Name: Simulacra by Dale Osterman
Duration: 5 min 30 s
Description: One of several tracks I made over the last month as part of Andrew Huang's online music production class. It's the most polished of the batch, and also the one that most deviates from the kind of music I typically make, although there's a handful of surprises thrown in there that are in keeping with my typical compositional style.

Asher Wulfman, violin
Elise Haukenes, violin
Cam Audras, viola
Myles Yeazell, cello

Synthetic Violet

Zachary Detrick, piano, accordion
Hannah Ishizaki, violin
Jake Borden, marimba
Emily Mantone, cello
Jack McGuire, bass
Harrison Honor, percussion
Mixed by Nathan Prillaman

Dale takes a walk at 3a.m.

Late night, so I won't be verbose. This week's Disquiet junto assignment was to write something in 5/4 that doesn't sound like Take Five. I thought I'd experiment with a couple of ideas, one being a clave over 5/4 (which I guess is very much a thing), and, in the B section, a pattern that goes over the barline of 2+6+2. Threw together some ideas and came up with a very short track that hopefully grooves!

More on this 540th weekly Disquiet Junto project — 5ive 4our (The Assignment: Take back 5/4 for Jedi time masters Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond) — at: https://disquiet.com/0540/

More on the Disquiet Junto at: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements here: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0540-5ive-4our/

Math Skills (disquiet0540)

This week's Disquiet Junto assignment was to make something using samples of birds and rain and using the Samplebrain software. I used field recordings from my visits to Delaware and made connections using the "brain" of a certain iconic breakbeat. I hit record and then improvised by adjusting the Samplebrain parameters. 

I did a tiny bit of editing (and a LOT of audio processing) in Ableton afterward.

* * * * * *
More on this 561st weekly Disquiet Junto project — Samplelicker (The Assignment: Rework environmental sound recordings with Aphex Twin’s new software) — at: https://disquiet.com/0561/

More on the Disquiet Junto at: https://disquiet.com/junto/

Subscribe to project announcements here: https://tinyletter.com/disquiet-junto/

Project discussion takes place on llllllll.co: https://llllllll.co/t/disquiet-junto-project-0561-samplelicker/

Bample Strains (disquiet0561)

Recording of "Bravado" by “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, Lt. Col. Jason Fettig conducting | October 24, 2023 in Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI | Fall Tour 2023

"Bravado" (2023) was written for the Tanglewood Music Festival 2023 orchestral readings and explores the many connotations of the word “bravado,” a descendent of the Old Italian adjective bravo, meaning “wild” or “courageous.” A person with bravado can be seen as bold or reckless, daring or arrogant, confident or overbearing. The ensemble musically embodies this range of traits through the transformation of the piece’s primary melody. Huge thanks to Lt. Col. Jason Fettig and “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band for commissioning this band version of "Bravado."

INSTRUMENTATION:
Piccolo
Flute 1-2
Oboe 1-2
Bassoon 1-2
Clarinet in Bb 1-3
Bass Clarinet in Bb
Soprano Saxophone
Alto Saxophone
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone
Trumpet in Bb 1-3 (metal straight mute)
Horn in F 1-4
Trombone 1-2 (metal straight mute)
Bass Trombone
Bass Trombone (metal straight mute)
Euphonium 1-2
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion 1: Suspended Cymbal, Xylophone
Percussion 2: Bass Drum, Glockenspiel
Percussion 3: Vibraphone, Suspended Cymbal
Harp
Contrabass

PERUSAL SCORE REQUESTS:
Contact Just a Theory Press at admin@justatheorypress.com

ORCHESTRAL VERSION:
Written for the Tanglewood Music Festival 2023 orchestral readings. Perusal score available via Just a Theory Press (admin@justatheorypress.com).

LEARN MORE:
www.galaflagello.com/

Bravado - "The President's Own" Recording

Kronos Quartet performs "Marejada," the most recent addition to Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire. Composed by Puerto Rican–born, Brooklyn-based composer Angélica Negrón in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the piece was specifically created to be played online, from separate locations via a video conferencing platform. Kronos describes “Marejada” as “a piece composed in this moment, and decidedly about and for this moment. We believe it is one of many creative and musical ways forward, out of our current isolation, and back into community.” 

You can learn to play this piece. FREE scores and parts, among other materials, are available online: 50ftf.kronosquartet.org

Composed by Angélica Negrón
© 2020 Inner Sunset Publishing
℗ 2020 Kronos Performing Arts Association
Commissioned for Fifty for the Future: The Kronos Learning Repertoire

Produced by Kronos Quartet
Recorded on Zoom, July 2020
Mixed by Zach Miley and David Harrington

Angélica Negrón - Marejada

Fenceline

Mouth Dreams

Produced, performed, and mixed by Matt Magerkurth
Mastered by Chris Combs

Plains Cathedrals

One of several tracks I made over the last month as part of Andrew Huang's online music production class. It's the most polished of the batch, and also the one that most deviates from the kind of music I typically make, although there's a handful of surprises thrown in there that are in keeping with my typical compositional style.

Simulacra

"Matriarch" (2020) for Wind Quintet
Commissioned by the Michigan Music Teachers Association and the Music Teachers National Association
Web Premiered by Pure Winds
Mixing Engineer: Will Jones, Kinsmen Sound Studio

PROGRAM NOTE:
"Matriarch," written for the 2020 Michigan Music Teachers Association Commissioned Composer Prize, was inspired by my two grandmothers, Dianne Flagello and Olive Herring, who were matriarchs in every sense of the word. From them, I learned how to lead, energize, forgive, empathize, persevere, and, most relevantly to this piece, evolve. Grandma and Nanny are true role models, and this made me wonder what parts of myself come from them. When I react to a difficult situation or celebrate an accomplishment, the way in which I do it is borne of the family who came before me. "Matriarch" uses musical material based on my own name to demonstrate how we learn to move through the world through the lives of our ancestors. The Gala Flagello theme encounters many twists and turns as it adapts to changes in its environment (texture), headspace (range), personal circle (voicing), and age (duration). When I reach 90, as Grandma will this year, or 93, like Nanny did, I hope to be even half the matriarch these women represent to me.

Special thanks to the Michigan Music Teachers Association and Music Teachers National Association for supporting the Commissioned Composer Prize, and to Pure Winds for premiering "Matriarch" and championing new music for wind quintet.

➤ For more information, scores, and recordings, visit https://www.galaflagello.com

Simulacra

Dale Osterman

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