CAPTCHA for Baritone and Piano
Duration: 16'
Text by CAPTCHA
Performers: American Modern Ensemble, Jesse Blumberg, baritone; Blair McMillen, piano
Publisher: Bill Holab Music: http://www.billholabmusic.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1473
Online Perusal Score: https://issuu.com/robertpaterson/docs/paterson_captcha_perusal
For More Information: https://robertpaterson.com/captcha-baritone-version

PROGRAM NOTES
CAPTCHA originated with an assignment I was given as a participant in the American Opera Projects (AOP) Composers & The Voice program. Throughout the year, we wrote a variety of arias and songs and were given various "challenges." Some of the challenges included using no more than four lines of text, using found text, using prose, and also trying to avoid the passagio (a term used in classical singing to describe where different voice ranges cross over, for example, where the chest voice and head voice cross). I neglected to incorporate any of the challenges into previous pieces, and I only had one song or aria left, so I had to incorporate all of the remaining challenges into a single piece.

For found text, I decided to use CAPTCHA texts. The term CAPTCHA (for Completely Automated Public Turing Test To Tell Computers and Humans Apart) was coined in 2000 by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University. A CAPTCHA is a program that protects websites against bots by generating and grading tests that only humans can pass. For example, humans can read distorted text presented as a graphic, but current computer programs cannot. To find interesting words and phrases, I spent many tedious hours in front of my computer loading CAPTCHA texts. Actually, what I ended using are reCAPTCHA texts, which are derived from a free version of CAPTCHA that uses combinations of real words from scanned books that need human confirmation and gibberish text.

I initially wrote one song entitled CAPTCHA, but later decided to compose an entire song cycle that incorporates the original song. Each songs uses a few key words (the few that are actually real words and phrases) as a springboard. I attempt to phonetically interpret the other words and phrases that don’t make sense, infusing emotion where none exists. Ultimately, my goal is to create an emotionally moving experience, despite the nonsensical nature of the words.

Winter Songs

CAPTCHA - V. secretary Metadon

Istvan J. Balazs is a Hungarian film composer and a voting member of the World Soundtrack Awards Academy. Istvan is known for his scores for movies such as the Award Winning "American Family Revival" (US, 2019), When To You Turn To God(HU, 2016), One Day of The Karoli Family(HU, 2017), "JUNGLE" (AT, 2019) movie. Istvan is currently working on his first Oratorio called "THE RETURN OF THE KING OF KINGS", which will be premiered worldwide in 2024.

American composer Robert Paterson is a true New Yorker—born and bred in Buffalo, he lived in Rochester and Ithaca for over ten years, in New York City for over twenty years, and now lives in Saratoga Springs, near the Adirondacks. Paterson’s colorful music embraces a wide variety of themes, everything from goddesses and online dating to mathematics and the environment. His music is filled with emotion and fierce rhythmic energy, marked by elegance, wit, and meticulous craftsmanship. Named Composer of The Year by the Classical Recording Foundation at Carnegie Hall, Paterson is the winner of the Alfred I. DuPont Award, and his opera Three Way won the Grammy® under Best Classical Producer of the Year. His music is often a Best of the Year pick on National Public Radio. His orchestral tone poem, Dark Mountains, regularly airs on NPR’s Performance Today. Three Way premiered with Nashville Opera, then BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and across the United States. Minnesota Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, The Oratorio Society of New York, Buffalo Philharmonic, Albany Pro Musica, Albany Symphony, Musica Sacra, Austin Symphony, Vermont Symphony, and ensembles worldwide perform his works. Paterson gives masterclasses at the Curtis Institute of Music, New York University, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and more. He is the Artistic Director and house composer for Mostly Modern Projects. Robert is a lifelong vegan and advocates for animals and the environment, celebrating the natural world with ground-breaking works such as his Triple Concerto, A New Eaarth, Listen, and I Go Among Trees.

RepostExchange is the home of up and coming talent on SoundCloud, helping artists grow and develop through supporting each other and sharing audiences. The Re-Ex community consists of over 400k artists and labels at all levels. 

Our podcast features some of the very best music coming through the platform, covering a range of genres and styles. You won’t hear this music anywhere else!

Get involved at https://repostexchange.com

NEW SINGLE WILL BE RELEASED ON JANUARY, 15 2025 ONLY ON BANDCAMP!
NEW B-SIDES AND REMIXES ALBUM IS OUT!
https://slyarte.bandcamp.com/album/the-other-side-of-the-outsider
Check my latest release also:
https://slyarte.bandcamp.com/album/early-millennium-decades-decay
Purchase the full album and get two unreleased bonus track!
Also, still working on my next album!

Magdalena Meisel is a singer from Katowice, Poland. 

Magdalena took part in the Polish entertainment show, „Bitwa na Głosy”, where she performed along with the winning group led by the lead vocalist of the band FEEL. During the series, she brilliantly sang “Time To Say Goodby”, and she gained the judge’s recognition for giving a memorable performance of Bajm’s “Biała armia” in the final show. 

Magdalena exhibited her talent in the Polish talent show, “Szansa na sukces”, as well as the second edition of the music competition show, X-Factor. She also appeared in the 3rd edition of “The Voice of Poland”, where she sang with the group of other contestants coached by Marek Piekarczyk, the lead vocalist of the rock band TSA. Magda performed three songs winning the battle and the knockout stages of the competition and advanced to the live playoff along with the other three finalists, selected by Marek Piekarczyk.

She continues to perform as a solo singer partaking in a variety of music events. She hosts live concerts as well as business parties and events. 

Magdalena graduated from the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice with Master’s Degree in Violin Performance, and she is a member of the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra. She also teaches violin and she conducts educational activities.

Covert Acoustics is a creative sound collective dedicated to shaping immersive, genre-fluid sonic worlds.

Rooted in collaboration, we emerged from the world of production music — but have since outgrown those boundaries. Today, we focus on deeply crafted cinematic electronica and ambient downtempo, often blending music with foley, speech, and design to create narrative listening experiences.

Our catalogue spans EPs, albums, and singles — offering curated soundscapes that are as listenable as they are conceptual. Whether you’re tuning in for focused listening or seeking rich sonic textures for creative work, we aim to provide sound that resonates: deliberately, emotionally, and originally.

We’re here to reimagine what listening can be — one immersive release at a time.

Soy un compositor musical principalmente de obras instrumentales. Los grandes maestros de la música clásica han sido mis modelos para seguir.

CAPTCHA - V. secretary Metadon

Robert Paterson Composer