Music you should hear: David von Kampen

I’m starting a new series of intermittent posts about some composers that I know.  I have always found David’s music interesting largely because I find his writing so different than mine.  Though I don’t know this for sure, he seems to compose with relative...

La blanca palomica

Here is the premiere of a new piece that was commissioned by my dear friend Tinsley Silcox for the St. Mark’s Episcopal School in Dallas, TX.  When the piece was written, I sent it of to Martin Neuman who is one of the singers in the fabulous young group...

Love Song or A Prufrock unto myself

 The context for the encounter was appropriately sad.  A beloved English professor had been forced to retire because of poor health.  The honors program at the University decided to give him an award, so they called the students in the honors program...

Aesthetics: reinterpretation and Gershwin

I was listening to the Smiley & West podcast this week. They interviewed the amazing Audra McDonald and spoke about the controversial new adaptation of Porgy and Bess that is currently on Broadway.  The naturally mentioned Sondheim’s vehement reaction (which...