Review: SCI Region VI Conference

I was asked again to review this last SCI conference for the national newsletter. Here is my contribution. To answer the questions of some regarding my last review: no, I don't like everything. In both cases, I was asked to err on the positive side, so I convinced myself, at length, to drop the trenchant proselytizing.

That said, I do believe everything I said in this review. It all absolutely does reflect my opinions--just not all of them. If you want to hear about the others, buy me a beer sometime and I'll be glad to discuss them with you.

(As last time, apologies for the lack of italic piece titles, but I'm not writing in all of those HTML tags.)

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It doesn't take many conference experiences to impress one with the busy composers of SCI and their constant eagerness in jetting around the country to meet with one another and share their music. The 2008 Region VI Conference, held April 16-19 at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, featured a wide variety of composers and musicians from around the country, from different phases in their careers and representing myriad complementary and contrasting aesthetic viewpoints.

The first and last thing each of us noticed, I’d venture to say, was the dedication of conference coordinators Trent Hanna and Kyle Kindred, both theory/composition teachers at SHSU, and fellow Longhorns to boot (Hook ‘em!). These two managed to successfully mobilize the whole music community at Sam Houston State for the conference, which was held in conjunction with the University’s 46th annual Contemporary Music Festival.

Wednesday morning opened with lectures by Justin Merritt and Marty Regan, speaking on new approaches to modality and methods of writing for the Japanese shakuhachi, respectively. Then began the concerts, with a program of mostly chamber duos and trios. Craig Weston’s Glancing Spirals contained three eloquent movements that neatly fit their descriptive titles of “Gently Flowing,” “Playfully Fierce,” and “Sweetly Singing.” The music was consistently tasteful, and while I enjoyed the liveliness of the second movement, I’d argue that the “sweet” third also reflected a certain yearning quality. Martin Blessinger’s Duo for Saxophone and Piano was superbly performed by student saxophonist Brian Best, who negotiated the long lines so well that it was easy to overlook their difficulty. The piece itself displayed a wonderful sense of give and take, of tempo fluctuation and articulation. Well-placed changes in pace and direction never obscured the pervading musical thread.

That afternoon, following a master class for SHSU composition students with guest composer David Dzubay, there was a full program of new organ music played by faculty organist Jay Whatley. I am told that, after receiving the organ submissions for the conference, Whatley responded to the coordinators with a short written review of every piece. This eagerness carried through to the concert, where Whatley displayed ample enthusiasm in his playing as well as in his dialogues with the audience between selections. The whole program was artistically executed; standouts included Richard Brooks’ Preludes to Milton’s Paradise Lost, which cast its programmatic elements through evocative textures, expressive dissonances, and contrast in registration and dynamic. Particularly memorable were the dark, rumbling opening, representing the lake of fire, and the second part, which depicted a dialogue among the fallen angels. Timothy Kramer’s Meditation (Noël Nouvelet) was also notable for its creative organ writing, showing off personal character as well as a balanced sense of tension and drama. The middle section contained a lovely babbling texture, with trills and arabesques anchored by the entrance of the hymn tune in the pedals.

A few of us ventured out that evening to hear an informal performance by SHSU student jazz players. It was a pleasure to see so many students show up with their horns, eager to sit in on a tune or two. At one point there were no fewer than five saxophonists crowding the stage, along with a full rhythm section. Such events always indicate good things for the health of a musical community.

Thursday morning opened with a lecture by guest composer David Dzubay, who sought to provide insight on his personal compositional processes. Dzubay somehow found time to play four pieces, projecting a number of sketches and diagrams for each, while constantly explicating his methods and even answering questions. Throughout, the composer spoke in a tone that was earnestly, non-condescendingly didactic, always guiding the audience along in his descriptions—for example, showing a formal diagram and walking over to the piano, he requested that we “let him put these motives in our ears.” A similar sensitivity was evident in his discussion of other artists: Dzubay described faithfully borrowing a title from a Mexican filmmaker friend for his lovely piece all water has a perfect memory. In a relatively short amount of time, Dzubay was successful in imparting a useful knowledge of his practical approaches to composition, as well as his unique philosophy regarding extramusical associations and the “poetic impulse” that underlies each of his projects.

