New Music, New Thoughts: Measure for Measure

Malibu-based composer Alex Shapiro is an enthusiastic activist for new music. She has her finger in any number of musical pies and is highly visible in improving the lot for other composers across the nation. In this first of a two part interview listen to her expand on what motivates her and how she sees the field changing. Check out her site by adding .org to the end of her name.

Malibu-based composer Alex Shapiro is an enthusiastic activist for new music. She has her finger in any number of musical pies and is highly visible in improving the lot for other composers across the nation. In this second of a two part interview listen to her expand on what motivates her and how she sees the field changing. Check our her site by adding .org to the end of her name.

Robotic Theater ensembles don't grow on trees. They are made. Then Frank writes operas for them. Hear him talk.

Robotic Theater ensembles don't grow on trees. They are made. Then Frank writes operas for them. Hear him talk in this second of a two-part interview.

Simone Angel is best known for her 9-year stint as MTV Europe VJ. Simone was the host of many different programmes broadcast from various parts of the world, and was also the host of the MTV program Partyzone, where she presented dance music. She is now a mother of two, living in Belize and running the Belize Jungle Dome resort (www.belizejungledome.com) with her husband Andy Hunt, former professional soccer player. Simone is also working with charity through the Jaden Foundation, aimed at improving the education for the children of Belize. Here she talks with Philip Blackburn about her life then and now, and the triumphs and pitfalls of making it really big in the musical world.

Dan Becker is an active composer currently teaching at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He is a member of Common Sense Composers Collective and, while at Yale, he wrote a thesis on 20th Century composer-led organizations. Here he talks with Philip Blackburn about the nitty gritty of bringing together composers to amplify their members' opportunities and bring their work to a wider public. He serves on the board of the American Music Center.

Peter Golub is an active composer for theater, film, dance and concert settings. He talks with Philip Blackburn about what it takes to be a composer in each of these areas. Peter is also the Director of the Sundance Composers Lab at Utah's Sundance Film Institute. There he introduces six composers each year to the fine art of film scoring and documentary music writing. Get the inside scoop on the industry and see for yourself where the grass is greener.

Ken Steen is part of a trio of artists (along with Jeff Krieger and Gene Gort) working on a site specific collaborative composition called Reliquary of Labor (see reliquaryoflabor.org). Not only are they exploring the boundaries of what collaboration means but also using podcasting as an integral part of the process.

Composer and radical harpist Anne Le Baron teaches at CalArts. Her class? Hyperopera. Mere "opera" not being sufficient to describe the collaborative multi-media working process of this genre. Each student composes a section, then gets involved as performer/producer in everyone else's. It's a model of a cooperative society from beginning to end. Listen to Prof. LeBaron and the enthusiastic class talk about the process and listen to the resulting performance of "The Queen in Yellow".

Jaron Lanier is a composer, multi-instrumentalist (the emphasis on multi-) and computer scientist/philosopher teaching at UC-Berkeley. He is credited with coining the term "Virtual Reality." Today he talks with Philip Blackburn about young peoples' musical concepts in this age of technology. MIDI; friend or foe? This interview is in two parts.

Jaron Lanier is a composer, multi-instrumentalist (the emphasis on multi-) and computer scientist/philosopher teaching at UC-Berkeley. He is credited with coining the term "Virtual Reality." Today he talks with Philip Blackburn about young peoples' musical concepts in this age of technology. MIDI; friend or foe? Second of a two-part interview.

Frank J. Oteri is a New York-based composer and the Composer Advocate/Founding Editor of NewMusicBox.org at the American Music Center. Philip Blackburn talked to him at the ASCAP ICreateMusic conference and the discussion covered many aspects of being a classical composer today; the parallel economies and the opportunities for the future despite being largely invisible to the bigger commercial industry. The interview is in two parts.

Frank J. Oteri is a New York-based composer and the Composer Advocate/Founding Editor of NewMusicBox.org at the American Music Center. Philip Blackburn talked to him at the ASCAP ICreateMusic conference and the discussion covered many aspects of being a classical composer today; the parallel economies and the opportunities for the future despite being largely invisible to the bigger commercial industry. Second of a two-part interview.

English conceptual sound artist Robin Rimbaud is a new breed of musician. His live performances, sometimes with scanning devices that pick up phone conversations, installations, site-specific events and recordings all challenge us to rethink the role of sound in our musical lives. Does he offer the blueprint for all Post-Modern maestros?

Charles Amirkhanian's address book contains everyone in the new music world you wish you knew. He cut his teeth as music director at Berkeley's KPFA and moved on to Telluride, Djerassi, and Other Minds, championing forward-looking composers all the while (he is also one himself). He dragged Nancarrow out of obscurity and is doing the same for George Antheil. This interview is in two parts.