July 11, 2024

Natalia Rojcovscaia-Tumaha, Mary Denney

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 Natalia Rojcovscaia-Tumaha and her piece Philosophy of a Miracle.

https://www.tccollaboration.com/14-philosophy-of-a-miracle-natalia-rojcovscaia-tumaha/

I talked about this a bit at the end of the episode, but Natalia’s humanistic approach to music is one of the most compelling approaches to music and art I have encountered, and something that I completely endorse. Of course including Philosophy of a Miracle, but many of Natalia’s works either concern the origins of the adapted material, observing how others perceive the art it’s based on, what it means in the context of the world, or even the emotions of the performer of a given piece. This is not to say that composers do not regularly consider these things in their own processes, but I do not believe I have met someone who chooses this as their primary mode of approach and collaboration. Philosophy of a Miracle is also an amazing piece, truly something special. If you played this for me and said that it was a late-romantic operatic overture I would fully believe you, except for the electronic parts, but the point stands. The flowing nature between each section, the inevitability of the melodic lines, and the mix of timbres at essential moments is a beautiful collage of operatic writing. Natalia is an incredibly experienced and multi-faceted artist that I am very fortunate to have had onto the podcast, and it was great to hear her perspectives.

Thank you again to Natalia Rojcovscaia-Tumaha for coming onto the podcast alongside her piece Philosophy of a Miracle.

I am excited to preview that the next featured guest on the TCC podcast will be the composer Mary Denney and her piece Voice Memories. This episode is an exciting one, and also quite special for myself. Not to give too much away, but I discovered while interviewing Mary that the emotional and programmatic connections in Voice Memories directly connected with my own life and, embarrassingly, I became a bit emotional, even crying a little! Other than being a bit embarrassing, this episode will showcase the power of storytelling in a sonic medium, and how it can permeate in ways one would never expect. Voice Memoires is a three-movement work for an expanded chamber ensemble with surprises in each movement, both in the theming and instrumentation. Mary just completed her bachelors in composition and is just stepping into the world of graduate studies, but it is already evident that she is a shining star in the new music scene, and this piece, as well as her thoughts on the world of music, is something you will not want to miss. I wish I could spill more details and fun facts about the episode, but you all will have to wait for the release of the next episode this coming Monday. You certainly won’t want to miss it!

I am also excited to tease that the next guest after Mary Denney is the composer Jake S. Jordan and his piece The Last of Sailing Ships, a concert band piece which is a masterclass in programmatic writing with an enthralling story. 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 the composer Natalia Rojcovscaia-Tumaha and her piece Philosophy of a Miracle. 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, July 15^th for Mary Denney and her piece Voice Memories. You won’t want to miss it, and we’ll see you there!

- Aaron

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Aaron D'Zurilla

TCC Founder/Music Theorist

Hello, my name is Aaron D'Zurilla and I am the primary host and founder of the Theorist Composer Collaboration. I created the Theorist Composer Collaboration out of a love of the connection between the artist and their art. Music theory, in my view, is a lens and avenue in which to understand people and their experiences. Often, as music theorists, and individuals attempting to find success in a historically hierarchical field, we find ourselves turning-away from modern music and artists when choosing what to study. As many academics could attest, the decision to study or analyze a work goes beyond that simple decision. It is a choice to highlight, spotlight, platform, and even promote the continuation of a commodity or idea, even if it is in a critical light. While there is plenty of space for such scholarship, and new inventive work in the field of music theory is developed everyday across the world in numerous topics, there is a stark lack of attention to the new music of today.

My personal rationale can be surmised in that we should not wait for music to be 40,50,80+ years old to begin pondering the creation of the art of today. Why wait to engage with literal generations of new composers, creating worlds of novel sounds and experiences everyday across the world? Generally, when looking at where composers and their compositions find support, it is within the composition community, across academia, festivals and through online platforms specific to the field. The hope of the TCC is to expand the support for modern, living compositions outside of these ar… Read More

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