Talujon Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 8:00pm

Talujon & loadbang Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 8:00pm loadbang & The Housewarming Project Thursday, August 9, 2018 at 8:00pm

The Housewarming Project & Sirius Quartet Friday, August 10, 2018 at 2:00pm

Sirius Quartet Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 2:00pm

36 College Street, Montpelier, VT 05602 ~ 802-828-8600 ~ www.vcfa.edu Talujon Ian Antonio, percussion David Cossin, percussion Michael Lipsey, percussion

loadbang Carlos Cordeiro, bass Andy Kozar, trumpets Jeffrey Gavett, baritone voice William Lang, trombone

The Housewarming Project Jeremy Siskind, piano Nancy Harms, vocals Lucas Pino, clarinet and bass clarinet

Sirius Quartet Fung Chern Hwei, violin Gregor Huebner, violin Ron Lawrence, Jeremy Harman, cello

MFA in Music Composition Faculty Talujon Michael Early, Faculty Co-Chair Jonathan Bailey Holland, Faculty Co-Chair Described by the Times as an ensemble possessing an "edgy, un- Rick Baitz flagging energy", Talujon has been mesmerizing audiences since 1990. For well over two decades, Talujon has committed itself to the growth of contem- Don DiNicola porary percussion music through diverse performance, commissioning, educa- Andy Jaffe tional, and outreach activities. Carla Kihlstedt Highlights of Talujon’s recent engagements include appearances at the Brook- Ravi Krishnaswami lyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave Festival, Bang on a Can Marathon, Carne- gie Hall, ISSUE Project Room, Miller Theatre, and New York Historical Soci- John Mallia ety. International performances include Taipei’s Lantern Festival, Italy’s Sound Diane Moser Res Festival, and a tour with Steve Reich and Musicians. In addition to its di- John Fitz Rogers verse performance schedule, Talujon has conducted residencies, clinics, and master classes at institutions across the US, including Harvard, Juilliard, Man- Roger Zahab hattan School of Music, Stanford, and the universities of Virginia, Oregon, and Buffalo. Notable commissions and premiers include collaborations with com-

posers Dewa Alit, Nick Brooke, Chien Yin Chen, Louis Karchin, Alvin Lucier, Eric Moe, Steve Ricks, Ralph Shapey, Henry Threadgill, Ushio Torikai, and Program Staff & Administration Julia Wolfe. Locally, Talujon engages in a series of residencies in the Public Carol Beatty, Program Director Schools though the Department of Cultural Affairs After School Adventures Sarah Madru, Assistant Director program, as well as through a collaboration with the Midori and Friends or- ganization. The ensemble’s playing can be heard on the Cantaloupe, Tzadik, New World, Bridge, Albany, and Capstone record labels. Talujon proudly uses Colin McCaffrey, Sound Recording Engineer Mike Balter sticks and mallets and Black Swamp Percussion instruments. Reed Robins, Sound Recording Assistant Justin Tosh, Support Specialist/Media Coordinator Ian Antonio performs new and experimental music frequently in a wide vari- ety of ensembles and locations. In addition to his role in Talujon, Ian is a founding member of the piano percussion quartet Yarn/Wire and the collec- tive Wet Ink. Ian also performs frequently with the International Contempo- rary Ensemble, Albany Symphony Orchestra, and Theatre of a Two-Headed Calf. Recent performances have brought Ian to the Brooklyn Academy of Mu- sic, Lincoln Center, Edinburgh International Festival, Shanghai Symphony Hall, and Barbican Centre. From 2003-2011, Ian was a member of the difficult- to-categorize trio Zs. Ian is currently a Lecturer in Music at Purchase College.

David Cossin is a specialist in new and experimental music. David has worked across a broad spectrum of musical and artistic forms to incorporate new me- dia with percussion. David has recorded and performed internationally with composers and ensembles including the Bang on a Can All-Stars, Steve Reich and Musicians, Philip Glass, Yo-Yo Ma, Meredith Monk, Tan Dun, Cecil Tay- Tyler Sherman—Mother embodies our first intimacy with human- lor, Talujon Percussion Quartet and the trio, Real Quiet. Numerous theater ity. Mother embodies our connection with the earth and the beauty of nature. projects include collaborations with Blue Man Group, Mabou Mines, and di- Mother is our natural conduit from the formless dimension. Mother can rector Peter Sellars. David was featured as the percussion soloist in Tan Dun's manifest in infinite forms and through different people. The suite that this Grammy and Oscar winning score to Ang Lee's film Crouching Tiger, Hidden movement is from was inspired by the Mothers who have birthed, watered Dragon. Most recently, David joined Sting for his world tour, Symphonicities, and fed me with love throughout different seasons in my life. Julia, Mary, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. David has performed as a soloist with Donna and Pat, your expressions of love are endlessly unique and infinitely orchestras through out the world including the New York Philharmonic, Los appreciated. Angeles Philharmonic, Orchestra Radio France, Saint Paul Chamber Orches- Special thanks to Jonathan B. Holland for your guidance and encouragement! tra, Sao Paulo State Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Gothenburg Sym- phony, Hong Kong Symphony, and the Singapore Symphony. David ven- Tyler Sherman lives in Bowie, MD. tures into other art forms including curator for the Sound Res Festival, an experimental music festival in southern Italy. David teaches percussion at the School of Music and Queens College in New York City. Paul Smith-Stewart

