for trombone. 7+'
intensely virtuosic. involves much tenor clef, extreme ranges, plunger mute, extended improvisation, singing, speaking, stomping, yelling, acting possessed... not for shy people.
this piece had a long, arduous creation and realization. i wrote it for a composition masterclass led by big-name-trombone-virtuoso (hereafter known as bntv). for reasons that were slightly (but not entirely, i will admit) beyond my control, bntv didn't get the copy of my piece in time to prepare it for the masterclass. at the beginning of the class, he pulled me aside to say that although he didn't get it in time to prepare it to play in the class, he'd like to say a few things about it. fine with me, right? he spent a half-hour – longer than he spent on any of the other pieces, which were not virtuosic material – ripping it to shreds, saying basically that a) it doesn't look like the berio sequenza and b) there all these unexplained notational markings which could be solved by making my piece look like berio's sequenza. i dig the berio as much as the next guy (heck, berio was my comprehensive exam focus!), but why does every piece have to look exactly like that? all the markings were actually explained on the first page, which i politely reminded him several times; obviously, he didn't look too closely, because all non-conventional trombone pieces should be closely modelled after berio. it was disastrous.
i spent the next year and a half looking for another trombonist to perform it. i had two guys agree to do it and then pull the rug out from under me a month before the show. then i found her...
she placed an ad in the American Music Center's Opportunity Update, looking for virtuosic trombone pieces, especially ones that involved theatrics. we emailed, i tweaked the piece, she played it for me over the cell phone. it rocked. i flew her out to nyc to premiere it on an ASM show. i hope to work with her again, soon. if you're in oakland, folks, find her and listen to her.
2003.
performance history:
20 February 2008. Reisinger Concert Hall, Sarah Lawrence College. Anti-Social Music: Jen Baker, trombone.
19 February 2008. Chez Matt Wright, New Haven, CT. Jen Baker, trombone.
10 Februrary 2008. Berkeley Arts Festival, CA. Jen Baker, trombone.
1 February 2008. Meridian Art Gallery, CA. Jen Baker, trombone.
recording of this performance:
8 October 2004. The Flea Theater (NYC). Anti-Social Music: Jen Baker, trombone.
recording of this performance: