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Showing posts with label composer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label composer. Show all posts

May 9, 2015

The Failure of Superwoman: A Young Composer's Confession

The Failure of Superwoman: A Young Composer's Confession 

(Originally Published 2010)
In this poignant confession, an overworked mother shares her daily struggles of work and family while giving a seed of hope to working mothers the world over. 

My friends call me Superwoman. 

Singlehandedly I juggle work, music, and motherhood, and still manage to get a healthy dinner on the table before my husband comes home at night. You can find me lecturing on Baroque Music and Beethoven at the local university, composing electronic music for my opera until the late hours of the night, teaching my baby girl proper fingering on the piano, and trying to find ways to buy organic vegetables while cutting my grocery budget by another ten percent.

I appreciate the empowerment my mother's generation gave to Generations X and Y. We grew up believing that we could have it all. Despite all of the bad publicity for being "slackers", we believed that a woman could perfectly balance work, her dreams, and her family without a cost. My parents taught both my sister and I that we could be the best, and that we were the best. I am the overachieving product of an immigrant family - another alien wondering about this lost land.

I am Superwoman. I am tired.

Several months of putting in full time hours in my spare time has sucked me dry. I want to hang up my superhero cape, put away the neat utility belt, and just blend in with everyone else. Musical ideas nag me constantly, but who has time for a symphony when baby has an ear infection, there are fifty papers to grade, and time with hubby is already nonexistent? So many notes flying around in my head - floating and dying, with no creative outlet, like a million snowflakes in a blizzard. They disappear, and I hope that someday I will again have the time to write something great, or just have time to breathe.

I am Superwoman. I am not alone.

As the economies of the world crumble to dust, and millions more join the short path to poverty, billions of Superwomen keep each nation alive. They feed the world's children, till the barren soil, and attempt to help the fledgling generation that is our children have a fighting chance in a rapidly decaying environment.

How much longer can the Superwomen fight before kryptonitic exhaustion robs them of their waning powers? Are we the shadows of women's liberation, or are we the militant mother soldiers of the New Great Depression? Are we forging a new path or are we simply trudging along a well-beaten trail? Only the her story books a century from today can tell.

Look in the mirror, my sister. You might find the face of a Superwoman staring back at you.

July 17, 2014

Looking for Music and Musicians of Latin America

Español: Ubicación de América Latina
Español: Ubicación de América Latina (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

60x60 Latin Mix

Opportunity Type: 60x60 
Entry Fee: None
Open To: All Composers living in Latin America, Composers of Latin American heritage, and/or works that are clearly inspired by Latin American culture/music.
Deadline: Nov 1, 2014
Receipt Type: Digital Submission: Must be completed online by deadline 
(SPANISH and PORTUGUESE TRANSLATIONS BELOW)

60x60 Latin Mix

Opportunity Type: 60x60
Entry Fee: 0.00
Open To: The call is open to all Composers living in Latin America, Composers of Latin American heritage, and/or works that are clearly inspired by Latin American culture/music.
Deadline: 11-01-14
Receipt Type: Digital Submission: Must be completed online by deadline

Vox Novus's 60x60 is calling for one-minute recorded works with durations of 60 seconds or less. Curator/Macro-composer Sabrina Pena Young will select and organize 60 compositions to be played continuously in a one-hour live concert.

About the 60x60 Latin Mix:
The 60x60 Latin mix will show recent works of Composers living in Latin America, Composers of Latin American heritage, and/or works that are clearly inspired by Latin American culture/music.

60x60 is a project of "signature works" and short works created specifically for the 60x60 project. Excerpts of larger works are strongly discouraged. Works generated from procedures (i.e. mathematical matrices, organizational systems, or computer programs) remixed works, or themes and motives recomposed from other of the composer's own work are acceptable.

In addition to the 60x60 Latin Mix, Vox Novus is calling for submissions for several other themed mixes including: the International mix, the Wave Farm mix, Death Mix and others. Details for other mix submissions can be found at: http://www.60x60.com/submission

The call is open to all Composers living in Latin America, Composers of Latin American heritage, and/or works that are clearly inspired by Latin American culture/music.