Percussionist Michael Lipsey has performed at festivals in Bali, London, D.J. Tetreault—These two short pieces were inspired by poetry which ap- Lisbon, Madrid, Berlin, Mexico City, Taipei, Macao, Tokyo, La Jolla, New proaches the moon in very different ways. I say inspired because one of my York, Moscow, Bogota and France. Michael is the founding member of Talu- aims this semester was to convey story and emotion without the direct use of jon Percussion and has also performed with the Lincoln Center Chamber text, treating the vocalist as a true instrumental member of the ensemble. Music Society, Steve Reich, Bang on a Can, Tan Dun, New York New Music The first poem I wanted to incorporate was "Autumn" by T.E. Hulme, in Ensemble and Riverside Symphony. He has recorded for Sony Records, Red which the harvest moon plays a casual and grounding role in the nighttime Poppy Records, Nonesuch, Albany, Capstone and Mode. Michael has per- wanderings of the poems subject. The second poem is from a chain of love formed throughout the world and given master classes at numerous schools poems between a Zen student and master. In a reply by the student, Teishin, including the of Music and California School of the Arts. she uses the moon as a symbol of hope and love, but one that sometimes Michael has also worked with many musicians from around the world, most can't be seen behind the clouds. recently including Gamelan Dharma Swara, a Balinese gamelan located in D.J. is finishing his third semester at VCFA and lives in Burlington, VT. He New York City. He performed with DS at the first American gamelan at the sings regularly with Solaris Vocal Ensemble, Opera Company of Middlebury, PKB in Denpasar, Bali. He has worked with musicians Subash Chandran, and with whomever will feed him. Ganesh Kumar, Glen Velez, Carlos Gomez, Antonio Hart, Roland Vasquez, and River Guerguerian. His book and solo CD contains recently commis- sioned works for solo hand drums by Jason Eckardt, River Guerguerian, Barrett Tuttobene was a founding member of the now defunct experimental Mathew Rosenblum, Arthur Kreiger, Eric Moe, Dominic Donato, David Cos- group 100 Onces, which released 3 full length albums and headlined multiple sin and David Rakowski. Michael is a full-time Professor at the Aaron Cop- international tours before breaking up in 2015. He recently shifted his focus land School of Music at CUNY, Queens College, Director of the Percussion to the study of composition at VCFA, where he wants to explore writing for a Program, Gamelan Yowana Sari and UnSemble - the New Music Ensemble. wider variety of instrumentation.

