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I think all music has
its uses for various occasions and situations. In
certain independent films you hear a lot of
experimental music. So it’s always a possibility in
using all those styles.
Oh there are more
outlets than ever now in music. Even video games!
I think so. One of
the drawbacks in being a musician is the business
aspect. You want to create 24/7 but you also need to
have good business sense in negotiating and knowing
about contracts. Has growing up in a business minded
family given you an innate ability at business, and
do you apply this as a musician?
I’m starting to. Music
is about networking. I have a serious time issue
because my day job is extremely consuming. So, if I
have time to compose or schmooze with conductors I
have to choose composing.
I see you need an
assistant. Well, some of the very busy composers do
that — hire assistants.
What I am enjoying about
the computer is that it cuts out so much work. Aaron
Copland often wrote out his own parts. Could you
imagine such tedium and lost composing time! The
computer simulates the orchestra and the correct
balances. You can cut, paste, do inversions,
retrogrades, variations and transpositions on
phrases in seconds and then spit out a score and
parts. It’s a great time to be a composer!
Do you have Finale?
I work with Performer
and send standard MIDI files to a computer copyist.
He actually extracts the parts and cleans up the
score.
What did Del Tredici
notice in your composition talent? Did you inspire
Del Tredici as a student?
I may have reinforced
his ideas. He was glad to see somebody following
romantic tonal style, because not all of his
students did. And I think he was happy about that.
Are you still in
contact with him? Do you speak with him?
Yeah, sure. He’s still
doing great work. What else can I say about the
future? I am heading more and more toward
electronics because they’re getting better and
better. It’s leaping forward at an alarming rate. I
got on that horse years ago with the Moog
syntheziser, and I’ve come to depend on it for my
orchestrations. Up until the last year or two there
was still a huge gap between live instruments and
sampled ones. I hate to say this to an
instrumentalist, but the gap is closing quickly. So,
you start weighing the pros and cons of the cost of
live performance—the copyist, the parts, the
musicians, the engineer, the rehearsals, the
conductor and the thousands and thousands of dollars
a live recording takes.
What do your
parents think about your compositions now?
Serious music lovers are
a miniscule group. A composer’s family is often
problematical—even if you’re not a hardcore
atonalist. The average person, especially in
America, just can’t handle abstract music of any
kind. They require a tune, words and a sexy singer
to deliver their music. It’s sad after your parents
spend all that money on music lessons for all those
years. They just don’t get your music. However, my
family was always encouraging and continue to be so
to this day. And I’m still trying to put some great
tunes in my music, just for them.
Thanks, Steve for
your time and your thoughts.
Deborah Thurlow
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