Summary: This episode we talked with local composer Rusty Banks. Born in 1974 in Alabama, Rusty comes from a very musical family. He picked up his first guitar at age ten, and by junior high, he had discovered classical style guitar. By the time he went to college, he knew composition was his niche and he worked hard to distinguish himself as a composer. Banks likes to incorporate pop music into his compositions and he uses modern affects like cd playback and multiple cell phones to create sound delays. We asked Rusty about the different approaches one could take to writing a piece of music and he told us about his own processes for producing a finished product. Often, he writes a piece for its sound rather than thinking of it in mathematical terms. Most of his creative processes are deadline driven and he says if it was not that way, he might never completely consider a work “finished”. Banks’ music has been performed not just locally, but all over the globe. Having such a unique style, he says that sometimes you need to take the music to the people. His works have been performed in New York and Los Angeles and as far away as Italy and China. We got to listen to two of Rusty's compositions, "Babbling Tower to Tower", and "Slit" as performed by his wife Christy. To hear additional samples of Rusty’s work, visit his website at www.rustybanks.org. His music is available for purchase on Amazon and iTunes, and you can also follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Daniel Klotz filled in as co-host for Keith Slesser this week. Support for this episode provided by Winding Way Books, Pennsylvania College of Art & Design & In HIS Name HR. Theme music: Invisible Walls by Revolution Void Break music: Original Piece by Keith Slesser