Tiffany Pfeiffer Tiffany Pfeiffer is a vocalist and bandleader based in Bur- lington, Vermont, where she maintains a private teaching studio and enjoys loadbang the fresh air and Lake Champlain. Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, she studied voice and magazine journalism at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and spent several years living and working in San Francisco, and Brook- New York City-based new music chamber group loadbang is building a new lyn. In 2008, she made her way to Vermont, in need of the rhythm of nature. kind of music for mixed ensemble of trumpet, trombone, bass clarinet, and She released her first original EP, Amor Frio, in 2010, and a short album of baritone voice. Since their founding in 2008, they have been praised as standards, Stampede of Love, in 2016. She'd like to thank her advisor this ‘cultivated’ by The New Yorker, ‘an extra-cool new music group’ and semester, Diane Moser, for making the path clearer and the journey more ‘exhilarating’ by the Baltimore Sun, ‘inventive’ by and complete. called a 'formidable new-music force' by TimeOutNY. Their unique lung- powered instrumentation has provoked diverse responses from composers, Family Dynamics came from exploring the patterns or characters present resulting in a repertoire comprising an inclusive picture of composition today. within the idea of a family unit. The first movement, “Increases”, is my at- In New York City, they have been recently presented by and performed at tempt to capture the essence of these “characters” and to create a conversa- Miller Theater, Symphony Space, MATA and the Avant Music Festival; on tion among them. The second movement, “Surface Waves”, illustrates how American tours at Da Camera of Houston, Rothko Chapel, and the Festival we can easily fall into set patterns in how we relate to others, recreating a kind of New American Music at Sacramento State University; and internationally at of family dynamic in various situations in life, unless we actively work to take Ostrava Days (Czech Republic), -ASEAN Music Week (China) and notice and break out of them. The last movement, “Don’t Like That Boogie”, Shanghai Symphony Hall (China). loadbang has premiered more than 250 was inspired by a frustrating day and my singsong response to it. With the works, written by members of the ensemble, emerging artists, and today's simplicity and power of the boogie woogie form, tied in with the idea of a leading composers. Their repertoire includes works by Pulitzer Prize winners sing-along, it is my hope that this song may catch on in some way with others David Lang and ; Rome Prize winners Andy Akiho and who may like to sing it. Paula Matthusen; and Guggenheim Fellow Alex Mincek. They are in residence at the Charlotte New Music Festival, the Longy School of Music's summer program Divergent Studio, and all four members are on the instrumental and Eric Sample teaches music, synthesis and film scoring at Champlain College. faculty of the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Bos- He also runs its recording studio. A design buff, who once fed his children as ton. a graphic designer on Madison Ave, (Photoshop and Illustrator!) He was thrilled to visit Holland en route to Africa, and commune with Vermeer in Delft (first visit to any European city!) Rietveld in Utrecht, (Rietveld house!) Portuguese clarinetist Carlos Cordeiro is stalwart in creating and broadcast- and Mondrian in Den Haag. ing new music, collaborating with composers and different disciplines, impro- I was fortunate to travel to Cuba, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, Gambia and Senegal vising, studying and performing on each of the instruments of the clarinet this semester. Each place is wildly unique and in each place I fell in love with family. the people and the music. Final Triptych is a set of three songs which are Working with Joan Tower, Carlos recorded for KUHF (Houston, TX) and as based on traveling I did this semester, as well as this being my final semester a soloist he has previously recorded for RDP (Portugal). As an orchestral and at VCFA-Life changing experiences! ensemble player, Carlos Cordeiro has toured Spain, China, Italy, France, Swit- In the song I wrote to Brazil, it says "I would like to thank you, for treating zerland, Germany, Hungary, Russia and the and played as part me so kindly." This is how I feel about VCFA- it is an enclave of kindness of groups such as Argento New Music Project, [kla], Reflex Ensemble, Me- and creativity in a harsh world. tropolis Ensemble, DaCamera Young Artists in Houston, Texas, Tactus En- semble in New York and the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, .The Many thanks to Don DiNicola this semester for sticking with me while I trav- conductors and coaches he's worked with include Pierre Boulez, Antonio elled, great feedback, inspiring me, and welcoming me to his awesome studio! Saiote, Andrew Cyr, Magnus Lindberg, Chen Halevi, Anssi Karttunen, Alain Thanks to all the incredible teachers at VCFA for their extreme levels of Damiens, Phillipe Couper, Larry Combs, Ernesto Molinari and Marcus Weiss, knowledge, their delight in sharing it, and for the inspirational trajectory they among others. send us all on. Carlos is a freelancer based in New York City, equally as a soloist and cham- Many thanks to Carol, Sarah and Colin for incredible behind the scenes work ber musician and a member of loadbang. He holds a Master’s Degree in Con- in making it all happen in a patient, fully supportive way. temporary Performance from Manhattan School of Music, a Master’s Degree Rev. TJ McGlinchey is a folk singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, PA. He from Rice University and a Bachelor’s Degree from ESMAE (Portugal). received his MA in Education from Goddard College before attending VCFA to earn his MFA. "Don't Be Afraid" is a song from his 2012 debut album ti- tled "Tell Me To Stay" which has been arranged as a bossa nova for The Jer- A native of Pittsburgh, Andy Kozar is a New York City based trumpeter, emy Siskind Trio. improviser, composer and educator that has been called a 'star soloist' by Time- OutNY and has been said to be ‘agile as he navigated leaps and slurs with grace...he shifted between lyricism and aggression deftly’ by the International Trumpet Guild Brian E. Mejia is a composer who lives in Springfield Massachusetts; he also Journal. A strong advocate of contemporary music, he is a founding member is a craftsman, artist, and blade smith. When he composes he likes to develop of the contemporary music quartet loadbang. With loadbang, his playing has his music from an internal story. He commonly will write a short story or de- been said to be ‘polished and dynamic, with very impressive playing’ by the Baltimore scriptive language to springboard his compositions. This semester he has Sun, and that he 'coaxed the ethereal and the gritty from [his] muted instru- composed a set of themes and variations entitled "Commonalities". All four ment...and revealed a facility for shaping notes and color' by the San Francisco Classi- variations have common elements yet also stand on their own as individual cal Voice. He is also a member of TILT Brass, the Byrne:KozarDuo, and has pieces. Brian Mejia also strives to give performers as much freedom as possi- performed with new music ensembles including Bang on a Can, Ensemble ble to express themselves and take liberty to make the music their own, so Signal, Argento Chamber Ensemble, Talea Ensemble, Ensemble Echappe, that no two performers will play exactly the same. The subtitle next to each Ensemble ACJW, Wet Ink, and Mark Gould’s Pink Baby Monster. He has commonality is meant to give the musician a chance to explore the various performed alongside artists such as Dave Douglas, Pablo Heras Casado, possibilities that it may bring to mind. James Thompson, Mark Gould and Brad Lubman, in addition to working closely with numerous composers including Helmut Lachenmann, Augusta Reed Thomas, Christian Wolff and Pulitzer Prize winning composers David Robert Monroe—Birds fascinate poets and composers. John Keats sat listen- Lang and Charles Wuorinen. Kozar has performed has performed at venues ing to a nightingale in a garden, and emerged a few hours later with most of both domestically and abroad including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The his ode, a poem about birds, music, poetry, life, eternity, and so many other Kennedy Center, MoMA, Rothko Chapel, The Barclays Center, and Shanghai things. My song includes some of the highlights of that poem's journey. I had Symphony Hall. the contours of birdsong somewhat in mind, though not too consciously. I often visit the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and listen to the birds there Equally well versed in the traditional repertoire, he is the principal trumpet of and near my home. The birds and other creatures in these spaces of nature the Norwalk Symphony Orchestra and has performed with the Stamford and seem to go about their lives rather happily, with an air of timelessness and Hudson Valley Philharmonics. As a baroque trumpeter, he has performed as a eternity about the whole scene. part of the Boston Early Music Festival and with ensembles including Rebel Baroque, American Baroque Orchestra, The Bach Players of Holy Trinity in Keats embodied "in-feeling," the ability to tune into the consciousness of an- New York City, at St. Thomas alongside the St. Thomas Boys Choir, and with other creature. The poem moves between the world of the bird and the Ensemble Musica Humana. poet's own psyche, and I replicate this back-and-forth in the duet between clarinet and voice. The receding end frame of the piano acts a sort of dramatic In addition to contemporary and traditional , his versatility has chorus. There are various moments of isomorphism between poem and mu- also allowed him the opportunity to perform with the Grammy nominated sic, such as a beat of eleven, like Keats's lines, that with a mid-line pause make Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra, Russian pop-stars Tamara Gverdtsiteli and Igor for an eleven-beat line. Krutoi, indie pop bands including YUCK, the Generationals and Emanuel and the Fear and on Broadway’s Mary Poppins. "Birds A-Wing" looks at two sides of flight and transcendence. In my mind was William Appling, one of my first music teachers. What a gift inspiring teachers of music give us. And thusly, a big thank you to Rick Baitz, who Jeffrey Gavett (baritone), called a “brilliantly agile singer” by the New York guided my process with great sensitivity, for which I am grateful. I would also Times, performs a repertoire spanning from Gregorian chant to newly com- like to thank the many others at VCFA who have encouraged and helped me missioned works and his own compositions. He has performed with a broad in ways great and, well, great. range of collaborators, from the Rolling Stones and indie rock group Clogs to new music groups ICE, New Juilliard Ensemble, Red Light New Music, Roomful of Teeth, SEM Ensemble, Signal, Talea Ensemble, Le Train Bleu, With an education in architecture and fine art, Paul Lorenz combines the and Wet Ink Ensemble. In 2010 he founded the Ekmeles vocal ensemble, principals and immediacy of painting, drawing and music with the logic of which is dedicated to performing new works for a cappella voices and classics architecture and construction. All media are a balance of physical structure of the avant garde. Ekmeles has been praised by the New York Times for (wood, canvas, paper, film); visual structure (brush strokes, scrapes, lines, their “extraordinary sense of pitch”, and described as “virtuosically adventur- notes); and tool (musical instruments, brushes, cameras, found objects), allow- ous” by Alex Ross. ing the process to be the final subject and the resulting imagery and music to As a solo vocalist, he has performed in Alice Tully Hall, Issue Project Room, be a record of time and place. The Kitchen, Le Poisson Rouge, Merkin Hall, Roulette, The Stone, and 'The Sky is a Wall' is the third of three poems by writer Tariq Shah being ex- Zankel Hall. He recently gave several world premieres by Chaya Czernowin plored during the August residency at VCFA. with ICE at Miller Theatre, and was praised by the New York Times as Huge thanks go to Carla Kihlstedt for wanting to take this journey, play “brilliantly agile.” He has also championed new theatrical and operatic works, within the language and keep me focused on the horizon. giving the US premiere of Steven Takasugi’s Strange Autumn, and singing numerous premieres under the auspices of American Opera Projects and Ex- periments in Opera. Jan McBride—I live on a ranch in San Diego with 3 goats. I have played, Mr. Gavett is also an accomplished ensemble singer, having performed with composed and taught music most of my life. I graduated from U of A in Tuc- the choirs of Trinity Wall Street, St. Thomas Church, and St. Bartholomew’s son, AZ. with a degree in Sociology and from Grove School of Music in L.A. Church. He also joined George Steel’s Vox Vocal Ensemble to sing in the in Performance, Composing and Arranging. inaugural concert given at EMPAC in Troy, New York. This is my 3rd semester and my faculty advisor is Don DiNicola. Don has given me the keys to the kingdom with technology. I had a studio 10 years ago and could not deal with the tech. It was overwhelming for me. Don has Originally from Long Island, trombonist William Lang is an active per- taken me to another place with my tech, including setting up another studio former and improviser in New York and Boston. Hailed for his “superb per- from scratch. In today’s world, music and tech are intertwined and this semes- formance” of James Bergin’s Langmusik by the Boston Globe, William is ter I got to feel and experience the freedom from that fear. Thank you Don! dedicated to playing premieres and new music. He has performed solo recitals You are the greatest!! at New York City's premiere floating concert venue: Bargemusic, the Di- menna Center, the Stone, the Tank, the Gershwin Hotel, and Greenfield Hall, The Dream is my musical statement for all little girls who dream and are told as well as other venues throughout the country. He has also appeared as a they can’t have their dream because it is a man’s world. soloist with the Janacek Philharmonia in an acclaimed performance of Iannis The events in the past year with #MeToo and #TimesUp movements have Xenakis' trombone concerto: Trookh, as well as with the Fredonia Wind En- opened doors for me and millions of other women. I truly believe that semble on a tour of New York State; and as a guest soloist with Ensemble Pi women are making huge inroads toward equality. and the Broadway Bach Ensemble, as well as on the Avant Media Festival, the Defacto Music Series, and the Festival. The first movement is The Little Girl. She has a dream. As a chamber musician William has appeared with the Argento Chamber En- The second movement is You Can’t Dream Little Girl. This is that confus- semble, Wet Ink, the SEM Ensemble, Tilt Brass, TACTUS, and Talea. Wil- ing concept we live with every day. liam is also a founding member of two New York City based groups: the Gui- The third movement is 2017. donian Hand, a trombone quartet hailed by the New York Times for their "expertly played, with meaty low brass textures" performance; and loadbang,

