Nestled along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Boulder, Colorado there lies a hot convergence of musical talent. The four working composers at the University of Colorado, the stateʼs flagship institution, are creating an artistic environment unlike any other in the nation, each bringing his own wealth of knowledge, worldly experience, and artistic vision to the table. From concert music to film music, music for dance to music for entire evening events, electro-acoustic music to electronica, the range of disciplines offered at the University of Colorado are anything but monochromatic.
At the University of Colorado we encourage each composer to explore the trajectories of his or her own interests, be they orchestral, chamber music, wind ensemble, cross-collaborations, self-performance, music technologies, or fusions and diversions thereof. We seek to bring composers to Boulder for an invaluable, formative experience in which they will contribute their own vision to our musical community and from which they will springboard into a lifetime of further-enriched professional musical activity.
Reflections on Studying Composition at CU:
"One of the things that immediately struck me about Colorado was the incredible amount of collaboration and performance between composers. Everyone in the department has a fascination with performance, and is constantly looking for ways to keep up that aspect of their musical personality along with their composition. The vast variety of musical tastes and styles means that these performance projects take all sorts of forms: I've been involved with composer jam bands, dance and multimedia pieces by CU students, and 20th century masterworks, just to name a few. Since composition is naturally a solo activity, it's great to see such an enthusiasm about interacting and performing with colleagues; it's something I wish more institutions had, and one of the things I really love about the CU composition department." - Greg Simon, current Masters student
"CU was where I really learned how to take the next step in my musicianship. The faculty were wonderful, giving me time to adjust to life as a graduate student and plenty of opportunities to have my music heard. The composition setting was one that provided me with the space and guidance to become the best version of myself as a composer. Upon leaving, it was my impression that the program was certainly moving forward, and that a talented group of young composers and teachers had managed to congregate in a music school that really cared about building a world-class composition program." - Mark Nowakowski, former Masters student
"The faculty leads by example. They maintain active composition careers, yet they still have the strongest commitment to their students. They consistently demonstrate the highest level of dedication to both professional and academic standards. This has established a work ethic and a standard of excellence in the composition program that has influenced me as well as the rest of the composition students. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to study and grow here." - Brandon Vaccaro, current DMA candidate
"I am impressed by the aesthetic diversity that CU's composition program accommodates. The expertise of the faculty covers a gamut of genres from electronic and improvisational forms to acoustic chamber music and orchestral composition. The program reflects the greater composition world made up of artists writing an eclectic variety of styles. I'm glad to be involved in a DMA program that supports and challenges me in writing music that is interesting to me." - Leanna Kirchoff, current DMA candidate
"I have particularly enjoyed studying composition at the University of Colorado at Boulder because of the incredible convergence of talents, resources, and energy focused on the new music community. For composers studying at CU, the Pendulum New Music series offers a guaranteed outlet for highly publicized and well attended performances of their works, often along side works of their faculty mentors and visiting composers, such as Mark-Anthony Turnage, and seminal pieces from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Performers interested in new music often receive coachings from world renowned interpreters of contemporary music, such as pianist Ursula Oppens and violinist Todd Reynolds. We also attract a large and enthusiastic following from our Boulder community - our Grusin Hall concerts typically attract as many as one-hundred and fifty audience members, and our experimental electro-acoustic concerts in the state-of-the-art Alliance for Technology Learning & Society (ATLAS) Black Box theater are almost always standing-room only.
Collaborations between composers, conductors, instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers, and film makers are common at CU, often with facilitation from the supportive faculty of the various performing arts. The atmosphere of collaboration is particularly strong between ensembles and composers, with new works written specifically for and performed by the CU Collegiate Chorale, Wind Ensemble, graduate sting quartet and graduate woodwind quintet in the 07/08 season. Through the help of the faculty and graduate conductors, CU composers have also acquired residencies with several area high schools and youth symphonies, producing works for young ensembles. More diverse and unusual collaborations are also encouraged, and in the past have included engineers, computer scientists, dancers on stilts, and even psychologists, in interdisciplinary performances of epic proportions.
