I composed “Poem” as theme music for a new film by Graham Streeter called “Cages.” This classical music video features pianist Walter Ponce, conductor Jon Robertson, and the UCLA Philharmonia. Graham made this video during the dress rehearsal and the performance of the work.
POEM for piano and orchestra by Roger Bourland.
Here is a response to the question “should Rufus Wainwright’s gay-specific songs only be covered by gay men?”
Meg writes:
The concept of a song that can only be sung by a gay man disturbs me in much the same way as the idea that there is a “masculine novel” and a “feminine novel.” This concept hypothesizes [...]
The various responses to this question were widely varied and passionate. I realized that my question was really too vague to get a focused answer, but the ambiguity of the question brought out various facets not considered before.
Based upon your responses, the question will be more useful by divorcing it from a specific artist, and [...]
Here is a video that is a promotional piece for Otis College of Art + Design. The video makers, Shadowplay, originally made the film cut to a song in 15/16 time (!). I had to transcribe the song, then take the notes out, leaving the skeleton of a time signature with indications where important [...]
I have a friend who doesn’t read. Well, he reads, but only stuff on his computer. I know he has read books in the past, but these days he just doesn’t.
I find that I’m increasingly impatient with paper. I’ve stopped all newspapers although I have to buy them occasionally, as I have two African Grey [...]
Photo by Roger Bourland.
Today we discussed “Agnus Dei” and “The Maker Makes.” The class opened with an attempt to define the difference between “religion” and “spiritiuality.” There are all types in the class: Catholics, Jews, agnostics, atheists, humanists, Muslims… and each had their own takes on the notion of spirituality.
I didn’t tell them what I knew to be [...]
I’ve been informed by Cherry Lane Publishing that a songbook of RW’s songs will be forthcoming within the year. In that they oversee the print rights to the songs on “Rufus Wainwright” and “Poses” I assume the songbook will include both albums. Rufus is overseeing the long-awaited publication, and I can stop making my own [...]
In 1990 I was approached by Jon Bailey, the director of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles, about composing a work for his chorus: a community chorus that had lost over 80 members to AIDS. He wanted a work that addressed the frustration, sorrow, and terror of this horrifying disease, but one that contained [...]
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