New Music

No, I don't have new music, but I'd like to write a little about today's new music environment.

Last night I went to a concert at NYU of five premiers--one world premier and four U.S. firsts.  It was an 8 PM show at the end of a very long day for me.  I really didn't feel like being subjected to "organized noise" and the sounds of C++ programming, but I'm very glad I attended.  I only feel a little embarrassed that I was one of very few students to take advantage of the performances.  21st Century "concert" (i.e. non-vernacular) music may be one of the least popular and most detested artistic genres since musical comedy (that one's for Kelsey), but these artists are pushing boundaries into wild, uncharted territory and sometimes amazing things happen.

The whole thing was put together by Robert Rowe and features Esther Lamneck on clarinet and Elizabeth McNutt on flute, so we all knew what we were getting into before we entered the theater.  It was a night of strange experimental avant-garde.  Each of the pieces included prominent computer parts.  Mostly, the composers wrote various programs to loop, process, or otherwise embellish the acoustic music; although there were some pre-recorded loops and hits.  I guess it was a very average concert in most respects, but there were some incredible moments.  I feel terrible for Esther Lamneck and Elizabeth McNutt because they are both accomplished, well known, and well respected musicians, yet the turnout was disappointingly low.  It's a case of judging a book by it's cover or title or label.

When we close ourselves off to any part of the world, no matter how small or insignificant, we only deny ourselves great insights and growth.  The avant-garde will not cease to develop and progress because a few young composers decided to ignore it.  However, those young composers will never grow if they continue to shelter their eyes and ears.  I refuse those blinders, and I know many of my peers refuse them as well.

First Real Post

Last Friday morning I spent three hours deburring aluminum stock at LEMUR.  Not the most exciting work, I know, but it needed to be done.  They recently received a large commission from none other than Pat Mahoney, a world-renown guitarist and composer!  This commission includes a robotic vibraphone, marimba, and glockenspiel along with a guitarbot (LEMUR invention) two robot strummed guitars (which still need to be designed) and an assortment of auxiliary robots.  So there's a lot of work to be done at LEMUR between now and the new year.

More interesting work was going on when I stopped in Tuesday afternoon.  I'm sure you're familiar with the memory game "Simon" where you have to hit the correct colored lights in the right order over and over until you fail.  Leif had created a much larger version of the game (and I believe, much more fun).  You still have to hit the right colored buttons in the right order to keep going, but instead of lights and beeps to remember, flame-throwers shoot up from four large cannons!  And the best part?  The player stands in the middle of these four huge flame-throwers!

I didn't know what was going on when I first came in.  Leif just asked me to replace the valves on the flame-thrower holding tanks with quarter turns.  I thought this must be part of some paramilitary operation.  I suppose it is, in a way.  More along the lines of an artistic and cultural revolution than a social or political one.

First Post

Okay, so my sister decided she'd get a blog and now I'm doing the same.  I doubt I'll really keep up on it, but it seems like a good idea, so I'll try.  More to come in the future . . .