed that he believes all electroacoustic music, whether it has a live electronics player or one solo performer playing many parts, requires a sound engineer in order for the piece to be successful. Carter is a pretty opinionated and characterful guy, and I have to admit, I don't wholly understand Carter's music, I think it's probably about as far away in style and technique to my own. He comes out with amazing phrases like, "pitch is boring to me", which is so wildly the opposite of what I think. But, even though I personally struggle to grasp his concepts, it's really easy to understand why he does what he does, because he is so passionate about it all (as evident by his very spirited presentation). I did, however, get more into his fixed media piece 'Launch Sequence' - I don't know whether that's because I could hear the concept more, or if I was just able to visualise something in my mind along with it, but I definitely found his use of stereo sound through the use of speakers really fascinating. You can hear Carter's music here: http://carterricecomposer.weebly.com/listening.html

I've gotten to know Dan pretty well over the last week, with him being part of the #bantermobile and all, so I was really interested to finally hear some of his music after getting to know the person. Dan is currently studying at Boston Conservatory after graining his undergraduate in Miami, and chose to present his work as a sample of his development over the last 3 years. Dan has come to the festival straight away after attending another composer workshop in Vermont (New Music on the Point), and the first piece he presented was a piece written for, and premiered at that festival. A piece for vocalist and ensemble, Dan explained that he felt writing for voice to be his weakness, and something he plans to work on. For me, listening to the recording, although some of his vocal writing is a bit out there and complex, it was mainly the vocalist on the recording that I had trouble with, just from a stylistic point of view concerning vibrato. I suggested to him that he work with many different vocalists, with varying styles, ranges and vocal vibrato, as it'll help him understand singers better and create good vocal lines. Interestingly, he said he works with pitch first: he'll figure out the pitches he wants to use for his vocal lines and then set the text, which is completely different to me - I almost always figure out the rhythmic capabilities of the text first, as really, singing is an extension of speaking - even when the pitches and music is complex or atonal, if it rhythmically works, the piece is more effective (and the singer likes you more as a composer!) - It was clear when Dan played his orchestral pieces that the he was more at home with writing for this medium, and I really enjoyed the colour he gets through in his music (as well as his fixation on 5's and 7's) - really worth checking out his stuff: https://soundcloud.com/djkcmusic

The afternoons presentation was Loadbang ensemble: a quartet made up of Baritone Voice, Trumpet, Trombone and Bass Clarinet, playing both acoustic and electroacoustic music. These guys started their ensemble whilst together at college (except for the Bass Clarinetist, a role which they likened to the drummer in Spinal Tap, which amused me greatly), and subsequently had to create new music for themselves to perform as very little (if any) existed for their chosen ensemble formation. They talked about both the benefits of working in an ensemble like this (e.g. you can play and write whatever you want), and the hardships (finding scores, selling your music, bringing audiences to your music etc.). The main ideal of this group (as really should be the purpose of any group) is purpose. Everything should have a purpose in music, a reason why it's there, whether it's in the way you're writing something, or the instrumentation, or putting together a concert programme / set list. It's an ideal which I think many musicians forget about, and something to consider very carefully in the future. Another great concept that they put to us was having a proof reader for everything, and not just other musicians. If you've written a score that uses insane techniques, hand it to a musician who could potentially play it, and also someone who has no idea about the instrument or the techniques, and see if and how they understand your music. I'd say the same goes for popular musicians as well. If you've written a new song with your band, get feedback on it, from a fellow musician and someone who can't play anything - it will give you tremendous insight into if/how your music is coming across.

Social dinner with Loadbang

- Loadbang, in general, had some great advice about how to manage yourself as a composer/musician: simple things like how you have to be a good book-keeper, and you have to be willing to cold-email people (and continue until you get a response, even if it is eventually no), and I really loved how willing these guys were to give me some direct advice when it comes to getting your music out to people. What's also great about this course in general is the ability to have a lunch or dinner with a certain group, so we're not only getting 'masterclasses' so to speak, but you get to discuss things with people in a more informal setting.

Getting away from the the music for a second, I have to mention all the really good food places here in Charlotte. I'm one of those people that, when in a foreign place, I want to try local places, and try to forgo fast food places as much as possible - however, Bojangles is an amazing fried chicken place (way better than KFC) with a good convenient taste of the south (they don't say 'famous chicken and biscuits' for nothing!). Other food places I've been have been 'Nothing but Noodles', 'City Deli & Bagels', 'Crown Coffee Shop & Pub' (a combination which I think needs to be created immediately back home), 'Panera Bread', 'Diamond Restaurant' and 'Chipotle' to name but a few. Making my way round the places this city has to offer (and avoiding McDonalds at all costs) - have yet to get me some good Southern BBQ though, I'm pretty sure that is next on the agenda!

