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New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:56 am
by ttf_Anthony
About 22 years ago a music publishing company was founded and devoted to issuing audience-friendly contemporary music - BRIXTON PUBLICATIONS. It is difficult to find new music which has substance, originality, and audience appeal, but I think Brixton does a pretty good job of it. You can read about the compositions (and hear some sound samples) at
http://www.brixtonpublications.com/trombone-2.html
This music is not avante guarde, but is at times progressive.
Also, it is possible to write avante guarde music which has audience appeal to old and young, sophisticated and not. I think a good example of this would be CAMEL MUSIC by Howard Buss (published by Smith Publications). Sound samples are on the composer's web site at
http://www.brixtonpublications.com/list_of_compositions-2.html
I hope this helps.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 10:47 am
by ttf_BFW
Quote from: hbuss on Dec 21, 2006, 09:56AMI think a good example of this would be CAMEL MUSIC by Howard Buss (published by Smith Publications).
That's you, right? Brian ponders why Howard Buss refers to himself in the third person.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:58 am
by ttf_Piano man
I heard a CD of string quartet records of AC/DC tunes. It definitely wasn't my cup of tea, but it wasn't all bad.
Copland's popular works evoked contemporary styles without mimicking them. Maybe today's composers should be influenced by pop styles without consciously writing them--it's the music they grew up with. In other words, it's a more organic process--instead of "This is school music and this is the other kind," saying, "This is music".
New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu Dec 21, 2006 4:06 pm
by ttf_Dave Tatro
Quote from: Piano man on Dec 21, 2006, 11:58AMI heard a CD of string quartet records of AC/DC tunes. It definitely wasn't my cup of tea, but it wasn't all bad.
They have done these for many different rock groups, and I guess it's a gig....
Many of the newer composers that I have been hearing lately do seem to have received at least some inspiration from today's pop styles.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Mon Dec 25, 2006 9:47 pm
by ttf_anonymous
While falling somewhere outside what we're talking about slightly.
There is Apocolyptica. They're a metal cello trio from some Scandinavian country. You can search them on google video. While their music leans more towards just metal with a different axe it is still interesting to see classically trained musicians branching into that area.
As for balancing popular music and art music. I think it's one thing to take existing material and pop it up, and another totally to write while infusing certain popular elements into it. I know I wrote an arrangement of Dear Old Stockholm for big band, and in the development section, there would be alternating sections of straight ahead swing, and then sections of what I can "swing funk" that is popular in contemporary gospel and hip hop music. Whenever I would play it for any of my students that's where the head-nodding or toe-tapping really started.
I think it's more important to selectively infuse art music with elements of popular music - Not try to "pop up" classics, or to write arrangements of pop tunes for art ensembles.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Sat Dec 30, 2006 11:00 pm
by ttf_anonymous
i think that maybe the answer lies in popular forms as performed by the forward-thinking avant-garde of the pop scene... much like Tropicalia founder and composer Tom Ze... look to people like Beck(The Information), Radiohead(Kid A), Sonic Youth(Murray Street), Jim O'Rourke(Insignificance), Richard Thompson(Grizzly Man)... i think most of my favourite current avant-classical yet accessible music is coming from people like these... who get you with a hook and a beat, but the more you listen, the more you hear just how progressive people's ears can be trained to be!!!
justin
New, yet accessible
Posted: Tue Jan 23, 2007 11:43 am
by ttf_anonymous
I tend to agree with Mike Suter . I think some of the problem maybe in the "advertising".
As a band director my hardest job is picking music for the kids. You want to pick music that a)they can play b)fits the ensemble c)educates them (historically, theoretically, or stylistically). However quite a few people forget another BIG factor... e)Audience friendliness. I tried to pick mostly tunes that are familiar, popular or that you can grasp the idea of easily. But I also try to expose the audience to new or different things as well (aleatoric, tone clusters, etc)
Without an audience we are doomed. If we only pick music to make the "musicians" happy there might not be an audience.
I think any audience wants to hear something they recognize, or that they "think" they recognize (sounds familiar). Once an orchestra, jazz band, or any performer has a following they can start adding pieces to the repertoire that are "out there" or new. However to draw in that audience is the problem.
People want to hear the song that is on the radio live.
If you go see Chicago in concert and you don't here "Saturday in the Park", "25 or 6 to 4", etc. you may feel slighted, especially if you have never seen them live before.
But if they do all the favorites and slip in a few new songs you are more likely to buy into those new ones.
