I. Ludic Limp
II. Sonorant Cerement
III. Goat Gut Gospel

We the Way Outward springs from my continued interest in the work of experimentalist poet Nathaniel Mackey, whose poetry and literary criticism engage African American history and culture in a way that emphasizes a cross-cultural approach to art and life. The release of his newest collection of poetry, a three-volume set entitled Double Trio, led me to explore several musical ideas, which have worked themselves into this piece for chamber ensemble.

Its title derives from the protagonists of Mackey’s intertwined poems Song of the Andoumboulou and Mu. They feature a “band of nervous travelers,” who go by many names, and whose peripatetic nature brings them in contact with cultures from around the globe. Norman Finkelstein describes the poet’s penchant for using the nominative, first-person pronoun as his “wandering we.” We, the reader, are participating in the mythos that Mackey unfolds in his poems along with his “philosophic posse”; we’re part of the band searching for gnosis, a point of knowing that comes from without. “We the stubborn consort.” “We the band we were, we the band we’d be.” “We the would-be chorus.” We the Way Outward.

In response to Mackey’s call for “centrifugal work” in his manifesto “Destination Out,” We the Way Outward plays with adding musical influences to his contexts. He suggests that we begin from “whatever [it is that the] medium we find ourselves working in will not do.” This music cannot convey to the audience in a one-to-one relationship the composer’s thoughts and associations, for after all music is an abstract language. We can all, however, bring our own meaning to it; and those ideas could be just as meaningful.

We the Way Outward was commissioned by Boston Musica Viva, Richard Pittman Music Director, as part of the Write It Now Commissioning Initiative. It received its premiere performance on March 13, 2023, in New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall by the Callithumpian Consort under the musical direction of Stephen Drury.

flute - Zach Sheets
bass clarinet - Aleksis Martin
violin - Lilit Hartunian
violoncello - Stephen Marotto
drum set - Mike Williams
piano - Yukiko Takagi

We the Way Outward

We The Way Outward

Performed by the Bozeman Symphony, conducted by Norman Huynh

Learn more at http://scottleemusic.net

The Fire Beneath

A collection of my recordings of many of my favorite easy listening rock tunes from the 60's and 70's.

Dream A Little Dream of Me - Elizabeth on Vocals

Zlatomir Fung, cello
Janice Carissa, piano

Recorded at Skillman Studios in Brooklyn, mixed by Ted Moore in Chicago

Program note: Prelude is a duo for cello and piano that was written to precede attacca into the Brahms e minor cello sonata without pause (though it may also be performed alone) and is affectionately written for and dedicated to Zlatomir Fung and Tengku Irfan.

Prelude

Live performance at Oberlin 2.26.19
Oberlin New Music Ensemble
Conducted by Tim Weiss at the Oberlin Conservatory Warner Hall

Lyric Rivera, fulte/alto flute/piccolo
T. Colton Potter, oboe/English horn
Caleb Rose, clarinet I
Alex Abreu, clarinet II
Brian Geise, bassoon/contrabassoon
Nicholas Ginsburg, horn
Sam Friedman, trumpet
Evelyn Proffit, trombone
Carson Fratus, percussion I
Eli Geruschat, percussion  II
Amanda Lubin, piano
Esther Roestan, violin I
Simone Hammet-Lynch, violin II
Corley Friesen-Johnson, viola
Luka Stefanovic, cello
Matthew Frerck, contrabass

About the work:

In Spanish there are two verbs for the English verb “to be”, one is ser (to be) and the other one is estar (to be). The difference between the two is the quality of permanence: estar is a transitory state, an accidental element of being, while ser is permanent, ex. I am (ser) a human being, I am (estar) tired. The Spanish word esencia (essence) is descriptive of the ser verb form, the true nature of anything, not accidental or illusory (Merrian-Webster).

I find myself thinking about this a lot in times of change. Living in another country demands an immense effort for adaptation, in which one of the dangers -and almost unavoidable stage- is the feeling of losing oneself. Being at a distance with all the elements that made me myself: my culture, my family, my mother language, made me value all the small-things, those moments, places, persons that have now became lucid memories that I jealously treasure. And, aren’t we all just memories? Those instants that we chose to keep at the surface, and even the ones that remain deep inside, hidden, they shape our being, our feelings, our responses, they become our essence.

Esencia - Oberlin New Music Ensemble, conducted by Tim Weiss

Those who may be interested in seeing video documentation of this piece can do so here:
https://youtu.be/IEkX5UdHtNA?t=1 
Seven performers:
1 - any hammered dulcimer (cimbalom in this recording)
2 - tabletop 6-string acoustic guitar
3 - electric lap guitar
4 - tabletop 6-string electric guitar with whammy bar and nut extender
5 - tabletop 6-string baritone electric guitar with whammy bar and nut extender
6 - tabletop 7-string electric guitar and amplified piano played inside
7 - live processing and mixing

Sound Icon + Gleb Kanasevich
Play it loud, at the very edge of comfortable.

Found Objects (2018-19)

performed by the Tanglewood Music Center Fellows
at Seiji Ozawa Hall in Lenox, MA
14 July 2019

Nathan Aspinall - Conductor

Johanna Gruskin - Flute
Matthew Griffith - Bass Clarinet
Julianne Mulvey - Basson/Contrabassoon
Esteban Garcia - Horn
Ole Heiland - Tuba
Jonathon Wisner, David Riccobono - Percussion
Shelley Ng - Piano
Evan Bish - Double Bass

asestarse (2018, rev. 2019) | for 9 players

ONE FOOT IN THE DARK for Viola, Cello, Piano Trio

Live Performance on August 4, 2019
Seiji Ozawa Hall, Tanglewood Music Center

Performed by:
Sam Pederson, Viola
Sonia Mantell, Cello
Christine Wu, Piano

© 2019 Harriet Steinke

2019-08-04 1000AM SUN CD1

One Foot in the Dark (for viola, cello and piano) / Live at Tanglewood Music Center

Performed by Elise Kuder, Anna Takeda, Mike Kelley, and Rupert Anthony Thompson

String Quartet

for clarinet trio
B-flat Clarinet: Amy Advocat
Violin: Lilit Hartunian
Piano: John McDonald

We The Way Outward

Sid Richardson

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