Another full-featured concert took place that afternoon, containing two works by David Dzubay, two choral pieces, and many chamber combinations ranging from solo guitar to mixed quartet to flute choir. Dzubay’s Celebratory Fanfare No. 1 for six trumpets and Lullaby for solo guitar both offered fresh approaches to familiar genre concepts. Daniel Zajicek’s Cube, with its careful pacing and contrasting material that stretched out from a moto perpetuo opening to more spacious and resonant sections, represents a significant addition to the piano left-hand repertoire. Pianist Kimi Kawashima supplied an impressively fluid performance. Trent Hanna’s whim also stood out, a freely moving, episodic piece that proceeded with its own logic through a series of pleasing textures and rhythmic grooves.

The University’s Criminal Justice building was the unlikely home for Thursday’s electroacoustic concert, which also featured works with live performers and several with video. Clifton Callender’s Metamorphoses pitted a live cellist against two prerecorded cellos playing the same material, but steadily slowing their tempos until they were four and eight beats behind the live performer, and then inverting the process to once again reach a temporal unison. The midpoint was clearly delineated, and the composer was successful in making the process both clearly audible and musically satisfying. I also particularly enjoyed Shane Hoose’s Balance, for live percussion and tape. The program note expressed an interest in timbral relationships, and indeed the piece was full of sonic ideas. As a listener, I found myself thinking largely orchestrationally, in terms of sound combinations and blends.

Friday morning’s concert provided more of the variety to which we’d become accustomed. Joseph Post performed his own Suite for Retuned Guitar, which consisted of five terse, microtonal movements. The second and fourth movements were particularly striking, the former incorporating ostinato into rhythmic schemes adapted from Henry Cowell, and the latter dedicated to Harry Partch and sporting a ritualistic, atmospheric feel inspired by that composer’s work.

A particularly strong concert took place Friday afternoon. The program opened with 3 Poems of Emily Dickinson by Nicholas Omiccioli, a sensitive setting that contained sufficient space to allow the music a chance to breathe. Daniel Nass’ Etudes, played admirably by guitarist Jon Dotson, presented a good flow of information and an evocative sense of mystery. And Arthur Gottschalk’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone displayed a well-developed style, hinting at jazz influences without adopting them too obviously, and demonstrating a genuine skill for building drama and excitement.

The concerts Thursday afternoon and evening featured more excellent performances by SHSU's wind players. Their student quartet, the Raven Brass, submitted a very professional rendition of Martin Blessinger's Fanfare for Brass Quintet on the afternoon concert. This program also featured faculty clarinetist Patricia Card playing David Dzubay's virtuosic Solus II, which was based on material from the composer's first clarinet concerto. That evening the SHSU Wind Ensemble impressed with the level of their playing, stretching their wings on David Dzubay's Fanfares on Re for Ray and Myaku, as well as Kyle Kindred's In Store. These works all showed off the band's capabilities and made for a terrific program.

On Saturday morning, we were treated to Ching-Chu Hu's Insights, for double bass and piano, which allowed bassist Stephen Martin to flaunt his versatility, jumping from jazz-influenced sections to more delicate music and incorporating different extended techniques and playing styles. Hu also judiciously incorporated some refreshing inside-the-piano techniques. Eric Honour's haze also provided a contrast to much of the conference's music, an effective graphic score involving some improvisation in a rock style. Congratulations are due to the University's new music ensemble, Intersections, on this successful premiere performance.

Saturday afternoon's concert featured several memorable works. Mark Dal Porto's Song of Light offered virtuosic parts for all three of its performers, including the composer at the piano. Jen-Kuang Chang's Bodhisattva was a darker, more introspective experience for a large chamber ensemble, all of whom kindly traveled from Lincoln, Nebraska for the performance. The concert closed with David Dzubay's complex, rhythmic Sonata for alto saxophone and piano, which received a fine performance by Eric Daniels and Kyle Kindred.

In the end, this trip to East Texas reminded me once more that there are many great composers out there, and they show an incredible enthusiasm for getting together if you just offer a time, a place, and a venue to hear some music. Thanks to Trent, Kyle, and everyone at SHSU for providing these things for us. Oh, and one more point—I would highly recommend that next time, you consider forgoing a hotel, heading down to the local state park, and camping your way through the conference. The communion with nature provided a good opportunity to unwind from all of the sounds floating around in my ears. That said, please also do what I failed to: check the weather in advance. And if it’s going to storm, do make sure your tent’s rain fly is set up correctly. Enough said.