In this episode we talk about an intensely interesting work that utilizes new settings of some of the Biblical texts used in Handel's Messiah and is supplemented by a narrator reading speeches given by American leaders, giving us a current perspective on those texts. I found the work fascinating and enlightening and I think, if you listen to our podcast, you will be very motivated to go and listen to the whole work, which is available in YouTube, in several versions. 

This is a very interesting episode because Paul and I share a background of having arrived at composing after being pianists. I think his music is gorgeous, the Requiem is for choir, orchestra and organ and it is original, yet accesible. I usually don't include as much music as I did in this episode but I found the music hard to cut, so we have about 15 minutes of music and 35 of dialogue. Hang out with us as we trade some stories and we have a good time together talking about...music.

Zanaida Robles is a composer, conductor and singer that lives in Los Angeles. She brings us choral music that is intuitive and beautiful. Take a listen. 

In this episode we listened to 2 of Dale Trumbore's works, I See It, from How to Go On, a secular requiem and Between Water and Air, a song that describes surfing in California. We talked about her music and had a candid chat about what it is like to be a composer and different aspects of the profession. 

In this episode we listen to and discuss three works of Paul Gibson: Ritual Dances, a trio for harp, viola and flute,  Donna Nobis Pacem/Grant Us Peace, a work for children's chorus  and Salve Regina, a work for mixed chorus. The music of Paul strikes me as very ethereal and beautiful and even though it is accesible and easy on the ear from the first chord, you can tell that is not XIX century music, but rather, music of our times. 

Jason Barabba is a contemporary music composer. In this episode we talk about composing using a 12 tone row and we listen to the beginning of the choral work We The People as well as to the beginning of his Aunt Jemima opera. Here are the links if you want both works, complete: The Aunt Jemima Opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw4cx8tTPaA  We The People: https://youtu.be/r4ZCcmtah6U.

The Web Opera is a fascinating project created by Michael Rothe which focuses on an very unfortunate incident of cyberbullying that happened in Ruthgers in 2010. Due to its internet nature the visual element of this opera, which has been selected for 32 film festivales, could not be more appropriate. The whole work could not be more relevant to our times and this podcast attempts to get you through the third episode of the work with only the musical element present, which is quite a challenge. You can actually go and hear the first 3 episodes at thewebopera.com (around 40 minutes). Episodes 4 and 5 will come along in the next couple of years, completing the work. Join us in listening to and discussing social media in action.

In this episode (which has a couple of small audio malfunctions) I talked with Bryan Pezzone about improvisation at the piano, which he demostrated to me by doing a freat improvisation of Imagine by John Lennon and then an improvisation on an original classical theme of his own manufacture. Bryan has great insights about improvising and about practicing and performing at the piano, which he as been doing for  many years. with great success.

Bernardo brought to me 3 pieces, one is a contemporary work for horn and recorded tape called Cast Iron, the second one is a cool jazzy song called "How Is It That...? and the third one is a choral work called "Like A Flower". The three of them are quite different one from the next and we talked about each one of them, the circumstances around their composition and the composing ideas that are reflected in them. 

Steve Danielson is a conductor, artistic director and composer who lives in Seattle. He conducts the Ensign Symphony and Chorus. Come and enjoy the conversation and the music.