Composer Highlight: Ryan Packard / March 19, 2015 by and Play

Today is the day! I hope to see all of your lovely faces at Cornelia Street Cafe tonight at 9 PM! Doors open at 8:30 if you feel like having first pick of seating.

We are looking forward to bringing Ryan's White Elephant to you tonight! It is a mesmerizing piece that is sure to enchant.

Read Ryan's words and we will see you all later!

What was the inspiration for this piece?

This work is the first part of a larger piece for dancers, video, and violin/viola/zither. Basically all of the material is derived from (or some sort of arrangement of) the first ten measures of Carlo Gesualdo's keyboard work Canzone Francese del Principe. I wanted to break apart this music on a microscopic level so that it becomes its own little internal world, one that exposes it's raw insides, not unlike a cadaver flipped inside out. Gross.

Don't worry about the title. It's worthless.

What are you most excited for this spring?

Flowers. Duh.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite thing about writing for the violin/viola combo?

Well, I have to be more specific to answer this question. My favorite things about writing for andPlay, the violin and viola duo, are the following:

-You let me put a zither part in the piece

-You are very patient with me

-You let me drop the viola A string down a 6th and it's awesome.

SNACKS! Give us some fresh ideas. What are you snacking on these days?

SNACKS! I'm all about snacks! Ginger coated in chocolate with a bit of sea salt is heavenly rooted in root heaven.

Tell us something we don't know (about you, about your music, or about the world in general).

I have a little bump on my lip where I split my lip wide open after wiping out on a BMX dirt track. Ryan at age 13 thought he was down right invincible. I couldn't help but smile when the doctor put in my stitches so when the wound healed, it formed a bump on my lip that could have been avoided if I took life a little more seriously.

Don't smile after you wipe out like a damn fool.

Composer Highlight: Ashkan Behzadi / March 18, 2015 by and Play

We are one day away from the premiere of Ashkan's piece, Crescita Plastica! It is has been such a joy to get to know Ashkan through his music and in rehearsal, and we can't wait to share his piece with everyone! It is definitely an adventure full of twists and turns, and we are thrilled to take people along for the ride!

Remember to mark your calendars for Thursday, March 19th (TOMORROW). Cornelia St. Cafe at 9 PM as part of the Contagious Sounds series. We are sharing the bill with the incomparable Concert Black made up of Domenica Fossati (flute), Lisa Dowling (bass), and Owen Weaver (percussion).

Now without further ado let's see how Ashkan answers our questions...

What was the inspiration for this piece?

A hyperinstrument: heterophonic textures that constantly grow and evolve to unexpected places.

About the title: Since 2012, I have composed series of pieces, which have “Plastico” or “Plasticamente” (“Plastic” (adj.) or “Plastically”) in their title. When I was composing the first piece, called “Fantasia Plastico”, I was obsessed with the notion that our fantasies and desires are formed artificially through images in the movies or internet. Since then, the concept has evolved and now it’s more focused on music.

In “Crescita Plastica” or “plastic growth”, “plastic” refers to the artificiality of seemingly organic feature of the pieces: the expansion of the material throughout the piece.

What are you most excited for this spring?

I’m working on a piece for chamber ensemble and video! It’s going to be performed on April 25 at the DiMenna Center as part of Columbia Composers concert. I’m really excited about my first experience with writing for ensemble and video.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite thing about writing for the violin/viola combo?

Favorite: You have a really rich hyperinstrument. It gives you homogenous timbers while instantly it could be divided into two instrument with whole different characters. It’s a really versatile combination.

Least favorite: Well, I think sometimes you forget that you are not writing for two violins and you are writing for violin and viola!! You’ll hear some of these moments in my piece!

SNACKS! Give us some fresh ideas. What are you snacking on these days?

This is the tough one. There are so many awesome snacks! My favorite one these days is a fresh baguette with cream cheese and honey! I know.. it’s not healthy.. but it’s good! and never forget grapefruits with a bit of salt!

Tell us something we don't know (about you, about your music, or about the world in general).

