The first time I was exposed to minimalist music was in ninth grade with Steve Reich’s Electric Counterpoint, and even then, prior to any formal music theory or education aside from piano lessons, it immediately resonated with me. The appeal of it stems from how much it can mine from a singular and focused vocabulary set. One harmonic idea, one rhythmic motive, one melodic gesture that provides the basis for the entire listening experience by […]
I forget sometimes that the best way for me to get inspired around my own composition is to go out to more contemporary music performances. Seems obvious, right? But somehow I still don’t do it often enough. For example: Late last week, the nienteForte staff had a meeting with a group involved in a Top Secret Project that we’re putting together for our Season 11 opener next October. I’m one of the composers that’s going […]
Recently I’ve been toying around with a YouTube VR project that involves the viewer in the middle of a square room with four different videos playing on each wall. The idea is that the videos have some connective tissue, but the material will range from somewhat to very different, allowing for the viewer to focus on whatever side they want at their leisure. I recently uploaded a video that betas this concept. It’s me playing […]