Short Circuit refers to when neurons aren’t connecting properly in the brain, when one experiences brain fog or small seizures when tiny moments of time disappear.  In this piece, there are silences or ghosts of musical material that require the listener to mentally provide the connecting thread between the ideas to form the complete narrative.  The electronic sounds are triggered by the percussionist through Ableton Live, thus being a bridge between a piece for instruments and fixed media and a piece for interactive electronics.

Short Circuit

Charles Norman Mason has been recognized repeatedly for his originality and attention to color.  Steve Smith of The New York Times writes “’Additions’ by Charles Mason , offered a nearly seamless integration of electronic and acoustic sounds…” Peter Burwasser of Fanfare writes that Mason’s music speaks in a “boldly, original voice”. High Performance Review states that the music is “full of invention… funky and colorful… consistently ingenious.”  Katherine Porlington writes in Upstate Music (NY) “...Mason's Senderos Que se Bifurcan... is, without doubt, one of the finest new clarinet chamber works of the past twenty years.”  Nancy Raabe writes in The Birmingham News “Mason's brilliant From Shook Foil occupies a class of its own... it is charged with creativity.”
Mason has received many awards for his compositions including the 2005 Rome Prize, a Dale Warland Commission Prize, and the 2008 American Composers Orchestra “Playing it Unsafe” commission prize. His music has been performed throughout the world including the FORO INTERNACIONAL DE MUSICA NUEVA in Mexico City, the Quirinale in Rome, the Aspen Summer Music Festival, and the Nuova Musica Consonante in Romani.  His music has been featured on “Performance Today” on NPR.
Dr. Mason is associate professor of composition at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.  His website is www.charlesnormanmason.com


Short Circuit

charlesmason