It's a gift to speak intelligently and accessibly about contemporary music.  Considering Mark Applebaum's TED talk has nearly one million views, it's safe to say he's one of those people. Topics: Kagel and Dressur, traits of post-dramatic theatre and its relationship to experimental pieces, application of acting training, and lots and lots of questions. Watch here. Listen below. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element 0:00  Hello and welcome 2:10  Mark’s “lecture circuit” 4:29  Discussion of Mark’s work Aphasia 6:45  Mark discusses why "percussionists are the best” 11:30  Working with Steve Schick 14:47  "How did composition turn into a career?” and the Taco Bell plan 25:20  Music and spirituality 26:35  Mark’s top works to show to composition students 29:31  Oversaturation of performances 33:00  Publishing 34:40  Extramusical influences in Mark’s works 38:25  Straitjacket drawing movement 44:05  Bertold Brecht, post-dramatic theatre, lack of theatrical training in percussionists 57:15  Composers as “method actors” 59:01  Facebook question from Caleb Pickering “As a very creative and skilled improviser, do you think we should teach young college students improvisation?” 1:07:02  Mauricio Kagel’s Dressur 1:13:36  Dadaism 1:20:12  Composers’ ownership of their pieces 1:25:51  Facebook question from Brian Jeffs “As a composer, is there any difference in the satisfaction you may feel from a successful performance of a strictly notated piece versus an open-ended work?"