I saw James Taylor in an interview where somebody asked him if he gets tired of playing "Fire and Rain". He responded by saying that during sound checks there have been some very interesting versions of the song. However he knows that there is at least one person in the crowd who has never heard him play that live and he performs for that person.
I am sure that he could almost play it in his sleep and it is not a "challenge" for him to play it, but it helps the audience keep coming back.
Another issue is the exposure (or lack of) instrumental groups in the media. When is the last time you the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on MTV? People need to be exposed to Jazz Bands, Orchestras, and such. PBS in my hometown used to have the Boston Pops and classical concerts quite often, but not as much anymore. As an educator I feel that not only do we to expose the kids to the music but also to the ensembles. I know most of us on this forum could do this, but how many kids sitting in a high school orchestra, jazz band or wind ensemble can name 3 professionals on their instrument? Not very many. How many kids on a high school football team can name at least 3 pro football players? They can probably name half the NFL.
Why? Because the media (TV and Print) have sports on all the time. Kids see it everywhere, you can't miss it. Where do the see "Classical Music", on some DVD in the class room?
Some orchestras are doing some nice things. I know the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has open rehearsals with free tickets for school groups (I am sure there are others.). I friend of mine took his school group and they loved it, but had no idea what an orchestra was until that day!?!?
If we can get more people to be aware of "good ensembles" and keep the audience in mind, that could help the matter.
Sorry for rambling.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Fri Mar 27, 2009 6:41 pm
by ttf_anonymous
It looks like a lot of time has passed since this thread ended -- sort of. It is something worth continuing today -- 3 + years later.
To me too much attention has been given to gimmicks and fads. Not that things like matrices and 12 tone process aren't good it is just that no one (the listening audience) really understands what's going on with them. The trouble with the major pieces of yesteryear, is that they no longer exploit the the technology of the instruments that we have today. They did so very well of what was available to the composers then, but not now. Composers need to learn to harness all of the power that is at their disposal. They also need to see that many musicians today are more versatile and developed than their counter parts of 100 years ago. I have often said that film-score music is the classical music of this century. I really believe that it could be except for the fact that the genre requires scores to be compilations of bits and pieces of themes, and each of these themess could be developed into some very great works.
I also believe that today's formal musical presentations lack sensory appeal. We go. We sit in a darkend room. We listen. We leave. I feel like a lop-sided inner tube after things like this. Today's audiences like interaction, they like seeing things related to the music. They like being brought into the process.
One other thing. Formal, classical orchestras have historically worked under the come-to-hear-us-here mentality. In my experience is hasn't been hard to see that there is a vast listening audience that resides on the fringes of the sphere of influence for most major orchestras. These folks are too far out both geographically and economically to be able to make it to the symphony. It is time to take the show on the road. Get some sponsors --they are out there and easy enough to find -- to defray the cost of transporting a group of musicians, and take the music to the people.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:33 am
by ttf_Andrew Meronek
Here is a relevant essay by Ben Johnston:
How To Cook An Albatross
And here's an interview with Ben from that same website:
http://www.newmusicbox.org/page.nmbx?id=4935
As a guy who studied with the likes of Harry Partch, John Cage, and Milton Babbit, and who, during his composing career, has created some really excellent, modern music, he has some interesting things to say.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2009 8:41 am
by ttf_BFW
Fascinating essay, Andrew. Thanks for posting the link.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 5:37 am
by ttf_anonymous
And there is a vast field where composers are working in various kinds of multimeida events, writing pieces which mix lots of influences from all over the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyWHUQew1MU
Like that.
I think we must start re-interpreting what classical music is (or is supposed to be) - although some of this is indeed going on now
Tim
and yes, I'm new here!
New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 12:18 pm
by ttf_stanzabone
Quote from: Andrew Meronek on Apr 13, 2009, 08:33AM
And here's an interview with Ben from that same website:
http://www.newmusicbox.org/page.nmbx?id=4935
From the article linked -
"The eighteenth century might indulge in idolatry . . . but it was the distinction of the nineteenth century to develop the cult of musical necrolatry"
Thanks, Andrew, "necrolatry" may be my new favorite word!
New, yet accessible
Posted: Thu May 07, 2009 3:08 pm
by ttf_Andrew Meronek
My pleasure.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:28 pm
by ttf_gpkimzey
Necrolatry. Hmmm.
New, yet accessible
Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 6:28 pm
by ttf_gpkimzey
Necrolatry. Hmmm.