Xenakis: "Phlegra" 1/2

[NPjazzsaxmusic]

Any details of the recording date/ensemble/location? Looking at this in my Masters :)

[EMG1992]

Ok, thanks...I'll definitely check out your stuff...

[EMG1992]

Oh, okay no problem...I see that you graduated from Berklee. I'd be very interested to hear what you did there and how you got into 20th century music...

[NewMusicXX]

Part One: I went Berklee in 1987 and graduated in 1990. My original purpose was to study guitar. I was (and am) a fan of Bill Frisell and when I found out Frisell's teacher, Jon Damian, was teaching at Berklee, I decided to go an study with him. (Which I did - very enlightening!) After arriving at Berklee, however, I became more interested in music theory and composition because of the great teaching staff in those areas, so I switched my emphasis from performance to theory.

[NewMusicXX]

Part Two: At Berklee, I met professors who had had first-hand dealings with great composers like Bartok and Xenakis. The insights and direction they provided was inspirational and priceless to me. Berklee has a reputation as a "jazz school" which is correct. But they also offer a first-rate set of classes in traditional harmony, including 20th century compositional techniques. The library at Berklee (and other places in Boston) gave me access to lots of scores and recordings as well.

[EMG1992]

very cool...What sort of composing have you done? And what do you do now, if you don't mind. I guess you could say I'm an aspiring composer...but a big school like that is not really in the cards for me...

[NewMusicXX]

I can't speak for other schools, but the Berklee "environment" was very good for trying out compositional ideas. They have weekly student ensembles whose purpose is primarily to read student compositions. That was a great way to try things out -find out what works and what doesn't work. Today I teach music classes at a university where I live. I have a string quartet on my "performance" page on youtube. The page goes by my name, MaxRidgway, and the string quartet is on the front page.

[neuburgn]

very cool. Bill Frisell and Xenakis. good bit of influences. I also heard that New England Conservatory is pretty hip concerning education on this kind of level. Also the jazz studies department seems very progressive and forward thinking with people like Bob Moses, Billy Hart Fred Hersh, Brad Shepik Joe Morris. Just looking at schools now (junior in high school) but interested in people like xenakis, feldman, boulez, and stockhausen and would like to learn more. Thanks for the info and music

[NewMusicXX]

Yes, the New England Conservatory has a good reputation - I knew a few students who were going there when I was at Berklee - it's right down the street. I just don't have any first hand experience with them. But I have a very positive regard for them.

[EMG1992]

Do you actually have all of this sheet music?

[NewMusicXX]

No, I'm sorry to say that I don't. For the Xenakis videos I used images I found on the internet. What you see is all I have of these. However, I posted Ives "Unanswered Question " earlier today with the entire score, which I do have. I have several Ives and Carter scores, but it's so time-intensive to create a video out of a printed score that I don't often have the time to do it. Thanks for your comments.

[DannyDaWriter]

I have the score! Phlegra is a very interesting work to read. The most difficult part is the end, with the insane polyrhythms, microtones, and jumps. It sounds easy in the recording, but it's most definitely not.

[terrestial63]

Thank you!!!!