his groundbreaking ensemble consisting of Baritone, Bass Clarinet, Trumpet, Lauren McCall is a composer and musician who lives in Atlanta, Georgia and Trombone, hailed as “inventive” by the New Yorker. He is also a mem- with her family. She enjoys teaching music and playing various instruments. ber of the SEM Ensemble, Brooklyn Brass, and the Boston Microtonal Soci- Lauren would like to thank Andy Jaffe for his mentorship, patience, and crea- ety’s premier ensemble: Notariotous, where he works alongside like minded tive insight this semester. composers and performers on the definition of pitch. Foot in the Hand is a ballad based on a childhood story of one of her family Mr. Lang is also an accomplished orchestral and opera musician as well, ap- members who struggles with insomnia to this day, but as a child would fall pearing with many ensembles throughout New York, such as the American asleep with her foot in her mother's hand. Ballet Theatre, Dicapo Opera, Musicra Sacra, the Little Orchestra Society, the Garden State Philharmonic, and the Manhattan Chamber Symphony. Ben Lieberman is a composer, guitarist and singer who lives and works in The Housewarming Project Ridgewood, Queens, with his partner, Emily, and two very ridiculous crea- tures some might (questionably) identify as cats, known formally as Alice Col- trane and Francesca Schubert (née Pretzel and Mustard). His musical inter- The Housewarming Project is a jazz trio that moves with the grace of a ests span the gamut from emotive folk songs to psychedelic rock to micro- chamber ensemble and sings with the soul of the singer-songwriter move- tonal chamber music. ment. Amulet: a bridge from the tangible to the unseen; a charged object, that can The group is led by pianist-composer Jeremy Siskind, who – recently armed transport or imbue. Wear it to heal, to hide, to take flight or refuge; con- with a Masters in English Literature from – began writ- versely, to empower, to grow, to give rise to the unrealized within. A—mu— ing music and lyrics inspired by poets like Jorge Luis Borges, Seamus Heaney, let: the lilt of the “let,” rolling off the soft “mu,” falling from the half-open and Derek Walcott in 2011. These songs have been brought to life for six “A.” Amulet: a song in itself. years by vocalist Nancy Harms, who ushers a listener into a magical, mysteri- ous world with her innate story-telling abilities; and Lucas Pino, who colors Amulet is really an aspirational title. It will take a whole lot longer to get there the music with whispering tenor work, mournful clarinet, and murmuring (if “there” is even attainable or definable), but maybe this piece is a step in bass clarinet. that direction — toward affording entry to that ineffable space where dreams and thoughts and memories intermingle; toward connection, bridging worlds; The group’s two albums, Finger-Songwriter (2012), and Housewarming (2014), toward getting closer. Here, try this on. Don the Amulet. have both received critical acclaim and landed on many “Best of the Year” lists in blogs and magazines. Housewarming, which features guest vocalists Kurt I’d like to thank my advisor, John Mallia, for his insights and encouragement Elling, Peter Eldridge, and Kendra Shank alongside Ms. Harms, was lauded as this semester (and for steering me to shore when I was floundering about in “a shining example of ” in a four-star review, by Downbeat maga- the shoals). I’d also like to thank Sirius Quartet, who were a huge inspiration zine, who included it as part of their annual “Best of the Year” list. for this piece, and to whom it is dedicated. Also shout out to Emily, Mom, Karin, Blake, Trev and Simone, who all nudged me along the way. When the trio began touring in 2012, they decided to focus on matching the intimacy of the music with intimacy of venues, leading to a strong interest in in-home concerts. As of 2018, the Housewarming Project has performed in Vanessa Littrell—Every semester I think I will write the overture to the mu- about 130 homes of all shapes and sizes in 25 different states and Siskind has sical I've been working on for 10 years. And every semester I am lured into become a leader of the house concert movement, writing about the experi- experimentation. This semester is no different. Instead of safely working with ence for Clavier Companion and Piano Teacher Magazine, and presenting on the an already written set of melodies, I decided to veer off into the land of un- subject at the Chamber Music America, Jazz Education Network, and Music conventional ensemble, while still staying within the comfort zone of working Teachers National Association conferences. with a vocalist. "Do U Dine?: began it's conception last residency in some- In 2018, the Housewarming Project released a series of live videos, entitled what of a half-dream state. This compelling, seductive voice whispered in my “at_Home/at_Play” which highlighted the differences between performances ear, and sounded a lot like the devil on my shoulder. Curious to explore this at a jazz club (the Blue Whale in Los Angeles) and a house concert venue. The voice, I decided to dive in full throttle and work with loadbang, an expressive Steptempest blog lauded these videos as “a delightful blend of music” ranging and experimental group. To statisfy both my need for stability and explora- from “uptempo and hilarious” to “quiet and wistful.” tion, this score has been written in traditional staves as well as two pages of graphic scoring. Today's performance will be the true test of the piece, for when the composer hands the reigns to the performers, that is when the true Pianist Jeremy Siskind is the winner of the 2012 Nottingham International magic happens. Sit back and enjoy this dialogue between a soul taken too Competition and the second-place winner of the 2011 Montreux soon in a car crash, and the devil as he sings his sweet melody of false prom- Solo Piano Competition. A two-time finalist for the American Pianist Asso- ises. The biggest question being..."Do U Dine?" ciation’s Cole Porter Fellowship, Siskind has performed jazz and classical mu- Composing music for over twenty years, Vanessa's musical range includes sic at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and in Japan, Switzerland, Colom- classic instrumental, folk songs, rock and musical theater. Her compositions bia, Denmark, , , England, Lebanon, India, Tunisia, France, span generations as well as genres. Vanessa began her study of music, art and and China. Siskind began serving full-time on the keyboard faculty of Fuller- sign language at CSU, Northridge. She currently holds a BA in Fine Art from ton College in Southern California in 2017 after teaching at Western Michigan CSU, Chico and a music credential from University of Reno, Nevada. University for five years.