Great Noise Ensemble

Back to the music, the evenings concert was a selection of 'Program Favourites', as performed by the Great Noise Ensemble. Featuring the music of Marc Mellits, Armando Bayolo and David Lang, the general feel of the concert was certainly in the realms of minimalism. Of the composers, personally I connected best with Marc's music, and didn't really get David Langs. A piece which certainly had something about it was Armando's 'Elegy: Sandyhook', written for solo cello and electronics in response to the Sandyhook Elementary School shooting. Given the recent shooting incident (literally, this week) just one state over, this piece definitely had a sense of poignancy and relevance. For me though, although I appreciate the solo ability of the cellist and the great effects and layering and timbre created with the laptop and pedals, I wonder if in a concert setting this would work as a cello octet, but still with electronics to create the effects like delay and distortion etc. Just, because of the subject matter, I felt I wanted to hear many individual voices rather than one voice over-layed. But who knows, maybe Armando does have a version of this for ensemble (....maybe I should ask him!) - it was still a really effective piece, none the less.

Nothing like a drinking game to chill out #4Kings

- After the concert, you could tell, everyone was feeling the need to unwind in a massive way, so we retired to the common room of the QUC dorms to get some drinking in, along with some much needed laughter and games (and some card magic from Carter). And not just the composers: The Great Noise Ensemble Musicians joined us, as did course directors Elizabeth Kowalski and David Schneider for a hilarious round of 'Apples to Apples' (which is like a slightly more PC version of 'Cards Against Humanity', but still very, very funny). I keep saying it, but this really is a truly amazing group of people, and I've really enjoyed every minute of the workshop so far. We're half-way into the course now, and there is this lovely element of 'family' about the group - or as Dana put it, "This place is like a religious cult... but in a good way!" - I know what she means though, we really are in our own little CNMF bubble - but I'm really quite happy about it!

Charlotte New Music Festival, USA: Day 5

Notes and coffee during Trey's presentation

First up for the presentations this morning was Trey Makler. Trey's style I liken to Calvin Hitchcock's
(and actually the more I listen to them both the more I think I would love to hear them programmed in the same concert), and I especially like Trey's piece, "Study in Water Colour". Originally an assignment where an Asian influence was required in the piece, Trey did state his fear that any Asian influence he might write would potentially appropriate the culture, and inevitably sound cheesy. On hearing the piece I would say he created a really beautiful piece that was idiomatic of a Japanese style (and reminiscent of Joe Hisaishi, composer for the film 'Spirited Away'), particularly in his piano writing. Trey also openly admits that he never writes a title for any piece first, he prefers to write through ideas first, and then create meaning of it all later. It's an interesting approach, not one I do often (although it does happen from time to time), and it just highlights really that there's always more than one solution to any problem.

Next up was Zack Pentacost, who states that, as a composer, he has been most successful in writing for guitar. A guitarist himself, I found it intriguing when he said he stopped playing guitar when he started his MA, but continues to write for it. I don't know if I could ever stop playing an instrument, especially one I know so well and want to write for. I'm currently in the middle of writing for solo cello for my speedwriting, and it is driving me a little nuts having to mime everything I'm wanting to achieve because I've no cello to hand. But clearly, after hearing Zack's work, this is something that's worked and is still working for him, as his guitar writing is very, very good. I find his use of harmony and counterpoint really natural, and it just seems to generate itself in a really unprocessed way. Zack also writes electronic music, but unlike some other electronic composers I've heard so far this week, I feel Zack's music has much more emphasis on melody, and a certain 'filmic' quality to it, which I really like.

Last up for the morning was Andrew Binder, who's style seems to come from many different sources and influences, giving him a very eclectic sound. As a bass player Andrew's work is focused on feels and grooves in the music, and this is evident across his work, be it his octet 'Potential Energy' which very contemporary, his romanian/gyspy-esque string quartet 'Boshomengro", or his big band piece 'Limbo'. I sometimes wonder if I'm stretching my style too broad in the many things that I do and what I write for (and the way it varies depending on the instrumentation), but hearing Andrew's eclectic sound gave me a certain sense of comfort that it is perfectly acceptable to be eclectic, and that you can maintain your own voice across any instrumentation or genre.

Presentation from Armando Bayolo

Our afternoon session was a presentation and discussion with the artistic director of Great Noise Ensemble Armando Bayolo. We heard from Armando earlier in the week, focusing on the business side of new music and ensemble work - this presentation was much more focused on his own personal compositions, and his development as a composer. Armando told us that he has a pretty fast-paced process when it comes to writing, and that he is rather prolific and tends to set music traditionally, which I can really relate to (I was often told at uni that I was a very prolific writer). He went on to give great advise about taking to learn to write away from the piano, and to not rely solely on MIDI sounds and programmes like Sibelius and Finale (in essence, remembering to use your ears and your instincts), but one thing that I really loved was his statement that, "you'll never just be a composer - you'll always be doing something else alongside it." This is most certainly true - you only have to ask around anyone at the festival who composes and they will list of the many other sources of income they have. Armando also advised on the benefits of composers knowing how to conduct, at least on a basic level, which is something I know I'm not the best at, and think I will push myself to be better at.

We're even social when we're working hard.... and in silence!

