Frame Composers: What are they up to now?

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Rob in China2013 Winner

Robert McClure

 

Robert McClure moved to China and accepted the new position of Assistant Professor of
Music Composition at Soochow University in Suzhou, China (close to Shanghai) in 2013. Over the past year and a half his music has been performed across North America, Asia, and Europe at Festivals such as Sonorities Contemporary Music Festival, New York City Electronic Music Festival, North American Saxophone Alliance National Conference, Festival Musiquem, and the Toronto International Electroacoustic Symposium. His recent/current projects include a piece for violin and percussion, fixed media piece withRobert McClure sounds from the Anji Mountains in China, piece for vibraphone and computer, piece for bass flute, clarinet, and computer, and a new string quartet for Frame Dance to be premiered sometime in 2016. On April 30, 2014, he and his wife Kate welcomed their first child, Violet August. She is in great health and an absolute joy. She is getting quite proficient at the maracas but also shows promise with ukulele and the melodica and enjoys dancing to early 90’s hip hop.

 

 

 

 

 

Frame Dance Composers: What are they up to now?

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

As we get ready to announce the winner of this year’s Music Composition Competition, we thought we’d let you know what the past winners are up to now.  We think they’re outstanding.

Starting with the most recent, today’s update is on Robert Honstein, 2014 Winner.

robert honstein

Robert Honstein

Robert’s recent collaboration with New York based early music ensemble, The Sebastians, has been released as an album, ‘Night Scenes from the Ospedale’. The disc weaves together selections from Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico with a new suite of night music by Honstein. In these companion pieces Robert imagines “Night Scenes” from the Ospedale della Pietà where Vivaldi worked as performer, composer, and teacher. These evocative interludes comprise “a kind of music barely heard, melting into the stillness of empty rooms and dimly lit hallways” and exist in stark juxtaposition with the bold, exuberant Vivaldi concerti. Stream sample tracks and order a copy here (https://www.sebastians.org/shop/)

Tuesday Tunes

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

blanton_musicians

 

The 2015 Frame Dance Music Composition Competition submissions are closed. We are actively reviewing and thrilled about the submissions this year!   Here’s a look at some of our previous winners, and remember that it could be you for 2015!  Next week, we will tell you what the past winners are up to now…

Previous Winners

 

2014

First Placemusic3

Robert Honstein an index of possibility, for percussion trio

Second Place

Matthew Peterson

Rain Dances, for quadrophonic mixed media

Third Place

Jonathan Russell

Five Two Tango, for two violins

Film Score Winnermusicc

D. Edward Davis

cliff nesting, for alto saxophone with the sounds of Black-legged Kittiwakes near Seward, Alaska

2013 Winner

Robert McClure

2012 Winner

Charles Halka

2011 Winner

Micah Clark

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Tunes

by Lydia Composers Tuesday Tunes

musiccLast week for submissions to the Frame Dance Music Composition Competition!

We’re calling all composers to submit to our annual music competition to find a collaborator for one of our live dances, and/or one of our dance films. We’ll be using the winner’s music in one of our pieces for the Spring season.

We do not accept works previously licensed to third-party publishing companies.  This requirement, of course, does not limit works that are self-published where the composer has not entered into a licensing relationship with a third party.music3

The entry fee is $15.00. Composers may submit one, two, or three pieces for the single entry fee.

Submission Guidelines
Works may be written for solo, duet, trio, quartet, or quintet.
Acoustic works that utilize electronic playback are also acceptable.
Electronic music is accepted and encouraged.

Deadline is January 9, 2015

Winner will be announced January 30, 2015 

SUBMIT HERE.

Frame Dance’s Annual Music Competition

by Lydia Composers Tuesday Tunes

It’s back!

Frame Dance Music Composition Competition

Photo by Sil Azavedo
Photo by Sil Azavedo

We’re calling all composers to submit to our annual music competition, for a chance to find a collaborator for one of our  live dances, and/or one of our dance films. We’ll be using the winner’s music in one of our pieces for the Spring season.

We do not accept works previously licensed to third-party publishing companies.  This requirement, of course, does not limit works that are self-published where the composer has not entered into a licensing relationship with a third party.blanton_musicians

The entry fee is $15.00. Composers may submit one, two, or three pieces.

