Performing Lullabies and Chinary UngApril 8th, 2009

We had a very successful Composer’s Concert in the university Recital Hall on Monday night.
I premiered my piece, Mechanical Lullaby No. 2, and also had the pleasure of opening the concert. I developed a score for the piece, which directs me on where to make adjustments in my Max5 software, and at what times. Here is a sample of the score: (click to enlarge)

Our guest artist at the concert was Chinary Ung, a renowned Cambodian composer. His wife, Susan, performed a fantastic solo composition for Viola and voice titled Spiral XI: Mother and Child.

Between the performance and technical help, it was a packed but very rewarding day.

Meeting Mark BorchardtApril 4th, 2009

Last night, Cassie and I went to a discussion with Mark Borchardt on campus as part of the “Reality Bytes” film festival.  The name itself may not sound familiar, but if you’ve seen the 1999 documentary, American Movie, then you will know why this was a not-to-be-missed event.

After showing an entertaining anti-trailer for his new movie, (he said that trailers give away too much of the plot, so he interviewed the cast in a humorous manner instead) he took the next 90 minutes or so to answer questions from the audience.  These questions revolved around everything from his favorite movies and music, new movie projects, and how his life has changed since the release of American Movie.  All of this was wrapped in a loose and often very humorous format.  It is safe to say that his portrayal in the documentary was no exaggeration.  It was pretty unreal to meet him!

Visiting the Art Institute in ChicagoApril 3rd, 2009

Cassie and I visited the Art Institute to see a lecture in a series called “From Trash to Spectacle”.
The speakers were Kathryn Hixson and Shannon Stratton.  The blog about this series is here.  My wife’s blog is here.

Cassie is very involved with the DIY and craft movement in art, so this was very fitting for what she is involved in.  We also had a great dinner at an Irish restaurant in the North Loop.  This weekend, I’ll be preparing for the composer’s concert that is coming up on Monday already!  It’s going to be my first live piece to utilize Max/MSP, so I’m going to be spending a lot of time practicing this weekend.