For his final submission, Mario Inchausti presents this rescore of "Viaje a As a pedagogue, Siskind boasts eleven publications with Hal Leonard, includ- Júpiter", a short film made in 1909. It is a blah, blah, blah from blah, ing the landmark instructional books, Jazz Band Pianist and First Lessons in Pi- blah. Inspiration was taken from blah, blah, blah & Blavatsky. In short, ano Improv. Siskind is also a leader of the house concert movement, having movie silent. Mario add noise. But, mostly, Mario (while still in the 3rd per- performed in well over 100 houses in 24 different states around the U.S., and son) would like to express his profoundest gratitude to all his mentors at given presentations on in-home concerts at Jazz Education Network, MTNA, VCFA: Diane Moser, Rick Baitz, Ravi Krishnaswami & Don DiNicola who and Chamber Music America conferences. provided much guidance for this piece & actually encouraged Mario(!) to run Siskind’s many other projects reveal a diverse portfolio - arranging songs for rampant. ascendant soprano , writing the theme song for the Obies (New York’s annual Off-Broadway theater awards), collaborating with saxophonist Composer/Student/Performer Adam Kale draws inspiration from an eclectic Lucas Pino on a jazz song cycle entitled “Golden Rule, Turing Test” which minstrelsy of artists, musicians, writers, and shamans. Some cards in the Ar- premiered at Lincoln Center, serving as musical director for comediennes Lea cana include: Pierre Boulez, Toru Takemitsu, Anthony Davis, Hossein Ali- Delaria and Sandra Bernhard, performing and recording with jazz artists like zadeh, and William Blake. Nick Finzer, Darcy James Argue, and Andrew Rathbun, teaching piano prod- igy Justin Schultz (who recently appeared on Harry Connick Jr. and Steve Adam holds a B.A. in composition and classical guitar performance. He cur- Harvey’s television shows), and collaborating with jazz vocal star Nancy rently studies Persian radif (classical repertoire) and tar (lute) with Persian Harms. musician/composer Sahba Motallebi. A proud since 2013, Siskind holds degrees from the Eastman During the winter 2018 semester Adam studied with Diane Moser at VCFA, School of Music (Jazz Performance and Music Theory) and Columbia Univer- and is deeply grateful for her mentoring, patience, and support. sity (English and Comparative Literature). His teachers include Tamir Hendel- Adam and his wife Jacqui, live in Beverly Massachusetts with their dog, Cargo. man, Tony Carmaia, Harold Danko, Rose Grace, Sophia Rosoff, and .

Learn more about Jeremy Siskind at www.jeremysiskind.com. Carl J. LaMark is a pianist, composer, and writer from Chicago, IL. The composition of "Circular Ruins" began with a reencounter with the Borges' story of the same name, which - to put it simply - is a parable on the nature of Possessing a voice filled with delicious subtleties and striking authenticity, the creative act itself and to what degree the artist is himself a creation, an Nancy Harms has been declared “an original" with "a truly special voice and idea dreamed up by another - not purely a product or idea, something con- style” by DOWNBEAT magazine. Will Friedwald of the Wall Street Journal crete, but immune from destruction, immolation. The work incorporations a stated that “she engages the listener by seeming to put her whole soul com- number of "failed" processes, purposefully half-realized additive and subtrac- pletely forward…after hearing her just once, you’ll never want to let her tive approaches that are readily abandoned in a "block" fashion before reach- go.” Audiences all over the world keep coming back again and again to hear ing a full realization and, despite itself, ending in flames. this rising-star, international jazz vocalist cast her spell and bare her heart. Born and raised in Minnesota, Harms relocated to New York City in 2010. Sarah LeMieux teaches, writes and performs with the Castlefield Trio (jazz), She has toured Europe multiple times since 2011, with her most recent tour The Girls from Ruby Falls (Americana) and Madame Thalia's Vaudeville Re- taking her to such prestigious venues as Copenhagen's "Standard", Paris' view (hotsy-totsy!), as well as composing more experimental things that she "New Morning", "Herr Nilsen" in Oslo, and other stops in Norway, Italy, and can only get people to sit through here. She has three kiddos, one husband, Denmark. She has played Norway’s SORTLAND JAZZ FEST twice .... and is on the Board of Education. Nancy’s NYC appearances have included her own shows at BIRDLAND, ZINC BAR , SMALLS JAZZ CLUB, THE KITANO, 55 BAR, ROCK- blue prayer" is intended to honor the sacred intersection of dive bars, blues, WOOD MUSIC HALL, and several other venues, including a series of per- whiskey and the little piece of heaven they provide us. formances with trombone legend WYCLIFFE GORDON; among them Thank you to John Mallia for an excellent semester. DIZZY’S CLUB COCA-COLA, THE LENOX LOUNGE, and concerts in Toulouse, France. Her most recent Manhattan appearance was in the famed METROPOLITAN ROOM, where she premiered her brand new show enti- tled "ELLINGTON AT NIGHT", in which the NEW YORK TIMES de- Paul Gilliland—I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Composition and scribed her as "...[an] enigmatic woman of mystery forging her own path". In Theatre Design from Olivet College, Michigan in 1984. I retired from the US addition to her own CDs “DREAMS IN APARTMENTS” and “IN THE Army in April 2016 and decided to pursue my lifelong aspiration of earning a INDIGO”, she appears on WYCLIFFE GORDON’S disc “HELLO POPS” Master’s Degree in Music Composition. This semester I worked with Don and on JEREMY SISKIND’S releases “FINGER-SONGWRITER” and DiNicola and based the lyrics on two poems written by my late wife Lori (1963 "HOUSEWARMING". Nancy appeared in the PITTSBURGH JAZZLIVE -1996). The work is written for Voice, Bass Clarinet, and Piano over fixed me- FESTIVAL, TWIN CITIES HOT SUMMER JAZZ FEST, and headlined a dia. The piece is based entirely on notes generated from the mathematical ra- stage at the 2015 COPENHAGEN JAZZ FESTIVAL. One of her self- tios of the first four Lucas Numbers. Special thanks to Don DiNicola for his penned tunes from the "Dreams In Apartments" album ("Weight Of The guidance and mentorship in the developing of the fixed media track that ac- World") placed 3rd in Popjazzradio.com's international listener poll of top companies the live performance and for his enthusiasm as I explored the won- jazz tunes of 2014 with over a million and a half votes. ders of mathematics and its possible uses in developing musical compositions.

