From the monthly archives:
Yesterday Daniel and I got to see the first complete run-through of HOMER IN CYBERSPACE. I think we may have a hit on our hands. The pacing is excellent, the story is sexy, compelling and entertaining, everyone will like the music, the actors are terrific and everything will only get better as we still have [...]
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PORTABLE CONCERTO for viola and electronics (1989) mp3
1. Desert Driving
2. Recent Dream and aria
3. Ride my car
Music: Roger Bourland
Performer: Marcus Thompson, viola
Recorded by Christopher Stowens
Yelton Rhodes Music
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Portable Concerto for viola and electronics was written through and NEA commission. Three composers (me, Gary Philo, and Wm Thomas McKinley) wrote pieces [...]
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I lived with my family in Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1960 to 1963. One of the memories I have of that time is the SMELL of spring. Spring in the desert. And later, when I lived in Wisconsin or Boston, every spring I would smell the western desert calling me back.
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[I take the bus these days. Sick of paying so much at the tank, and you see a lot of stuff you don't otherwise see. It seems a good source of blog stories, so here.]
On the way home today, the back of the bus was dominated by 5 boys, probably 14 to 15 years old. [...]
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The doorbell rang this morning. I wasn’t expecting anyone so I peaked through the side window and saw a creature that resembled Cousin It in the Addams Family. My heart thumped not being sure what it was. I went to the door, opened it and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi [...]
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Rufus wants us all to participate in a “turn your electricity off” on June 21. He has a webpage describing what is behind this effort, and it is laudable.
And while you’re at it, you can purchase a bust of Rufus for your piano, or your famous composer bust collection.
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Tonight I went to a concert, and after the second piece on the 2nd half, I was FULL. I had a hard time listening to more. The music went in my brain, but I didn’t aggressively take it in as I did when I was fresh. It wasn’t that the music was bad, it was [...]
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I first heard Ketjak in Fellini’s SATYRICON and then later when I studied Indonesian music as an undergraduate. Last year I heard a riveting realization of Ketjak in the film BARAKA. (see below) I love the first performance (above) for its raw power. I was taught that this was an example of hocketing, or [...]
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What started out as a little AIDS research fund-raiser for Michael Dean’s bike ride from LA to SF, turned into a concert of little Bourland pieces, at our home last night, a “Bourlandaise” as someone put it. In a moment of clarity, after nearly being blown off the road by an 18-wheeler, Michael, 40 year [...]
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When a plant dies does it think, “Ok I’m going to die now, or I am dying, or I’m about to be killed”? Or is there any “I”. Has anyone updated that fun book “The Secret Life of Plants” where the author attached various plants to EEG and/or EKG and did various things to it [...]
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