- One thing that keeps cropping up in discussions is the education system, by which I mean how we, as composers, have been taught, what we have be taught and how this has developed us. And, for me, it's really fascinating to know everyones different experiences. I'm in the minority here in Charlotte - most of the composers are American, or if they are not they are at least studying in some form in the US college system (I believe it's just myself, and Marc, who is from Barcelona, who are not in this system), and the silliest things are suddenly really relevant. In the UK we refer to crotchets, quavers, semi-quavers, but in the US the equivalent is 1/4 note, 1/8 note, 1/16 note etc. I've discovered that Graded Practical Music exams like that of ABRSM and Trinity that we take in the UK are unheard of here in the US - and the other day I caught myself feeling really dumb because I had to ask my fellow composer friend Carter what a Fermata was (it turns out I did know what it was, we just call them 'pauses' in the UK). Finally, today, after a few days of agonising and hearing Armando talking, again, about how "If you use key signatures, you'll be shunned as a composer", I plucked up the courage to raise my hand and ask him (and, indeed, everyone else in the room) what on earth was meant by that. In the UK, sure, I've been taught about atonal music, and modern techniques, and with those styles you really don't need to use a key signature - but the way everyone in the US talks it's like that is the only way to write, and you'll be castigated if you don't adhere to a certain way of composing. My simple question turned into a lengthy discussion, and we eventually concluded that it probably has a lot to do with politics (doesn't everything?!) - Quite possibly one of the most enlightening moments in my compositional education.

The evenings concert featured the Beo String Quartet and Mixed Ensembles, featuring works of the guest composers, and some of the workshop composers as well. A really great array of new music works, and the first to set the ball rolling as to what the rest of the concerts will be like for the reset of the festival. There was one particular piece of music for solo Flute, "A turn Inwards" by Maxwell Dulaney which really resonated with the audience for it's extended flute techniques (and epically immaculate playing), but in particular, I really like the Beo String Quartet: how they present themselves, their sound as an ensemble, and just as people in general, they are really great people to talk to (And I must thank the cellist, Hannah, for introducing me to Bulliet Bourbon - very happy with that!) - The more I talk to these guys and the more I hear them, the more I really want to try and get them over to Guernsey for a concert or two. New music in Guernsey is pretty behind (especially in comparison to what I'm experiencing at this festival), but I think these guys would really sell it well. Something I'm thinking about at least (very seriously though, I might add!)

Speedwriting delirium may have set in by this point....

American measures will sort it out!!

The social side of things for this workshop has been great. Sure, everyone is working hard, and everyone has the micro-management of fitting composing in between classes and rehearsals down to a tee (I'd expect nothing less from this bunch), but we also know how and when to let loose and enjoy ourselves, and tonight was definitely one of those nights. Post-concert everyone (composers, performers, program directors etc etc) all headed down to a local bar named Pint Central to unwind and indulge in local brews (and a cheeky bit of southern cooking). It's taken a few days, but I think the group has gelled, and the relaxed atmosphere really settled tonight.... as evident by all the charming photography! And one
other thing I really love is to have the Great Noise Ensemble staying in our dorms with us as well - it's bridged the gap (or 'broken the 4th wall' as Armando says) between composer and performer, and I must say I really enjoy being able to just talk to these people openly and in the comfort of our living space - it makes the whole process much more human. Plus there's the added hilarity of realising that you've been up until 3am talking about incredibly nerdy music things and that you have to be up in 5 hours to go to a classroom to talk even more about nerdy music things #bliss

And, of course, the #bantermobile has hit it's stride in hilarity: not only was I crying with laughter tonight, but our wheel man Jeff seems to be a big hit with other male drivers..... Let's just call it a "hit-on-and-run" and leave it at that :)

#CNMF2015, L-R: Niki, Marc, David, Bill, Cassie, Cody, Chih-Liang, Michael, Myself, Scott & Calvin

Charlotte New Music Festival, USA: Day 4

Another day, another scorcher (37C/99F.... I'm waiting for it to tip into 100 any second now....), I thought I'd start this post just talking a little bit about the social side of the workshop. This bunch of composers are a really awesome group of people, and I don't think there's been a single night where I haven't just been able to sit and talk to anyone, or have a few drinks and a giggle. There's also a couple of really great little places near CPCC to get lunch or coffee (City Deli, and Crown Coffee Shop & Pub, which actually share the same building, are the places which immediately spring to mind), and it's great to just take the time at lunch to sit and get to know everyone in such a relaxed way - but it must be said, I do enjoy the daily car rides about Charlotte. A lot of banter happens on these rides, and I have to do a shout out to 'the boys' (Jeff, Dan and Clay) - you don't half make things hilarious! #bantermobile

Calvin Hitchcock was first up today with his presentation. I've gotten to know Calvin quite well over these first couple of days (mainly through our mutual love of the musical 'The Last Five Years'), so I was anticipating that Calvin's musical style would be closer to mine than the composers who have presented so far - and I was right: Calvin's style has a lot more emphasis on melody and harmony than most of the others, although I would say his harmonic language is still further out there than mine might be! Calvin's first piece was work based on the Salem witch trials for vocal ensemble and percussion, and I really love his use of lyrics, and the effective use of percussion in this piece. His work which really stuck with me though was 'Water Phase II', a piece for solo cello and piano. I thought this was so beautiful and evocative, with such well written lines for the cello, and a great 'seagull effect' technique (originally conceived by George Crumb, and something I want to make use of at some point). I loved this piece, and I highly recommend you listen to it: https://soundcloud.com/calvin_hitchcock/water-phase-ii