There is no admission fee.

Submission deadline for all 60x60 opportunities is 11-01-14.

All submissions must be uploaded online at: http://www.60x60.com/submission

Audio submissions must be in either AIFF or WAV file format.

Special conditions for the 60x60 Latin Mix

All works submitted to 60x60 mixes will be considered for this year's 60x60 International Mix.
The composer needs to write a brief sentence about why the piece should be a part of the Latin mix.

Questions about 60x60 can be sent to support@voxnovus.com

Works selected for the 2014 60x60 project will be announced on the Vox Novus newsletter NM421: www.NM421.com in January 2015

60x60 is a one-hour-long show made by sequencing 60 pre-recorded pieces by 60 different artists, each piece a minute in length or shorter. 60x60 has been presented in many performance formats including TV shows, radio shows, multimedia and multidisciplinary events, as well as published several albums of works. Since 2003, 60x60 has received thousands of submissions from over 30 countries. Highlighting the work of a great many artists and composers, 60x60 testifies to the vibrancy of contemporary composition by presenting a diverse array of styles, aesthetics, and techniques being used today http://www.60x60.com.

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PORTUGUESE TRANSLATION

60x60 Latin Mix

Oportunidade 60X60
Preço de inscrição: 0.00
Para quem: a convocatória esta oberta a todos os compositores que vivem na América Latina, possuem origem latino-americana, ou que sejam inspirados pela cultura e música latino-americana.
Envio: envio digital pela Internet (online).

Vox Novus's 60x60 consiste em obras até um minuto de duração. A Curadora (diretora, organizadora)/compositora Sabrina Pena Young fará uma seleção de 60 obras a serem tocadas de forma contínua num concerto ao vivo com a duração de uma hora.

Sobre o 60x60 Latin Mix:
A 60x60 Latin mix mostrará novas obras de compositores que vivem na America latina, ou que possuem origem latino-americana, e também obras da cultura/musica de inspiração latino-americana.

60x60 é um projeto de "signature works" (projetos personalizados), obras curtas, criadas especificamente para o projeto 60X60.
Nao é recomendável extrair fragmentos de obras longas realizadas previamente. Obras de longa duração não serão admitidas.
São permitidos trabalhos criados a partir de processos generativos (ex. Matrizes matemáticas, sistemas ou programas de computação), remixes, e temas inspirados por outros compositores.

O 60x60 Latin Mix, Vox Novus oferece ainda a oportunidade de inscrição em outras temáticas (themed mixes) que incluem: the International mix, the Wave Farm mix, Death Mix e outros. Detalhes se podem encontrar na: http://www.60x60.com/submission

A data limite e: nov-01-2014
Todos os projetos têm que fazer o upload online na: http://www.60x60.com/submission
A submissão Audio tem que ser no formato .AIFF ou .WAV

Condições especiais do 60x60 Latin Mix:
- As obras enviadas ao 60x60 serão consideradas no 60x60 International Mix deste ano.

O compositor tem que descrever com uma pequena frase a razão para a sua peça ser incluída na Latin mix.

Perguntas acerca do 60x60 podem ser enviadas para: support@voxnovus.com

As obras seleccionadas paro o projeto 60x60 2014 serão publicadas na Vox Novus newsletter NM421: www.NM421.com em Janeiro 2015.

60x60 é um concerto de uma hora de duraçâo com 60 peças de artistas diferentes, pre-gravadas e tocadas sequencialmente.


60X60 tem sido apresentado em formatos diferentes de performance: em TV shows, na radio, eventos multimedia e multidisciplinares.
Também ainda realizado publicações das obras em albums.

Desde 2003, 60X60 tem recebido milhares de inscrições vindas de 30 países.

60X60 é uma referência na vitalidade da composição contemporânea apresentado uma diversidade de estilos, estéticas e técnicas utilizadas por muitos artistas e compositores actuais.
http://www.60x60.com

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SPANISH TRANSLATION

60x60 Mezcla latina

Tipo de oportunidad: 60x60
Cuota de admisión: 0.00
Abierto a: El llamado está abierto a compositores que vivan en América latina, compositores de ascendencia latina y/o trabajos inspirados en la cultura/música latina.
Plazo de entrega: nov-01-2014
Tipo de recibo: Presentación digital: Debe ser completada en línea.