Lucas Pino has traveled to perform around the world in Japan, Australia, Andrew Richard Hordes grew up in Brooklyn, NY and is now residing in Poland, Spain, Britain, The Netherlands, Brazil, Costa Rica, as well as North Carolina. He is a practicing Cardiologist who studied and performed throughout the United States and Canada. He has appeared at venues such as classical piano, developing an interest in composing by age six. He has gone the Blue Note (Tokyo and New York), Dizzy's, The Jazz Standard, Yoshi's, on to write piano music and has released two albums of original music. His Bimhaus, The Jazz Kitchen, The Rex, and Chicago Symphony Hall, as well as teachers have included Valentina Gershgorin, George Pappastavrou, Dr Frank- the North Sea Jazz Festival. Lucas was a featured guest artist at the 2016 lin Morris (electronic music), Leo Smit, Adrian Carr, Stephen Savage, Jean Northern Arizona University Jazz Festival, as well as a featured artist at the Kopperud and now the incredible faculty at VCFA. 2015 Ballard Jazz Festival. Pino is the leader of The No Net Nonet, a nine This semesters composition is entitled “Transformation”. It was inspired by a piece ensemble that has maintained a monthly residency at Smalls Jazz Club in time many years ago, when I would improvise on children's tunes at the piano, NYC since March 2013. while my daughter would dance. Many of these tunes were similar yet different Lucas works frequently as a sideman for artists including Lea DeLaria, and recognizable. This string quartet utilizes simple themes which transition Gideon van Gelder, Takuya Kuroda, Richard Boukas, David Lopato, Bryan through different but, related musical flavors. There is a musical transforma- Carter, Lauren Desberg, Rafal Sarnecki, Nick Finzer, Jeremy Siskind, Dave tion within the composition, metaphorically, the transformation of my children Baron, Alex Wintz, Jorn Swart, Marike van Dijk, and Florian Hoefner. He growing up, and my transformation as a composer during my time at VCFA. also plays frequently with the Birdland Big Band and the Eyal Vilner Big The various themes that can be recognized within the piece include: Shaker, A Band. His past experience also includes performances with Dave Brubeck, child on a pony, Irish Pub, Waltz, Carousel, Sunrise over a peaceful lake, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Christian McBride, Carl Allen, Tango, and finishing with a return to the Pub. Enjoy! Benny Green and David Sanborn. Many thanks to Rick Baitz for his teaching and skillful guidance throughout the Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Lucas grew up singing hymns in semester and to all the faculty at VCFA who have been my teachers and church and in the choir at school. The first music he ever listened to was Jazz, friends. A special thanks to my wife Adriana, who has stood by me while I and he started playing at age 10. As a high school Junior, Lucas have tried to create some beautiful noise. won the Downbeataward for Best Instrumental Soloist in 2004. He went on to attend the Brubeck Institute from 2005-2007, where he studied closely with Dave Brubeck, and finished his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Jazz Perform- ance at The New School in 2009. He received a Master of Music from Juil- liard in 2011.

Lucas' major influences on the saxophone include Stan Getz, Lucky Thomp- son, John Coltrane, Michael Brecker, and Chris Cheek. Compositionally, he is heavily influenced by the sound of big band, and composers including Wayne Shorter, Maria Schneider, Walt Weiskopf, and Thad Jones.

Ethan Foote (b.1987) is a composer, arranger, and performer engaged in various modes of musical practice. His work has fallen primarily within jazz, Sirius Quartet classical, and folk idioms, both apart from and in dialogue with one another. He also writes and performs in the context of theatre, dance, and interdiscipli- nary art, living out his devotion not only to music but to the arts and humani- Internationally acclaimed veterans of contemporary music, Sirius Quar- ties as a whole. tet combines exhilarating repertoire with unequalled improvisational fire. These conservatory-trained performer-composers shine with precision, I chose to compose a setting of "I Wake and Feel the Fell of Dark, Not Day," soul and a raw energy rarely witnessed on stage, championing a forward- by the English poet and priest Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844-1889), not be- thinking, genre-defying approach that makes labels like 'New Music' cause I consider it a particularly great poem. Rather, it called to me as a text sound tame. with which I, as a composer, could creatively interact, as much via its imper- fection as its achievement. I found myself both averse and attracted to the Since their debut concert at the original Knitting Factory in New York poem, to its formal and narrative excesses and to the extremity of its moral City, Sirius has played some of the most important venues in the world, and psychological posture. I felt compelled to engage it musically. including Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, the Beijing Music Festival, the Cologne Music Triennale, Stuttgart Jazz, Musique Actuelle in Canada, My treatment of the text plays heavily on the fragility of the narrator's self- the Taichung Jazz Fest – Taiwan's biggest jazz event – and many others. relation, which is by turns tender and loathing, eloquent and grotesque. The music flirts with tonality at several points but never really commits, and it Having premiered works by significant living composers, Sirius continues breaks its composure repeatedly, sometimes in conjunction with the text and their long-running commitment to musical innovation with bold, original sometimes not. works by its own members, pushing beyond the conventional vocabulary of string instruments by incorporating popular song forms, extended I wish to thank my advisor, John Fitz Rogers, for all his expert tutelage and techniques, gripping improvisations and undeniable, contemporary grooves. warm encouragement, as well as everyone at VCFA who helped make this past semester's endeavor possible, and of course, loadbang for performing my work. Fung Chern Hwei is a current member of Sirius Quartet and Seven)Suns, and freelances as a musician in New York City. He plays violin and viola, and com- poses on the side. He co-scored a Malaysian film, Mrs K, with his counterpart Julian Gerstin— "When You Turn the Corner" is a song of this political from the theremin-violin duo, FUGU. His latest composition, "THERE." for moment, and the sooner it goes out-of-date the better. It is in the spirit sitar and string quartet, commissioned by the Newburyport Chamber Music (though not the style) of Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso's 1969 tropicana Festival (MA), will be premiered next week at the festival. anthem "Divino Maravilhoso" (sung by Gal Costa, if you want to look it up). Too bad 1960s Brazilian dictatorship is echoed in the U.S. today. The song mentions several names — real people — heroes of mine — see if you can A violinist, pianist and composer of contemporary music from small ensembles guess who they are ... My advisor this semester, Andy Jaffe, kept me focused to symphonic orchestras, Grammy nominated Gregor Huebner makes music on the basics of harmony that, as a life-long percussionist, are still a new play- that is accessibly sophisticated and interesting, breaking down borders in be- ground for me. I had a great time building sandcastles, knocking them down, tween contemporary music, jazz and world music. He has released a series of and building new ones, all the while looking at how other composers built albums including the “Round About Bartok, Mompou and Monteverdi” series theirs, strong and beautiful. Thank you, Andy. together with Richie Beirach and George Mraz, his own “El Violin Latino Vol I and Vol.II ,” Paths become Lines with the Sirius Quartet and New Music for Strings which features his orchestral compositions.