Coffee time @ Crown Coffee Shop/Pub

Next up was Johnathan Newmark. John is the oldest of the composers taking part in the workshop, by a fair decade or so, and I think this shows in his music - not because his work is dated or anything like that, but I felt I could hear the depth of experience that he has in his writing, in particular his works 'Asking For It', and 'String Trio - With Attitude', the latter of which really resonated with me. This piece was written 18 years ago which Johnathan was in Saudi Arabia (where it was illegal to perform music), and I could really hear the frustrations of a musician and composer repressed in this way, and I found it truly fascinating. Johnathan has talked earlier in the week about the 'New Music Mafia' back in the late 1960's, a time when essentially all new music had to be done a certain way, and it cause him to give up and chose a different career path. Years later he has now returned to music, and I think this has given his music something really unique in that it's been on such a long roared journey to get to this point. Johnathan also went on to say in his presentation just how lucky us younger composers are at this time, as new music is now so much more diverse, and we can write in ways that just were not allowed back then. Amazing things to think about.

Last up in the morning session was Niki Harlafti, originally from Greece and studying in the US. Niki's style has much more of that of other composers from earlier in the week, particularly in the way she uses extended techniques, although (despite her music's dissonance) she stated that she disliked 'clusters for no reason.' In particular, I found Niki's 'Scenes for Violin' a really captivating work. The movement we heard (entitled 'Scenes from a patients bed') used the violin in such a way that was really uncomfortable for the listener. But that is what made it so interesting. Another composer described the piece as invoking the imagery of "someone who is in extreme pain, but required to remain still", which I think is a bang on description. Niki's other main work she discussed was a piece that was written for the Loadbang Ensemble (who are also in-residence at this festival) entitled "Two Flies", which I really enjoyed the theatricality of.

The afternoons session was a presentation by Marc Mellits, in which he played us his music and discussed his approaches to composition, and how to generate income from your work in a variety of ways. Marc's presentation really resonated with me, and I felt like I absorbed so much from him. His music is also beautiful, in particular his piece 'Mara's Lullaby' from a work entitled 'Tight Sweater' (and yes, his title names are somewhat strange and humorous, but that is half the charm and fun in his work). This piece had me literally to the point of goosebumps and in fact welling up a little bit - I am so happy I now know this piece exists!
- Please have a listen to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7nKg_kV9EE
Interestingly, this presentation has struck up a lot of debate amongst the composers at the workshop. Talking amongst the group there's some who really didn't agree with Marc's thoughts about music, and I can understand why. And, also, that's okay, everyone's entitled to their opinion - I'm just very glad that everyone also goes on to explain their viewpoint here at the festival, as (certainly for me) that doesn't take anything away from the presentations, it only adds to the learning experience.
- One particular topic that I personally found really interesting in Marc's presentation was the idea about finding your voice/sound as a composer (or indeed, musician). Marc stated that, if you go searching for your voice, then it will allude you and you won't find it. If you stop looking and just keep making music it will find you. I think there is so much truth to that, and it applies to any musician, across all genres. You can tell when someone is trying to sound a certain way, and again when it is naturally generated by who the are. Something very deep for all to consider, I feel.

The evening's entertainment today was a Dance Concert. As part of the festival some of the composers are collaborating with choreographers for a concert that will happen on the 27th June, so this was a great insight into the world that these guys are entering over the week (and I will talk more about it in due course). I actually have training as a dancer (ballet, tap, modern), so I've been to, and been in, many a dance concert, and it is absolutely worth mentioning that these young dancers have so much strength and ability. I personally found, however, that most of the time the choreography  didn't match the music, OR wasn't contrapuntal enough. I guess I'm similar in my musical preferences, and many of my friends will tell you I can be quite black and white about things like that. This opinion, of course, is in no way to discredit the skill involved by the choreographers and dancers, I just found most of the dances pieces didn't quite click for me today - I am really looking forward to seeing what the workshop composers can come up with though!
- One final highlight of the concert had to be the 'Improvisation', which not only featured the dancers improvising, but it was opened up to the composers to get involved and play in any way they deemed appropriate.... which saw four men and one woman all playing the piano (or bits of it) in pretty much anyway you could imagine: classic melody, string dampening, taking bits off it and stamping on the floor, and opening and shutting anything that had a hinge.

It certainly has been another eventful day here in Charlotte: music, dance, debate, it's all there - but let us not forget, of course, the delightful and much enjoyed social banter - for where would we be without that!

It's not the journey, it's how you get there (but working air-con and witty dialogue does make the journey more fun)

Charlotte New Music Festival, USA: Day 3

It's safe to say, I'm into the swing of things now - the timetable, the heat (37C, again, this time with thunder and lightening), and getting back to absorbing and learning - anyone who's been out of education for a while and then got back in will know that it can be hard to get your education mojo running - but I think I've got it down now, and the CNMF guys are actually making it pretty easy to get revved up and into the learning mindset.

