Hello Everyone,
If you have not already, I encourage you to use the following link to listen to the most recent episode of the TCC Podcast, featuring the composer Michael Dixon and their piece Albireo.
https://www.tccollaboration.com/20-albireo-michael-dixon/
The carillon is a fascinating and unique instrument that I, quite frankly, rarely ever think of as a medium for modern composition. As Michael and his contemporaries are probably used to hearing, I only have ever thought of it as a background/ambient noise machine that is relegated to sound effects, movie scores, and simple 3-minute pieces in class passing-periods. This is not meant to be offensive or belittling to the carillon community, of course, but it is so fascinating to get a new perspective on an often-ignored instrument in the wider pallet of possible compositional options. Part of this, I would (mostly) assume that this is because of how literally inaccessible the instrument and its instruction is to most people. While this is never a fun reality, it is mostly logistical, as one could probably assume the average small-medium size suburban or urban center *probably* does not have a carillon in full working order with availability for training. As I said in the episode, statistically speaking, it is very unlikely that in 100 episodes I would have on another carillon player/composer, and so it was a special treat and bit of insight to have Michael on even for that reason alone.
A very special thank you again to Michael Dixon for coming onto the podcast and for sharing his piece, Albireo.
I am excited to preview the next episode of the TCC Podcast which will feature Professor Douglas Boyce and his piece Ars Poetica. This episode is certainly a special one, as the featured composer is starkly different than anyone else we have had on previously. Professor Boyce is a professor of composition at George Washington University and brings a great resume of life and musical experience to the Theorist Composer Collaboration. It is natural, given my own age of 23, that the majority of guests on the podcast have been roughly the same age as myself and perhaps a bit older. I have been wanting, for a while, to have someone on who, when asked “what do you think of the composition field”, can actually give a more relative opinion to the professional changes over time. Not only that, but to have a professor of composition on, WOW! I am very excited to share the conversation I had with Professor Boyce about a whole host of things, and most especially his piece Ars Poetica and the collaborative process with the poet Marlanda Dekine, who both wrote the text and performed the spoken word in the excerpts that you will eventually hear. This is going to be a great episode and you most definitely will not want to miss it this coming Monday!
I am also excited to tease that the next guest after Professor Douglas Boyce is Professor Nadine Silverman and her piece Voix des Femmes. More on this in next week’s blog post!
Again, don’t forget to listen to the most previous episode if you missed it, featuring Michael Dixon and his piece Albireo. Make sure to follow our social media links below and the podcast streaming platform of your choice to keep up-to-date on new episodes and blog posts from the TCC. Additionally, set your calendar and or streaming subscriptions to this coming Monday, August 26th for Professor Douglas Boyce and his piece Ars Poetica. You won’t want to miss it, and we’ll see you there!
- Aaron
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