From the category archives:
Yesterday, on my third day of staying home with the flu, I heard the mom next door trying to teach her son some Michael Jackson songs.
“Beat it… beat it…. beat it….” Hmm, not sure what the rest of the words are. Let’s try another. “Thriller…. thriller…. dum dum dum da da da de…” Hmm, [...]
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A terrific cover by Neil Young of “A Day in the Life” with a walk-on cameo by Paul McCartney. Young seems profoundly moved at the end, almost tapping into the primal scream John so loved. He didn’t have the courage to smash his guitar, but he broke all the strings instead. It’s ok Neil, we [...]
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Today Volker Hauschka stopped by to chat about an upcoming collaboration with me on a new film by Graham Streeter (of CAGES fame). Volker is taking the prepared piano into a new realm, and it is quite often transcendent, hovering, beguiling, pretty to listen to, and original. His career seems to be taking off. Seeing [...]
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Today Prof Steve Loza visited our class to share is passion. Of Mexican heritage, he studied classical music in college, but wanted more and became profoundly curious to learn of his own heritage, and ultimately became an Ethnomusicologist, but keeping his feet in performing and composition.
He spoke of the blend of indigenous, Spanish, and black [...]
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Today in my “music theory” class, composer and colleague Paul Chihara spoke to us about working in Hollywood, and showed four stages of the evolution of a musical cue. The cut the director gives the composer that will have SMPTE time code on it and little or no sound, nor sound effects; a version with [...]
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Today I was invited to a graduate course in architecture taught by Visiting Professor, Benjamin Ball, of Ball Nogues Studio. Here is a sample of his work.
He has a class of young architect grad students, working in teams, each pitching their vision of what the space will be. Casey Reas, the Chair of Design Media [...]
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On Wednesday I went to the opening of BELOVED UPON A TIME, a full length musical at Royce Hall with music by one our our graduate students, Adam Gilberti, who rose to the occasion a produced a wonderful set of songs. Having trouble sitting for long periods of times these days I only stayed for [...]
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I mentioned that we are in Auburn, CA for Gareth and Jenny’s wedding. Who is Gareth you ask? Gareth Smith is one of the founders of Shadowplay Studio and an old classmate of Daniel. Of course you remember the Possum Death Spree series with music by yours truly:
Possum Death Spree I
Possum Death Spree II
[Possum Death [...]
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