In Defense of Music Technology: Adapt or Die Last year after an electronic music concert, I found myself defending electroacoustic music to a fellow composer who did not understand why composers in my field insisted on using multimedia in their works. Her companion agreed, and as both verbally snubbed composers who use electronics, I realized that music technology divides even the most knowledgeable of musicians. In my mind, there are not composers in “my” field of electroacoustic music and “their” field of strictly acoustic (and presumably better) music.  Electroacoustic composers simply compose for electronics like they compose for a choir or orchestra, and many can just as easily create a symphony as a computer music piece.  Critics have always shunned innovation, whether it be the pianoforte, the record player, radio, the internet, virtual reality, or electroacoustic music. Whatever their motives – fear, ignorance, embarrassment – these critics wish to ma...

Composer Thoughts on the Digital Age As prominent music organizations around the world feel a strong economic squeeze, closing doors as patrons struggle to buy groceries instead of pricey concert tickets, a generational and demographic gap becomes apparent in the concert halls.  The  Digital Age brought in a new Musical Era where anyone with broadband and a synthesizer could upload original musical creations for all to hear. Yet generations of children have never seen a live opera or orchestra, millions of students do not have the means to take a single music lesson, and public education continues to morph into factories of creative stagnation. The composer’s challenge it to reach out to these missing generations that prefer YouTube, iTunes, smartphones, and Tweeting while maintaining a high level of artistry.  Like this video?  Then you will love Composer Boot Camp 101:  50 Exercises for Students, Educators, and Music Professional...

Animation and Opera - Why Low Budget Composers choose Machinima Animation With the global depression, art budget cuts, and innovations in technology, contemporary composers have embraced new ways of presenting opera using digital media in the last twenty years. Digital art projects like The Creator’s Project ( http://www.thecreatorsproject.com/ ) encourage and promote modern projects like virtual operas, digital art, gaming‐inspired art, and multimedia design projects. From the Chicago Opera Cabal ensemble to William Antoniou’s Turing Opera and Alice Shield’s Apocalypse , composers have combined the theatrical spectacle of opera with the unlimited innovation of technology. Choosing to create an animated opera over a traditional live opera has several advantages, including working with a diverse range of artists worldwide, low production cost, unlimited stage possibilities, and easy distribution. An animated opera allows the composer to collaborate w...

Recording Insights from Libertaria the Virtual Opera When producing a large‐scale music project through the Internet communication, flexibility, and organization are key components for success. Any composer wishing to collaborate with dozens of musicians and artist through the Internet needs to wear multiple hats, including director, manager, tech support, and coach. Needless to say, jumping between roles involves a keen sensitivity to each musician’s needs, especially considering the cold nature of Internet communication. The Libertaria cast worked on the recordings for the opera for over eighteen months. After downloading the Libertaria Cast Rehearsal Albums from Bandcamp.com, the cast members recorded their vocals using the included scores and click tracks. Without set live rehearsals for this all‐volunteer project, the composer, cast, and crew had to work with a very flexible schedule that allowed for work obligations, touring, family emergencies, and cast changes ...

How Bandcamp Helped Me Create and Opera  Organizing a cast virtually has distinct challenges. Libertaria: The Virtual Opera has a core cast of ten talented vocalists with incredibly diverse backgrounds. Talented opera singers Kate Sikora and Gracia Gillund share the lead role of Libertaria, with Gretchen Suarez‐Pena taking on the difficult antagonist Lucinde. Eclectic artist Matthew Meadows and electronic music guru Perry Cook lend two distinct styles for the male lead of Simeon, an addict who ages in reverse. Talented singers Jennifer Hermansky, Lucas Matias Mora, and others round out the international cast. None of these cast members have met for a rehearsal. How to organize an opera cast through cyberspace? Similar collaborative projects like the Deep Listening Telematic Circle have used Google+, Internet 2, and Skype for live concerts and rehearsals. Because Libertaria is animated with the voices dubbed in during post‐production, live rehearsa...

Finding Dory: Composer Thomas Newman Behind the Scenes Movie Interview Like this video?  Then you will love Composer Boot Camp 101:  50 Exercises for Students, Educators, and Music Professionals! The ESSENTIAL MUSIC BOOK for any serious songwriter, producer, film composer, composer, musician, educator, performer, music professional, or student.

Cliff Martinez - Drive Composer Interview HD #CliffMartinez Like this video?  Then you will love Composer Boot Camp 101:  50 Exercises for Students, Educators, and Music Professionals! The ESSENTIAL MUSIC BOOK for any serious songwriter, producer, film composer, composer, musician, educator, performer, music professional, or student.