Another set of workshop composer presentations this morning, and first up was Jacob Sandridge. Jacob hails from West Virginia, and openly states that he is influenced by bluegrass and other typical musical styles from the area. Which is what makes his music so interesting really, but I really couldn't hear that influence! What I could hear was his love of creating 'nature' with his music, and the imagery that he induces from his writing. Another composer who uses electronics and extended techniques in his work, and was described by one of course directors as 'fluid with time', in particular I was intrigued by his work 'sieang job ring' (translates as 'frog sounds') based around a musical instrument that a friend brought him back from Thailand (you can hear the piece on his soundcloud page: https://soundcloud.com/jacobsandridge/sieang-kob-rong)

Next up was Chih-Liang Lin (who happens to be my roommate as this festival), whose piece I was mainly struck by was 'Dome of Light' which is inspired by a train station in Taiwan. Chih-Liang created some truly amazing imagery with her piece, and I particularly loved the way she used a build in texture (instrumentation) and dynamics to create the ideas of trains, and people, coming and going. She stated that she wasn't happy with the structure of her piece, and it opened the floor up to discussion about how structure should evolve, and whether you need to be rigid in how you structure a piece, or if you can (as Chih-Liang does) let it evolve purely from the sounds you want to use. It's something to think about, not only from a classical composer viewpoint, but for all songwriters too. Many songwriters get stuck in a set way of how a song should be (must be 3'30, must have a chorus, or a has to be in rhyming couplets etc etc.) I urge any songwriters among you who are maybe struggling to write something really new to step outside your comfort zones a little and take a few risks in what you write. You might surprise yourself.

Something completely different for the final composer of the day was Zack Merritt, who doesn't even really regard himself as a composer, but calls himself an artist. Zack is a performance artist, who uses lighting, projection, soundscapes and himself as a performer to create works or installations. All his work is in fact scored, most of it using notation techniques that he's devised himself. And interesting concept that Zack talked about what that his 'music' tends to be either around 5 minutes, or an hour in duration (with nothing in-between), and the reason for that is that most audiences have a switch-off point at around 5 minutes. If a piece is under or around that, then they enjoy it. If it just continues for an hour, they tend to get 'angry' that something is still happening, but if it goes on long enough they come back round to enjoying the resolution when it finally ends..... no doubt, and interesting way to to think about your work, that's for sure!
- I did really like the concept of another piece of his, 'June 29th' which was inspired by North American storms in 2012 which left many, many homes without power, and subsequently a whole area in chaos. It think his own description and the piece itself can explain it better than I can, so please feel free to listen to it on his website: www.zackmerritt.com (find it under 'chamber pieces')

The afternoon session saw us in discussion with the artistic directors of The Great Noise Ensemble (the group who will be performing my work later in the festival). Another really useful presentation, these guys focused on more of the business aspects of composing, and also creating, sustaining and working within a new music ensemble. As a group, the Great Noise Ensembles aim is to change the way people think about classical music, mainly in the way it is presented (getting dressed up and sit in silence watching musicians who are also dressed uncomfortably.... something like that!) They focused on work ethic, the need to be professional and 'someone who plays well with others', as well as the importance of social media (which they urged us to use as much as possible in order to connect with others). Other great concepts that came from this talk was statements like: "Don't compare your career path to someone else's", and "Don't push yourself (when networking) so hard that you lose all concept of humanity". Valuable lessons to be learned by anyone who is working in the music business. And also, the idea that you CAN still have a job that makes you money AND been an artist, and that you should never let anyone tell you you are not an artist if you need (and want) to make your money elsewhere.

Behold the power of Volton!!

My favourite part of this presentation though had to be the delightfully apt and humorous cartoons. Particularly 'Voltron': a bit like transformers, he's a giant fighting robot that is made up of 5 smaller robot Lions, who when combined are more powerful - much like an ensemble (or a band, even), the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. A little bit of humour goes a long way to get a message across - and of course now I really want to watch Voltron!

The evening saw the CNMF's Open New Music Night - essentially, an open mic night where absolutely anything goes (although classical contemporary is encouraged). And boy, nobody held back at this! I'm pretty sure absolutely all bases were covered. We had Olivia Keiffer and Adam Scott Neal performing a two pianos piece, a solo Oboe piece by Britten performed by Trey Makler, a performance art piece from Zack Merritt, and even some utterly random improvisation. I myself got up to perform my piece 'Sigh No More' - a setting of Shakespeare's song from 'Much Ado about Nothing'. And I'm super happy to say it went down and absolute storm. I believe I heard the phrase 'that was badass' about four times, and I even had one fellow composer ask me to marry him because he loved it so much (....I did have to let him down gently on that one, but I'm still incredibly flattered!). You always hope something will be well received, but I really didn't expect the ovation that I got, so I'm super pumped to continue with my idea of creating a whole album of 'Lounge Shakespeare' - more info on that as it develops, but in the meantime, have a listen to 'Sigh No More' on my soundcloud page:
https://soundcloud.com/lydia-jane-pugh/sigh-no-more

The Beo String Quartet @ Open Mic Night, Petra's Bar

It's been a really productive and epic day, with so many highlights. I am thoroughly enjoying myself
here in Charlotte: every day here brings something new and exciting, and I've got the added bonus of doing it all surrounded by awesome people, and today I even saw some squirrels (which to Guernsey people is the most exciting thing in the world, because we don't have any on the island!). The cog is turning, the ball is rolling, and to quote Oliver Twist: "Please Sir, I want some more!"