I just discovered owls make literally no sound when they fly! it’s absolutely amazing! there is a video you should watch.. it’s breathtaking!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WigEGNnuTE

Want to hear some of Ashkan's music? Visit his Soundcloud!

https://soundcloud.com/ashkan-behzadi

Composer Highlight: Adam Roberts / March 17, 2015 by and Play

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! We are so excited to be playing Adam Roberts' Shift Differential twice this week! It is a beautiful piece that is surprisingly short and will definitely leave you wanting more. If you are in Boston today you should come on out to hear us and the enchanting Lilit Hartunian (violin + electronics) at The Record Company (960 Mass St.).

Now it is time to meet Adam and see what he has to tell us about himself, his piece, and his snacking habits!

What was the inspiration for this piece?

In the back of mind was the texture of Indian alap. I am interested in small inflections, little expressive glissandi. The opening material reflects that inspiration. I was also interested in creating a background texture with very quiet harmonics in the opening, a thin layer of background paint, so to speak.

What are you most excited for this spring?

I am excited for the weather to warm up and to spend more time walking comfortably outside and hanging out in parks! I've recently moved to NYC and love walking aimlessly, getting to know new streets, blocks, areas. Spring will make that by far more pleasant.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite thing about writing for the violin/viola combo?

Strings are so flexible, able to produce sounds of great delicacy and aggression. I love the range of expression of strings. This duo in particular offers an extensive pitch range with a lot of registral overlap. I appreciate the melding, super-instrument qualities of this duo.

SNACKS! Give us some fresh ideas. What are you snacking on these days?

I keep a bag of apples and peanut butter around. It's a quick hit of sugar and protein that allows me to keep working without too much of a break on busy days.

Tell us something we don't know (about you, about your music, or about the world in general).

I just returned to the States after four years of living and teaching in Istanbul. Many musicians and friends end up in NYC, and I'm enjoying meeting people again after, in some cases, 10, 15, or more years from all periods of my life—from childhood, university, music festivals, etc. And I enjoy making new friends as well!

If you want to check out more stuff by Adam (and you should!) take a look at his website!

http://adamrobertscomposer.com/

Composer Highlight: Brooks Frederickson / March 16, 2015 by and Play

Welcome to concert week with andPlay! We had a really fun time yesterday at the New Music Bake Sale both performing and (wo)manning a booth. Tomorrow we will be in Boston performing on the Times Two Series run by Robert Honstein and Maria Finkelmeier. It will be a split show with our dear violinist friend, Lilit Hartunian, and it is shaping up to be a mega-good time! If you are in Boston on March 17th and want to hear some great music hit up our show at The Record Company (960 Mass Ave.) at 8 PM!

Now it is time for you to meet the wonderful composer and our good friend, Brooks Frederickson. We will be playing his piece Contact Is Truth on the both the Boston show and on March 19th in NYC at the Cornelia St. Cafe as part of the Contagious Sounds series. Get to know Brooks a bit better, and then come out to a show and hear his piece!

What was the inspiration for this piece?

The title comes from a piece of graffiti that I use to pass on my way home from work. I thought "Contact is Truth" was a strange thing to write - not strange, but ya know most graffiti is swear words, but this was sort of sweet, sort of naive.

What are you most excited for this spring?

I'm thinking of buying a new bike for the Spring. Maybe I'll do that before the bike stores raise their prices.

What is your favorite and/or least favorite thing about writing for the violin/viola combo?

I like how sometimes you can't tell who is playing what. It makes it seem like the music is coming from somewhere else, like it's not the players who are making the music, but the combination of the players somehow makes the music happen.

SNACKS! Give us some fresh ideas. What are you snacking on these days?

Sweet: Pat Swoboda's Girl Scout cookies that he forgot about in our freezer. Savory: Chips and salsa.

Tell us something we don't know (about you, about your music, or about the world in general).

When I first moved to the city, the only job I could find was working in a Kale Chip factory in Brooklyn. It was terrible.

To check out more of Brooks' music head on over to his website!

http://www.brooksfrederickson.com/