by Ted Moore, Spitting Image Artistic Co-Director

leviathan started as a work about the sounds one might hear in sea side caves. Specifically, it was about An Uaimh Bhinn, a cave on the coast of Scotland that is famous for the unique way in which sound resonates through it. As the piece developed, some kind of beast character appeared within the music and form I was working with, so I chose to title the piece leviathan, meaning a large sea monster.

leviathan

by Noah Keesecker, commissioned composer

Carver might be about a person or it might be about an action. It’s likely that it’s about a person making an action. The person may or may not be a specific and/or fictionalization of a real person. The actions may or may not have any direct correlation to the evidence left behind beyond a relationship that could, at its best, be described as spurious and of dubious origins.

Carver

by Joshua Musikantow, commissioned composer

Extinction, tuned to 53-tone equal temperament, is a non-nostalgic meditation on loss: both everything that has been lost, and everything we risk losing. I say non-nostalgic not because it is without sentiment, but rather because nostalgia usually entails a yearning for the familiar; yet, that which has been truly lost is quite alien to us, as its very state of being lost implies an omission from, or at least underrepresentation within, the accepted canons and historical narratives.
I1d like to believe that the things that survive the test of time do so because of their virtue; yet, through the years, I have moved further towards the opposite viewpoint: namely, that survival is secured not through virtue but through some combination of cold pragmatism; pandering; political maneuvering; or outright brutality on the part of those with superior numbers, resources, or military might.
My allegiances are with the losing side.

Extinction

by Spitting Image Composer Daniel Nass

Nine Wee Drams The term ‘a wee dram’ is most commonly used to describe a small pour of whiskey. In this instance, I’m using it to refer to a small piece of music. Nine Wee Drams consists of nine miniatures for clarinet and cello, each named after a favorite Scotch whiskey of mine: Laphroaig, Cragganmore, Caol Ila, Balvenie, Macallan, Kilchoman, Ardbeg, Ledaig, and Lagavulin.

Nine Wee Drams

Spitting Image Collective is a group of Minnesota composers that came together in 2013 to build a strong community of composers, performers and listeners in the Twin Cities metro area. Since then, the collective has commissioned numerous new works from local Minnesota composers and presented them in concerts throughout the Twin Cities featuring many of the area’s most talented new music performers. Dedicated to community outreach and education, Spitting Image’s educational programs introduce learners of all ages to new music through listening, performing, and composing, including residencies at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis Public Schools, and workshops for the public. In addition, Spitting Image hosts community social events to encourage the formation of professional relationships among composers, and opportunities for composers to receive artistic feedback from peers. 

Spitting Image Collective members are: Katherine Bergman, Joshua Clausen, and Daniel Nass.