His newest projects will be a recording of his new works for string quartets, another “EL Violin Latino, the Cuban Album” as well as a new recording with his NY-NRG Jazz quartet. As a composer commissioned by Helmut Rilling’s International Bach Akademie, the SWR Radio Orchestra and Big Band, the

WDR Big Band, Orpheus Vokalensemble, Tribeka New Music, Grand Thea- tre de Luxemburg and many others, Huebner is constantly working on creating new works bringing his own voice to audiences all over the world. From John Adams to John Zorn, violist Ron Lawrence has performed Quincy Davis—In case you did not know this, everything vibrates. Yes, and recorded with many of new music’s most exciting personali- EVERYTHING! Even things which do not appear to be vibrating are vibrat- ties. Besides being a founding member of the Sirius Quartet, he has per- ing. Crazy, right!?! Before I began my research for this composition, I did not formed extensively with Cuartetango, Quartet Indigo, the Soldier know that either. String Quartet and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. Other collaborators in- Once learning more about vibration and sound frequencies and their impor- clude Anthony Braxton, John Blake, Bob Beldon, Anthony Davis, Regina tance to everything in the existing world, I felt inspired to try and write a com- Carter, Elliott Sharp, James Blood Ulmer, Cassandra Wilson, John Cale, position that depicts some of these vibrations and frequencies that I know eve- and Eumir Deodato. Further uptown, he has recorded with Kathleen Bat- ryone is familiar with. tle, Robert Craft, John Cage, and Andre Previn. The World In Vibration can be divided into five parts: The big bang, the fast One of Ron’s most exciting projects was a journey to Alaska to record John growth of an expanding world, love, hate and hope/despair. Though all of Luther Adams’ multi-media spectacular, Earth and the Great Weather – A these occurrences involve integral vibrations that allow this world to exist, the Sonic Geography of the Arctic. Despite a rigorous performance schedule, he most important vibrations are the ones we share with each other. The rest will was able to break away each evening to cross-country ski under the Northern take care of itself. Lights. Thank you Diane for your guidance!

Boston-based cellist, guitarist, singer-songwriter and composer Jeremy Har- man has performed his music in concert halls and other venues throughout Megan DiGeorgio is a violist, composer, and educator based in the Washing- the U.S., Europe, and Asia as the cellist of Sirius Quartet, a string quartet who ton, D.C. area. She holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from The writes and performs original multi-genre instrumental music. Working as a Catholic University of America and University of Delaware, respectively, both freelance cellist in the Boston and NYC music scenes for the better part of a in viola performance, with a music composition minor. Her music has been decade, he has shared the stage with artists as diverse as Peter Gabriel, Sting, performed at Catholic University, at the New Voices @ CUA Festival, at Uni- Lady Gaga, Bobby McFerrin, Placido Domingo, Tracy Silverman, Pinchas Zu- versity of Delaware, and by The Euphonic Syndicate. She has received com- kerman, Tony Bennett and . Harman embraces the stylistic missions from The Euphonic Syndicate, who premiered her piece "The Wind breadth of the cello that is rooted in the classical tradition but not limited by it, Blows," in Fort Collins, CO in 2017, and from Tsuna Sakamoto, violist of the and seeks to create music that is not limited by genre or preconception. His National Symphony Orchestra. In October of 2018, the Susquehanna Sym- solo project Long Is The Walk recently released its debut album Spirits + Ghosts, phony Orchestra will be premiering her piece, "These are the Generations." a collection of haunting songs and instrumentals which blend elements of folk, She has performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, at several jazz, indie rock and contemporary classical music. Jeremy is a dedicated music Smithsonian museums, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immacu- educator and maintains a private teaching studio in the Boston area in which late Conception, and for Pope Francis during his 2015 American visit. She he teaches cello and guitar to students of all ages. maintains an active studio at the International School of Music in Bethesda, Maryland of violin and viola students. In addition, she is a professional singer jeremyharman.net in the Schola Cantorum at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Wash- longisthewalk.com ington, D.C. "Unspoken Order" was written for loadbang, with an original text by poet Maria Beben, based in Frederick, Maryland. The piece is comprised of a narrated, rather than sung, text, with the instruments providing support and color. The text deals mainly with the natural elements and their interaction with each other.