Submission Guidelines
Works may be written for solo, duet, trio, quartet, or quintet.
Acoustic works that utilize electronic playback are also acceptable.
Electronic music is accepted and encouraged.

Deadline is January 9, 2015

Winner will be announced January 30, 2015 

Submit here.

 

 

Past Winners:music2

2014

First Place

Robert Honstein

an index of possibility, for percussion trio

 

 

Second Place

Matthew Peterson

Rain Dances, for quadrophonic mixed media

 

Third Placemusic3

Jonathan Russell

Five Two Tango, for two violins

 

Film Score Winner*

D. Edward Davis

cliff nesting, for alto saxophone with the sounds of Black-legged Kittiwakes near Seward, Alaska

*Frame Dance is currently in production for an upcoming film, and has selected cliff nesting, as the musical score for the film

 

Shannon Adams2013 Winner

Robert McClure

2012 Winner

musicc

Charles Halka

2011 Winner

Micah Clark

 

 

 

image David DeHoyos
image David DeHoyos

 

 

Good Luck! We look forward to presenting your music!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday Tunes

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

We’re getting really excited about this year’s Music Composition Competition. This is the fifth year! We’ve been beyond honored to work with not only ridiculously talented composers, but kind, funny, collaborative people.  Today was inspired by this, which makes me realize how important it is to be inspired by your collaborators, but also to have fun.  These are some fun promo videos we made for a show in 2013.

 

Talking to the composers about their music:

Ecouter: Another Afternoon with the Composers from Frame Dance Productions on Vimeo.

Composer silliness:

Ecouter: An Afternoon With The Composers from Frame Dance Productions on Vimeo.

Tuesday Tunes

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Tuesday Tunes: Music and Dance  Tuesday Tunes

Hey, framers! We’re continuing our series about the relationships between music and dance

Have you ever wondered why we dance to music, and you would like to further understand why? This interesting article published by Time magazine explains some of the science behind our interests in the relationship between music and movement. The article involves findings from a study published in the  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

If you’re interested in reading more, check it out here!

Tuesday Tunes: more awareness to those people making music!

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Tuesday Tunes

 

Continuing our Tuesday Tunes focusing on dancers and accompanists, here’s another interesting article.

This article talks about the relationship between the accompanist and a dance teacher, including the communication that is needed for the relationship to succeed. Composer and musician Christopher Hobson, who began accompanying music when he was 17 , goes into depth about what it means to accompany dance.

Read More here 

Dancers and Accompanists

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Tuesday Tunes: Dance Teachers and Accompanists

Tuesday Tunes

While some teachers use CDs and iPods, many use live accompanists. As we know, the successful communication between accompanist and teacher is essential to the class. According to accompanist Richard Maddock, it’s the job of the musician to pay close attention while the dance teacher is marking it with their students to find the right tempo. He also says that it is important for him to pay attention to the first 8-16 bars of the exercise, so he can spend the rest of the time to get the perfect melody.

If you would like to read more about the interaction between accompanists and dancers, check out these cool articles:

Ballet accompanist equals ballet dancer in importance.

An interview with a ballet accompanist on Dance Advantage.

Building students musicality.

Also, check out our interview of our own Kirk Suddreath here!

Tuesday Tunes: Alex Soares

by Lydia Tuesday Tunes

Frame Dancer Performer Profiles

DDH_5734Name : Alex Soares

First Frame Piece:

Crease

0180017.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One thing you always do when preparing for a performance:026_PJ1_4834

I always read my notes from rehearsal, run through the piece step-by-step in my head. Right before going on stage, I like to find a moment for silence and concentration. The goal is to clear my mind and drive mental focus to what’s about to happen.

What do you do after a performance?  How do you unwind?

A nice long shower is a must, along with ointments for my poor feet. A nice glass of wine is also relaxing and celebratory.

Your favorite moment in performance:

The improv portions of Context were really interesting. I had a hard time connecting with that piece and choreography, and it really didn’t come together for me until we performed it. The evening started with a good 15-20 minutes of improv, and the energy I received from the audience along with the connection between us dancers was really powerful and interesting, and I think it led to authentic movement that was powered by emotion. It was exciting to be part of that.

 photos from top to bottom: David DeHoyos, Lorie Evans, Sil Azevedo,