TCC Roundtable, Dr. Amelia Brey
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 Dr. Francisco Javier de Alba and Professor Nadine Silverman on the TCC Roundtable on Festivals and Competitions.
https://www.tccollaboration.com/tcc-37-festivals-and-competitions-tcc-roundtable/
It was wonderful to have both Dr. Paco and Professor Silverman back onto the podcast, catching up and seeing where everybody is at after a good deal of time since their solo episodes. I was also to have them both on the same panel in particular as Professor Silverman is the one who introduced me to Dr. Paco originally.
On what we discussed in the episode, I certainly learned a lot about the zeitgeist surrounding competitions and festivals, something where I did not comprehend how much of an issue financial accessibility is. In retrospect, comparing a music theory conference to a festival is not entirely congruent. A music theory conference, at most, is three-to-four days in total, whereas festivals can typically go for weeks. That being said, however, the cost is regardless significantly more pre-day for a composition festival than any theory conference. While it seems there is a decent amount of scholarship and financial assistance given out, it is still not “decent” in comparison to the number of possible attendees. While I am not in any position to pointedly criticize organizations on their funding models, as I am not very knowledgeable in such things, it does feel as though there could strides in the direction of financial accessibility for attendees. That being said, as Dr. Paco pointed out in the episode, most organizers are conscious of these facts and are trying their best internally to address it. Perhaps it’s not a judgment of care, more-so of priority? A shorter festival but more diversified attendees? Again, I am sure it’s not that simple, just musing about the possibilities for improvement.
Thank you again to Dr. Paco de Alba and Professor Silverman for coming back onto the podcast.
I am excited to preview that the next episode of the TCC Podcast is going to feature Dr. Amelia Brey and her piece Becoming Tangible. Dr. Brey and I had a very engaging philosophical discussion on the classical canon, engaging in the discourse on the “rightful” place of different composers and the complications from that assertion. We also discuss Dr. Brey’s compositional approach in light of large ensembles and choral writing in Becoming Tangible, and the vital importance of collaboration with conductors can be in new music performances. Additionally, we delve into the methodological differences between composition and music theory, including how they can come together. I want to share more, but you will have to wait until this coming Monday!
Again, don’t forget to listen to the most previous episode if you missed it, featuring Dr. Paco and Professor Silverman. 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, June 23rd, for the episode featuring Dr. Amelia Brey and Becoming Tangible. 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 and academics outsi… Read More
Professor Michael Buchler, TCC Roundtable