Composers interested in writing either traditional acoustic concert music or electronic and experimental works will find equal opportunities at CU. The facilities for music technology include two computer labs in the Imig music building, equipped for digital audio sequencing, software notation, algorithmic composition and other general tasks, and two more specialized labs (the ATLAS Experimental Music Lab and the infamous Imig CRuNCh Studio) equipped with vintage analog synthesizers, high-end digital-audio and video production programs. Furthermore, with the support of the Center for Arts Media and Performance in the ATLAS building, composers have created outstanding works that explore the capabilities their cutting-edge black box theater.
Many CU composers are also returning to explore the composer/performer paradigm, with groups of dedicated composers tackling difficult contemporary works in performance, such as Louis Andreissen's Worker's Union during the 06/07 season. Experimental bands and improvisation groups have formed in the last few years among CU musicians and composers, often taking art music out of the concert hall and into galleries and spaces typically associated with popular music." - Paul Hembree, current Masters student
Courses, Resources, Facilities, and Concerts:
Music Technology:
We have four facilities that are used for teaching and advanced projects. There are two Computer Assisted Music Labs (CAML) that have multiple workstations (a total of 31) equipped with MIDI controllers and Mac computers. These two labs are the locations where most of the music technology courses are taught. These labs are open for students to use at any time.
For more advanced projects using technology there are two smaller studios. The CRuNCh studio, located in the music building, features a workstation with 8.1 surround sound, recording equipment, and enough room for a small ensemble to rehearse. There are also printing and binding tools available for students who wish to produce scores of their music.
Across the street, in the new ATLAS building, there is an experimental music studio located next to the Black Box Theater. This studio is also available for projects that might require special tools. This studio features a wide screen, high definition monitor useful for film scoring and for works incorporating digital video.
The College of Music offers a certificate in music technology that is available to any undergraduate student on campus.
http://www.colorado.edu/music/classes/ugradadvising/CERTMtech.pdf
Music Technology Courses:
Introduction to Music Technology (MUSC 4081) is offered every semester and covers a wide variety of topics, including MIDI and audio sequencing, basic synthesis techniques, music notation software, web design, and working with digital video.
Composing at the Computer (MUSC 4111) Michael Theodore's class involves detailed experimentation with working methods in software environments such as MAX/MSP, Ableton Live, Reason, Logic, and others.
Topics in Music Technology (MUSC 4121) and Advanced Topic in Music Technology (MUSC 5121) explore various issues related to computer music. Topics will vary from semester to semester, but may include: computer programming using CSound, MAX/MSP/JITTER, and SuperCollider; music in intermedia; digital signal processing and synthesis; interactive performance systems.
Applications in Music Technology (MUSC 5081) is a graduate level introductory technology course. Like MUSC 4081, there are many topics that are covered but with an emphasis on applying computer technology in several musical disciplines, including music education, theory, performance and composition.
Theory and Aural Skills Review (MUSC 4101) is a course for graduate students who need remedial work in aural skills and tonal harmony. Topics covered include tonal harmony, voice leading, and essential aural skills. Includes diatonic triads and seventh chords, modulation, chromaticism, and structural analysis of representative compositions.
Pendulum New Music concert series:
The Pendulum New Music concert series, now in its eighth season, presents the best of new music with CU faculty and students, and first-class guest artists that have included Ursula Oppens, Bang on a Can All Stars, California Ear Unit, and eighth blackbird.
Monthly concerts take place on Wednesdays in Grusin Music Hall, Imig Building, CU campus in Boulder, with special events in the Atlas Blackbox Theater and other venues. Pendulum's mission is to promote new music and to equip students with the necessary skills and resources for successful collaborations and commissions.
Pendulum takes its name from the Colorado Centennial Foucault Pedulum at CU's Duane Physical Laboratory. The pendulum iconifies the series' mission to swing through all aesthetic directions in the music of our time.