Michigan State University Music Composition

Welcome back! First studio class of the 2010-2011 academic year.

Dr. Sullivan just got back from a few weeks in Porto, Portugal, where he spent time at Casa da Música. Click that link and visit the site. The architecture of the hall is beautiful. They have several resident ensembles and conductors, as well as three resident composers. One of the three residencies is reserved for a composer under the age of 30. They don’t distinguish between “classical” and “experimental” music, and they are equally interested in jazz and popular music. The new music ensemble is called Remix.

The audience is large and diverse (in precisely the same way such audiences in the US aren’t). There are electronic music games for kids to use and play creatively. As Dr. Sullivan describes it, Casa da Música seems a lot like a community center that has a particularly creative focus. “It really is a center of cultural activity.” People of all ages and interests come together to see, hear, and create.

One of the discussion topics for studio classes this semester will be audience engagement and outreach in new music. New music concert attendance is “pathetic.” Fifteen years ago, Dr. Sullivan claims, he had as many as 80 people coming to new music concerts and participating in subsequent discussions. In contrast to this, participants in Porto were open to experimental creative projects.

How can we be more proactive about growing attendance and participation (and more importantly, engagement) in new music at MSU and in the Lansing area?

Victor Marquez-Barrios is this year’s composition area graduate assistant. Victor would like to find ways to improve the Premiers concerts this year. Not only improving the performances and presentation, but also improving the audience and the audiences general experience. Dates for the semester’s concerts are on the calendar (undergrad composers: Oct. 19, grad: Nov. 9, last concert: Dec. 7, all are at 7:30). Five weeks before the concert, let Victor know you’re interested. One week before, give the complete program info here. We have a third date in the book for December that we can talk about later.

Sam would like people to “Like” the MSU Composition Facebook fan page and for composers to invite their friends to “like” it as well. Dr. Sullivan wants people to feel more comfortable plugging their music and performances thereof. We all agree that advertising for performances must be as creative as the performances themselves.

SCENE&heard continues at (SCENE) Metrospace on Friday, 8 October at 7:30pm. The concert is about rhythm, and will feature music by Steve Reich and Louis Andriessen, as well as traditional music from Africa and the Middle East.

This semester we will create a blogging schedule to encourage traffic to this blog. We will also share research about music of the last ten years.

New show opening tonight at SCENE that includes a piece by Nate. Saturday night is an interesting concert/CD release at SCENE (doors at 7:00, music by 8:00, admission $5). Another cool concert at Mac’s Bar on Michigan Ave. starts around 9ish on Monday night.

more options