SUNDRY UTTERANCES

This is a re-post from the Connect . The . Dots . 2 (where I have been doing all my writing lately): Asking for help can be terrifying; it implies an acknowledgment of vulnerability. Then again, that vulnerability can be the source of tremendous strength. From the beginning, this project has been about telling the story of a creative journey so that others could learn from our successes and setbacks. While most posts thus far have focused on the musical work my collaborators

A while back, I ended a post with the words “Connect . The . Dots 2 is coming...” Well, Connect . The . Dots . 2 is now here. For those not yet familiar, the project seeks to empower people to better understand and connect to new music by involving them in the creative process, from planning to premiere. During the first iteration, my collaborators and I shared the work of creating four solo pieces. This time around, my partners, Imogen Hancock and Toby Thatcher, will documen

Nearly three years ago I began a project that would become the definitive catalyst in my search for a voice as a composer, artist, and even human. I know; that sounds like hyperbole, but it really was one leap of faith that emboldened me to brave many others by embracing a paradigm that holds failure and vulnerability as values – ones that have guided just about every decision I have made since. The benefit of this change may seem dubious at first; isn’t the goal to try to ke

My mind is constantly buzzing: composition ideas, project ideas, idea ideas. It’s a bit of mess, but every now and then that mess results in something worthwhile, not just for me as an artist, but – more importantly – for those that might engage with my work. One of these projects is a long-brewing plan for a flugelhorn concerto for my friend and fabulous trumpeter, Imogen Hancock. The initial spark for it came back in 2014 when her and I were working together on Connect . Th

Teachers are vital. Without them, progress would be like a needle at the end of a record, endlessly skipping back. Thankfully, they do exist. More than that, advances in technology have allowed them to do so in numerous new guises that go beyond the chalk-in-hand stereotype that so quickly comes to mind. One individual working in this vein is my friend and absolutely brilliant harpist, Olivia Jageurs, a fellow RAM graduate who played harp with the London Philharmonic Orchestr

I don’t often bring too much attention to repeat performances, especially not in retrospect, but, in this cas e, I simply have to make an exception. This past Thursday, For Now the improvisatory (for now…) piece that Tanya Sweiry and I devised as part of the Connect . The . Dots project was once again brought to life by the dynamic and multi-talented Sara Cubarsi. Though not advertised ahead of time, Sara played the Bach-Brusentsev/Sweiry pairing as an encore after giving the