which point passenger Mrs. Long John Silver leaves the deck to go her bunk below. Her dreams incorporate rhythms from the work songs around her, Composer Bios her own inherent diasporic rhythm, a bembe, and a contrafact reimagining of a folk tune from her most recent country of residence. She's just heard the Walk Away Halyard Shanty Roll the Old Chariot Along, a shanty for the Andrew Amendola—The initial concept for this piece was a musical manifes- hoisting of sails, as she is setting out on her journey. The beginning of her tation of an imagined internal monologue of Darth Vader at various points journey looks toward the end, and thus a Capstan Shanty takes her to the spanning the period from the end of The Empire Strikes Back, through Return of more piratical Coast of High Barbary. The dream reaches its acme where the the Jedi. It relates to Vader’s changing feelings toward his son Luke (and later work of reuniting and the inversion of the loss coalesces in the contrafact of his daughter Leia), and his growing realization that perhaps he didn’t want to I'll Love My Love simultaneously. The dream evaporates into his limping be remembered as a destroyer of civilizations—especially with the possibility of rhythm coming up the walk, hopping up the stairs coming home to align with grandkids in the future. her bembe. As I began composing the piece, news of the “tender age shelters” surfaced, and outrage over the separation of immigrant families reached a fever pitch. I was horrified and disgusted with the government’s conduct, yet was also in- Jenny Davis, a mom, composer, vocalist, tennis addict and a Gemini from spired by the protests that ultimately caused a policy change. The situation Seattle. Okay enough about me, I’m going to tell these people how much I evoked images of the WWII Japanese American internment camps, reminded LOVE THEM: Nicholas Aaron Creed- a three named wonder, JP Beattie - me of the remark often attributed to Mark Twain that “history doesn’t repeat my other best ‘Aquarius’ friend, Vanessa my twin, Tiffany, Eric, Jan, Andy itself but it often rhymes.” (both), Tamara, Carl, Mario, Bunny, Bridget, Nikki, Sarah, TJ, DJ, Ben, Paul, Quincy, and on and on. Mostly I love Roger Zahab. He has been through it The impetus for the string quartet, as well as its musical material focus, and with me. And Carol. Thank you so much. I’m graduating because of both of development, changed quickly as I considered the trauma suffered by immi- you. grant families torn apart at our border, by people who could be our colleagues, neighbors, friends, or siblings. The song cycle trilogy is now complete. The invitation, what it was like, and the prayer going forward. Hope you like it. I dedicated History Rhymes to the immigrant families torn apart and displaced by the United States’ abhorrent Zero Tolerance Immigration Policy. If you could change my heart If you could change me I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to John Fitz Rogers for his astute If you take my fear evaluation, commentary, and assistance throughout the semester. His meticu- And rearrange me lous attention to detail proved invaluable to my progress. Into someone choosing love Transforming anger To rise above ultimately meaningless emoting is a piece that I decided to just let happen. Typically with my music there is some narrative or extramusical reasoning to If you could show me give it meaning [in my head]. But here I wanted absolute music, governed only Everything will be okay by where I wanted the music to go, as I had done when I was younger and If you could grant me just going against what my head tells me makes my music interesting now. A little faith? You said ask me and you shall receive Devin Barone [DVB] (b. 1996) is a composer of electronic music, concert If you could change me works and music for media. His music primarily explores concepts, gesture, Change them too narrative storytelling, and motivic development through these mediums. Also present is a love for groove, polystylism, and texture as well as flow and pacing. (Lyrics by Jenny Davis) DVB recently finished [unity], an electronic concept album embodying an arti- ficial intelligence having a nervous breakdown, utilizing glitches as musical ideas. And flox.EP, featuring a fourth-wall breaking multi-voiced robot, both available at dvb9340.bandcamp.com.

His full orchestra work Expansion! was featured at the Tennessee Valley Music Next, Respite explores melancholy and the search for inner peace. Two pen- Festival in 2013, and [unity] tracks fail_better and perverted_sentimentality [ft. sive main themes are briefly interrupted by a resurgence of two motifs from Andrew Yee] at the Frontwave New Music Festival and Electroacoustic Barn Whisked Away, suggesting liberation and the desire to move forward. Dedi- Dance in 2018. DVB’s timpani solo Impetus (2014) was also selected for inclu- cated to the memory of good friend. sion in the NYSSMA Manual (Ed. 32). Finally, Vaudevillainy is a swinging piece all about being up to no good. Devi- Barone is currently studying for his MFA in Music Composition at the Ver- ous and sneaky, its two infectious main themes slink their way through a vari- mont College of Fine Arts with Mike Early and Don DiNicola. He has previ- ety of tonal areas, before eventually allowing the performers to have their say. ously studied at SUNY Fredonia with Paul Coleman, Jamie Leigh Sampson, Rob Deemer and at Bay Shore High School with Ed Schaefer. Nikki Capra is a composer and writer living in Denver, CO with her hubby, 3 young children and lovable Puggle, Max. Sometimes, late at night, when no JohnPaul Beattie received his BM in music composition from the University one else is awake, she writes stories that she may or may not attempt to pub- of the Arts in Philadelphia, where he is now an Adjunct Assistant Professor lish someday. She will graduate this Saturday and describes her future as and the Master Sound Engineer for the College of Performing Arts. “hope rooted in reality.” To her family: “100 million trillion ba-zillion thou- String Quartet No. 2 is his thesis composition and composed of two move- sand times to the moon and back.” ments. The first is entirely acoustic and without any processing. The second OF uses a Max/MSP patch to control the each of the instruments and place or (a study of migrations) move their sound around the quadrophonic speaker setup. This piece is dedi- cated to his wife, Jackie, and son, Carson. JohnPaul wishes to thank John Mal- AN EXPLORATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP lia and Ravi Krishnaswami for their mentorship, insights, guidance, kindness AMONG THE NATURAL WORLD, and friendship during his time at VCFA. INDUSTRIALIZATION, AND MACHINE LEARNING

Fantastic Machine Bunny Beck—"Two Rivers and An Ocean" is a three movement tone poem all things being equal that depicts my favorite bodies of water. Water’s Edge I have tried to express their images and convey my feelings and perceptions by echoes composing "The Journey of the Hudson River", "The Sprightly Weisse sirens Lutschine River" (which is a Swiss River), and "The Atlantic Ocean". Beacons I composed the piece for percussion instruments that include glockenspiel, harmless endeavors vibraphone, marimba, tamtam, snare drum, bass drum, bamboo wind chimes, the distinction of indifference rainstick, thunder tube, bodhran with marbles, wood block and Tibetan singing bowl. Giants a hesitation results in a reluctant concession nightfall David Blonstein is a first-year student at VCFA with a background in piano performance and composition. This past semester, he studied with faculty member Ravi Krishnaswami. His major musical influences include John Wil- Bridget Carson's natal Norwich, Connecticut is a long way from her current liams, Danny Elfman, Koji Kondo, and a host of the old masters. Currently, he residence in Independence, Kansas where she lives with her family and aims to pursue a career scoring for films, games, and television. teaches at Independence Community College. Both places, however, foster and enable her love of literature and history. Guided and inspired by Andy The first of these three pieces, Whisked Away seeks to convey the motion of Jaffe this semester, she found a return to an old favorite brought her to a flight and the idea of total freedom as one leaves the earth behind. After a brief dreamscape for percussion. While Young Hawkins is overhearing a dastardly and spirited excursion through the clouds and beyond, the listener touches plan for mutiny on the Hispaniola, another voyage has departed the quay at down safely. Bristol. Imagine the Second Mate striking the bell for the change of watch at