audience Archive

  • Amer­i­can com­poser Lee Hoiby passed away in late March. Since I had pre­vi­ously posted a great quote by him and am a fan of his vocal works, his obit­u­ary in...0April 24, 2011

    Another Lee Hoiby quote

    Amer­i­can com­poser Lee Hoiby passed away in late March. Since I had pre­vi­ously posted a great quote by him and am a fan of his vocal works, his obit­u­ary in…

  • To recap Part 1 of my reac­tions to the film Black Swan, I posed the ques­tion of: …how to rec­tify our train­ing with our wild-card pen­chant for cre­ativ­ity? Artists any­where will...0March 1, 2011

    Black Swan’s composition lesson Part 2

    To recap Part 1 of my reac­tions to the film Black Swan, I posed the ques­tion of: …how to rec­tify our train­ing with our wild-card pen­chant for cre­ativ­ity? Artists any­where will…

  • The Kennedy Cen­ter Hon­ors were broad­cast on tv recently. This year the hon­orees were Bill T. Jones, Oprah Win­frey, Jerry Her­man, Merle Hag­gard, and Paul McCart­ney. (Notice that three of...0January 3, 2011

    Renée Fleming wants to rock and roll

    The Kennedy Cen­ter Hon­ors were broad­cast on tv recently. This year the hon­orees were Bill T. Jones, Oprah Win­frey, Jerry Her­man, Merle Hag­gard, and Paul McCart­ney. (Notice that three of…

  • Sometimes, when I start a new piece, within the first few measures or so, I'll stop and ask myself, "What do I want out of this piece?"0December 31, 2010

    First Question

    Some­times, when I start a new piece, within the first few mea­sures or so, I’ll stop and ask myself, “What do I want out of this piece?”

  • Have you spent time brows­ing around ASCAP’s web­site? Some inter­est­ing things buried there. For instance, here’s Murphy’s Laws of Song­writ­ing, includ­ing this bit about aim­ing your songs espe­cially to an...0March 8, 2010

    The song as a (gendered) script

    Have you spent time brows­ing around ASCAP’s web­site? Some inter­est­ing things buried there. For instance, here’s Murphy’s Laws of Song­writ­ing, includ­ing this bit about aim­ing your songs espe­cially to an…

  • Bob Dylan has an inter­view on his web­site in which he has some inter­est­ing things to say about audi­ences and styles. About the craft of cre­at­ing music, for instance, he says:...0March 18, 2009

    Bob Dylan on audiences

    Bob Dylan has an inter­view on his web­site in which he has some inter­est­ing things to say about audi­ences and styles. About the craft of cre­at­ing music, for instance, he says:…

  • It’s not a show I usu­ally watch, but I hap­pened across some­thing called Hell’s Kitchen on tele­vi­sion the other night. For the unini­ti­ated, it’s a real­ity TV show in which...0February 18, 2009

    What Chefs Can Teach Composers

    It’s not a show I usu­ally watch, but I hap­pened across some­thing called Hell’s Kitchen on tele­vi­sion the other night. For the unini­ti­ated, it’s a real­ity TV show in which…

  • Music is such an abstract, can’t-put-your-hands-on-it art form. I’m always find­ing it use­ful to com­pare music to visual arts. I recently came across this web­site which is a humor­ous attempt...0July 30, 2007

    Something for Hitchcock Fans

    Music is such an abstract, can’t-put-your-hands-on-it art form. I’m always find­ing it use­ful to com­pare music to visual arts. I recently came across this web­site which is a humor­ous attempt…

  • I’ve been a fan of Prince since back in 1982, when his album 1999 came out. It’s no secret that pop music has suf­fered com­mer­cially in the last few years...0July 24, 2007

    Prince Shows the Way?

    I’ve been a fan of Prince since back in 1982, when his album 1999 came out. It’s no secret that pop music has suf­fered com­mer­cially in the last few years…

  • For those of us con­cerned about form and archi­tec­ture, here’s a great quote about Beethoven, cour­tesy Bernard Hol­land in the 2/23/07 New York Times: Beethoven was the Clas­si­cal era‚Äôs psy­cho­log­i­cal archi­tect....0February 25, 2007

    A Beethoven Thought

    For those of us con­cerned about form and archi­tec­ture, here’s a great quote about Beethoven, cour­tesy Bernard Hol­land in the 2/23/07 New York Times: Beethoven was the Clas­si­cal era‚Äôs psy­cho­log­i­cal architect.…

  • Here’s some­thing I’ve been won­der­ing about lately. As you develop your own style, is it good to be aware of it? For instance, I know that I like to write...0August 16, 2006

    Considering style

    Here’s some­thing I’ve been won­der­ing about lately. As you develop your own style, is it good to be aware of it? For instance, I know that I like to write…

  • Part of the busi­ness of being a com­poser is draw­ing some atten­tion to your music. (Or per­haps draw some atten­tion to your­self!) And if you are a com­poser doing busi­ness...0July 11, 2006

    Give Something for Free

    Part of the busi­ness of being a com­poser is draw­ing some atten­tion to your music. (Or per­haps draw some atten­tion to your­self!) And if you are a com­poser doing business…