Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Guest Artist Ben Redwine at UT Tyler

I'm rather late on announcing this, but wanted to mention clarinetist Ben Redwine's visit to the campus of University of Texas at Tyler earlier this month. In addition to a jazz improv clinic, woodwinds master class, and general mingling with students and faculty, he performed a thoroughly-enjoyable guest artist recital. Among other fine selections, he played two new compositions of mine written specifically for him.

Jazz Chowder for clarinet and piano is a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the local alcohol laws here in Smith County. Can you believe there are numerous counties in the U.S. where alcohol sales - or in our case, only sales for off-premise-consumption - are illegal?! That issue is up for election this November. More word on that later!

Jazz Etude, a duet for two clarinets, is a player's introduction to the octatonic scale in a jazz context. Ben was joined in performance by my fellow UT Tyler faculty member Michael Thrasher, Director of the School of Performing Arts. Both recordings came out great and should be posted up on the website soon along with scores/previews.


Other upcoming topics of interest, which may or may not turn into blog posts, include:
* The CMS National Conference in San Diego (in which I reflect on having a piece performed, sitting on a panel, and clink pint glasses with fellow music-minded academics)
* Copyright and its alternatives as they impact music creators and educators (in which I discuss my CMS panel topic, and why art should be free for everyone everywhere everytime, except when it shouldn't)
* Art History and Music (in which I get all excited and stressed over an upcoming team-taught course)
* Opera (in which I decide whether I'm writing another one, and if I have/need a topic)
* Self-Publishing as a composer (in which I discuss "self-proprietorship", and other fancy money words)

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