Charlotte New Music Festival, USA: Day 2

Day two of the composer workshop, and it's obvious that it's getting down to the complex stuff now, as evident by the morning session - 3 presentations by fellow composers attending the workshop.

First up was Cody Brookshire, who presented 4 works to us. The first, a piece for trumpet and electronics about drones (planes), intended to recreate the atmosphere of a particular setting, in with the electronics player uses his mobile phone and a calibrated signal which reacts to their movements. Next he presented two guitar based works, both in incredibly different formats. 'Prism' is a work for two classical guitars, whilst M3T11UR6Y (pronounced 'metallurgy') was a mixed media piece using sounds created from an electric guitar. It's worth mentioning that Cody is a massive Metallica fan, and this piece really showed that. It's very out there, but I'd be really interested to see how other rock/metal music lovers out there respond to the piece. Cody's final piece for presentation was a work entitled, 'Endless forms most Beautiful', which he states is a piece based on the concepts of evolution and natural selection. A complex piece that is ever evolving, it is written for single instrument (or voice), and the performer is required to roll a dice to select several 'mutations' for them to include when they perform the work. Some very interesting discussion opened up about particular piece, especially when Cody talked of his need and want for control over who performs his piece, to which the irony and hilarity of his 'god-complex' over a piece based on evolution was not lost on any of us!

Richard An was up next, who chose to present snapshots of pieces that have been pivotal to his development as a composer, beginning with a piece that was written during high school for the LA Philharmonic Orchestra as part of a young musicians program. An 'assignment of sorts' to write a new piece to fit in with "Picture's at an Exhibition" based on a picture they had been given as inspiration. It's really fascinating when you're shown the picture, and then hear what a composer has chosen to write in response: you start to see how people think and understand their methods and process. One thing that has really stuck me over the first few days is how incredibly lucky these composers I'm surrounded by are, as all their recordings are from live premieres, and are immaculate (at least to my ears). And Richard, a casing point, got to write for the LA Philharmonic at just 14, and received a recording to go with it - it's an incredible advantage point to be in (and I might just be a wee bit jealous about it!)

The final workshop composer presentation of the morning was Clay Allen, who self-confessed that he "doesn't know how to deal with pitch" - which might seem a pretty strange thing for a composer to say, but it does pose some tough questions, and raise some interesting insights. Clay himself stated that he has developed a way of writing in two ways - as a artistic composer who disregards pitch, melody and harmony and is focused solely on concept and ideas, and also as a working composer who writes more melodically for commissions (such as for choir). It's interesting to hear a composer talk about battling with identity - When I was doing my MA my tutors did try to push my music into the realms of extended techniques and 'new music', which I understand to a point (they were trying to broaden my horizons on what my style could be), but there are techniques and styles that just don't resonate with me (in the same way that pitch-based music doesn't resonate with Clay) - but that's ok. I know what I like, but I'm willing to try new things.

The lesser-spotted 'music-creator' 

Adam Scott Neal posed the following question to us, "Are you a pitch composer, a rhythmic
composer, or a textural composer?", which lead to some interesting insights into my fellow composers and what type of music it is that they are interested in. Adam also went on to say that, there is no correct answer to this question (of course), but rather that it's worth thinking about what you care about most when you're writing music, as that will ultimately be the thing that will shine through to the audience.

The afternoon session featured a presentation from visiting guest composer John Allemier, who teaches at the University of North Carolina. John's presentation was fantastic, not only in hearing about his compositional style, but his business minded approach to presenting his work. He gave some amazingly useful insight into how to get your music out to people, how to source funding, how to claim your royalties and ways to collaborate with people that will ultimately benefit you in your goals. His technique was something called 'the fly wheel', where essentially you are able to concentrate your efforts in such a way that they generate benefits from a wider scope. Fascinating stuff, which has really got my brain thinking on what I need to do with my music now. 

- Rather brilliantly, straight after the session I had a one-to-one lesson with John, where I got to discuss my works in-depth, and relate the things he was talking about in his presentation to my own work. I was really pleased to hear John talk about my work in such a positive way: he told me that my work is beautiful, and that I write the type of music that audiences will want to hear, and performers really want to play - and I really couldn't ask for a better outcome than that. That being said, he still had some brilliant things for me to think about in how to keep my work developing, and push myself to bigger and better things. I think hearing things like this from something who is clearly very, very good at it and already achieving great things has just lit the fire somewhat, and I've got some ideas bubbling away, so watch this space :)