Vox Novus 60x60 está pididendo obras grabadas de un minuto o menos de duración. La curadora/macro-compositora Sabrina Pena Young seleccionará y organizará 60 composiciones que serán ejecutadas continuamente en un concierto de una hora de duración.

Sobre la Mezcla Latina 60x60:
La Mezcla Latina 60x60 mostrará trabajos recientes de compositores que vivan en América latina, compositores de ascendencia latina y/o trabajos inspirados en la cultura/música latina.

60x60 es un proyecto de "obras de autor" y obras cortas creadas específicamente para el proyecto 60x60. No se recomienda extraer fragmentos de obras largas realizadas previamente. Son aceptables obras generadas a partir de procedimientos (matrices matemáticas, sistemas organizacionales o programas informáticos), las obras remezcladas, o los temas y motivos recompuestos a partir de otros trabajos propios del compositor.

Además de la Mezcla Latina 60x60, Vox Novus está convocando para varias otras mezclas temáticas: la Mezcla Internacional, la Mezcla Wave farm, La Mezcla Muerte y otras. Los detalles para otras convocatorias puede ser encontrados en: http://www.60x60.com/submission

La convocatoria está abierta a compositores que vivan en América latina, compositores de ascendencia latina y/o trabajos inspirados en la cultura/música latina, de cualquier edad o etapa de su carrera.

El plazo para presentar obras de 60 segundos (o menos) de duración es nov-01-2014.

No hay cuota de admisión.

Todas las obras deben ser cargadas en línea en: http://www.voxnovus.com/60x60/submission (el proceso de registro está en inglés)

Las obras deben estar en formato AIFF o WAV.

Condiciones especiales para la Mezcla Latina 60x60

Todos los trabajos enviados a las Mezclas 60x60 serán consideradas para la Mezcla Internacional 60x60.
Los compositores deben escribi una breve nota que explique porque su obra debería estar en la Mezcla Latina.

Preguntas sobre 60x60 pueden ser enviadas a jackysch@gmail.com

Los trabajos seleccionados serán anunciados en la hoja informativa de Vox Novus NM421: www.NM421.com en Enero 2015.

60x60 es un concierto de una hora de duración conformado por la secuencia de 60 piezas grabadas por 60 compositores diferentes, cada obra de una duración máxima de 60 segundos o menos. 60x60 ha sido presentado en muchos formatos incluyendoTV, radio y eventos multimedia y multidisciplinarios, también ha publicado CD's con las obras seleccionadas. Desde 2003, 60x60 ha recibido miles de obras de mas de 30 paises. Destacando el trabajo de un gran número de artistas y compositores, 60x60 da testimonio de la vitalidad de la composición contemporánea, presentando una gran variedad de estilos, estéticas y técnicas que se utilizan actualmente. http://www.60x60.com.

May 25, 2010

The Composing Mommy

Good Evening (Almost Morning),

I wonder if Mozart, Bach, or Tchaikovsky ever had to worry about how they were going to balance taking the sick baby to the doctor, caring for their significant other, attempting to have some semblance of a clean home, and trying to compose music? I am working on an album right now for a music company, and I have to have the final track (with shorter edits) done before we leave for vacation this week. Craziness!

The music is jazzy, with a Latin twist (I have a blast throwing in all the percussion parts, since I have played drums for over twenty years now). Anyway, it is nearly midnite, I am trying to finish, and baby starts crying. Poor thing is sick with a cold. Anyway, I tuck her in and then back to composing. (Yawn). I am super tired, but I need to meet this deadline. (I am sure Bach would understand, he worked fulltime as a choir director, writing a cantata per week AND he had about 20 biological children. Ack!)

Well, gotta run, even with my soundproof headphones, I can hear my baby calling from the next room. Ciao for now!

Mami Mozart