The Fat Face Band, performing @ The Common Market

The evenings festivities took a much more casual turn, with a performance from the Fat Face Band at the Common Market - a group consisting of trumpet, tuba and electric guitar that played what I can only describe as 'Louisiana Blues-esque Jazz' - in the backroom/beer garden area of this amazing, quaint bar/off-licence, I found myself finally feeling the real feel of the American south: the hospitality, the music and the happy-go-lucky vibe. As well as a fab insight into the music from the area, it was a great social event for all us composers to really chat and get to know each other, and for us to get to know our program directors a little better too. Myself and Adam Scott Neal had a hilarious, in-depth conversation about the possibilities of busking with a Toy Piano, and my fellow composer Calvin Hitchcock and I discovered our mutual love of Jason Robert Brown. As some of you may know, I recently musically directed 'The Last Five Years', and one year on it was truly amazing to describe and discuss that production with someone from the other side of the world, and have them be so amazed and interested in it. This composer workshop is bending my mind round corners in so many ways, it's a little unreal!

L-R: Me, Rachel, Marissa, Lydia (the other one!), Matt & Trey

It's been a hard day of work and intense music study, but we seem to have developed a good
work/play balance, with a fab social night out and fairly decent amount of banter in the dorm common room, sharing our favourite music/comedy videos, and learning a bit more about each other as musicians and, in fact, as people. 

- Tomorrow night sees the Open Night at Petra's Piano Bar, where literally, anything goes - it's certainly set to be very, very interesting! 

Charlotte New Music Festival, USA - Day 1 (properly this time)

So I made it to Charlotte, safe and sound, if not a little groggy and tired from a long days travel - and man, does the heat hit you when you get off that plane! Right now the average temperature is around 35C every day, so it's taking a little bit of getting used to!
- That being said, I had an excellent first night in Charlotte - I was met off the plane by a fellow workshop composer (Daniel Choi), and subsequently we were picked up by another one (Jeff Nicholas) - and once we were all checked in at the dorms, a group of us decided to go get to know each other over a couple of pints and some BBQ chicken wings. What an introduction to Charlotte and the festival!

Home for the next two weeks

For the run of the course I'm staying in a dorm at the Queens University Charlotte (QUC), and I
must say, it is so idyllic. Charlotte, as far as cities go, is incredibly green and the buildings are rather beautiful in themselves. Lots of typical southern housing, like something out of a Tennessee Williams play: rocking chairs on the porch, swing-seats on the lawn, it is a completely new atmosphere to be in. And speaking of new, a completely new experience for me was being surrounded by fireflies walking through the campus at night. Definitely found some imagery inspiration there!

Now that's a good thinking spot if ever I saw one...

Most of the sessions are taking place in the Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC), which in itself is another really lovely building, with great facilities. Our welcome session began with all of us introducing ourselves: who we are, what we do, where we're from and why we got into composing, and other little anecdotes like hobbies - which, apparently for composers, Netflix is a common theme..... that, and cats. I have also established myself as the 'token Brit', with my cute accent and reels of sarcasm, which all seems to be going down a treat. And, because there is actually another Lydia on the course, I am now affectionately known as 'Lydia with an accent' - which I doubly love because of the delicious musical pun!
- Continuing the initial presentation the three program directors gave us brief insights into their musical works and compositional styles. Adam Scott Neal demonstrated the bizarre side of composing with a showreel of his works (which you can watch for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7M7wQaowX40), including a piece of 'resonating spaces' which involved spinning objects in other objects to make it induce feedback - all rather unique, and equally entertaining, but I think the highlight of his presentation was his live performance of a piece for Toy Piano, something I now immediately want to add to my ever growing collection of musical instruments. A truly unique sounding instrument (and very cute and silly to look at) this is definitely something I want to explore musically. Elizabeth Kowalski then presented her work to us, focusing on her writing for film and dance, but also the way she got into orchestration, which was arranging pop/rock songs for orchestra. I'm not sure why I've not done something like this myself yet, as I'm a big fan of rock music, and I'd personally love to see the Guernsey Symphony Orchestra play some Led Zepplin or Slayer! Or even a large scale concert with a local rock band and orchestra, I could absolutely arrange, or even write music for that. Something to think about for the future, absolutely! The final presentation of the morning was David Schneider, who's music, I would say, resonated with me most. He talked about his love of Baroque music and the way he likes to infuse that with more modern techniques (something I've done quite a bit of in my composing), and the absolute cherry on the cake of the shown works was a 'Mathematical Rock Song', using orchestral and pop instruments, and a set text by Euclid, the 3rd Century BC Greek Mathematician - both equal parts genius and insanity - just my cup of tea! (Have a listen for yourself here: http://davidschneidermusic.com/compositions/elements)

Yes, this is a proper instrument and people write for it!

The afternoons presentation feature the Beo String Quartet, one of the professional groups who will be performing as part of the festival, and performing new works written by the composers in the workshop. It was really great to be able to talk in-depth with a professional group like this, not just about writing for a string quartet, but the nitty-gritty of performance techniques, especially as an ensemble. It's something all groups, classical and popular music would actually benefit from doing: really scrutinising the way each member of the group plays something, be it note-length, articulation, vibrato, sustain or dynamics. Care and attention to detail like that, as demonstrated by the Beo String Quartet really do make a profound different to the sound of the music, and it's things like that which take music, and a performance, from being great to exceptional.

It's been an excellent first day at the composers workshop: a gentle start, which I am sure is not going to last for long. And, it's safe to say I am really enjoying myself. This is a really beautiful city, and I'm surrounded by fun and talented people - can't wait to see what the rest of the workshop brings :)

Charlotte New Music Festival, USA - Day 1 (.....ish)

So this is it! Months of prep and I'm finally off to the USA for the Composers Workshop at the Charlotte New Music Festival in North Carolina!
- So yes, as I write this post I'm technically not at the festival yet, and it does in fact start on Monday morning - but I'm currently in Heathrow departure lounge, and I thought, since I've got the time to kill I'll give you a bit of run-down of everything I'm been preparing for since I found out I was selected in April.

"I'm leaving.... on a jet plane!" (although I know when I'll be back again...)

So, when I received the selection email I found out I was commissioned by the Great Noise Ensemble, a contemporary chamber ensemble based in Washington DC who would be participating in the 2015 festival. Certainly a little bit daunting to be suddenly thrust into the task of writing a new piece of work for a professional ensemble, made all the more challenging by the instrumentation I was given: Alto Sax, Double Bass and Percussion (which looking at their website is a list of at least 30 different instruments). Now, those of you that know me know I'm a percussionist myself, and that I have an older brother who is a very good bass player: granted, he's an electric bass player, but that does give you a headstart in knowing what is possible of the instruments you're writing for. I think, in some ways, this is why I play so many instruments. As a composer I like to have a least a vague knowledge of what it feels like to play an instrument I want to write for, even to a basic level....

Opening page of my commissioned piece

..... which is why the 'Alto Sax' part of that listing did worry me, just a little. I know how a good sax sounds: In my band 'Stormy Monday' I work with Colin Falla, who's a great player, but I don't know how to write that stuff down (and neither does Colin!) - This is where research really comes into play, not just into the instrument, but for the players/ensembles you're writing for. It's all very well and good writing something for an instrument to play, but if the part you've written is out of the instruments range, or beyond the technical capabilities of a player, you're stuffed!
- Thankfully, for the 'new-to-composing' computer programs like Sibelius have added benefits of warning you when something is written 'out-of-range'' for the instrument (although, these are just guides, sometimes things are possible.... this is why we still research!)

Since I was one of the last to be selected for this workshop, that meant I was one of the last to get my commission. I found of on the 7th of April, and my initial draft piece needed to be in by the 27th April. In composer speak 3 weeks is a tight deadline, even for just a draft (the final piece was handed in 11th May), especially when you have a vague brief. I've done work before when you literally have 24 hours to get a piece done, but those usually come with an incredibly specific brief (instruments, time, genre, feel, hit-points etc etc) which is much easier to deal with.
- When it comes to writing music, whether it's classical or songwriting, the main question that always gets asked is, "What do you write first?!" - Well, there's a simple answer to that.... whatever comes to mind first! And it really depends on what type of writer you are, as well as the genre you work in. Some of the high-end classical genres like 'serialism' require a much more mathematical approach than my style which is about singable melodies (in essence, the 'old-grey-whistle test' principal) Interestingly, although I'm a song-writer and favour choral music, most of the time I tend to write melody and harmony before lyrics. I find that, if the melody is good, the lyrics will come.

An example of one of my pieces being edited on music writing program 'Sibelius 6'

So, what am I preparing myself for at this festival? - I can hear some of you wondering what on earth a composer's workshop is all about. This is the daily schedule I've been sent by the workshop organisers:

- 9am-12pm: Composer Presentations and Colloquium (which is fancy speak for 'academic seminar')
- 1-3pm: Lectures/Seminars from various visiting performers, composers and educators
- 3.30pm-6.30pm: Hour long rehearsals with ensembles (for performance of commissioned piece), or lessons with an assigned tutor, or time to do some writing (or sleeping!)
- 7.30/8pm-9.30pm: Concerts, Open Mics etc

That's a lot of composing based stuff to be doing everyday, although not all of it every day, we are going to have some afternoons to ourselves. And to add to the fun, as part of the 'presentations and colloquium', each selected composer has to give a 20-25minute presentation on their work - Any of you that read my previous blog-post about performance anxiety (http://www.lydian-modes.blogspot.com/2015/04/performance-anxiety-agony-and-ecstasy.html) will remember that I don't really do so well when it comes to public speaking. This is the bit I'm scared about. I have done some serious prep on this bit, and will need to do quite a bit leading up to it when I get to the workshop. Thankfully, my presentation isn't until Friday the 26th June, so I've got a good chunk of time still to sort myself out and prepare properly (and learn from watching everyone else's!) There's no denying, this workshop is going to be jam-packed with things to do and learn, and I have to say I am rather excited about immersing myself back into the nerdy world of intense composing. Sure, I spend a lot of my time working and writing from home, but this is taking me back to my MA days at Leeds College of Music, where writing music was the entire aim of the course, and in fact, this will be more intense: two weeks of hard-core composing, 7-10 hours a day!

Bring it on!